After “I love you,” I’m pretty sure that the next phrase I’ve said most frequently to my kids is, “Be careful!” While we parents often take the safety of our families the most seriously, are we doing the same for ourselves?
A new app recently launched called Guardly, and it provides immediate help from your mobile phone in case of emergency.
If you find yourself in a dangerous situation, you tap on Guardly and have it immediately send an alert text, email or phone call to one or all of your contacts. This is free with the app.
The real virtual bodyguard factor comes into play when you subscribe to the app’s premium service, which shows your contacts exactly where you are via GPS tracking, enables conference calls with multiple contacts, shares photos in real-time, and even emits a loud siren. The pricing is a bit steep at $9.99/month or $99.99/year for premium service, but it might be worth it for some for a little extra peace of mind.
While the Guardly app is probably not for everyone, it seems like it would make sense for a relative with a threatening medical condition, or possibly for a child out on their own for the first time–it’s a single tap to call 911. And if that doesn’t make your kids feel better, I bet it will make a whole lot of parents feel better.-Jeana
Guardly is a free app for iPhone, iPod and iPad and is available in iTunes. It’s coming soon to BlackBerry, Android and Windows Phones. Premium subscription can be purchased directly from the app for $9.99/month or $99.99/year.
