The NZ COVID Tracer app helps you keep track of places you visit in New Zealand, in case anyone infected also visited. But the app has some shortcomings that won’t be fixed until June at the earliest.
3D medical illustration of coronavirus.
Corona Borealis Studio
Apps like Houseparty and Netflix Party are helping people stay in touch with friends - but do these apps have cyber dangers that we need to be aware of?
Using apps like Boomy and Voisey, aspiring pop artists can now use their phones to record and distribute their music — no talent required.
(Shutterstock)
Aspiring singers can now use apps to record professional-sounding songs from their phones. This has the potential to disrupt the recording and publishing industry.
Research reveals a complicated relationship between surveillance and freedom, as surveillance activities allow for greater autonomy for women hoping to work in Jordan.
The convenience of digital consultations can be compelling. But these services aren’t without risk – especially when people don’t interact directly with a health-care professional.
The time we invest in our digital lives is time we don’t get back. But, it’s not impossible to knock your digital-dependance - and the holidays are the best time to start.
SHUTTERSTOCK
As the head of a media and communications program, my life’s digital-analogue balance was off. Four weeks at sea with no devices refocussed my views – even on things that had been there all along.
No, a DNA swab can’t tell you if you’re gay, or likely to be obese, or depressed. And it can be damaging to believe so.
Shutterstock
Genetic apps claim to reveal fundamental insights about your health, well-being, and even intellect. But it’s not just spurious science - believing these traits are genetic can have harmful consequences.
Rue des Tournelles, Paris, November 5, 2019. Four Voi scooters wait hopefully for potential clients, with a Lime and Dott sprawling nearby. Behind them, a Velib’ rider has made his choice.
Leighton Kille/The Conversation France
In major cities around the world, dockless scooters and bikes are everywhere, yet the companies themselves are often breathtakingly short-lived. Basic economic concepts give us clues why.
Fertility apps are becoming increasingly popular.
From shutterstock.com
There’s an app for just about everything nowadays. But if you’re trying to have a baby, relying on a fertility app to tell you the best time to conceive is probably not your best bet.
Obesity is a problem affecting many Australian children. We need solutions, but is a weight loss app a good idea?
From shutterstock.com
Targeting kids with a weight loss app could perpetuate body image issues and lead to disordered eating. Yes, childhood obesity is a problem – but we must tread carefully when delivering solutions.
FaceApp is surging in popularity. But if things go sour, the fine print says you waive your right to take legal action unless you wrote to the app’s Russian HQ, via snail mail, within 30 days of downloading.
Children’s engagement with digital devices is often driven by their desire for creative expression, entertainment and social interaction.
Shutterstock
Uber’s IPO will value the company at more than $80 billion, yet the data it collects on its users may be worth even more – and creates the potential for dangerous manipulation.
The solution to too much screen time may just be more apps.
THE YOOTH/Shutterstock.com
Software makers including Apple have been creating apps aimed at limiting how much time we spend using our smartphones. A behavioral scientist explains how – and whether – they work.
Uber drivers live by the app.
Reuters/Eduardo Munoz
One of Uber’s selling points is that a driver is always available to pick up a rider within minutes. But the drivers who make this possible aren’t being compensated for the time they spend waiting.