Shark identification, shark-attack files, push alerts on incidents. Oh yeah, there's an app for that.
SharkByte is the brainchild of upper New York deputy sheriff Eric Knox, a self-confessed shark junkie.
"My parents gave me a shark picture book," Knox said. "I've been in love with sharks since before I could read."
When Knox started looking for smartphone applications, he was frustrated that most of them were game related. He wanted something that could provide information on species, conservation efforts and recent encounters with humans.
So he teamed with the Shark Research Institute and its Global Shark Attack File and started designing an application.
After about a month of tinkering, he hired someone to help him.
In January 2014, SharkByte for iOS was launched. The Android version went live a year ago. A free version - and one for 99 cents - sends out push notifications when a recent incident is reported, such as Thursday afternoon's attack on Ocracoke Island south of Hatteras.
SharkByte also allows you to look up any beach and find information about how often, where and when there have been shark incidents.
Knox donates a portion of what he earns with the app to the research institute.
"I like their file better because it reports on incidents where people aren't bitten, like if a surfer has a chunk bitten out of his board," he said. "If that happened to a place where I was going surfing, I'd like to know about it."
Knox, 34, and his family have vacationed on Ocean Isle Beach, N.C., just north of the South Carolina line, for the past 20 years. He fishes at the pier and has seen plenty of sharks, but isn't afraid to go into the water.
"My wife is, but it's really nothing to worry about," he said. "The chances of something happening are pretty slim. I'm actually hoping that information provided on the app will make people feel more comfortable about going in the water."
But he admits the slew of North Carolina incidents the past three weeks - six confirmed bites before the Ocracoke incident - has been good for business.
"There were four bites reported on Friday and we saw a spike in interest," said Knox, who will spend July 11 and 12 in Tampa, Fla., promoting the app at Shark-Con. "We're hoping that all the news will help us do better to save sharks and their environment.
"Sharing all the knowledge can help."
Lee Tolliver, 757-222-5844,lee.tolliver@pilotonline.com
Twitter: @LeeTolliver
Source: Fear me now? Smartphone app feeds live data on sharks
No comments:
Post a Comment