That Serve to Keep Us Living Safer

by Jared Smith

If you’re like me, you love this time of year. It’s the time that tech gadgets of yesteryear go on sale and the gadgets of tomorrow make their debut on store shelves. While many of these gadgets are geared towards entertainment and luxury, tech gadgets are increasingly being developed to help people stay safer in the event of emergency or the unexpected. Listed below are three practical, highly rated, reviewed and recommended devices. Currently available for purchase:

Ring Doorbell

Ring doorbell is a handy device that replaces the traditional doorbell with a doorbell/video camera that gives homeowners a view of the person ringing the bell without the homeowner having to answer the door. This prevents homeowners from opening the door to unwanted intruders. It also serves to deter would-be burglars from forcing entry into a home that is being monitored by camera. What makes Ring doorbell exceptionally nifty is that when the camera is triggered either by pressing its button or upon motion detection, an alert is sent to the homeowners and a video feed can be viewed from a connected phone, tablet, or screen-enabled Alexa device.

Furthermore, Ring doorbell allows homeowners to speak to visitors from remote locations through their phones or tablets giving the impression that they are, in fact, home at the time. Ring doorbell can either be hardwired like a traditional doorbell or operated with rechargeable battery. A lifetime theft protection warranty that guarantees the doorbell will be replaced free of charge if it gets stolen is also included upon purchase. With the security that Ring doorbell provides, the $99 per unit price is easily justifiable.

FiLIP

FiLIP is a smartwatch for kids too young to be given a cell phone that . It allows families to stay connected and parents to “supervise” as best they can from a distance. Parents can program five phone numbers into the smartwatch and that their child can call whenever needed. Additionally, FiLIP serves to protect its wearer in three unique ways:
first, the FiLIP has integrated GPS, GSM & WiFi to allow parents and/ or caregivers to locate their child using the most accurate location information possible both indoors and out; second, FiLIP has an integrated SOS/Emergency button that when pressed triggers a call to the primary account holder and all trusted contacts registered to the smartwatch; lastly, FiLIP allows caregivers to set a geo-fence— referred to as “SafeZones” by the makers of FiLIP— within which the child is expected to be at all times. If ever the child breaches the parameters of the set SafeZones, a notification is sent to the caregiver’s smartphone, alerting them of the potential that their child may be at risk of danger. FiLIP can be purchased at www.myfilip.com.

Hip’Air

Helite, a French company that specializes in airbag technology built into clothes for skiers, motorcyclists and horse riders, has recently brought to market what may prove to be its most practical lifesaving device to date. It’s so practical, in fact, that many may wonder why such a device hadn’t been brought to market sooner. The Hip’Air is essentially a wearable airbag belt that deploys when it senses its wearer has begun to fall. The goal is to protect the elderly against hip fractures and other damage caused by potentially life-threatening falls. Helite has been marketing the device to nursing home companies in France and began selling the device in the United States in November 2018. The device currently retails at approx. $800 and can be purchased individually on Helite’s website at www.senior.helite.com.