The sharing economy is a really exciting concept. The idea has been around for a decade now and popularised by internet startups like the accommodation sharing platform AirBnb and carpooling service by Uber. In South Africa, in the true spirit of Ubuntu, Springleap is a good example, enabling…
It’s not like you can ask your attacker to hold on a minute while you let someone know that you’re in danger. Watch Over Me (iOS, Android) turns your device into emergency tool with just a shake. Even if your phone is locked, with one shake we turn on your phone’s alarm, and video camera, and…
One in five students gets harrassed or sexually assaulted. Each one is one too many states OnWatchOnCampus (iOS, Android) which is designed to keep you safe by giving you the tools to plan and inform your friends, Campus Police or local 911 should you need help. Choosing the individuals that you…
BART is launching a simple-to-use app available for iOS and Android devices that will allow riders to easily report crimes, suspicious items or activities on the BART system. Riders have been asking for a safe, silent and discreet way to communicate with BART when they are on a train or in a…
Someone is murdered in Washington, DC every couple of days. If it’s someone famous (or rich), that news makes a splash. It’ll be on television and in the paper, paraded across websites and memorialized by the powerful. If the person isn’t famous, the news will be almost nowhere. In fact, it…
Image: citizens work together with the police (the slide is entitled: “A 1000 eyes”) There are a growing number of WhatsApp vigilante groups that try to build a safer neighborhood ona local scale (part of the groups are also active on Twitter). WhatsApp enables users to exchange messages for…
The Community Watch system provides a medium for residents within a community or sector area to be in communication with each other, to build a database of employees, suspicious activities and to share data with each other. An employee module is often used for verification of authorized…
