The New United Nations Coronavirus Social Distancing App Doesn't Even Work

This week a division of the United Nations announced its new social distancing app designed to help alert people when they get too close to another person during the ongoing coronavirus pandemic. Motherboard has found that the app, called 1point5, is barely functional, and an independent researcher highlighted how the app may be largely ineffective due to how it informs users when they are near any other device which uses Bluetooth, rather than only mobile phones, which a human is presumably carrying in their pocket. From the report: The news highlights the haphazard roll-out of various different apps and technologies that are supposed to help during the pandemic, including those from governments. "1point5 will measure distance to other phones and devices as long as the Bluetooth of those phones is turned on. Those other phones do not need to have the app installed for the app to detect their presence," the press release from the United Nations Technology Innovation Labs (UNTIL), published Wednesday, reads. When users download 1point5, the app is supposed to alert them when another Bluetooth device comes within 1.5 metres of their own phone, or a user can choose to increase the range slightly. The app is then supposed to display a message saying "Please keep your distance" if it detects other nearby devices. But when Motherboard downloaded the app earlier this week before the UN's official announcement, the app didn't even successfully perform this most basic of actions. Motherboard tested the app on two separate Android devices, and held them next to other phones with Bluetooth enabled. The app did not detect any other devices in either test.

Uh wut? App to uh huh?

[Way Smarter Than You]

We need an app to alert us when we're within 6 feet of another person?

Wtf?

We used to just kinda look around. 2 arms length is about 6 feet.

Re:Uh wut? App to uh huh?

[penandpaper]

I'm blind you insensitive clod.

Re:

[vux984]

Fortunately your walking stick gives you about the right reach. Spin around with it, and if you hit anyone they were too close.

Re:

[penandpaper]

I prefer flailing arms... If I had any arms.

Re:

[fahrbot-bot]

Fortunately your walking stick gives you about the right reach. Spin around with it, and if you hit anyone they were too close.

Then he have to disinfect his walking stick genius. :-)

Re: Uh wut? App to uh huh?

[BAReFO0t]

It touches the dirty ground anyway. If anything, you have to disinfect everything you touch with that dirty stick of yours! ^^

Re:

[arglebargle_xiv]

Fortunately your walking stick gives you about the right reach. Spin around with it, and if you hit anyone they were too close.

I use a 7-foot glaive-guisarme, swing that in a circle around me and there's no-one left within seven feet. Well, maybe a few bloody stumps but no more.

Re:

[vux984]

"I use a 7-foot glaive-guisarme, swing that in a circle around me and there's no-one left within seven feet."

Meh, at 2 to 5 feet, you might as well be hitting me with a broom stick. :p

Re: Uh wut? App to uh huh?

[Way Smarter Than You]

Use your other senses like Dare Devil. He doesn't need an app.

Re:

[magarity]

We need an app to alert us when we're within 6 feet of another person?

Because you're too distracted staring at said phone to notice other people. Isn't that how it's been for the last 10 years or so?

Re: Uh wut? App to uh huh?

[BAReFO0t]

Not for humans.

Only for drones.
But the newest version has these little white remote control antenna that are permanently mounted to the "ears".
Few more steps and they call themselves C-iBermen.

Re:

[LynnwoodRooster]

So you're saying fixating on my phone can prevent coronavirus? What can't a cellphone do?!?!

Re:

[account_deleted]

Comment removed based on user account deletion

Re:

[Kejiro]

It's close enough. 1.5 meters is 4.9 feet, 6 feet is 1.8 meters. For someone not used to the metric system it's a good estimate.
But the original posters point still stands. It really shows how bad it is when you need an app to let you know that you are near someone because you are too busy looking at your phone.
On the other hand, it's probably useful if someone tries to sneak up behind you ;)

Re:

[LenKagetsu]

We should all carry claymores and tell people to "stay out of melee range" instead.

this just in from the "Well, DUH" desk

[mschaffer]

The UN commissioned a software project and it didn't work. This is not news.

Re:

[penandpaper]

The inverse being; "it is newsworthy for working".

There might be a software joke in there somewhere.

Re:

[rtb61]

What are you talking about, it monitors the person who thought they owned their phone (no the manufacturer owns it, the network provider owns it, the operating system provider owns it and the government now owns it, and even the fucking united nations owns but you do fucking not, you do not own that phone, that phone fucking owns you. Programme works as designed.

I use my phone to connect to the work, I actively work to ensure the world does not connect to me.

Re:

[helsinki92]

That would be much better than the shitshow from the orange rodeo clown we have today.

Works great for me

[slazzy]

Money was taken from you the taxpayer and pocketed by the corrupt - that's all that matters. Success!

Re:

[blog7t]

Money was taken from you the taxpayer and pocketed by the corrupt - that's all that matters. How sad that sounds

So what you are saying is...

[EvilSS]

It works as expected.

Re:

[grandmondo]

The irony here is that there is an app that doesn't work created by an organization that doesn't work.

Re:

[LenKagetsu]

That's not ironic. Ironic would be if an app by the United Nations was region-locked.

Re: The UN is ineffective at best.

[Type44Q]

The UN is ineffective at best.

It gives "progressive and civilized" nations a flag to operate under, while continuing to engage in age old behavior.

Literally the dumbest adult I ever met during childhood was my friend's dad, an Italian who worked for U.N.D.P. His IQ couldn't possibly have been over a hundred... he was surely there for a reason.

low tech solution

[qe2e!]

put a bunch of tiny cock and balls all over your facemask. If someone says something, they're too close

Re: No technological solution

[Malays2 bowman]

The herds of all species needs to be culled. If they don't do it themselves, or there are not enough natural predators, nature finds another way.

Humans are no different. If there were no diseases, we would just have a lot more people born with the MAOA gene. The results would be much more unpleasant and gruesome.

Re:

[Anonymous Coward]

Side note, in earlier life I read Revelation and thought the predictions implausible... I mean, it becomes supposedly -that obvious- and people are still rejecting and attacking it everywhere?

Now, based on direct experience, I no longer doubt it.

Please keep your distance

[PPH]

You have 20 seconds to comply.

Personally noting that

[fahrbot-bot]

... when they are near any other device which uses Bluetooth, rather than only mobile phones, which a human is presumably carrying in their pocket.

(a) I don't always carry my phone.
(b) I have Bluetooth disabled on my phone (as well as NFC).

On the other hand, my phone runs Android 4.4 (KitKat) and this app reportedly runs on that, unlike the recent COVID-19 tracking apps from Google (reported along w/Apple's app) that requires Android 6.0 (Marshmallow) and above . So my options are an app that doesn't work, even if I carried it and enabled Bt, or an app that won't run on my phone. Thankfully, I know what a 6-foot separation looks like and have sewn

Well, duh.

[BAReFO0t]

If you can't even tell social and physical distancing apart...

I guess they practice intelligence distancing a lot. ;)

Off switches are illegal?

[linebackn]

I don't even own a smart phone.

Seriously, are they going to make it illegal to not own a cell phone? Or not keep one with you? Or turn it off? The cell phone companies would love that.

It works!

[Vinegar Joe]

Just as well as the UN.

So the Useless Nations

[oldgraybeard]

new tracking App does not work. I'm shocked! Well not really ;)
Not much related to the Useless Nations has ever worked, Ever!

Just my 2 cents ;)

What's your problem?

[Opportunist]

An app that's useless to track people and appeases the governments? What's not to like?

Re:

[oldgraybeard]

Sig Nice ;)

Really?

[akunkel]

I had not problem keeping distant from it.

Well, in a way it does.

[dmitch33]

It does work. Just not as intended. While you fight to get it working, you might spend an hour or two avoiding people as you fight with the app. And there is the proof that it works as you waste your time away from people. Either that or people will avoid your cussing and irritable nature and cause social distancing. Just another victory for terrible programmers.

Agile, baby!

[devslash0]

We'll add distance detection in the next iteration.

As advertised

[Brett Buck]

It says UN, which is synonymous with "non-functional".