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Apple Inc and Google released the first versions of their Covid-19 contact locating tools to public health organizations on April 29 so that agencies can start creating applications before the system’s launch in mid-May.
The toolkit is a combination of software updates for iOS and Android, and software development kits to help developers build and test their applications. Apple released an early beta version of its software update incorporating the technology, iOS 13.5, while Google is rolling out an update through its Google Play app store.
The first phase of the system will allow health agencies to create applications that allow a person who tests positive for Covid-19 to enter their diagnosis. The system will then use Bluetooth technology to find out who the person has come into contact with and then notify those people of possible exposure.
Apple released Xcode 11.5, a new version of its software development kit on Wednesday, while Google is providing an update to its SDK for select developers.
The companies also said they will release sample code on Friday to help developers understand how the exposure notification system will work, along with more information on what types of apps will be allowed.
A second phase of the project, which will launch in the coming months, will have a deeper integration with Apple’s iOS and Google’s Android operating systems to depend less on applications. Still, the first version of the program will require a software update for iPhone and a download from the Google Play store for Android phones.
Last week, the companies increased privacy protections for the system, adding more encryption and limiting the possible recorded exposure time for alerts to 30 minutes. Each public health application will determine when people have been exposed to Covid-19 by setting their own distance and exposure times. On Wednesday, the companies also said that public health applications could define the message in their notifications to users.
The software is compatible with all iPhones running iOS 13, and covers devices released in the last four years. The system requires Android 6, which runs on approximately 2 billion devices. – Bloomberg
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