A Sick iPhone App
September 3, 2009 at 7:31 AM by Cafe Cynthia - Comments (5)
A disease-tracking iPhone app.
I'm tossing this one in the ridiculous iPhone app category. A new application, Outbreaks Near Me, allows neurotic concerned citizens and moms to pinpoint outbreaks of disease, like the swine flu, in their area.
Created by researchers at Children's Hospital Boston in collaboration with the MIT Media Lab, users can track diseases in their area in real time. (Because you really need this information then and there.)
And by all means, if you come down with some scary communicable disease, plug it in so your phone can tell everyone!
Yes, I'm being sarcastic, but I just don't think this does anything but feed public fear. Let the epidemiologists do their job and let me raise my kids without the fear that danger may be lurking around the next corner all the time.
Would you ever download this application? Could this really help protect you and your family safe on a day to day basis?
FILED UNDER: illness, in the news, products
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I guess i could possibly see the use if you were planning a trip somewhere and wanted to see if that town/state etc. was currently experiencing a big outbreak, then you might choose to go somewhere else.
im definately telling hubby not to add this to his iphone the last thing i need is to freak out about who has swine flu where
Ridiculous is exactly right. . . .
This iPod application is very questionable too. . . . Does the CDC (Centers for Disease Control) need that much help? If so, then they should pay people to use it. Except - that would be helping BigBrother wouldn't it? Why would anyone buy this application? It could prove to be very troublesome. . . . . .
That is so stupid!
Silly. For Swine Flu at least...most people suspected of having it aren't even being tested anymore.
aurorabunny Sep. 3, 2009 at 8:34 AM