BuddyGuard is a new mobile app that wants to convert the iPhone into “personal protection device” designed to “reinforce personal safety precautions, aid public safety personnel in emergency situations” and “to deploy private search and rescue services from the leading global provider GEOS.”
The application relies on the iPhone’s built-in GPS, camera, recording and messaging functions to safeguard users in situations such as travelling away from home, completing in-person transactions (buying drugs?), meeting new people or passing through unfamiliar or isolated areas.
Feature wise, BuddyGuard rocks:
- Discreet Audio, Video and Location Capture – when activated, BuddyGuard discreetly records audio, snaps photos and notes GPS coordinates every 3 seconds and stores the data securely on a virtual secure server.
- Emergency Alerts – When an alarm is triggered, it will send automated emergency notifications to designated contacts via phone, SMS and email.
- Law Enforcement Locator – BuddyGuard displays a detailed map with locations of nearby law enforcement officers and police stations within a 2-mile radius of the user’s current location.
- Crash and Fall Detection Beta – Currently in beta testing, BuddyGuard can sense a fall, a roll and a 5G stop when activated and can automatically trigger an emergency alert.
Best of all, the features mentioned above are available free of charge. For those looking for more, there’s the Premium version, made through a partnership with GEOS — which is the leading global provider of private search and rescue services — and it costs $119.99 per year. If necessary, the application can alert personal emergency contacts and GEOS’ International Emergency Response Coordination Center (IERCC) which will relay captured audio, video and GPS data along with a description of the situation to local authorities, emergency responders and national embassies as required. Moreover, GEOS may also coordinate emergency response efforts, authorize any additional search and rescue efforts it deems necessary and cover the costs up to $100,000 per year and $50,000 per any single incident…
BuddyGuard (FREE) [iTunes link]