10 · SATURDAY, FEBRUARY 25, 2017 wandering is a problem, it might be worth the cost to have peace of mind. Family Orbit Family Orbit is an app for both Android and iOS that allows users to monitor their children’s whereabouts, phone usage, photos, contacts, browser history and data usage. Not only that, but parents can see where their teens have been driving and how fast and set up safe zones and alerts to let them know when a child has entered or left a specific location. The app requires a monthly subscrip-tion price of $14.95 to monitor up to three devices. Companion The slogan for the free Companion app is “never walk alone.” The app was created by college students, and although its target au-dience is primarily young women, it’s used by people of all ages all over the world. If, for instance, a college student is leaving the library at night to head home, he or she plugs in the des-tination and then designates a friend who then gets a text message that the per-son is requesting he or she be a companion on the walk. Once the companion accepts, he or she can then track the person via GPS technol-ogy, and he or she gets another text when the user has arrived safely at his or her destination. The app also tracks if the user begins to run or drops the phone, asks if everything’s OK then notifies the companion, with the option to call the police and emits a siren. It also offers the user the option to call police if there’s no response within 15 seconds. LifeLine Response LifeLine Response is another app for any-one of any age who finds himself or herself walking, running or hiking alone. After activating the app, the user walks with his or her thumb on the screen. Once the user’s thumb comes off, he or she must enter a pin number within a certain time RING PHOTO ILLUSTRATION Video doorbells aren’t necessarily new technology, but products such as Ring can stream the video directly to a phone or other device, which can help people who struggle with mobility or can provide security when away from home. frame or the app emits a siren and auto-matically notifies the police and transmits the user’s location via GPS coordinates. LifeLine is free for 30 days then charges $4.99 per month. Medical IDs If you or your loved ones use iPhones, make sure you’ve created your medical ID in the health app. In the event of an emergency, first re-sponders and others can access the infor-mation even when your phone is locked to see all the medical information you’ve entered, from your emergency contact in-formation to medications, allergies, blood type and medical conditions. Ring For $199, Ring is a video doorbell that allows you to see and talk to whomever is at your front door right from your phone, tablet or computer, making it seem like you’re home even if you’re on the other side of the country. The device was invented as a way to re-duce crime. It can also be useful for seniors, kids or anyone else who might often find themselves home alone. Any motion at the door will also be cap-tured. For instance, if someone comes on the porch to steal a package, you’ll be able to not only see the person but also speak to the would-be thief. You can see them, but they can’t see you. On-the-road apps There are several free apps that can help parents limit or stop their teens from using their phones while driving. • TrueMotion is available for both iOS and Android and automatically tracks car trips then provides a safety score that rates your trip based on adherence to speed and how many times the phone was used. Fam-ily members can access one another’s data. • The LifeSaver app automatically detects a car in motion and locks the phone. It offers a portal through which parents can see if a teen driver is unlocking the phone while the car is in motion. • DriveSafe Mode is another app that al-lows you to create an account and enter the GETTY IMAGES name and phone number of the phone you want to monitor or control. From there, the app can limit or even block usage based on acceleration and alert parents when a teen is texting or using social media or other apps while a vehicle is in motion. • CellControl requires the installation of a small piece of hardware that gets at-tached to the windshield. When the app is installed, the user can then customize what features of a phone are allowed and which aren’t while the vehicle is in motion. For instance, parents can set it to allow navigation but block social media, texting, music and calls. The device costs $129 to cover one car and up to six devices.
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