Note that it's possible to set up a trial call with 911 to test such things as apps and home security systems. You can set it up through your local police precinct.--Joe
-----Original Message----- From: viphone@googlegroups.com [mailto:viphone@googlegroups.com] On Behalf Of Sherrie Sent: Sunday, December 30, 2012 3:19 PM To: viphone@googlegroups.com Subject: Re: 9-1-1 Be careful with this app. I downloaded it and a free one called ICE. I opened one of them (I am not sure which) and you were supposed to enter contacts or something but the first thing I touched it called 911. I immediately hung up but they called me back and I explained that I was and trying to set up an emergency app blind but they said someone would still come to the house but I wouldn't be charged. It sure would have been easier to just count on Siri to call 911 if I needed it. I was especially concerned about having this ability as my dad lives with us and he is 83 and having issues. Now I am afraid to open the apps to see how to use them. Previously I had put in a contact that is called Emergency and the phone number is 911. If I told Siri to call the emergency contact would she dial the 911 listed on the phone number do you think? This is not something one can check out. Sherrie Sherrie -----Original Message----- From: Sieghard Weitzel Sent: Sunday, December 30, 2012 11:37 AM To: viphone@googlegroups.com Subject: RE: 9-1-1 Hello Ann and others, Below is a link for an app with the name "Call 911", the developer is "Tobias Werner" and it costs 99 Cents. While this is not the only such app, I think this would be a good choice for anybody in the US and Canada who is concerned about their safety and wants an easy way to call 911 in addition to the other features this app offers like GPS position. The developer also has emergency caller apps for a number of European countries. Once you open the app you can just shake your phone to call 911 which is pretty foolproof, it works even if you are stressed out or freaking out, actually it would work best if you were shaking with fear *smile*. I Just purchased the app and have the following observations regarding Voiceover accessibility: 1. The app is basically accessible, but the actual Call 911 button is just called button. It is easy to find if you just slide your finger up a bit from the Home Button you find it and, as I said, right now it will just say "Button". If you slide up a bit more or swipe left from the button you hear "Press the button below or shake phone to dial 911". 2. In the top left corner is a button called "Tools2" and I assume this will bring up stuff like the flashlight, tactical strobe etc. But double tapping it does not seem to do much with Voiceover, I will have to ask a sighted person to explain what is happening visually. 3. On the top right of the screen is a button called "sos2" It brings up the screen where you can enter 2 email addresses and your own mobile number. Once you are done you can press Save, then at the bottom of that screen is a "Send Now" button. Above it it explains "Please press the button below and the sent button afterwards to send the sOS email correctly". If you press the Send Now button the mail app opens, your first email is already entered as the recipient and the second is entered in the BCC field, the subject says "I need help, sOS emergency email" The text body lists current GPS position, GPS accuracy, current speed, course and local time. It Then explains that you need help at that location that this information should be handed over to the local authorities, police, paramedics or SAR team (search and rescue) and that this is not a joke or SPAM email. It does then state the the email was generated using the Call 911 app and gives the developer's website. After that is lists your cell number and a link to see your location on Google Maps. 4. Back to the app, on the main screen you can also see your GPS position and the "You are near to" information. As I am writing this in my house, it tells me I am near to 3605-3659 14th Avenue in Smithers, BC, Canada. Since my exact address is 3623 14th Avenue this is not bad especially since I am indoors and on the email the GPS accuracy was listed with 10 metres the first time I tried it and 5 metres the second time. 5. GPS coordinates are listed both above and below the "You are Near To" information. Above it it shows exactly the same information as the email will have, position with latitude first, then longitude, accuracy, course, time Below it it just shows the position but it shows first longitude and then latitude. I think this is an app you hopefully won't need, but one you might be happy to have should you be in a real emergency or accident. I will write to the developer and suggest that he should maybe take a look at accessibility and label the buttons a bit better, make the Tools available and also look at swipe behavior. I find that if you touch the area where your position or nearby information is located, that swiping becomes pretty strange, definitely better to drag your finger around to find the information or the actual call button. Apart from that the app is definitely useable. I also tried the shake feature and explained to the 911 operator that this was not an emergency, that I had bought this iPhone 911 app and wanted to make sure it worked as advertised. I didn't have to shake the phone super hard, when I shook the phone I felt a vibrate almost immediately which the app says indicates a successful dialing of 911 and a couple of seconds later the 911 operator came on the line. Keep in mind that the shake to call feature only works once the app is open. Here is one more piece of information: You could and probably should put this app in your dock or at one of the top or bottom corners of your Home Screen to find it fast. However, now that SIRI can open apps, you can also say "Open Call 911" as the app is called "Call 911" and SIRI will open it. I tried both to say "Open Call 9 1 1" and "Open Call 911" and it works no matter if you speak 9 1 1 as separate digits or as the number 911. However, you can't simply say "Call 911" because while you can say "App Store" to open the app store, if you just say "Call 911" SIRI thinks you want to actually call, it will say "Calling 911" and then "Sorry, I can't call 911". I am not sure why Apple doesn't fix SIRI so you can tell it to simply call 911, maybe in a future update. But at least if you can't get to your phone quickly or maybe your hands are covered in blood and you don't want to get it on the touch screen *smile* you could open the app with SIRI and then simply shake the phone. If you don't care for the GPS position feature you could of course simply find one of those apps which allow you to create shortcuts which dial a particular number and which you can place on your home screen and create such a shortcut to dial 911. Of course if you accidently activate that icon/shortcut it will immediately dial 911 OK, lastly here is the link to the app: https://itunes.apple.com/us/app/call-911/id367556905?mt=8 Regards, Sieghard -- You received this message because you are subscribed to the "VIPhone" Google Group. To search the VIPhone public archive, visit http://www.mail-archive.com/viphone@googlegroups.com/. To post to this group, send email to viphone@googlegroups.com. To unsubscribe from this group, send email to viphone+unsubscr...@googlegroups.com. For more options, visit this group at http://groups.google.com/group/viphone?hl=en. -- You received this message because you are subscribed to the "VIPhone" Google Group. To search the VIPhone public archive, visit http://www.mail-archive.com/viphone@googlegroups.com/. To post to this group, send email to viphone@googlegroups.com. To unsubscribe from this group, send email to viphone+unsubscr...@googlegroups.com. For more options, visit this group at http://groups.google.com/group/viphone?hl=en. -- You received this message because you are subscribed to the "VIPhone" Google Group. To search the VIPhone public archive, visit http://www.mail-archive.com/viphone@googlegroups.com/. To post to this group, send email to viphone@googlegroups.com. To unsubscribe from this group, send email to viphone+unsubscr...@googlegroups.com. For more options, visit this group at http://groups.google.com/group/viphone?hl=en.
