So I was over at Geoff’s watching the Warriors complete meltdown (oh well) and getting bored for the most part. Lots of drunk guys all around me doing lots of drunk things and I really wasn’t in the mood to participate. Been rather depressed lately to be honest. Anyway…

I opened up my phone and started reading Python for S60 tutorials and discussions and all sorts of other things, when what do you know… I stumbled on a Python script that acts as a panic button for your cellphone.

The PyS60 code posted here will basically do the following when run:

  • Immediately transmit LAC and CellID to predefined recipients via SMS (this allows for a rough containment of where you are located in your emergency)
  • Call an predefined emergency number
  • Try to get the GPS position of your phone and if it gets a signal transmit Latitude/Longitude and current speed every three minutes via SMS to predefined recipients

This sums up to a rather complete emergency package acting as some kind of panic button (place this as an .sis application on your today screen or similar…). If you ever get into an emergency immediately broadcast all relevant info to get help!

How to use your phone as a panic button

For a scripting language, this is a pretty comprehensive little tool. Its the sort of thing that most people don’t really think about, but its something I think every cellphone should have on it. Especially with the way things are going at the moment.

This is the sort of application you’d definitely put on your children’s phones. And I know I’d feel happier knowing that Kaden and Brooke had something like this on them when they’re out and about. It doesn’t guarantee safety, but it does provide the ability to quickly alert someone when you are attacked and have them immediately know where you are.

The funny thing is, the first idea the pops into my mind after reading this is to take those SMS messages that have the GPS coordinates and use a Python script to show you their location on Nokia Maps (I don’t know if Google Maps has an API that can be used on S60 devices for something like that.) You would then be able to track that person while you’re in your own vehicle on your way to save them. :-)

The more I look around the web, the more ideas I come across. Now if only I could find a way to build an S60 application that did something similar to Loopt, but worked on any S60 3rd edition device, not just Nokia’s… Then Nick could use it on his Samsung G810 too. ;-)