Let’s imagine, hypothetically speaking of course, that you’re running late for your parent’s midnight curfew. Whether it be the hectic “12 a.m. rush hour” that we’ve all encountered, or even the very real, very annoying, dead battery on your (thanks to the ‘rents) car from the 90s that should have probably gotten a recall notice by this point. Let’s also imagine that charging your mobile device is a thing of the past, and you happen to miss your parent’s five…or 15 missed calls (depending on whether they are your parents or mine). You could do one of two things: you could put off answering their calls and texts, worrying everyone and arriving home to multiple missing persons reports, or you could start an account with the mobile friendly web app known as Kitestring™. The new and up-and-coming app not only helps you remember to check in with the people who care about whether or not you’ve made it home from your night time run, it’s also an easy way for parents to know whether or not they should be worried.
Their opening line “Walking solo at night can be unsafe. But when you must go out alone, let us know your ETA.”, gives you an immediate sense of what this productive app is all about. Simply enter your full name and phone number, and you arrive at the page where you can customize who belongs in your “in case of emergency” contacts and what SMS they’ll be receiving from Kitestring if you don’t check in with the app. Entering in where or what you’re doing, and how long you think it’ll take, the app will send you a “check in” text, to which you’ll respond by giving the OK, that you are okay. The message can be their automatic one, “This is (insert name here). If you get this message, I did not get home safely when planned, and I might be in danger. (Do not reply to this message.)”, or anything else you’d prefer. If your phone does actually die, the app will still send your contacts the message, but as they say in all things, “better safe then sorry!”
On a more serious note, this app targets those circumstances when you’re traveling solo and are in need of a backup plan; things can happen, and when they do, it’s nice to know there’s an easy way to contact your loved ones without needing you to be the one to do it. Regardless of curfews or dead phones, the app gives you the option of when to be on the ETA system, so the term “overbearing” doesn’t need to come into play. Texting the app “OK” at +1 (707) 7376-523 whenever you arrive early to your destination is always an option, and even texting it with an extended time like 10 minutes is also possible. Developed by MIT graduate Stephen Boyer, the app not only aims to create a safer environment via the innovative tech world, but it also aims to increase awareness about using the world of social media to our advantage. Kitestring is free and accessible in the U.S., UK, France, Poland, Puerto Rico, Mexico, Switzerland, China, Turkey, Denmark and over 100 other countries around the world (international SMS rates apply depending on your location). So whether you’re walking home from a late night at the Lib’, or you’re abroad and in unfamiliar territory, Kitestring has got your back!