iPhone app sends safety alert if you don’t arrive on time

Among the many new capabilities enabled by mobile technologies, personal safety is perhaps one of the more intriguing. We’ve seen Dutch Onna-onna’s SMS service alerting customers to icy conditions; then, too, there’s Aha Mobile’s iPhone app allowing drivers to warn one another of upcoming hazards, and CiviGuard’s mobile app service for location-specific disaster alerts. The latest spotting? Bluelight, a free iPhone app that notifies friends and family when a user doesn’t arrive at his or her destination as planned. Created by Chicago-based Sandbox Industries, Bluelight users begin by telling the app how much time they need to get to their destination on a particular occasion, such as a late-night trip home. They also designate a friend or family member for the application to contact if it’s necessary. Then, assuming they arrive at their destination as planned, they simply check in with Bluelight and their contact won’t be bothered. If they don’t check in, however, Bluelight will send a text message or email to the contact with the user’s most recent location in the form of GPS coordinates plotted on a map. That person can then reach out to make sure everything is OK. Bluelight also offers a “Send Alert Now” button as an alternative to waiting for the application’s timer. Launched in January 2011, Bluelight is available for free download from Apple’s App Store. Development-minded entrepreneurs: how can you harness mobile technology to further the cause of personal safety…? (Related: Flight tracker notifies contacts when you arrive.)