Social Networks like Facebook and Twitter began as a way of keeping in touch with friends and loved ones and soon became a part of everyday life. Since then the social networks have been exploited for other uses, such as internet marketing; now, thanks to a new bracelet, they may even save lives.
Designed for aid workers—who often work in dangerous areas—the Natalia Project Bracelet is an anti-kidnap device that can send out potentialy life-saving tweets, or contact Facebook, if the wearer finds themself in a hostage situation.
The bracelet is designed so that the wearer can activate it manually, should the need arise, but it is also capable of activating itself if someone tries to remove it by force. Once the bracelet is activated mobile phone technology, incorporated into the design, transmits a message to any nearby contacts and also to the headquarters of the Civil Rights Defenders, where the attack can then be verified and another message sent out via the social networking sites.
This is all very clever stuff, but before anyone can rush to rescue they need to establish the location of the hostage and, here again, the Natalia Bracelet comes into its own because it also transmits the wearer's real-time GPS location.
The bracelet has little to offer in the way of looks, but looks are not everything and what the bracelet lacks in aesthetics it more than makes up for in function and it is nice to see the social networks being utilized for such a positive use.
