海角大神

Along with the humanitarian aid pouring in from around the world, tech giants have joined in the efforts to assist Nepal after it was hit by a 7.8-magnitude earthquake.

To support relief efforts, has partnered with the American Red Cross to encourage people to donate through the iTunes store, with the pledge that 100 percent of donations will go to the humanitarian organization as it lends a hand to victims. , for its part, has turned to UNICEF to assist those in Nepal.聽

Collaborating with the , which uses digital networks for humanitarian response, is searching its business social network for drone experts in the vicinity, hoping that skilled pilots can use unmanned aerial vehicles to retrieve better information about the most affected areas for relief workers.

Facebook launched a encouraging its users to donate to the , a nonprofit providing medical care to the region. The company said it would match user donations up to $2 million.

Additionally, the activated , a feature that allows individuals to check in with friends and family to let them know they are okay. If a user is in one of the areas hit by the earthquake, a notification will appear asking if you are safe, and whether you would like to check in on your friends.聽

鈥淲hen disasters happen, people need to know their loved ones are safe. It's moments like this that being able to connect really matters,鈥� said Facebook chief executive officer Mark Zuckerberg . 鈥淢y thoughts are with everyone who's been caught up in this tragedy.鈥�

Since establishing the feature, said that millions of users in Nepal, India, Bhutan, and Bangladesh have now been labeled as safe, with their statuses being spread to tens of millions of users.

Google is working with the Red Cross to create a of those in the affected regions. Google鈥檚 allows anyone to go to the site and enter a person鈥檚 name, biographical information, and photograph into Google鈥檚 database. Individuals can specify if you are that person, seeking information on the person, or if you have reason to believe the individual is alive or dead. Google does not, however, verify the data, .

The database can be searched online or by texting a name to a specific number. The system was designed to streamline information so those looking for loved ones don鈥檛 have to rely on multiple sources.

Google was also directly impacted by the tragedy. , a Google engineer, died while attempting to climb up Mt. Everest with three other Google employees when the quake set off an avalanche.

are looking to connect loved ones as well. Time Warner, Verizon, and AT&T are all offering customers free calls to Nepal. Time Warner extended the offer to India and China through May 25; and Verizon and AT&T are offering free texting for customers.

In the aftermath of the Saturday's earthquake, Nepal's largest in 81 years, these acts of kindness could be considered essential to the search and recovery process.

The tech industry鈥檚 response to disasters has become more fluid over the years. Much like the response to , , and when in 2012, technology has become vital to natural catastrophes.

While the most remote regions of Nepal offer limitations to how much these tech giants can help (only of Nepal's population of nearly 30 million population has access to the Internet), their assistance could become the lifeline for any region affected by a natural disaster.