After the unfortunate incident in Delhi last December, where a girl was gang raped and later succumbed to her injuries, the issue of safety of women came to the forefront. While many took to the streets to demand justice for the girl, others pondered ways to not let this happen again. From that time till date, there have been a number of developers which have developed apps like FightBack, to help people who might find themselves in a spot of trouble. Another such app is HelPls (pronounced as ”Help Please”) which comes with a number of unique features like social circles and the ability to alert others without the use of Internet, something most other apps require. All you have to do is shake your phone, touch the red button and immediately an SOS is sent out. The free app which is available for Android has a lot to offer. The interface is fantastically designed with a big red button in the center and the various ways to alert others around it. One can set up to 4 contacts to be alerted and the app will also send an email and post to your Facebook page. HelPIs requires data connectivity only at the installation phase and most of the features except social circle work without it. So say you’re in trouble, what exactly does HelPls do? Unlike other safety apps, which would require you to dig among your apps to start the app, this app can be launched by just shaking the phone vigorously. It works even if the phone is locked. One then clicks on the bright red button for a couple of seconds and your location is sent to multiple contacts. The first is an SMS to 4 of your friends or family, which lets them know that you are in trouble. The SMS would give details about your precise location with the help of a link to a map. HelPls also enables voice recording of up to 60 seconds (duration can be changed in settings). This recording is sent to the email id entered on the application. The app also dials an emergency contact number or Police (#100) by making a call automatically through your mobile phone within no time. The person on the other end of the line can hear the situation you are in. The app posts help messages on your Facebook along with your location. A useful feature since definitely someone will see and can seek help on your behalf. This does not even require a data connection. There is no Twitter integration for now but the developers plan to add it in the near future. One of the most unique features on the app is Social Circle which allows a “Helpls” app user to lend a helping hand to other “Helpls” app user in need. If someone is in distress it sends out an alerts/push notification to other “Helpls” user in proximity (within 5km radius) for help. This feature shares the name, mobile number and location of person seeking help as a push notification. Once other users receive the notification they can choose to help the person in trouble. This feature does require an Internet connection and is useful as the proximity of someone close willing to help will be high and these people will get there faster than anyone else. When we tried out the app, most of the features worked as advertised. The SMS, email and notification on our social networks happened instantly. Shaking to open the app did involve a bit of vigorous shaking. An iPhone app is expected to be released over the next couple of weeks. With a unique set of features this is could be a really useful app and we recommend you give it a try.
Posted on: Sat, 13 Jul 2013 03:09:52 +0000
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