Wearable Tech
EverPurse
Recommended for: Women; Men’s line coming soon.
EverPurse is fairly straight forward. You charge your purse by leaving it on the charging mat overnight. During the day, you simply put your phone in the pocket of the purse, and your battery will stay charged. As phones have become a lifeline for people in danger, this is a great idea for those who are wary. If you’re interested in safety apps, having this system helps ensure that the alert system works because your phone won’t die right when you need it. EverPurse only works with a limited number of phone models, but the people behind it are looking to expand the line, including creating products that appeal more to men. The clutch is packaged with a mat and straps for both cross-body and wristlet carrying, and it’s priced at $249. Replacement charging mats are listed at $59.
bembu
Recommended for: All users.
Watching the promo video on bembu’s indiegogo page, I became a little emotional. Bembu, about the size of a Fitbit, allows a woman not only to call for help, but to notify whoever is assaulting her that an emergency call has been placed. The bembu has a built-in phone locator, which is initiated by clicking on the bracelet once. Emergency calls are made by clicking twice. The bembu is configurable. You can choose who bembu notifies in an emergency, so it can send your location to family, friends, emergency services, and the police. The bembu is waterproof, rechargeable, has a six-month battery life, and is connected to your phone through bluetooth. Upon downloading the app, bembu needs to to be installed only once. The bembu is configured to work with most smartphones.
SpotNSave
Recomended for: People who spend most of their time near friends who can come help.
SpotNSave, another device that shares visual similarity to the Fitbit, is a bracelet that connects to an app on your smartphone. You choose up to five people—termed guardians—who receive a text with your location when you activate the SpotNSave by clicking on the SOS button on your bracelet or double-tapping the power button on your phone (two things I again would accidentally do too often). The guardians can get the fastest route to you or monitor your progress by following your location. Your location is also sent when your battery is low or you leave network coverage. That would mean friends would get alerts from me multiple times a day as my phone’s battery winds down, but for responsible people in the city, it makes sense. The SpotNSave costs $45 and is a good low-budget option. SpotNSave has an 18-hour battery life and no monthly fees.
Safelet
Recommended for: Women, anyone else who likes to wear jewelry
Safelet is a silver bracelet with two small buttons on either side that must be pushed simultaneously to activate an alert. For $99, you get the bracelet and an app that invites friends and family into what they call a Guardian Network. The app also sends a text alert with your location to that network. For $129, you also receive the ability to dial an emergency number and activate a microphone. Unfortunately, the website doesn’t go into detail regarding how to charge the device or how police are notified.
Artemis
Recommended for: Women, anyone else who likes to wear jewelry
Another jewelry/safety line, Artemis is in the middle of an indiegogo campaign. Artemis has a sensor that you activate by tapping it three successive times. The necklace then sends notifications to your family and friends and a private security firm. It also begins recording audio when activated. The security personnel listening to the audio determine whether to contact emergency services. Artemis claims to be difficult to initiate accidentally, and false alarms can be cancelled easily on your smartphone. Artemis uses wireless charging and has a two-week battery life. It’s also waterproof, so if you accidentally leave your necklace on when you’re in the shower, it won’t be ruined. The Artemis module can be moved from one piece of jewelry to another, because it’s designed to attach magnetically. Artemis provides a free email notification service, but charges a monthly fee ranging from $1 to $19, depending on if you only want the capability to text family or the security operator. The necklace application is being designed to work with iPhone 4 and up; the makers don’t project Android capability until July 2016. Devices start at $175.
CUFF
Recommended for: Women or anyone who likes to wear jewelry.
Similar to Artemis, CUFF is a small device that can be worn inside a variety of jewelry pieces. CUFF buzzes if you leave your phone behind and can be used as a pedometer. The CUFF app also has a calorie tracker. Friends and family are notified when you send an alert, and they receive audio as well. CUFF has a seven-day battery life. The CUFF charges with a simple charger or by being placed in a specially designed jewelry box overnight. The CUFF is available for both iPhones and Android, and they have options at various price points (pre-order prices). A CUFF module and basic charger alone are listed at $29, with jewelry options running from $29-$59. The charging jewelry box is $49. Packages start at $49 for a CUFF module, bracelet, and basic charger, and run to $199 for the CUFF with three bracelets, one pendant, and the charging jewelry box. CUFF is compatible with iOS 7+ devices with Bluetooth 4 and any Android device 4.3 or later with Bluetooth. CUFF is programmable to respond to a menu of options to a single-, double-, and triple-press, allowing you to decide how to use it.
Roar
Recommended for: Unknown
Roar, named for the Katy Perry hit, is a simple wearable tech that emits a flashing light and high-pitched alarm when activated. A text message is also sent to friends and family with your location and a 911 call is placed. Roar notifies users when they’re about to enter a high-crime area and allows users to input their own observations. The device’s makers are developing an app for the iWatch and it will most likely be part of a jewelry line, able to embed into purses, belts, and bracelets. Limited information is available about the product at this time. Roar is currently in development by Yasmine Mustafa, and an indiegogo campaign is scheduled to start in January.
While bSafe is a good place to start, CUFF is probably the product I’m most excited about. I’d also like to see systems like Guardly implemented on school campuses.
None of these options are perfect, but what’s important is that there’s a growing field of ways to stay safe. With time and continued innovation, products will become better at being fail safe, easy to use, and perhaps most important, able to wear unobtrusively. In the world we live in—a world where people think following a stranger down the street and propositioning her is being polite—this tech is sadly necessary. Let’s hope for and continue working toward a future where it isn’t.
What would make your ideal app or wearable tech to keep yourself and your loved ones safe?
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