Be Sense Able

Many of us now own several Android devices. We are forever upgrading our kit. What can we do with last year's device, when we focus attention on our new shiny one, and how do we make sure our new shiny device is not stolen.

Nearly all Android devices come equipped with sensors. Sensors detect many things such as movement, temperature, humidity, air pressure, light intensity, sound level (via the microphone) and on and on.

Be Sense-Able allows the user to define alert profiles, based on Max, Min, Change values of sensors, and allows the user to be notified, via Alarm, SMS, E-mail, Telephone, when the active alert profile is triggered.

See here for a full description of all features : http://www.besenseable.appspot.com/index.html

There are many pre-defined alert scenario profiles (Bag / Jacket, Car Door, Garage, Desk, ...) which are designed for specific everyday scenarios. The user may also define their own alert profiles, containing any combination of sensors and values, which are then stored for future activation.

The application allows the user to calibrate Temperature, Pressure and Humidity with accurate devices and then remembers the calibration offsets for future execution.

The application has the ability to capture photo images using front and back cameras when alerts are triggered.

The user can control the application via secure SMS messages. The application can be terminated, alert messages suspended or reinstated, cameras instructed to take images, and location services activated. The user can retrieve sensor info and device location remotely via SMS.

Battery status messages are sent to the specified destinations (SMS numbers, E-mail addresses) when battery levels drop below a certain warning threshold.

Alert profiles can be configured to run between specific times and alerts profiles can be activated once only or every day between the times specified.

The application can be password protected so alert parameters cannot be modified and audio alerts cannot be terminated without the correct password.

As well as Alert destinations (SMS, E-mail), the device can be instructed to play the standard "Alarm" sound, or a user specified audio file, when an alert profile is triggered. Completely passive monitoring is possible as all alarms which are triggered are written to a log file.

An option exists to display all sensor values. This feature allows the user to experiment with values if they wish to define their own alert profile max / min values.

By way of an example, I will explain the pre-defined profile "Car Door"

If a vehicle is left on the street many things may could to it. The window could be smashed, the door could be opened, the car could be driven off. Maybe the car is several streets away or even garaged. How would you know when something has happened. The "Car Door" Alert profile watches for :

Changes of air Pressure within the car.
Changes of Temperature within the car.
The orientation of the device being changed (door has been opened).
Movement (actually acceleration). Car is being moved (driven, towed, etc).

When one or all of the above occur, the user will be informed via SMS, Telephone or E-mail and could then immediately attend the vehicle. If the vehicle has unfortunately been taken, simply send an SMS message to the app to tell it to enable Location Services. Once enabled, subsequent SMS messages to the app will cause the app to return to the SMS sender the current location of the vehicle. Google Maps may then be used to find the precise location of the vehicle.

Be Sense-Able could be used in conjunction with other apps which allow for real-time microphone activation, real-time video streaming etc so the use can see/hear in real time what is happening.

Be Sense-Able is the watch-dog that would contact you when something bad is happening.