May 01, 2020 17:00:00

Great bashing if the UN 'app to maintain social distance' does not work satisfactorily even with basic functions

In order to control the epidemic of the novel coronavirus infection (COVID-19), a strategy to keep a social distance by keeping a distance from others is emphasized. On April 29, 2020,

UN Technology Innovation Labs (UNTIL) , a research institute of the United Nations, announced the app ' 1point5 ' for keeping social distance. But even the most basic features of the app don't work well, said technology board Motherboard. Many users have also criticized us.

UNTIL released free social distancing app 1point5 | United Nations Technology Innovation Labs
https://until.un.org/news/until-released-free-social-distancing-app-1point5

The United Nations Coronavirus App Doesn't Work-VICE
https://www.vice.com/en_us/article/g5xz37/united-nations-coronavirus-app-1point5-doesnt-work

According to UNTIL's announcement, 1point5 is a mobile application developed in collaboration with a company called

LTO Network , which measures the distance to other mobile phones and electronic devices using Bluetooth, and the range where social distance cannot be maintained. It will warn you when another device approaches you. The default distance for 1point5 to issue a warning is 1.5m, but it seems possible for the user to increase or decrease the distance.

You can see what happens when you actually use 1point 5 in the following movie.

1Point5App-Social Distancing | COVID-19-YouTube


Tap the icon of 1point5 that you installed ……

Tap the 'Start' button.

The default warning distance for 'too close' is 1.5m, but it can be changed to 2.0m, 2.5m, or 3.0m.

When you decide the distance, tap 'Next'.

When you tap the 'GO!' Button, it will receive Bluetooth emitted by other electronic devices and measure the distance, and will warn you if you are too close.

If there are other electronic devices nearby, the warning 'PLEASE KEEP YOUR DISTANCE' will be displayed.

1point5 is an extremely simple application, but when Motherboard installed and used the application on April 29, it was able to successfully detect other devices with Bluetooth turned on. It was not there. Similar criticisms are also sent to the

Google Play store page, and there are comments such as 'not working', 'time wasting', 'useless application'.

It is also pointed out that the system that 'detects Bluetooth signals emitted by other electronic devices' is a flaw as the original function of apps that maintain a social distance. Since the Bluetooth signal comes from various devices such as game consoles, computers, speakers, smart home assistants, IoT devices, 1point 5 will warn you in response to fixed devices or other devices you own. There is a possibility. Technology consultant Ashkan Soltani said 1point5 wouldn't work well, accusing 1point5 as an app that just annoys users.

Renato Cardoso, the developer of 1point5, told Motherboard, 'The current version released by the United Nations detects all Bluetooth devices around you. We will filter devices and in the next version we will only be able to detect devices that have the app installed. ' Also, when I contacted Stephane Dujarric De La Riviere, a media representative of the United Nations, about 1point 5, he said that I had not heard about this app.

Soltani pointed out that a lot of apps and services could be unwittingly deployed in the name of being useful for pandemics, which could confuse people. Slotani said concerns about the mess of apps and services that don't work well could prevent the necessary and effective systems from succeeding.