When Time Matters, Convenience Is Key

I was reading the USA Today on Wednesday and came across an article that proves the point that Virtual Halo is a necessity. The news article was about a Tennessee woman that had been kidnapped by an ex-con with history of domestic violence; he smuggled the victim across state lines to a hotel near New Orleans and then raped, strangled and abused her. It was through her shear determination to survive that she's still alive - by texting her sister from the abuser's phone while he briefly stepped out of the room.

When in a compromising situation, time matters. You can't always pull out a cell phone to make a call or send a text; it's obvious and if you're in a bad situation, the perpetrator is not going to let the communication go through. By integrating notifications and location data into a subtle app that resides on a person's wearable device, such as an Apple Watch, had the victim described above been wearing one, two taps of the watch could have sent out a distress SOS to loved ones, letting them know that she was in trouble and where her last known location was.

The victim in this case was able to summon help. She was determined and that determination probably saved her life. She's lucky. 

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Active vs. Passive Safety Tech

I believe that good tech should blend into the background. We shouldn't have to remember to do something, or bring something with us; that's unnatural and cumbersome. Heck, I'm lucky if I can get from the parking lot to my desk at the office without dropping something that I'm carrying - and usually, it's only a Starbucks iced coffee, a binder and my mobile phone!

People are great. When they hear about a new technology, they start to share with you about what's already out there in the marketplace. Some take the role of devils advocate, whereas most are trying to understand what you're trying to do with your new tech, and by doing this, they compare and contrast existing software and hardware devices to yours, hoping to gain a better understanding of what you're developing. That's exactly what I'm experiencing now with Virtual Halo. Just about everyone I discuss our app with has something to say about it. The vast majority has been really good feedback; and some sound like the animatronic man in Walt Disney's Carousel of Progress in Tomorrowland "It'll never work" he claims. Luckily, the science is sound, and Virtual Halo will work. And like Walt Disney, I have the determination to make it work.

I love when people tell me their thoughts on what I'm working on; it helps me be more creative and do a better job. Everyone needs a devils advocate; it keeps you on your toes. The adventure thus far has been amazing. And, the info passed on by my friends, family and colleagues has helped me get a broad view of the personal protection industry from a tech standpoint. The great news is that my invention, and the foundation on which Virtual Halo is being developed is unique. Sure, there are elements of tech that have been around a while, but we're looking to harness the capabilities of wearable and mobile technology in a way that makes notifying a users trusted network easy and convenient. In some cases, the user will need to initiate the communication, whereas in other instances, the technology is completely passive and will send notifications based on a series of events. Either way, its goal is to live in the background while protecting personal privacy and not tracking the individual so they can feel free and comfortable living their life.

Do you remember to let Mom know you're OK?

I was out to dinner with a colleague the other night and we started talking about adventures that ranged from SCUBA diving to hiking in the national parks. I'm always impressed when I talk with other people that are in their 40's + and they still live an adventurous life; and for Jim, there's no moss growing around his feet.

He started telling me about a trip a few years ago where he and a few buddies did a cross-country trip over the Baja peninsula of Mexico from the Pacific Ocean to the Sea of Cortez on dirt bikes and ATV's with their only "safety net" being a van with their food and supplies that met up with them at the end of each days ride. "When you get out there, under the sky with the grains of sand flying up in your face, it's magical. It's you and nature; you get lost in the adrenaline and the moment - nothing else exists!" That, I felt, is the way life should be. 

The trip sounded amazing; how long would a trip like that take? Jim mentioned that the trip across the baja was only 10 days, but he was gone a little over three weeks. Three weeks! Was he hanging out on the beach drinking cerveza's and surfing? "No" he replied, "I crashed on the 7th day." To make a long story short, he wedged himself into the van that night and rode around with the support crew for the rest of the week.

By the time Jim made it back to San Diego, he could hardly walk; he hadn't seen a doctor yet. That evening, he laid down on the floor of his hotel room - that was the last he'd move by his own free will for about two weeks. A luggage cart, taxi, wheel chair, and gurney ride later, and Jim was in the hospital. Not a fun way to end such an amazing trip. Or was it? If you're not living life to the fullest, is it worth living? I'll let you ponder that one; now, back to Jim.

About a week later, a nurse came in Jim's room. He had broken 7 ribs, hurt various parts of his back, and his entire body was bruised. It was a miracle he made it back to the U.S. That's when Nurse Nancy asked Jim the question he hadn't thought of since he left home: "When did you call your Mom last, Jim?" An expletive enraged shout boomed out of Jim's mouth. In the fog of the adrenaline, adventure, and pain, Jim had forgotten to let those nearest to him know that he was OK, hurt, but OK.

I found out about this adventure of Jim's because I started telling him about the SPORT module of Virtual Halo. He was amazed. "That" he said "is an amazing app. I hate technology; I'd give up my cell phone if work would let me, but I can't. This would give me a reason to by a smart watch!"

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Concerned about letting your kids go to a sleepover?

Peace of mind, knowing your kids are safe

Last weekend I was visiting with a friend that has two young children. During our conversation, we caught up on a lot of things - from travel, our friends, and her family. Her oldest, now 7, has never stayed overnight at a friends house; my friend shared with me that she was too scared to let them out of her sight. The potential items that could arise are too substantial for my friend to offset the social benefits from spending time with other kids her age.

Interesting, I thought. While this wasn't the original intent for me inventing Virtual Halo, it ties itself in well with our SOS and I'm OK features; that's when I asked my friend if she would feel more comfortable if her kids could tap on the "I'm OK" alert on their Apple Watch from time to time while staying at a friends house to let her know they were fine. "Would I?" she said, "Yes! that would make me feel much more comfortable, knowing that they would be able to subtly let me know that they're OK, or if something's wrong and they need me to come and get them.

The concern a parent has for their children is unrelenting, and understandable. As Virtual Halo inches closer to deployment, know that there will soon be a way to temporarily ease the anxiety associated with letting your kids be kids.

Apple Watch a Convenience or a Misunderstood Tool?

People often say that hindsight is 20/20. Why didn't we think of that, they say. When the original iPhone came out, Blackberry executive's clearly misunderstood the market and according to Jacquie McNish and Sean Silcoff's "Losing The Signal," Blackberry couldn't see the allure of the iPhone.

What everyone else saw was that is was cool. But, it was only available on AT&T.

As soon as the iPhone came out, it was a coveted piece of tech. It was the mobile phone that everyone wanted to own, but just a small minority of people were willing to "jump ship" from their existing carrier to AT&T. Until Apple unveiled the APP Store.

The App Store is what changed everything. As Steve Jobs said, it was "revolutionary." By opening up a closed device to developers and third-party apps, the iPhone went from a phone with browsing capability to a mini-computer. Interestingly enough, people thought too small in the beginning; users nor developers could conceive of the things that could be done; that's the great part about ingenuity - there's always a new idea. Soon, the developers rose to the challenge and as of this month, there are approximately 1.4 million apps residing on Apple's App Store and 1.5 million apps available to Android users.

And now we get to the Apple Watch. It's funny how people have dismissed it so quickly. Many of the same people also dismissed the iPad because they couldn't see a market for a tablet device. Now, it's hard to understand civilization without them, they're so prevalent in homes, schools and business - and that was an entirely new class of tech! The Apple Watch refreshes age-old tech - a device that many people already wear on their wrists. I've worn a watch my entire life. As a kid, I thought Swatch made cool watches; I probably had 30 or so. And as I matured, so did my taste in watches. Some are shiny and elegant, some are made of plastic and rubber. I've had analog and digital. But you know what? Short of the Pac-Man watch I had in the third grade that: 1.) Told Time, 2.) Played Pack-Man, and 3.) Sang "I Wish I Were In Dixie," my other watches only told me the time and the date.

I don't know about you, but I like to multitask. I have hundreds of things buzzing around in my head all the time. If I can consolidate anything and it gives me an opportunity to be more productive, I'm going to consider it. I look forward to receiving my Apple Watch with the 20 or so built-in apps. They'll be useful and I'm sure I will use most of them, but I'm really looking forward to how the developer community broadens the appeal of the Apple Watch, expanding it from a watch + to a true lifestyle companion. Virtual Halo™ is one app, that I'm sure will do just that.

Image Credit: FiftyThree/Danurigom