Crime-sensing hair clip points to ‘fashionable safety’

[grow_thumb image=”https://telecareaware.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/03/first_sign_clip-1.jpg” thumb_width=”150″ /]The First Sign hair clip is designed to sense impact/fall, send a panic alert, then transmit the information to a smartphone to a monitoring service–and more. The app activates an onboard microphone which transmits audio, then activates audio, video (through the smartphone camera) and GPS, sending information to the internet. The phone barks “help is on the way and evidence collected” to deter the attacker. All is live centrally monitored and if not a false alarm, the phone automatically calls out for emergency assistance and to emergency contacts. It’s being priced on Indiegogo for $75 inclusive of the first year of monitoring ($50 without) and has various decorative covers. In places like New York which have fairly low and non-violent levels of crime, First Sign definitely has an ‘assurance’ market, and the developers are wise to the uses it has for older adult safety, lone worker, driving and travel. Especially for older women, a decorative clip is far more attractive than a pendant (as long as you have a smartphone–a possible tie in with GreatCall/5 Star?) However, in places like India, which have high levels of violent male-on-female street crime [TTA 4 April 13, 2 Feb 13] — or East St. Louis, Missouri, Detroit or Flint Michigan or Camden New Jersey — the minor element of a barking phone and distance monitoring is not going to deter very much. First Sign is a bit more than halfway from its modest Indiegogo goal of $50,000, with only seven days left.  Gizmag