<http://schema.org/articleBody>
"In the wake of a brutal string of gang-rapes of female bus passengers \u2014 one in New Delhi and one in Gurdaspur \u2014 Indian officials have unveiled a new weapon they\u2019re hoping can help combat violence against women.\nKapil Sibal, minister of information technology, announced last week that the Center for Development of Advanced Computing, a unit within the Indian government\u2019s Department of Electronics and Information Technology, plans to make a watch that can alert authorities and family members if danger is at hand.\nThe watch would be equipped with a button that sends a text message to the nearest police station and chosen relatives. A GPS system within the device will help pinpoint the wearer\u2019s location. The watch will also feature a built-in video camera that will be activated and record for 30 minutes once the button is pushed.\nSEE ALSO: 10 Trickiest Spy Gadgets Ever\n\nAccording the Wall Street Journal\u2019s India Real Time, Sibal said he expects the government to develop a prototype by mid-year and eventually allocate companies to produce the device. A government press release stated that initial talks had taken place between the government and India Telephone Industries (ITI), a state-run telecommunications equipment manufacturer. ITI\u2019s chairman, K.L. Dhingra later confirmed those talks to India Real Time.\nSibal said the watch is proposed to be sold in two versions \u2014 one for $20 and another for about $50. Though when it comes a rape prevention tool, is there really any room for a discount option? And can the watch really help close the gap between a threat and the law enforcement\u2019s response?\nSEE ALSO: Apple Patents Smart Shoes\n\nWhile the watch is certainly better than nothing, some women\u2019s rights activists are skeptical\u2026 and rightly so. A 2011 study by Trust Law, an organization which calls itself a \u201Cglobal hub\u201D of \u201Cnews and information on good governance and women\u2019s rights,\u201D ranked India as the fourth most-dangerous country for women. And if you\u2019re unfamiliar with dowry-related violence in India, here\u2019s a refresher, compliments of the UN.\n\u201CI don\u2019t think this will make any difference in controlling rape cases,\u201D Sehba Farooqui, a woman\u2019s rights activist in Delhi, told India Real Time.\nStill, this is a step in the right direction. Let\u2019s just hope those steps turn into strides.\nPhoto courtesy of Flickr, Dell's Official Flickr Page"^^<http://www.w3.org/2001/XMLSchema#string>
<http://mashable.com/2013/01/30/india-wristwatch-sexual-violence/>