/* ---- Google Analytics Code Below */

Wednesday, April 15, 2020

Apple, Google to Harness Phones for Virus Infection Tracking

Much going around about this now.  Just taking a closer look.  Can tech harvest the right data to leverage a solution? Privacy pushback?  More to follow.

Apple, Google to Harness Phones for Virus Infection Tracking
Associated Press
Frank Bajak; Matt O'Brien in AP News

Apple and Google have launched a joint effort to help public health agencies around the world leverage smartphones to contain the coronavirus pandemic. The companies plan to add new software to handsets to make it easier to use Bluetooth wireless technology to track people who may have been infected by coronavirus carriers. The companies want to help national, state, and local governments roll out apps for "contact tracing" that will run on iPhones and Android phones alike. The system harnesses short-range Bluetooth signals, and collects information about other phones with which they came into close proximity. This data can be used to alert others who might have been infected by known carriers of the coronavirus. Said Boston University’s Tiffani Li, “It’s not a replacement for just having widespread testing, which would be more accurate, but clearly we have a huge shortage of tests.”   .... '

No comments: