NZ COVID Tracer app for Android and iOS

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#2528039 24-Jul-2020 10:07

My source, who has investigated this for a Govt Agency (not the Min Health) says the Irish app is the only one known globally to work effectively. It is a Bluetooth proximity app utilising the Apple/Google API, no centralised database (i.e. all data is on the phone only) and is about 85% effective in tracking contacts. No user interaction to operate other than enabling Bluetooth.

I may have the 85% slightly wrong, I was slightly distracted when she mentioned the figure.

1101

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#2528045 24-Jul-2020 10:16

Oblivian:

And that was one of the PM's talking points at one stage.
If the user want's it, they wan't it automatically

BUT they don't want to be 'tracked'

A tracking app that doesnt track, might be a bit hard to design :-)

You'll allways have alot of tinfoil hat types , that refuse to install a tracking app.
Despite all the other ways their phone is tracking them allready :-)

Oblivian

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#2528058 24-Jul-2020 10:28

1101:

A tracking app that doesnt track, might be a bit hard to design :-)

You'll allways have alot of tinfoil hat types , that refuse to install a tracking app.
Despite all the other ways their phone is tracking them allready :-)

Yah. I put that on prev page already.

But of course everyone will still be convinced it's tracking them (more than the social media they just checked in on or got near a known WiFi point...)

neb

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#2528067 24-Jul-2020 10:43

Oblivian:
And that was one of the PM's talking points at one stage.

If the user want's it, they wan't it automatically

BUT they don't want to be 'tracked'

A small percentage of people care about it, many won't, so use the automated option for the people who don't care. With usage at 0.2% you can't possibly get any worse than the existing app.

Yesterday I again wanted to go through the tedious process of trying to scan a QR code that the app would no doubt be unable to scan. However I never even got to that point because the app had yet again decided to reset itself, losing all my previous locations and asking for a logon password that serves absolutely no purpose apart from preventing me from running the app since I can't remember what random password I set originally.

OK MoH, message received, you don't want us using your contact tracing app: It doesn't work most of the time, even if it did most places don't have barcodes to scan, and even if you try and use it it randomly resets itself and locks you out. Deleting it from my phone, since the only thing it's able to reliably do is frustrate the user.

Technofreak

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#2528071 24-Jul-2020 10:48

1101:

A tracking app that doesnt track, might be a bit hard to design :-)

You'll allways have alot of tinfoil hat types , that refuse to install a tracking app.
Despite all the other ways their phone is tracking them allready :-)

There in lies the problem. All the sneaky tracking that the likes of Google has done has made a lot of people gun shy. No wonder there's a fair bit of scepticism out there about an app like this. As soon as you mention tracking the shutters go up.

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Oblivian

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#2528085 24-Jul-2020 11:16

Well explains why I was asked the other day again Ministry of Health NZ23 July 2020

Kia ora Lawrence, thank you for your feedback. You are required to log in again every 30 days for privacy and security reasons. Ngā mihi

As for the PW generation..

Ministry of Health NZ17 July 2020

Kia ora Ross, we wanted to balance ease of use with ensuring the app is secure. To do that, we've used password standards from the New Zealand Information Security Manual, which provides guidance on information assurance and information systems security. Ngā mihi

And someone has got the smarts to point out the error when there is glare/warping.. Error correction validation

V1.1.1 has two major flaws. #1, It has difficulty reading official QRCodes with EDC level "H", perhaps due to the pixel count and sensitivity to warping. (In contrast, the app effortlessly reads the 3cm wide test QRCodes I make with the same payload but at EDC level "L", in dim light during a rapid pan #2, if the app fails to read at the first attempt, it silently fails all future attempts, even when I pan over to the "easy" QRCodes, until the app is closed and re-opened.

Still so many 1* with people not reading the description or showing how little they used QR codes in the past. Cause all of a sudden every single one on the planet they see is just for tracing and they should *all* scan on the govt app. Sigh.

neb

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#2528088 24-Jul-2020 11:20

Oblivian: You are required to log in again every 30 days for privacy and security reasons

By "security" I assume they mean job security for the people who created the app. If you're prevented from using it by being logged out, you won't be repeatedly reminded of how useless it is.

Sheesh, my online banking app, which is actually protecting something of value unlike the MoH app which is protecting nothing, has less "security" than this.

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PolicyGuy

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#2528103 24-Jul-2020 11:58

neb:
OK MoH, message received, you don't want us using your contact tracing app: It doesn't work most of the time, even if it did most places don't have barcodes to scan, and even if you try and use it it randomly resets itself and locks you out. Deleting it from my phone, since the only thing it's able to reliably do is frustrate the user.

This

I installed it on day 2 of availability, gave up in disgust and uninstalled it.
Then I was persuaded to give it another go, as outlined above it's 🤬🤬🤬 useless.

About to uninstall it again

Benjip

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#2528111 24-Jul-2020 12:10

BlinkyBill:

My source, who has investigated this for a Govt Agency (not the Min Health) says the Irish app is the only one known globally to work effectively. It is a Bluetooth proximity app utilising the Apple/Google API, no centralised database (i.e. all data is on the phone only) and is about 85% effective in tracking contacts. No user interaction to operate other than enabling Bluetooth.

I may have the 85% slightly wrong, I was slightly distracted when she mentioned the figure.

I asked about the Apple/Google API on the official "Unite against Covid" Instagram account, and they said it's being actively looked at, which was good to hear.

It really is the most simple option – you toggle it on in Settings (which I've already done on my iPhone), then once the App is updated to utilise the API, you don't have to do anything else.

I don't know why they didn't launch with the feature, AFAIK it's been available for months now.

Oblivian

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#2528115 24-Jul-2020 12:18

Benjip:

I don't know why they didn't launch with the feature, AFAIK it's been available for months now.

MoH - May 18

Covid API was open to be pushed to devices from May 28. Relied on an OTA update. For my device, that was deployed a week or 2 after ours was available on the store. And IOS 13.5 from memory (which many put off)

MurrayM

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#2529382 27-Jul-2020 11:53

Benjip:

I asked about the Apple/Google API on the official "Unite against Covid" Instagram account, and they said it's being actively looked at, which was good to hear.

It really is the most simple option – you toggle it on in Settings (which I've already done on my iPhone), then once the App is updated to utilise the API, you don't have to do anything else.

I don't know why they didn't launch with the feature, AFAIK it's been available for months now.

Does the Apple/Google API solution solve the problem of transmission via surfaces rather than directly from someone? To recap: It seems that tracking via bluetooth wouldn't help you in the situation where an infected person visits a cafe and sneezes all over a table and then leaves, and I come along 5 minutes later and sit at the same table and pick the virus up from the table surface. Since I was never in the same space as the infected person at the same time our phones wouldn't have exchanged anything.

Oblivian

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#2531343 30-Jul-2020 13:13

New version live this AM. v1.2.0 (317)

'Scan' Has turned into 'record a visit'. Which opens the QR scanner, but will also allow manual input via a button under the scan window.

place or activity

Arrival Date

Arrival Time

Optional Details (ie for 1:1 names etc)

xlinknz

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#2531364 30-Jul-2020 13:44

Oblivian:

New version live this AM. v1.2.0 (317)

'Scan' Has turned into 'record a visit'. Which opens the QR scanner, but will also allow manual input via a button under the scan window.

place or activity

Arrival Date

Arrival Time

Optional Details (ie for 1:1 names etc)

How also supports Andrioid v6.0

I had to uninstall and reinstall to get it working, helpdesk were responsive too :)

antonknee

1133 posts

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#2531414 30-Jul-2020 14:43

I'll admit to having been terrible at remembering to use it (got complacent I guess), but I can't say I've had any issues in the last week since I've picked it back up and started using it again. It's scanned every QR code flawlessly, and I haven't had any issues with crashing or whatever.

That said, not many QR codes around to actually scan in the places I frequent.

ezbee

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#2531510 30-Jul-2020 17:21

I am finding the few posters I see are scanning ok ,
Though login is a pain with keyboard on my phone not being so great , having the special characters and all.
Just give option to use password or not.

Main issue is finding posters, then placement of posters, and most everywhere that has one only has one.
Even high traffic sites.

Guides for posters should have minimum of one on window and one inside , and one on counter , high traffic sites need many peppered around inside outside entrance, and on counter would be good reminder..

Ready for a day that hopefully never comes , when we get a community transmission.

It also needs to be expanded to cover the sign in function , for if we ever have to have customers signing in again.
Manual sign in was a failure many put fake details on manual sign in forms, never mind shops were asking for too many details.

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