Tech Thursday: 6 great apps created by women

When one thinks of a start-up company, one often think of a young and rich Mark Zuckerberg type who is socially awkward but has great ideas. There is no doubt that the tech industry is male dominated but times are changing. Women are starting to hold really important positions within this industry creating intuitive and innovative apps that are not only changing the lives of other women, but their male counterparts as well.

Here are some inventive apps created by women:

1. Bsafe app

This award-winning app was created by a father and daughter team. The app allows you to automatically send an audible alarm, where you are (your GPS location with tracking), and what’s happening (video + audio) with time stamps. It allows users to create a “social safety network” of individuals who are notified in case of an emergency or in situations where the user feels unsafe. Various features allow users to invite friends to follow their location via GPS when on the move and quickly send their location information to the emergency contacts.

2. Live Connected

Johannesburg resident Nthati Mthembu created an new app, Live Connected, which helps busy parents manage their children’s schedules. The family management tool adds people who can assist with pick-ups and drop-offs. These people can include nannies, parents, aunts, grandparents, au pairs and drivers, to name a few. A schedule is then created in collaboration with “village members” to arrange lifts, with connected members receiving notifications about their commitments. Read more about Mthembu and her ground-breaking app on The Sandton Chronicle.

3. Hey Vina!

Olivia June Poole created an app that helps females find meaningful friendships with each other. Users take a general interest quiz and are matched with a potential and platonic friend if there’s a match. It sends each user a “ditto” message and a suggestion on where to meet. Poole and co-founder Jen Aprahamian said they hope women everywhere will use this app to find freedom and confidence that comes with being in a community of friends.

4. Gender Fair

Gender Fair is Amy-Willard Cross’s brain child that gives you a quick rundown of a business’s reputation regarding gender equality and women’s issues. You can then decide whether this is the type of place you want to work with or do business with or whether you want to go with one of their competitors.

5. On second thought

Ever sent a message and regretted it the very next moment? Well this app was created especially for those situations. The app co-founded by Maci Peterson allows you to install it and use it as your primary texting interface. Once installed it enables you take back a text within 60 seconds of sending it. You are also allowed to edit it or not to send it.

6. Cast Beauty

Sion Morson’s award winning app Cast Beauty is designed to make women look and feel their best even when the weather isn’t on their side. It has beauty tips and will actually clue you in on what skin and hair products will survive the current weather conditions and match your personality. It uses weather data to provide personalised hair and skin tips to keep you looking good even in days of bad weather. The only negative is that the app is still not available in South Africa.