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Ask HN: Social Distance App – count unique Bluetooth mac addresses

23 points by andrewfromx 7y ago

Should we scramble and get live in app store (and play store) a simple app that counts the number of unique bluetooth mac addresses your phone sees each day? i.e. the lower number, the better you are doing at social distancing. And then make it social and like a game, leader boards etc. This app can save lives?

zenexer 7y ago
This probably isn’t going to work well for people in apartments or condos, but it would be interesting nonetheless.
Kaze404 7y ago
Recent Android and iOS versions report false, randomized Bluetooth addresses to prevent exactly that.
- Doxin 7y ago
  You can still count them, even though you can't associate a bluetooth address with a specific device.
oyebenny 7y ago
It's called Wiggle.
- andrewfromx 7y ago
  link?
  - mathackernews 7y ago
    https://wigle.net/ https://wigle.net/
zabana 7y ago
this is the most dystopic thing I've read in a while. I'm interested to see if it works though.
muzani 7y ago
All car radios have Bluetooth addresses and even some watches and headphones. We've had a breakout in a village nearby, 1 hour drive from our town. There's little Bluetooth there. Most people still don't use broadband and rely on live TV for media and entertainment. But those places are usually the least aware of safety precautions.
andrewfromx 7y ago
i think for version 1.0 of this app it can be honor system of entering your number and getting into the daily habit of noticing how many people you come within 6 feet of each day. We can add the bluetooth/wifi/wigle.net stuff too but it won't be perfect. I started landing page at https://socialdistance.app/ https://socialdistance.app/
tastroder 7y ago
Related, from a few days ago https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=22514584 https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=22514584 "Can we stop Covid-19 using Bluetooth?" While this seems like a somewhat more sensible idea in terms of privacy, all the same technical restrictions apply.
sleet 7y ago
Have a look at CoEpi: https://www.coepi.org/ https://www.coepi.org/

23 points by andrewfromx 7y ago

zenexer 7y ago

This probably isn’t going to work well for people in apartments or condos, but it would be interesting nonetheless.

Kaze404 7y ago

Recent Android and iOS versions report false, randomized Bluetooth addresses to prevent exactly that.

Doxin 7y ago
You can still count them, even though you can't associate a bluetooth address with a specific device.

oyebenny 7y ago

It's called Wiggle.

andrewfromx 7y ago
link?
- mathackernews 7y ago
  https://wigle.net/ https://wigle.net/

zabana 7y ago

this is the most dystopic thing I've read in a while. I'm interested to see if it works though.

muzani 7y ago

All car radios have Bluetooth addresses and even some watches and headphones. We've had a breakout in a village nearby, 1 hour drive from our town. There's little Bluetooth there. Most people still don't use broadband and rely on live TV for media and entertainment. But those places are usually the least aware of safety precautions.

andrewfromx 7y ago

i think for version 1.0 of this app it can be honor system of entering your number and getting into the daily habit of noticing how many people you come within 6 feet of each day. We can add the bluetooth/wifi/wigle.net stuff too but it won't be perfect. I started landing page at https://socialdistance.app/ https://socialdistance.app/

tastroder 7y ago

Related, from a few days ago https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=22514584 https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=22514584 "Can we stop Covid-19 using Bluetooth?" While this seems like a somewhat more sensible idea in terms of privacy, all the same technical restrictions apply.

sleet 7y ago

Have a look at CoEpi: https://www.coepi.org/ https://www.coepi.org/