For the rest of the country, Halloween is a special occasion for being weird. But in a city that prides itself on weirdness year round, some people up the ante to extreme levels.
Most of it’s all in good fun. But just in case things get a little too weird, here are three apps made in Austin for keeping you and your friends safe while you’re out among the ghouls.
Zync Up
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When it comes to location sharing apps, many tech companies have entered and few have won. As annoying as it is to text “where are you” all the time, most users seem to like having their movements tracked in real time even less. And even if you’re into it, sharing locations between iOS and Android is a pain.
Zync Up founder Aaron Benz designed Zync Up to honor your privacy as well as your safety. He’s so serious about privacy, he even designed the app to bypass its own servers when you send invitations to friends to join.
Otherwise, the app works similarly to Find Friends, Apple’s homegrown location sharing app that ships with iOS. Invite friends to share their live location with you for a limited period of time, like a night out or a weekend trip, without having to worry when they wander out of sight.
The app is available for iOS and launched in the Google Play store on Wednesday.
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Rudder
This new app addresses a simple but pervasive problem with an elegant solution. Rudder gives walking directions along routes with the best lighting. It’s kind of like Google Maps cycling directions, which favor actual bike paths and safe streets for those of us on two wheels.
In Rudder’s case, it means safety at night for pedestrians, especially those most vulnerable to attackers. As an added plus, it draws the attention of participating city governments—like Austin’s—to areas in need of better lighting.
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Whisel
OK, so you can’t technically download this app just yet, as the on-demand private security service is beta testing in Austin. But, you can apply on their website to use the service for free as a Whisel beta tester.
Those moments when you feel uneasy, like on a dark walk to your car or coming home to an empty house, are hard to plan for. They just kind of creep up on you, and it can be hard to know how to handle them in the moment. Even if you’re just meeting up with someone to sell something on Craigslist, it’s a good idea not to go alone.
That’s the whole idea behind Whisel. Rather than taking a risk without precautions or calling the police when there’s no emergency, Whisel’s trained and licensed security professionals are as easy to summon as an Uber. Companies will even have the option to engage Whisel on a contract basis to offer security to clients and employees.
OK, safety lecture’s over. Now get out there and have some fun. Happy Halloween, Austin!
