App of the Week – Companion

Published On August 25, 2015 | By Tom Huskerson | App of the Week

opengraph-iconRegardless of what neighborhood you live in walking alone at night can be dangerous. Let’s face it, no one is immune to crime.  That’s why Companion is the app of the week.

Its always agood idea, epecially for women, to be safe and aware when walking alone, day or nght.  Some people will stay on the phone with a friend or spouse when walking alone. Companion will notify a friend when you walk alone and continuosly update them as you make your journey. The app works by entering your destination and selecting some  of your phone contacts to be your Companion. Your contacts don’t have to have the app.  Your contacts can see a live map of your progress and recieve updates as you walk to your destination. The app can sense if you start running. It can estimate how long it takes to get from point A to B. If you don’t make it to your destination on time or have your headphones yanked out or your phone falls to the ground the app will check in on you to make sure everything is okay. You must respond in 15 seconds or the Companion app will alert your contacts.

The app can be used by college students on campus in areas that could be dangerous. By simply tapping the “I Feel Nervous” button Companion will pass this information on to the campus police department. Campus cops may not respond with sirens or flashing lights, but the information can help make the campus safer. 

If you do have an emergency calling 911 can be done with two taps in the app. The app will immediately connect you with a dispatcher and automatically send your info. 

The Companion app is built for one thing, safety.  Companion uses certain metrics to sense if  you’re in trouble and ask if you’re okay. If you don’t respond, it will automatically alert your chosen contacts. Your contacts don’t have to constatly monitor your position. The Companion is an added layer of security allowing you to stay in touch and be alert to your surrounding at all times. 

Companion is free and available for Apple and Android Devices.

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About The Author

Tom Huskerson Bio Born in Richmond Virginia Tom Huskerson is a military veteran who settled in California after his discharge. Tom attended Santa Barbara City College where he began his writing career as a campus reporter. He worked as an intern news reporter for the Santa Barbara News-Press writing feature stories before moving on to San Francisco. At San Francisco State University Tom studied broadcast communications and began to focus on the Internet. He completed his graduate thesis on Internet advertising. Tom was the first student to ever focus on the Internet as a graduate student at San Francisco State University. After graduation he went to work for Zona Research in California’s Silicone Valley. As a research associate Tom supported senior analyst writing on the latest developments in the Internet industry. During the dot com boom Tom worked for several web businesses as a market researcher and analyst. As a writer and researcher Tom has authored various technical works including a training program for Charles Schwab security. Other projects included professional presentations on workplace violence and hiring security contractors. Tom has also written both fiction and non-fiction works and blogging for a travel website. He has published two books of short stories and completed two novels. Tom is the owner of Scribe of Life Literature and EbonyCandle.com. Tom is not the chief editor for the OnTechStreet. com. A news and information blog that focuses on tech news for African-Americans. The blog is the result of his desire to inform the African American community of the dangers and benefits of the cyber age. In his blog Tom reports on information security, new and analysis, scams and hoaxes, legal happenings and various topics that arise from the age of information. Tom believes that technology is a necessary tool for black people and they should know what is happening. Tom writes believing that techno speak is for the professional and that valuable information can be communicated using plain language. As a result he has embraced the motto, Less Tech, More Knowledge.

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