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By Steve Benoff Last month I started a series of reviews of apps for local businesses. My plan was to continue doing these reviews until I ran out of apps. One reason for this plan was it relieved me of having to come up with fresh app ideas for several months. But, as luck would have it, I came upon an app I feel is important enough to interrupt my review series. Besides there being an app for so many things in life, there are myriad ways one can be introduced to an app. I've read about apps in newspapers and magazines and articles on my phone. People have mentioned apps to me; some of you have emailed me app suggestions. Sometimes I've googled app ideas – for example, I've googled "ten weirdest apps." But recently I learned about an app through my granddaughter Eva. Eva just graduated elementary school in Brooklyn. (Incidentally, New York schools are much better than California schools.) She's moving on to middle school. In New York City, they bus kids to elementary school but not to middle school. So, Eva will be taking a public transit bus. Now that Eva's whereabouts will be far less certain, her parents thought she ought to have a communication device. They didn't want to give her a smartphone with its connection to the Internet. There are phones available that don't have Internet capability, but they are quite prone to being lost. When they went to the phone store (Verizon in their case), they learned about the GizmoWatch. This is a wrist device that allows two-way voice calling and messaging. Up to 10 contacts are permitted. Best of all it has GPS capabilities. You know the location of the person wearing the watch at all times. You can even set geographical boundaries and receive alerts when these limits are exceeded. The GizmoWatch is also a fitness tracker in that it records the wearer's steps throughout the day. It comes with a pink or blue strap, but it can accommodate any standard 20 mm strap. And it's waterproof so Eva can keep it on when she's swimming or bathing. When you set up the watch, you are prompted to download the GizmoHub app. It's through this app I'm able to know where Eva is at a given moment. Once the GizmoWatch is linked to the GizmoHub, you set up contacts using phone and email information. Once Eva and her parents did this, I downloaded the app from the App Store and created an account. Because my email address matched one of Eva's contacts, I was prompted through a routine which linked my phone to her device. It's a very well-thought-out process, and it's quite easy. So now I can see where Eva is on my phone, and she can call me or text me easily without having to use her mother's phone as she usually does. But using GizmoWatch and its app as a child tracking device is not its only use. Do you have a loved one who you'd like to keep track of? Someone with memory issues? Or someone who doesn't want or need a smartphone but with whom you'd like to communicate. If that loved one wanders off, you can use the GizmoHub app to see her/ his location and even make a call. And that person can call you using the watch. The service is not free. In Eva's case, the watch cost $200 with tax. In addition, you pay $5 a month for the phone number and texting. The app, of course, is free. Considering the value of this service, I think it's a bargain. It's a great example of an app serving an important need. If you use an app you'd like to share with others, let me know at steve.benoff@verizon.net. 12 FOUR SEASONS BREEZE | SEPTEMBER 2019 THERE'S AN APP FOR THAT! Gizmo Watch Worth A Closer Look - For All Ages

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