4 ms·

> the reliability of distance estimates using Bluetooth signal attenuation Take a look NOVID [0] the app CMU professor and graduate students built. It uses ul

> the reliability of distance estimates using Bluetooth signal attenuation Take a look NOVID [0] the app CMU professor and graduate students built. It uses ultrasound to be accurate within 1m. It also approaches the utility of contact tracing in a completely different way. [0] https://www.novid.org/ https://www.novid.org/

neuronic 6y ago
Must be just lovely for pets at home or is it outside of the frequencies that cats can hear (up to 79 kHz)? Also this thread is filled with people complaining about bluetooth spying capabilities and now you post an app with bluetooth always on AND microphone always listening?
- poshenloh 6y ago
  Thanks for asking. I'm the founder of NOVID. Our app has a pet mode if your pet does not like it. This doesn't seem to have been a problem. The microphone is also not always listening. It turns on for 2 seconds when needed. The complete app source code has been given to a university security research team for review, and they will see that the microphone is used only for its intended purpose: to process ultrasonic frequencies.
  - michelledepeil 6y ago
    Out of curiosity, why not make the app source-available?
poshenloh 6y ago
Thank you for sharing this. I'm the founder of NOVID. The problem has been that no other app provided direct value to the user. Other apps are designed to protect other people from you if you get exposed (they then tell you to isolate to protect others). NOVID directly protects you from others, by anonymously warning you of COVID's approach along your relationship network. This reversal of incentives is critical. On top of that, NOVID also actually demonstrates the necessary accuracy to function. It is the only app which dares to report estimated distances to every user on their screen. We are trying as hard as we can to let people know about these two major points of differentiation from the rest of the contact tracing app space. Thank you for helping!

neuronic 6y ago

Must be just lovely for pets at home or is it outside of the frequencies that cats can hear (up to 79 kHz)? Also this thread is filled with people complaining about bluetooth spying capabilities and now you post an app with bluetooth always on AND microphone always listening?

poshenloh 6y ago
Thanks for asking. I'm the founder of NOVID. Our app has a pet mode if your pet does not like it. This doesn't seem to have been a problem. The microphone is also not always listening. It turns on for 2 seconds when needed. The complete app source code has been given to a university security research team for review, and they will see that the microphone is used only for its intended purpose: to process ultrasonic frequencies.
- michelledepeil 6y ago
  Out of curiosity, why not make the app source-available?

poshenloh 6y ago

Thank you for sharing this. I'm the founder of NOVID. The problem has been that no other app provided direct value to the user. Other apps are designed to protect other people from you if you get exposed (they then tell you to isolate to protect others). NOVID directly protects you from others, by anonymously warning you of COVID's approach along your relationship network. This reversal of incentives is critical. On top of that, NOVID also actually demonstrates the necessary accuracy to function. It is the only app which dares to report estimated distances to every user on their screen. We are trying as hard as we can to let people know about these two major points of differentiation from the rest of the contact tracing app space. Thank you for helping!