Key fob phone alerts friends that you need help with the press of a button

You know how establishments have hidden emergency buttons to call the police? There's a new device called the ECHO Urgent Messenger that's something like that, except it's a tiny one-button emergency phone that you can attach to a keychain, so you can call for help whenever needed.

According to the device's Indiegogo page (where its creators are trying to raise $5,000 to start production), ECHO sends a message to the company's urgent care staff and to all your authorized contacts when you press the emergency button.

Yes, you can include anyone you want, whether you have them as a phone or email contact or even as a Facebook friend.

This message will apparently contain your location within five feet, as determined by GPS, GLONASS and cell tower triangulation.

While that makes it sound as if you're carrying a tracker, the company swears it won't try to track you until after you press the button. When you do, though, know that the company's staff will be able to talk to you, or to listen in if you're unable to talk or if your safety will be compromised by doing so. ECHO, which runs on AAA batteries, can reportedly last for seven years on standby and through five hours of talk time, in case (god forbid) you end up needing to use it. You'll have to pledge at least $144 to get one in December, but like many crowdfunding projects, production will only start if the company meets its goal.

Posted in: