spikey Posted June 20, 2020 Share Posted June 20, 2020 I'm anything but up to speed with this kind of stuff so maybe I'm the last to become aware of it, but just in case I'm not ... If I go to settings on my Android phone, then down the list to "Google" and click on that, the item at the top of the list is now "COVID-19 exposure notifications". Nobody asked me if I wanted it on my phone, but at least it seems to be turned off by default. Don't know if it's the same on an iphone. Anybody know for sure exactly what's going on? 2 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Administrators Phil Parker Posted June 20, 2020 Administrators Share Posted June 20, 2020 An explanation: https://www.thatsnonsense.com/has-android-automatically-signed-up-users-to-covid-19-contact-tracing-fact-check/?fbclid=IwAR3vqbvYYdhswxW7UG4fQV3fhH86vffHWdWYPTdTXAYjbHWbBfcVSeP8b-o 1 2 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Talltim Posted June 20, 2020 Share Posted June 20, 2020 (edited) 42 minutes ago, Phil Parker said: An explanation: https://www.thatsnonsense.com/has-android-automatically-signed-up-users-to-covid-19-contact-tracing-fact-check/?fbclid=IwAR3vqbvYYdhswxW7UG4fQV3fhH86vffHWdWYPTdTXAYjbHWbBfcVSeP8b-o Interesting. I'd not really paid much attention to how the contact tracing apps worked and assumed they used GPS. As I always have Bluetooth off to save battery they wouldn't do much on my phone Edited June 20, 2020 by Talltim 1 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Gold Metr0Land Posted June 20, 2020 RMweb Gold Share Posted June 20, 2020 https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/health-53120290 2 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Hroth Posted June 20, 2020 Share Posted June 20, 2020 Don't even remember seeing the update! The only time Bluetooth os active on my phone is when I'm in the car and I switch BT on for handsfree. So if its active then, it'll only say if the car might have been near to another car... 2 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
woodenhead Posted June 20, 2020 Share Posted June 20, 2020 It's on my wife's phone, it is switched off by default, she has to activate it. The fact that this tool works by local storage on the machine rather than the mass central storage planned by HM Government maintains a level of privacy. All Google and Apple are doing is enabling the tech, you have to also then install an app to bring it to life - all of which is opt in. 1 8 1 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sotto Posted June 20, 2020 Share Posted June 20, 2020 All a bit odd when it's already been scrapped... https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/technology-53114251 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Gold 30801 Posted June 20, 2020 RMweb Gold Share Posted June 20, 2020 2 hours ago, Sotto said: All a bit odd when it's already been scrapped... https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/technology-53114251 The UK Gov's train wreck of an app has been scrapped. Other locales have working ones. 3 1 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
monkeysarefun Posted June 20, 2020 Share Posted June 20, 2020 We've had a tracing app running here for the last couple of months. My phone has the COVID notifications listed under google but the APP still has to be downloaded and installed by me. Which I haven't bothered doing since I don't have bluetooth enabled on my phone, and work won't allow any device with a bluetooth transmitter/receiver onto the premises. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
stewartingram Posted June 21, 2020 Share Posted June 21, 2020 The UK Gov app is not a train wreck. Like all other countries, they have found that Apple software is not compatible, other countries apps reached the same conclusion. Apple are said to be working on a co-operative with Google to produce a newer app. 1 1 1 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Gold Bucoops Posted June 21, 2020 RMweb Gold Share Posted June 21, 2020 Apple not compatible with something? Surely not? Having said that it's good to see cooperation between the two main mobile OS suppliers. 1 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
forest2807 Posted June 21, 2020 Share Posted June 21, 2020 27 minutes ago, stewartingram said: The UK Gov app is not a train wreck. https://www.google.com/amp/s/www.technologyreview.com/2020/06/19/1004190/uk-covid-contact-tracing-app-fiasco/amp/ 1 1 1 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Edge Posted June 21, 2020 Share Posted June 21, 2020 (edited) It’s a setting which is default turned off. You also have to download the various apps to use before anything will happen. for my part, I’ll be downloading the app and using it when it becomes available in the U.K. (as I understand things a hybrid between the centralised and decentralised systems is being created which will contain the accuracy and data gathering abilities of the centralised method with the security of the decentralised one) and id encourage everyone else to do it as well. The more data that scientists have, the better. as for it being a “train wreck”, surely a properly working app is better than one which doesn’t work? And why is it bad that people have admitted a mistake and are trying again? I don’t get the problem myself Edited June 21, 2020 by Edge 3 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Premium boxbrownie Posted June 21, 2020 RMweb Premium Share Posted June 21, 2020 I thought the roll out on the IoW was a trial, which has shown problems......isn’t that the point of having a trial? 1 7 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Premium Neil Posted June 21, 2020 RMweb Premium Share Posted June 21, 2020 Not on mine. I live in Wales, is this a factor? Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Gold chris p bacon Posted June 21, 2020 RMweb Gold Share Posted June 21, 2020 1 hour ago, forest2807 said: https://www.google.com/amp/s/www.technologyreview.com/2020/06/19/1004190/uk-covid-contact-tracing-app-fiasco/amp/ Click bait headline. I noted the text Meanwhile, officials were looking for glory (and even knighthoods), and ministers were focused on rolling out a “world-beating” app, rather than just a successful one, so that they could claim victory on the world stage. The momentum toward a centralized system became unstoppable—and the challenges of building one were largely brushed aside. That's an article which isn't based on sound research but is just an opinion. 3 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sotto Posted June 21, 2020 Share Posted June 21, 2020 Form what I hear from my (German) employer, there is an app up and running in Germany. It seems a pity that we could not co operate a bit more rather than trying to do our own thing. To be fair, they are further in the lockdown relaxation process than we are, so we should probably be comparing Germany today against UK on say 1st August, but I expect we will still be lagging behind even on that basis. I do suspect though that Germans are more likely to follow instructions on a subject clearly aimed at public welfare, and carry the phone, enable the app, and do whatever else they have to do for it to be effective. 1 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Premium J. S. Bach Posted June 21, 2020 RMweb Premium Share Posted June 21, 2020 Good, bad, or indifferent, all is wasted if, like me, one does not have a working mobile phone. 1 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Premium petethemole Posted June 21, 2020 RMweb Premium Share Posted June 21, 2020 1 hour ago, J. S. Bach said: Good, bad, or indifferent, all is wasted if, like me, one does not have a working mobile phone. I have a working mobile phone. It makes phone calls and even gets text messages. That's it. 3 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Premium Legend Posted June 21, 2020 RMweb Premium Share Posted June 21, 2020 Not on my I Phone but my sister who lives close by has it , so it’s not because I live in Scotland . I seldom have blue tooth enabled as it drains battery more quickly Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Premium spamcan61 Posted June 21, 2020 RMweb Premium Share Posted June 21, 2020 1 hour ago, Sotto said: Form what I hear from my (German) employer, there is an app up and running in Germany. It seems a pity that we could not co operate a bit more rather than trying to do our own thing. . Unfortunately we have a government whose stock in trade is the same tired old flag wavy macho rhetoric so they went with the "world beating" app which was obviously deeply flawed from day 1. 2 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Gold chris p bacon Posted June 21, 2020 RMweb Gold Share Posted June 21, 2020 All the apps are flawed. Can we keep personal political opinions to ourselves. 3 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Premium Izzy Posted June 21, 2020 RMweb Premium Share Posted June 21, 2020 Like many others I won’t have Bluetooth enabled because not only does it use a lot of battery power but it’s a security risk. Plus the signal is variable and can’t reliably measure actual device distance. I have also read that unless 80% of users enable the tracing app then it seems it’s worth is negligible. Seems like they have finally woke up to the fact manual track&trace is a better bet overall. Izzy Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Premium spamcan61 Posted June 21, 2020 RMweb Premium Share Posted June 21, 2020 3 minutes ago, chris p bacon said: All the apps are flawed. Can we keep personal political opinions to ourselves. Some seem to work pretty well. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Premium melmerby Posted June 21, 2020 RMweb Premium Share Posted June 21, 2020 4 minutes ago, spamcan61 said: Some seem to work pretty well. Most do not. 1 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
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