Salt Lake City, Utah – Yodel is a mobile app designed to provide a lifeline when users venture into the outdoors for adventure. The app informs the user’s designated contacts of their location, what they’re doing and the estimated time of return. “I wanted to design an app that allowed me to create a personal safety network and was quick to use when I’m active outdoors. If I was overdue, they would have my last known location and intended route information to send Search and Rescue (lest I end up having to gnaw off an arm a-la Aaron Rawlston).” says creator, Dan Murray. The app’s functionality requires minimal interaction so as not to interfere with the activity the user is engaged in yet still provides peace of mind and a layer of safety.
When a user is heading out for an activity, they enter what they’ll be doing (hiking, mountain biking, rock climbing, etc. plus intended route, if they choose), and their estimated time of return. A message (SMS, email or both) is sent to selected contacts with that also includes their location coordinates. When the user’s estimated time of return is reached, Yodel sends an alert. The user can then either check in by phone or text/email with a single touch of the screen.
Along the way, users can send waypoints with one simple action. Also if they run into trouble, Yodel includes an S.O.S. function, which will send an emergency message to all contacts entered into Yodel’s contacts directory that contains their specific location coordinates then automatically dial 911 or a designated emergency contact.
The app had a round about way of coming to be. Murray, an avid backcountry skier, was using GPS mapping apps on his phone that would allow him to transmit his location to a list of recipients via text and email. Ultimately, Murray found himself unsatisfied with the apps, because the emails did not originate from his personal email. Instead, they came from a 3rd-party server and went straight to the recipients’ SPAM box. There was also no SMS option. This clearly wasn’t the dependable lifeline Murray was hoping for, so he set out to make a better one.
Device Requirements:
* iPhone 3G, iPhone 3GS, and iPhone 4
* Requires iOS 4.2 or later
* 6.0 MB
Pricing and Availability:
Yodel 1.0 is only $0.99 USD (or equivalent amount in other currencies) and available worldwide exclusively through the App Store in the Utilities category.
Intelligent Design Communications
Yodel 1.0
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Intelligent Design Communications is an app development company based in Salt Lake City, Utah that believes in developing mobile apps with simple and elegant user interfaces, while staying true to the principles of classic design.