Given that the general state of the world in 2016 could be classified as The Worst, it was only a matter of time before a tech company started selling gadgets to Make You Feel Safe Again. Enter RiskBand, a personal safety device from Whereable Technologies that can pinpoint your location anywhere in the world with the press of a button.
The company says once you press the button on your RiskBand for three seconds, it will pinpoint your location anywhere in the world using GPS and cell towers without the need for a cell phone. A response team will alert the local authorities about your situation, and the device will begin recording audio and video through its hidden camera.
RiskBand comes with a 24-hour battery, and features a two-way communication system that allows you to talk to RiskBand's team in "over 200 languages," according to the company. Whereable Technologies says if you enable location services it can also alert users when there is "potential danger in their area." So to recap:
Can the combination of your cell phone and Twitter provide the same service as RiskBand? Sure.
Is RiskBand playing into people's fears in an attempt to sell a gadget? Most definitely.
Despite the fact that the RiskBand hasn't been released — and pricing hasn't been announced — is the RiskBand 2 slated to come out later this summer? You bet it is.
Of course there's no way to know how reliable RiskBand actually is during a crisis until one actually happens, but the company is making some big promises that hopefully — for the user's sake — it can deliver on.