What if a smartphone application could save your life?
Permanent links between technology and our everyday life, applications for smartphones have the wind in their sails. Designers are constantly promising revolutionary apps designed to make life easier: there are applications to help you get pregnant, calculate your sleep cycles, organize yourself, and even help you take naps in the office without anyone noticing you! But if the truly revolutionary application was that which changed our life by saving it? These security applications for emergencies are not yet available everywhere, but it will not be long.
Top 5 applications that help you in case of attacks and that one looks forward to.
1. Circle of six
If you follow Technology News, you will know that Circle of six was one of the first applications of this type on the market. As the name suggests, it allows you to choose six close persons that you add to your "close circle." In case of a risk situation, when you feel threatened, you just have to tap once on the screen in the application to send an automatic SMS alert to these six contacts as well as your geo location. This allows them to react quickly, to call you to deter a potential aggressor and to pick you up if needed.
Circle of Six also allows you to have direct access to hotlines that can help you.
This free app is so popular that some universities in the US have their customized versions, such as UCLA or the University of Houston. Nancy Schwartzman, founder of Circle of Six, explains on the home page of the application site the concept behind this device: "Security is based on the willingness of communities to support each other, so that young people can feel more confident in the streets, at parties and in their relationships."
2. Roar for Good: Athena
The Roar for Good is the first technological self-defense device to combat sexual assault.
Roar for Good is a company that seeks to stop sexual assault: it launched Athena, its first device to fight this violence. Athena is a small black device, very discreet, available in three colors and can be clipped anywhere: on your belt, your bag, your T-shirt, or even pendant around the neck. The goal is to have it at any time.
In the event of a hazardous situation, it is sufficient for the user to press the device for at least 3 seconds: this will trigger an audible alarm and will automatically send a message to your emergency contacts. There is also a silent mode; SilentRoar, which you can activate if you do not want your aggressor to know that you have called for help.
3. LifeLine Response
In situations of assault, it is very complicated to be able to call for help and give your location in order to get help. This is the problem that LifeLine Response is trying to deal with: you can pay a monthly subscription ($4.99 or €4.30) or a year ($59.99 or €50) to a service that automatically gives your location to the authorities if you report an assault.
To do this, it is very simple, you just press your thumb on the screen for a few seconds then drag it up. This triggers a very audible alarm up to 5km and immediately sends your GPS position to the authorities. To disable the application when you are safe, just type a four-digit code which you have previously chosen.
This is an effective and simple way to make you feel more confident when you ate going home late at night.
