Life 360

Life 360 Android App

Posted by Sam Churchill on September 3rd, 2008

Life360, a Berkeley-based mobile app startup, was just named one of the top ten $275K winners of Google’s Android Developer Challenge.

Life360’s application automatically notifies families about emergency events and can send messages to selected family members, even if most infrastructure has failed (pdf). Life360 alerts are customized to each user; as an example, they can convey the location of the nearest shelter via turn-by-turn locations to the site using the phone’s GPS. The GPS system also allows users to track their family members’ locations in real-time.

If a user pushes the panic button on their phone, all other users nearby are notified of the event and receive streaming audio and video from the victim’s camera. Use of the network is not limited to major emergencies; users can post requests for relatively minor incidents like missing pets, or to let others nearby know that they have a resource or skill that may be useful for a given event.

The Community Network uses GPS technology, so all posts have a physical location on the map, and users have the option of making alerts visible only to those nearby. Life360 defines a Community Network is one that constantly runs in the background, but is available when needed.

“With a string of natural disasters in the last few years, and as we watch Hurricane Gustav make its way across the Southern US, we are again reminded of the importance of being properly prepared for natural disasters,” said Chris Hulls, CEO of Life360. “Life360’s application and the Android platform demonstrate how technology can make overcoming these challenges orders of magnitude easier, faster and more effective, potentially saving lives in the process.”

Life360 is currently testing its alpha product and will release a beta version to the public later this year. The Community Network will be free of charge, and the Family Manager will be available on a subscription basis.

source : dailywireless.org