BATTERYFORPC BLOG
A new Covid-19 contact-tracing app will be launched across England and Wales on 24 September, the government has announced.
The app will let people scan barcode-like QR codes to register visits to hospitality venues and will implement Apple and Google's method of detecting other smartphones.
Businesses are being asked to display QR code posters to support the app.
Health Secretary Matt Hancock described the launch as "a defining moment".
The first version of the NHS contact-tracing app, intended for the whole of the UK, was trialled on the Isle of Wight in May but later abandoned.
"We need to use every tool at our disposal to control the spread of the virus including cutting-edge technology," said Mr Hancock.
"The launch of the app later this month across England and Wales is a defining moment and will aid our ability to contain the virus at a critical time."
According to the latest figures published by the Office for National Statistics, there were an estimated 3,200 new cases a day in England during the first week of September, compared with 2,000 the week before.
Some hospitality venues have already been using their own QR code-based systems for test and trace but are now being asked to switch to the NHS version instead.
Universities, hospitals, leisure premises, civic centres and libraries are being asked to display posters in communal areas such as cafes, where people gather for longer than 15 minutes.
An alternative system, such as a handwritten register, must also be maintained for visitors who do not have smartphones, the Department of Health and Social Care said.
Do I have to give my contact details if I eat out?
Covid-19 tracing app is released in NI
Scotland's Covid app downloaded almost 600,000 times
Welsh Health and Social Services Minister Vaughan Gething said launching a joint app with England was "the most practical option".
He added that the move reflects "movement across our shared border".
"It makes sense to use the same app, working in exactly the same way, regardless of which country you're in."
It has had a long and troubled gestation but the team behind the NHS Covid-19 app are hoping that they've finally got it right at a time when it can make a significant contribution to limiting the spread of the virus.
Back in April, an app seemed to be a key weapon in the government's armoury but since Baroness Dido Harding took over the Test and Trace programme, it's been relegated to the "cherry on the cake".
Around the world there are still doubts amongst those working on contact tracing apps about just how good Bluetooth is as a way of measuring the distance between people.
But the fact that pubs, restaurants and other hospitality businesses are now being told they have to do a better job of logging contact details of visitors presents an opportunity.
They may now see having QR codes for visitors as a simple way of complying with the rules, and that could encourage take-up of the app.
There has been some confusion about whether businesses will be complying with the rules on collecting customer data if they rely on the app. But I've been told that they will be compliant even though the nature of the app means none of the data will be visible either to them or to the authorities.
The app will let people scan barcode-like QR codes to register visits to hospitality venues and will implement Apple and Google's method of detecting other smartphones.
Businesses are being asked to display QR code posters to support the app.
Health Secretary Matt Hancock described the launch as "a defining moment".
The first version of the NHS contact-tracing app, intended for the whole of the UK, was trialled on the Isle of Wight in May but later abandoned.
"We need to use every tool at our disposal to control the spread of the virus including cutting-edge technology," said Mr Hancock.
"The launch of the app later this month across England and Wales is a defining moment and will aid our ability to contain the virus at a critical time."
According to the latest figures published by the Office for National Statistics, there were an estimated 3,200 new cases a day in England during the first week of September, compared with 2,000 the week before.
Some hospitality venues have already been using their own QR code-based systems for test and trace but are now being asked to switch to the NHS version instead.
Universities, hospitals, leisure premises, civic centres and libraries are being asked to display posters in communal areas such as cafes, where people gather for longer than 15 minutes.
An alternative system, such as a handwritten register, must also be maintained for visitors who do not have smartphones, the Department of Health and Social Care said.
Do I have to give my contact details if I eat out?
Covid-19 tracing app is released in NI
Scotland's Covid app downloaded almost 600,000 times
Welsh Health and Social Services Minister Vaughan Gething said launching a joint app with England was "the most practical option".
He added that the move reflects "movement across our shared border".
"It makes sense to use the same app, working in exactly the same way, regardless of which country you're in."
Back in April, an app seemed to be a key weapon in the government's armoury but since Baroness Dido Harding took over the Test and Trace programme, it's been relegated to the "cherry on the cake".
Around the world there are still doubts amongst those working on contact tracing apps about just how good Bluetooth is as a way of measuring the distance between people.
But the fact that pubs, restaurants and other hospitality businesses are now being told they have to do a better job of logging contact details of visitors presents an opportunity.
They may now see having QR codes for visitors as a simple way of complying with the rules, and that could encourage take-up of the app.
There has been some confusion about whether businesses will be complying with the rules on collecting customer data if they rely on the app. But I've been told that they will be compliant even though the nature of the app means none of the data will be visible either to them or to the authorities.
2020-09-13 20:46:58
Coronavirus: England and Wales' contact-tracing app gets launch date
A new Covid-19 contact-tracing app will be launched across England and Wales on 24 September, the government has announced. The app will let people scan barcode-like QR codes to register visits to hospitality venues and will implement Apple and Google's method of detecting other smartphones. Businesses are being asked to display QR code posters to support the app. Health Secretary Matt Ha ... Read more
2020-09-11 20:59:32
Razer Blade 15 Advanced (2020) Review
Earlier this year, I was able to spend some time testing the Razer Blade 15 Advanced (2019) gaming laptop, featuring an RTX-2060 and an older Intel processor, and thoroughly enjoyed the entire experience. For the past few weeks, I've been testing the 2020 version of the Blade 15 Advanced, with a 10th Gen Intel processor and an RTX-2080 Super w/Max-Q tuning. Razer Blade 15 Advanced (2020) The upda ... Read more
2020-09-11 02:59:19
MSI launches its the MAG B550 TORPEDO Motherboard
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2020-09-11 02:59:19
Asus and Zotac Massively Slash GeForce RTX 2000-Series Pricing
Nvidia and its add-in-board (AIB) partners are set to release GeForce RTX 30-series ‘Ampere’ graphics cards on September 17. But before launching something new, they need to get rid of existing GeForce RTX 20-series products. Apparently, this is exactly what Asus and Zotac are doing in some countries. Asus slashed prices of its GeForce RTX 2080 Super graphics cards by 50% in the Philippines, acc ... Read more
2020-09-11 02:55:28
Motorola Edge Plus Smartphone Review – High-End Again at Last
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2020-09-11 02:55:28
AMD Threadripper Pro 3995WX Thinkstation Listed for $18,000: Benchmarks Emerge
AMD's Ryzen Threadripper Pro 3995WX is one heck of a chip. It recently found itself atop PassMark's leaderboard (as spotted via @TUM_APISAK), leaving heavy hitters, such as the Ryzen Threadripper 3990X and EPYC 7702, in the rear view mirror. That makes it all the more exciting that this powerhouse CPU has landed in a new system. But who can actually afford it? Debuted back in July, the Threadrip ... Read more
2020-09-10 03:09:38
SiPearl working on a giant 72-core processor for supercomputers
A Twitter post by a French politician inadvertently revealed details about SiPearl’s upcoming high-performance processor powered by Arm’s Neoverse Zeus cores. The SiPearl Rhea system-on-chip will be used for an experimental ‘towards exascale’ supercomputer platform, with Rhea’s successor, SiPearl’s Cronos, used for the first European exascale supercomputer. The SiPearl Rhea SoC is based on 72 ... Read more
2020-09-10 03:09:38
Alleged AMD Radeon RX 6000 engineering sample spotted
A photograph showing an engineering sample of the alleged RDNA2 graphics card has been published online. Is this Big Navi? A picture of a mysterious engineering sample has emerged on Bilibili. It is not possible to determine which graphics processor does the graphics card has, but one could guess this might be one of the upcoming Big Navi variants (or any other NAVI 2x family processor at this p ... Read more
2020-09-10 03:05:56
The Armari Magnetar X64T Workstation OC Review: 128 Threads at 4.0 GHz, Sustained!
Blitzing around a race track in a fast car only ever convinces you of one thing: I need to go around the track even faster. I need a better car, I need a better engine, better brakes, or better tires. I need that special go faster juice, and I need to nail the perfect run. The world of professional computing works the same, whether it comes down to rendering, rapid prototyping, scientific compute, ... Read more
2020-09-10 03:05:56