The IT Nerd

I have to admit that when I’m out on my bike, cross country skiing, or hiking, I’m likely using a fitness app to track how far and how fast I go. I may rethink that seeing as a study by the University of Toronto shows these fitness apps may not be nearly as accurate as I thought. Here’s what the Toronto Star had to say:

If you haven’t heard of FireChat, you will. FireChat is an app that’s available for iOS and Android that allows groups of people to chat to each other completely “off the grid” It doesn’t rely on the cellular network or WiFi. The app creates a mesh network via Bluetooth with users of the app that are within range of each other. Messages can then be sent over that network and nobody can stop it. Not the cops, not cellular companies, not ISPs. If a user has access to the Internet, that connection can be shared with the rest of the mesh network. Just think about how powerful that is. A group of people could use FireChat to organize themselves and nobody outside that group would be aware. That’s not such a far fetched idea. It’s happening right now. The democracy protests in Hong Kong are a great example of this. The word on the street is that after the authorities blocked access to Instagram, the protesters moved to FireChat and have been using it ever since. You can bet that someone in the Communist Party is staying up late trying to figure out how to shut down FireChat as you read this.

Expect to see FireChat at a protest or revolution near you.

There’s a new app that has hit the Apple App Store as well as Google Play that has a very unique purpose. It purports to allow the Tinder generation to make sure that there’s consent before sex. The app is called Good2Go and here’s how it works. Say you meet someone and you want to sex with them, you launch the Good2Go app hand the phone off to your potential partner, and allow them to navigate the process to determine if they are ready and willing to have sex with you.

Now this YouTube video shows how “easy” this app is to use:

Here’s how things really play out once you hand your smartphone over:

• “Are We Good2Go?” the first screen asks, prompting the partner to answer “No, Thanks,” “Yes, but … we need to talk,” or “I’m Good2Go.”
• If the partner chooses “No, Thanks”, a black screen pops up that reads “Remember! No means No! Only Yes means Yes, BUT can be changed to NO at anytime!”
• If they opt instead to have a conversation before deciding the app pauses to allow both parties to discuss.
• If they choose “I’m Good2Go.”, they then have to enter their level of sobriety. The choices are “Sober,” “Mildly Intoxicated,” “Intoxicated but Good2Go,” or “Pretty Wasted.” If they choose “Pretty Wasted,” the app informs her that they “cannot consent” and they are instructed to return the phone back to its owner.
• All other choices lead to a third screen, which asks the partner if they are a existing Good2Go user or a new one. If they a new user, they are prompted to enter their phone number and a password, confirm that they are 18 years old or older, and press submit. Then, your potential partner will fill out a fourth prompt, which asks them to input a six-digit code that’s just been texted to their own cellphone to verify her identity with that app. (Previous users can just type in their phone number—which serves as their Good2Go username—and password.) Once that level is complete, they return the phone to its owner, who can view a message explaining the terms of the partner’s consent. Then, the instigator presses a button marked “Ok,” which reminds them again that yes can be changed to “NO at anytime!”

If you both want to have sex after all of that, then you’re Good2Go.

Now, I have to wonder how legally binding this is. I’m a computer nerd and not a lawyer, but I am guessing on a scale of 1 to 10 where 10 in iron clad legally binding, it’s a 1. So if you’re thinking that this will protect you from a false accusation of rape, you might want to think again. But I don’t think that is the true purpose of this app. What I think it’s intended to do is to make both parties think about whom and under what circumstances they have sex with someone. Such as when they’re drunk or high where consent cannot be obtained. On that front, I think it succeeds. Though, after testing this app so that I could figure out how it works, I wonder if the five minutes of effort to obtain consent was worth it. It might have been simpler to just talk about having sex rather than use an app. Another thing that concerns me is that this app collects your phone number and stores it on a server. Even though they do have a policy that states that only law enforcement with the proper paperwork can get to this data, I have to admit that this data collection bothers me a bit.

My bottom line is this: Good2Go is an app with good intentions, but I think that you want to have sex you should just talk about it like adults rather than use an app.

Ok. The title of this post sounds weird, but stick with me. If you’re in the dating pool in Iceland, there’s an app you need to get to make sure that you don’t get an unpleasant surprises after you ask if your potential partner has a condom:

A new smartphone app is on hand to help Icelanders avoid accidental incest. The app lets users “bump” phones, and emits a warning alarm if they are closely related. “Bump the app before you bump in bed,” says the catchy slogan.

You might wonder if you need this app. Well, consider this. Iceland only has 320,000 people. Thus there’s a high likelihood that you’re going to cross paths with someone you’re related to. So, getting romantic with that person won’t end well. The app is called The Islendiga-App which means “App of Icelanders” and it’s available for Android.