A new hardware/app device called Revolar aims to make it safe to walk the streets. This tiny button will notify your friends and family if you’re scared, the authorities if you’re in trouble, and will even simulate a phone call if you need to get out of a sticky situation.
It works with iOs and Android and ships in May.
The idea for Revolar came about when co-foudner Jacqueline Ros found out her sister had been assaulted for the second time. She then talked her co-founder about her grandmother’s experience in Columbia and realized she had to do something.
“My co-founder and I are both Latina,” she said. “I started Revolar because people hurt my little sister. She started Revolar because her grandmother was kidnapped by guerrillas in Colombia for 8 months. It’s actually why she immigrated to the US.”
In short, they lived the pain.
The team is already manufacturing the units and has raised $115,000 on Indiegogo for pre-orders. It lasts for one year with the included battery and can also send GPS data when activated. Finally it acts as a beacon that can be used to help find your keys or purse. A single unit costs $59 and there is no subscription fee.
The device is quite simple and quite unobtrusive. The coolest feature is the fake call system that rings your phone if you’re stuck in a long, rambling conversation with a middle-aged tech reporter who wants to tell you all about their latest watch purchase, a Seiko Tuna diver that has a great deal of history and comes in a unique black and gold configuration and is surprisingly inexpensive if you… oh, do you need to get that?
