Smartphone to 'pin the creeps'

With virtual bodyguards, panic buttons and maps to pinpoint harassment blackspots, women in urban India are using their smartphones for protection after a notorious gang-rape in New Delhi.
After outrage and protests erupted, four businesswomen set up Safecity.in, a website for victims of harassment to channel their anger.
The site encourages them to "Pin the Creeps" by reporting incidents of harassment and abuse -- ranging from catcalling to rape -- which are added to an online map and sent to those requesting alerts.
Mumbai-based Elsa D'Silva, a founder of the site, said social media had allowed women to speak out and warn others of dangerous areas, even if they are reluctant to give their name or make a complaint to the police.
"Now you feel more empowered to do something about it, even if it's just sharing your experience," said D'Silva. "We're not going to keep quiet any more."
The website has linked up with new mobile app SafeTrac, developed by tech firm KritiLabs and downloadable for free, which has an SOS button to alert emergency contacts and lets relatives or friends track the user's journey.
It joins a host of similar apps designed to reassure women, especially those working late and travelling alone -- that is, if they can afford mobile Internet access.
A government commission, set up to prevent sex crimes after the Delhi attack, recommended the development of mobile phone apps for sending distress signals to the police.
India's IT trade body NASSCOM has opened a contest to find the best app for women's safety. Separately, free app Stipator (Latin for "bodyguard") won an award for social innovation last month from NASSCOM.