Smartphone applications have revolutionized how we do business, track our fitness, connect with our colleagues and friends, create, share and consume content, and manage our day to day lives. Until recently, applications related to personal safety seemed to be an afterthought. If you are like me, you dial 911 and hover your finger over the send button if you are walking alone in a sketchy area. Fortunately, a small number of safety applications have become available for download. In this post we will cover some of our favorites, including Kitestring, Circle of 6, and Red Panic Button.
Kitestring
Kitestring is a SMS-based service that sends a message to an emergency contact if you don’t arrive at your destination at a predetermined time. After signing up online, notify the app via text message to check up on you at your estimated time when you are supposed to arrive in your destination. After the alloted time, Kitestring will send you a text, checking to see if you made it. You reply via text or check-in online. If you don’t reply, the app will send a message to your emergency contact letting them know to give you a call. If your phone dies, you lose it, or something happens to you, it will send the message anyway because it doesn’t need your phone to be work. Kitestring offers a free plan that covers 8 trips per month and 1 emergency contact. For $3 per month you can have unlimited trips and contacts along with the ability to customize progress and destination time checkins.
Circle of 6
Winner of the 2011 White House and HHS “Apps Against Abuse” Technology Challenge Circle of 6 is a free app that lets you pick six friends to alert if you need a ride, help, or if there’s an emergency. With Circle of 6, you can connect with your friends to stay safe and prevent violence before it happens. Need help getting home or an interruption during an uncomfortable date or conversation? Two touches lets your circle know where you are and how they can help. Feel uncomfortable asking for help? The apps icons represent actions so that no one can tell what you’re up to. Circle of 6 is a free download in the iTunes or Google Play store.
Red Panic Button
Instead of hovering over the send button to dial 911, how about hovering your finger over a red panic button on your smartphone screen? With a “push” of the Red Panic Button, the phone dials an emergency number and sends panic messages that include your GPS location via SMS, e-mail, Twitter and Facebook. Red Panic Button is available from the Google Play Store and iTunes for $2.99.
Is there an app you would like for us to review? If so, let us know! If you are interested in learning how mobile technology can help your business contact us for a FREE technology assessment. We are a big proponent of integrated “deskless” technology. In fact, our RevITup Business Care Series includes FREE smart device management for 1 smartphone and 1 tablet for each user. We love finding apps to make you productive!
