Android Apps
“Bed Intruder” star endorses Android app that tracks sex offenders
October 25, 2010 | by Andrew Kameka
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He’s climbing through your window and snatching your people up, trying to…
I’m sure you know the rest by now. Antoine Dobson rose to online fame after his appearance on a local news broadcast warning people about a rapist in his neighborhood. The clip was spoofed by YouTube comedy team Auto Tune News and 35 million views later, Dobson was the latest Internet celebrity.
Now, he’s the spokesperson for a new Android and iPhone app that monitors the number of registered sex offenders in an area. The augmented reality app Sex Offender Tracker takes the camera viewfinder and points out homes with registered sex offenders nearby. Similar to other apps, it relies on public record and law enforcement data to plot locations of offenders, so the app requires GPS. It is available only in the United States for $1.99.
Learn more about Sex Offender Tracker by searching the Market or browsing its AppBrain listing. Anti-abuse organization RAINN receives 5 percent of all proceeds.
If you don’t get any of the references, watch the parody and original video:
I have to admit that this video made me smile. It's a smart ad for anyone who has heard the Bed Intruder song but I can already already feel that this meme is on its last legs. While I like the idea of the app, all it does is feed into the paranoia that there are perverts everywhere. There are so many sex offenders out there who are not registered. I found a poll that brings up an interesting point. http://my-take.com/poll/will-the-new-sex-offender… . Maybe people will find this app useful but will it actually keep people safe? I'm not sure but I guess knowledge is power.