What’s the best way to find out if you’re in a safe neighborhood? Pull out your iPhone – if you get robbed, you’re not safe.
Joking aside, a new iPhone app has recently launched that utilizes local government data to let you know how safe an area is.
The idea for AreYouSafe sprung from the AppsForDemocracy competition that was held this past November in Washington DC. This competition challenged local development teams to create new and innovative tools using government data.
Part of the team from the winning application (iLive.at) decided to see how they could further leverage DC crime data – specifically for the masses of humanity who descended on the city for the inauguration in January.
Although not quite ready in time for that, the app has since ‘hit the streets’ as it were and has notched up its first couple hundred sales.
Moreover, AreYouSafe highlights a few interesting ideas that are influencing many new businesses.
Using Available Data
Firstly, there is an enormous amount of data available on just about anything, anyone and anywhere. The challenge isn’t usually technical put rather gaining access to the information in a suitable format.
As (some) governments become increasingly open to publishing their info online how can this information be leveraged into both useful tools and profitable businesses?
Changing Innovation and the Micro Idea
Secondly, it’s obvious from stories like this one and countless others that development timescales are changing. What used to take months, if not years, to develop, test, implement and market can now be done in weeks.
Open source software, APIs and ready-made distribution channels all mean that you can now bring a good idea to market in a fraction of the time and at a fraction of the cost.
It may also mean that the smartest businesses are the ones being developed to meet a specific need – and even over a specific time frame.
Our new model for 2.0 startup success? Think it. Build it. Release it. Fix it. Do it all over again. And as AreYouSafe rolls out to new markets, they’ll be doing just that.
Site: www.areyousafedc.com
Subscribe for Free: RSS | EMAIL
{ 2 trackbacks }
{ 1 comment… read it below or add one }
If only Invest Ni would think on their feet like described in this article
They are so keen on -taking 4 yrs to make it
getting a ‘patent’ perhaps another 2+yrs
build a factory……yadda…yadda
Get a fab idea!
Build it -and they will come!
Months -Not yrs
First to Market beats IP -hands down!
better bringing in a few grand per mth
Now just to think up that ‘killer app!’
Great Article