Be Back Soon App
A dear friend from Australia, Des Paroz, has launched a very cool iPhone app you'll want to use in your diving and other social activities. It fills a simple need - to file a dive plan and let people know when you are overdue. The concept is simple, but the interface and execution are even better.
In a nutshell, if you plan to go on a dive (or a blind Internet date, or any other activity,) you can input your event in a simple message window and select up to three people to notify if you are overdue. In the case of a dive, you can post your dive plan and choose an expected time out. Fifteen minutes before deadline, you'll get a push notification to your smart phone with an opportunty to respond, and thus, end further notifications. If you don't respond initially, at the ten and five minute marks two more messages are generated and pushed to your phone.
If you reach your deadline, then your selected message will go out to the contacts you have chosen, letting them know you are overdue and the last location of your phone. In your message you can tell the notified person precisely what action you would like them to take. It could be as simple as "try to call me," or as important as "I'm on my way, get the beer chilled" or a stern as "son, you have missed your curfew and you are in big trouble."
There are certainly many uses for this app outside of diving, but in all seriousness, being able to file a dive plan when you are solo or remote is invaluable. For less than a cup of coffee, you can give peace of mind to your friends and family and get a rescue rolling when there's been a really bad day out.
Here's a link. You can also find it in the iTunes App store.
