A new app called “The Companion” is helping thousands of people across the world walk safely at night. The app, which tracks the user’s route on a GPS and sends it to a contact of the user’s choosing, is available for both Android users and iOS users. The technology the app uses is pretty innovative: the contact the user chooses does not have to have the app installed, and if the user strays off the route that he or she chose, the app immediately picks up the change and asks the user if they are okay. The app also monitors other sudden changes, such as if the user starts running, falls over, or has the headphones pulled out of the phone before the final destination has been reached. If the user does not respond to the app and tell it he or she is okay fifteen seconds after the app picked up the sudden change, the app causes the phone to set off an alarm to scare off any potential criminals, and allows the user to immediately contact the police.
I think this app is fantastic, and I’m definitely going to download it. I only wish that the Companion app had been available for download when I lived in Colombia, because I had to walk seven to eight blocks at night from the metro station to my apartment by myself. Most nights it was honestly pretty scary, and my heart would race the whole time because the streets become very empty at night. I really think this is a great app especially for young women, and I encourage all the girls in the class to download this if you frequently have to walk by yourself at night! The app even has a feature that connects you to your university’s police department in case of an emergency while walking at night, but only if the university is hooked up to Companion.
Is anyone up for finding out if Shepherd is connected to the app? And if Shepherd isn’t, is anyone interested in finding out what can be done to encourage Shepherd to do so?
Here’s a link to an article that explains more about the app: http://www.ibtimes.co.uk/companion-tens-thousands-using-safety-app-that-lets-friends-digitally-walk-you-home-night-1518197
Oh my gosh that sounds amazing! I would definitely be interested in getting Shepherd to connect to the app.
ReplyDeleteThis sounds amazing! I feel like this app would make people more comfortable around Shepherdstown, especially when it is dark. I might have to look into this app because it will help ease my mom when I'm out late in Shepherdstown.
ReplyDeleteThat sounds a lot like the SOS feature I talked about in my post, but far more gradual. I think it would be a great idea to mention this to the 3D sexual assault group on campus.
ReplyDeleteThat sounds a lot like the SOS feature I talked about in my post, but far more gradual. I think it would be a great idea to mention this to the 3D sexual assault group on campus.
ReplyDeleteWhoa! What an interesting idea for an app!
ReplyDelete