BlackBerry Cool

For me, BlackBerry has always been the device with the potential to be a part of a Johnny Mnemonic future where private data and IP are the most valuable assets in society. The device can already keep your voice and data at President levels of security, and now it can also keep executives safe.

Take for example, New York-based BrickHouse Security which has launched Executrac, mobile GPS tracking software. It is an invisible application that turns any BlackBerry into a covert GPS tracker with an emergency panic button.

The $19.95-a-month application is so covert that it can be deployed wirelessly in seconds to thousands of company-owned BlackBerrys unbeknownst to the user, or the user’s kidnappers.

The company is recommending the app to journalists and executives who travel to dangerous areas. In such places, BrickHouse says the only chance a remote traveler has is to push a panic button to secretly and send a emergency signal with their exact GPS location to the people they trust to send help. It’s like a safety net for those who otherwise wouldn’t have any other recourse.

The tracking is accurate to within five to 15 meters, and the software starts working within nine seconds of being turned on. Over 24 hours, the app uses less than 15 percent of a BlackBerry’s battery.

[Via]