Walking on the streets or taking a cab at night by oneself can be risky, and usually, young women are the most vulnerable at that time. That's why there are all sorts of self-defense objects out there – varying from pepper spray to tactical knives – for female buyers. Maybe you don't have any of them. A knife or a taser can be too obvious and could very likely hurt the user if misused. If that's the case, you might want to take a look at this "lipstick".

The smart gadget is eight centimeters (cm) long and has a diameter of 0.8cm. It was released under the name "My Hero" by the S. Korean telecommunications operator, SK Telecom, and while it looks exactly like a lipstick on the outside, it definitely isn't designed for makeup.

A model poses with SK Telecom Co.'s self-defense gadget, "My Hero" in this photo released by the company on July 5, 2018. /Photo courtesy of SK Telecom Co.

When you take off the cap, it will immediately send out an alarm of 90 decibels (dB) and also send a message to the police. SK Telecom also claimed the device can report the user's location to five previously installed emergency contacts.

Moreover, the "lipstick" can work as a recorder for three minutes after it’s triggered. This function allows it to collect evidence that can be used by the authorities at a later date.

SK Telecom released the product on Thursday for 25,000 won (about 22 US dollars) and believes that the highly portable, inconspicuous device will do well on the market.

(Top image: SK Telecom's lipstick-like self-defense device that adopts the technology of Internet of Things (IoT) /Photo via cnbeta.com)