Tag: personal safety

Categories
Music

Ear3 headphone amp opens your ears for safety

More people than ever seem to be tuning out the world around them, listening to music as they walk, run or bike in public while listening to loud music on their mobile devices. In doing so, they are risking serious harm and injury.

Ear3 is a headphone amp that’s designed to make listening to music in public while on the move much safer than it is now. The amp’s built-in microphone picks up sounds around the user and mixes it with music being listened to at the volume level users want, according to its Indiegogo campaign. Turning the microphone mode off, Ear3 becomes a high-fidelity amp that enhances the quality of the music source, adding stronger full bass, according to the campaign.

Continue reading “Ear3 headphone amp opens your ears for safety”
Categories
Safety

iCanWalk adds illuminated safety to nighttime strolls

Many people feel that letting their kids walk to school or a nearby store is much more dangerous today than it was even a generation ago. Distracted drivers on mobile devices and the slowing reflexes of an increasing elderly population can mean more fatalities, even when one stays within the cross walk.

iCanWalk is a small light shaped like a stop sign that helps to alert drivers when the user is crossing the street. It is touted as being small enough to fit in a pocket, functions with a battery that can be recharged via the built-in USB port, and blinks when turned on. The attached handle makes it easy to hold and extend out or up to help with visibility.

This product seems like it may be useful at dusk or night in low light areas where there is a lot of traffic, but other than that, iCanWalk seems a bit over-the-top. Interested backers might also want to check out LightCycle and AquaLight. This project seeks to raise $200,000 by early February. Backers get one product for $100 with an expected delivery of January 2016.

Categories
Apparel

BulletSafe Bulletproof Baseball Cap offers protection without provocation

Working in law enforcement or professions that require the transport of money or jewels can mean that one’s life is consistently on the line. While professions such as these often offer a bulletproof vest, protective head gear for daily, non-emergency activities often isn’t offered.

BulletSafe Bulletproof Baseball Cap offers people in dangerous vocations the benefit of protective headgear without the drawbacks of a ballistic helmet. The cap is made of the same material as the repurposed military helmets, but it is more lightweight and easier to wear. The six-panel twill product offers a flexible fit in small, medium and large. Though a ballistic helmet seems to offer better protection for the side and back of the head, the baseball cap looks less intimidating or hostile to the average person.

As a safety option for daily wear, this may be an ideal product, but a baseball cap hardly looks professional in a law enforcement setting. While protective headgear may be in demand, something styled like a deputy’s hat may have a more professional appearance. This campaign seeks to raise $3,500. Backers get one BulletSafe Bulletproof Baseball Cap for $99, with an expected delivery of December 2015.

Categories
Cell Phone Accessories Safety Wearables

SafeRing provides a Bluetooth panic button on your finger

saferingPersonal safety is always a concern, but being able to feel safe while discreetly alerting the authorities is a difficult balance to maintain. The SafeRing appears to be a normal ring accessory but is actually a powerful smartphone tool. With a miniature switch designed to avoid accidental triggering, the SafeRing can trigger the alarms on your phone and send GPS data to an emergency contact via text. It’s a low-key version of the Cuff line of Bluetooth-enabled safety jewelry. The ring can also be put to other non-emergency uses, such as locating a lost phone or activating a camera for a hands-free selfie. Backers can get a SafeRing in September 2014 for $35.

Categories
Safety

Empowerment Bottle lets you refresh and repel

The Premise. We all have them. Those certain part of town that you prefer to avoid because of shady characters and their behavior. But what about those occasions when you don’t have an option? If you have to use mass transit to get from point A to point B, or walking from the shopping mall to your car at night makes you nervous, it’s nice to have a bit of extra protection in case something should happen.

The Product. Empowerment Bottle offers an interesting way for a water bottle to multitask when walking or cycling. The 16 ounce container not only holds your water, but also sports reflective tape. A few self defense tools include a hidden chamber that contains mace, and another for a whistle. And while an assailant might be off balance from that mace, you can give them a good wallop via the metal handle on the top of the bottle for some extra time to get to a safe place.

The Pitch. The video for the $17,500 campaign starts out well with music that’s refreshingly different than the typical crowdfunding fare. Once the video cuts to the creator of the product speaking about it, the lighting isn’t the best, but his genuine passion for his product rings through. It’s pretty much a straightforward walkthrough of the features for the no-nonsense product.

The Perks. There are nine tiers from which backers may choose. For $30, a backer gets an Empowerment Bottle with an expected delivery of October 2014.

The Potential. People living in congested urban areas and who rely on mass transit such as subways will likely have a great appreciation for this product. Students who walk or ride their bike to school and those who live on a college campus will also see value in this product. Though it is possible to get mace and a whistle in a size that can be attached to a keychain, a water bottle may make them more convenient and accessible for those who are on foot or cycling.

Categories
Cell Phone Accessories Connected Objects Watches and Jewelry Wearables

Cuff signals stylish connected piece of mind at the touch of a button

The Premise. When you aren’t with your loved ones, sometimes the worst possibilities run through your mind. Some people use GPS tracking applications to know where there friends are safe, but if they become detached to their phone, they have no way of signaling for help. Wouldn’t it be nice to always have a guaranteed peace of mind that your loved one is safe?

The Product. Cuff is a line of products that look like sophisticated and fashionable jewelry, but inconspicuously hides a wide range of safety features. If your partner is in distress, they simply press a button on their jewelry, and everyone in their circle of close ones receives their location and other information they need to get you help. The current line has products such as necklaces, keys, and of course, cuffs.

The Pitch. Why can’t all Web sites be like this? The graphic design is flawless, the animations are smooth, the pictures are crisp—it all makes the information very easy to take in and absorb. The presentation beams with confidence in the product, and that makes the consumer (or me, at least) confident in their purchase. Oh yeah, their video also looks like high-quality cinematography at moments as well. The pitch is just a wonderful concoction of emotion, credibility, and logic.

The Perks. Currently, Cuff’s line of products are only available for pre-order. As mentioned, there are a variety of options that can range from $50-$150. It depends on what style fits your wardrobe and your fashion, but there are plenty of reasonable options. The Cuff products are expected to be distributed in Fall 2014.

The Potential. Fashion is such an individual thing that it may be challenging to find a Cuff design that will appeal to everyone. However, Cuff is less overbearing and obvious than other tracking applications but provides state of mind that alternative apps do. The only hinderance is the remaining fear that some people may have about privacy in regards to location devices.