A Webware challenge: Make cell phones better lifelines

Shortly after we got the crushing news of James Kim's death, I received an e-mail from a human resources person here at CNET. She wrote, "I would love to see a Web site dedicated to the safety of employees. Employees should be able to submit their travel routes and whereabouts. Whether it's on a road trip or visiting an apartment listed on Craigslist, providing information on where employees are and the related circumstances may be extremely helpful in the event that an emergency or dangerous situation occurs."

I forwarded this idea to several people who run mapping and life story start-ups, and I received heartfelt offers to participate in the creation of such a system, especially from Platial and OurStory. Today I've been talking with a few people here and the idea is evolving. I wanted to share the latest.

What we need is a fail-safe service that will raise the alarm when a person goes missing. There should be a Web service where you enter your itinerary and personal contact information. At each scheduled waypoint, the service calls your mobile phone or sends you a text message, simply asking, "Have you arrived safely at your destination?" If you have, you say so. If you don't answer, the system moves to the next step: It tries again, it tries alternate numbers (your hotel, the airline, the car rental company, and so on), and if you cannot be reached or located, it calls your designated contacts, who can determine whether to contact emergency personnel in the appropriate area. (If no one can be reached, it could escalate automatically.)

Such a system could be built into a mapping service or integrated into a trip-planning site, such as Orbitz or Travelocity. Or it could just be a stand-alone "flight plan" system for all of us.

The advantage is that it wouldn't needlessly bug family or friends until you were actually not responding to hails. (Of course it would need to be integrated with flight tracking so that it didn't assume you were missing when your flight was simply delayed.)

Disadvantages? Several. What if you're overseas and your phone doesn't work? What if you deviate from your plans and are fine, but you're out of touch when you said you'd be reachable? What of you're just moving through a poor cell phone coverage area? I don't claim that this idea is foolproof as written, but I do believe that something like it could help people who get in into trouble when traveling.

If anybody knows of such a system, or plans to build one, e-mail me or leave comments on this post. I'll report back if it gets traction.

(Actually finding a missing person or group is another challenge, but I am sure there are solutions, yet to be built, that could help there, too--including technological platforms that could more quickly and easily locate cell phones even when they are not in service areas, and policies and procedures to release that data in a timely manner.)

Cell phones are already lifelines. Let's make them better ones.

[therahul]

Excellent idea

Just wanted to cheer you guys on for being proactive with the recent tragic events. This is an excellent idea and would be useful even without the alarm services just so that you wouldn't need to individually tell everyone your contact details.
Such a system could also be built so that a viewer inputs his own country of origin and the system would convert the contact numbers to include international and area codes as well as informing the viewer about time zone differences.

Could be a boon to travellers everywhere.

[jallen64]

Great Idea!

After following James Kim's story, I agree something like this should be put together as I'd definitely be interested in it. His story also brought to my mind the need to keep extra supplies on trips of food, water, blankets etc. I hope an online service like this is created!

[coolasbluefire]

An Idea Already In Progress

A very intelligent friend of mine runs a website (www.stevecrow.net) in which he blogs about many things. One of his strong points is his working knowledge of phone technology, including cellular, and he's even thrown together a tool for his site using Google Maps API in which his car's location is tracked every 15 minutes using a Boost-Mobile (Nextel Prepaid Wireless) cell phone mounted in his trunk. It's just a base model phone that you can get for under $50 in the store, and for very few dollars a month it can use the built-in web service and GPS function in conjuction with a program from www.mologogo.com to publish your phone's current location to the web.

About half way down his page there's a link for "Fauxjack My Car" where you can see the working example.

If anyone finds any usefulness from this information, don't hesistate to give Steve a buzz and let him know that his efforts have gone to help a good cause, and I'm sure he'd be willing to answer any questions you might have in regards to the code, hardware, etc.

[BillG49]

Here's the direct link to the service

http://www.mologogo.com/

[bubbadude]

Cell Phone as beacon

What about a portable Cellular system that can be mounted on a airplane or helicopter that can the look for the cell signal of the missing person. That way you wouldn?t be dependent on the nearest tower catching a ?ping?. You could fly over the area where it is suspected that someone is lost and look for the phone. I would guess that using signal strength to determine range and bearing you could narrow a search area quickly.

[siskiyouhiker]

local transmitt better

Actually the cell phone would not have helped in this
case as Kati probably had it in the car.
Issue would still been of finding James in the ravine.
I am from this area -50mi south and brush is very very
dense. What we need is a local transmit beacon similar to
that used for avalanche recovery use in which a person
remaining in car can track the person going for help without possibility of signal loss to that person due to low
battery etc.
we can do this- technology is there and will help others in
future.
My best to Kati and family.
siskiyouhiker

[DaKuya]

When does it end

The first question in my mind is why it took one week for authorities to accept and acknowledge they were missing? This public Man ok not on the TV but well known and family and Cnet had to step up to pay for the search?

I honor the man greatly he did what any father and husband would do and paid the ultimate price. Sorry tech can provide only so many answers and maps and such. I look at official response times and the numbers to me do not add up. Fact is you report adults missing it is not 24 hours it is 40+. Invent any site you want get authorities to respond to it is another.

[GHLatta]

GPS probably would have prevented this tragedy

I never travel even to places I'm very familiar with without my GPS system. If I'm forced or decide to detour then I have the navigational means to make better informed decisions. I was suprised to find that anyone so involved in the high-tech field would be travelling without one.

[Newtimer]

How about a "chip" that attaches to eye glasses, or fit in a wallet or purse, or key chain, necklace, medical bracelet. Power maintained by movement, like the shake flashlights, or flexing the jaw muscles, blinking of eyes, step-odometers, etc.? And yes, even imbedded chips, which are already being investigated by military to help keep track of troops, etc. Include them with the cost of a GPS phone.

[lparker3470]

There is another service to find your <a href="http://www.itag.com">gps phone</a>, go to the site <a href="http://www.itag.com">iTag.com</a>

[lparker3470]

thats

http://www.iTag.com