Four Free iPhone Apps That Could Save Your Life
By now, most people have heard the story of the Colorado man, Dan Woolley, who, when trapped under the rubble after Haiti’s massive earthquake, used his iPhone to help him survive. Now, before you go all cynical and say that’s just about as feasible as the pregnant woman who said the iPhone helped her conceive, hear me out. Because critical thinking is imperative (Remember that class from college?), we have to take an objective look at his circumstances and the actions he took.
By Woolley’s own account, he used the backlight and camera from his iPhone to survey and take pictures of his surroundings. He also stated that he used a medical iPhone Application to diagnose and treat his own injuries. Specifically, he indicated the backlight function helped him navigate his way to an elevator shaft where he waited the rest of his 65 hour entrapment, until eventually being rescued. Obviously, Woolley had a will to live, which is the number one item on the list of important things to do when in danger. Quick wits on the part of Woolley were crucial, as well, in allowing him to remain calm and actually develop a plan. It has to be said, though, that the iPhone really did help him survive. Does it mean that he would have perished without it? This is not necessarily true, but I don’t imagine you or I want to try it and find out.
What his horrible experience does teach us is that it is important to use whatever you have, in case of emergency, to help yourself live to see another day. Having said that and for the benefit of all the iPhone owners out there, I have compiled a list of four (because everyone does five and ten) ,useful free iPhone Applications (in no particular order) that just might help you save yourself one day. There may be paid Apps that could save your life, too, but we all know free stuff is much cheaper. Please take heed, this list is theoretical and has not been (nor will be) tested by any of our own geeks. There are no guarantees here, but, in the event of an emergency, could having these Apps on your iPhone really make the situation any worse?
Top Four Lifesaving iPhone Apps
1. Flashlight – (by John Haney Software) The name says it all. Unlike the $1.99 flashlight you keep in the drawer with worn out batteries, you fire this App up and immediately have light. The difference between this and the regular iPhone backlight is the fact that you can configure it to stay on until you close the App. Additionally, you can choose between different colors, so, if you had two iPhones, you could probably go a step further and use it to guide ships into harbor or help planes land in the event of a blackout. Download It
2. Background Check App – (by BeenVerified.com) This one isn’t so much a “save your life in the moment of danger” App, as it is a proactive danger prevention tool. What does this mean? Well, the App purports to check backgrounds using criminal history, property records, current listings, etc. So, imagine you are at your local bar. You meet a seemingly nice man/woman, who chats you up over Mojitos. He/she tells you their name, where they live, etc. You want to make sure they are some sort of stalker or serial killer, so when they go to the bathroom you check them out with this App. Is it accurate? Who really knows. Wouldn’t you rather err on the side of caution, though? One word of warning: The reviews say it only lets you search three people per week, for free. For this reason, make sure you save your three for Friday and Saturday nights. Download It
(Note: Alternatively, you could download Most Wanted. This App keeps a, by-state listing, of the FBI’s Most Wanted Criminals, Terrorists, and other generally bad guys/girls. Checking your potential boyfriend/girlfriend with this couldn’t hurt either.)
3. Compass Free – (by Masayuki Akamatsu) Before you say it, yes, the iPhone 3.x software came with a compass. This one is for the unfortunate people who still have an iPhone 3G running 2.x software. For those people, being hopelessly lost in the wilderness with a compass-less iPhone is still a possibility. They need worry no longer! Simply opening the App and placing a finger at a 90-degree angle on the middle of the dial and turning it horizontally displays which direction is north. Now, its just a matter of heading off in the direction of civilization (if you know where that is). Is it 100% correct all the time. No, it isn’t, but, if you couldn’t use nature and the sky to determine the direction, you were doomed to wander in circles for days. Thusly, the fact that the compass was wrong really didn’t make your situation any worse. Download It
4. Lightsaber Unleashed – (by TheMacBox) Okay, here’s the dangerous scenario. You’re home is invaded by robots. They don’t have brains but they do have some kind of sensory unit that enables them to retain the equivalent of “memories”. If you’re in luck, the ones that invade your home have: (1). Been shown Star Wars videos as training aids; and (2) Are droids are with “memories” of watching their comrades get cut in half by a light saber. Assuming your droid had a capacity to learn, it might hear the sound of “Whaaaam, Whaaam”, catch a glimpse of the color (Use blue so they don’t think you’re a fellow bad guy.), think of its fallen comrades, and take off, before finding out that you’re just a geek with an iPhone. (Alternatively, this might also work with Ewoks or Gungans, with bad eyesight.) Download It
Okay, you’re done with your indoctrination. Armed with this valuable knowledge, go forth, download these Apps, and practice for the day you might need them. We’ll leave you with one last, important reminder. The most important thing about preparing for any emergency is not having the tools but practicing the plan!
