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There are always people who are convinced there is a rational, polite, gentle and civilized way to stop a violent sociopath from raping their eyesockets.

We call these sensitive souls "Morons."

They are the perfect demographic for this idiocy (a top pick among Kickstarter staff!  I always ask the staff of what's basically an auction site for advice on combat):

http://www.donotlink.com/byz3

Now, there are several things wrong with this device.  First is that it's retarded.

What is your goal when assaulted?

Well, actually your goal is to avoid assault, but if you are assaulted, your goal is to stop said assault.

Now, as far as noise to scare off an attacker, you can do that by screaming. If it worked (it rarely does), you wouldn't need this.

Call the police?  Yup, 911 on any phone will do it.

So two thirds of its functions are already addressed. 

But wait! According to the article:

Given the capabilities of the Whistl, you wouldnΓÇÖt want to set it off by mistake. To make sure this doesnΓÇÖt happen, Lifeshel has put several safeguards in place. The buttons have to be pressed at the same time to be activated, and theyΓÇÖre touch-sensitive, meaning you shouldnΓÇÖt be able to accidentally activate it in your pocket or backpack. If you did accidentally set it off, then allΓÇÖs not lost, as the productΓÇÖs developer has built in a 15-second grace period before the app contacts the police. Only the user can disable the alert via a pre-assigned security password or gesture.

So, whilst being attacked, or pending attack and hopefully running, you have to press several buttons at once.  Then it starts screaming on your behalf, and fifteen seconds later, it calls the cops.

And no one can shut it off!  Unless, of course, they smash it into the ground really hard. They will probably have your wallet inside of those 15 seconds, and the phone, which will just go sailing over the nearest anything. They may even have your life. Fifteen seconds is a LONG time in a fight, as anyone who's actually been in one (obviously not the white children of privilege who thought this was a good idea) can attest.

As to the 90 lumen strobe, welcome to 1995. The light I carry every day (about the size of a large Sharpie) strobes at over 300 lumen, and I have a slightly larger one at 960 lumen.  In the meantime, they also work as really good flashlights, and cost less than this POS.

Of course, if the attacker knocks you to the ground anyway, you can enjoy screaming in your ears and a strobe migraine while being raped or mugged.  It'll totally add to the experience. You'll be begging the thug to smash it to reduce your own distress.

Look, folks, this is simple:  If someone is trying to hurt you, your options are A: avoid being hurt by vacating the area, which assumes you have able privilege, or 2) find some way to hurt them enough they are dissuaded. Stern letters of protest, boycotts, and teaching thugs not to be thugs don't work.  If you don't believe this, I will be happy to prove it to you.  I will come and punch you in the face until you stop me.

They'll probably sell a bunch of these, and they'll prove as entirely useless as any other device that doesn't shoot bullets.

If the repeatedly proven fact that the more power a weapon disperses, the more effective a stopper it is, violates your sphincter control or tardbrain, go whine on the internet.  But you won't change reality, nor the mind of an attacker.

This product is crap.