smartphone

Viziblezone app Identify contacts with COVID-19 Patients

Posted on by Techtime

Above: Verint’s offices in Israel and the new app. Verint will both employ and distribute the solution to its customers

Against the backdrop of an ongoing public debate regarding the use of the ISA’s (Shin Bet) cellular tracking technology for pinpointing contacts with COVID-19 carriers, the Israeli startup Viziblezone has launched a dedicated solution that allows organizations to track all of the employees who came into contact with an employee diagnosed with COVID-19, without invading their privacy.

The company announced first collaboration with the Israeli cyber and intelligence Verint, which employs thousands of employees worldwide. Verint will implement the solution on its premises, and distribute it to its customers. Viziblezone is also in talks with other organizations in Israel and abroad concerning the adoption of its new app.

The Data is kept in the Smartphone

Viziblezone’s solution is based on the smartphone’s Bluetooth: Whenever it receives a radio signal from a nearby smartphone, it it assigns the “encounter” with a random identification number and encrypts the data in a contact log file stored on the device. Thus, the smartphone of each employee records all of the contacts between them, each on their own device, without the information being transferred to an external server.

In the event that a person in the organization is diagnosed with COVID-19, he informs the person in charge of COVID-19 on behalf of the organization and receives a single-use code that allows him to send his contact log file to all of the devices in the organization, via the local server. The rest of the devices cross-check with the personal contact log stored within them, to see if there is a documentation of encounter. When a match is detected, the employee is alerted that he has been exposed to a COVID-19 patient.

Maintaining Business Continuity

The algorithm calculates how long the encounter lasted and what was the estimated distance between the workers, and thus determine if the encounter exceeded the social distancing rules. This clever concept does not involve penetrating a device or gaining access to irrelevant private information.

Founder and CEO Gabi Ofir, told Techtime that the app is designed for the workplace. “The solution is not intended for the public space, but for companies and organizations that employ a considerable amount of employees. It can prevent a situations in which a diagnosis of a COVID-19 patient would lead to sending all of the employees off to quarantine.”

From Automotive to Healthcare

Viziblezone was founded in early 2019 by Gabi Ofir, former system architect at Motorola, to develop life-saving smartphone-based software solutions for the roads. When the system detects a potentially life-threatening situation, such as a pedestrian, cyclist or scooter rider crossing a road, the user’s smartphone transmit warning signals to nearby cars concerning a potential for collision.

Ofir: “In the face of The COVID-19 we had to make a decision on whether to furlough our employees or to somehow adapt our technology to the situation. Thus we decided to utilize our technology to provide monitoring contacts solution that can help with business continuity. We had to overcome critical technological challenges: maximum power saving, processing the Bluetooth signals, neutralizing interference from other signals and more. The result: we achieved 99% accuracy rate in tracing the contacts for a period of two weeks back.”

 

 

Tags:, Gabi Ofir, Verint

Apple to Acquire Majority of Intel’s Smartphone Modem Business

Posted on by Techtime

Intel and Apple have signed an agreement for Apple to acquire the majority of Intel’s smartphone modem business. Approximately 2,200 Intel employees will join Apple, along with intellectual property, equipment and leases. The transaction, valued at $1 billion, is expected to close in the fourth quarter of 2019, subject to regulatory approvals and other customary conditions, including works council and other relevant consultations in certain jurisdictions.

Intel will retain the option to develop modems for non-smartphone applications, such as PCs, internet of things devices and autonomous vehicles. “This agreement enables us to focus on developing technology for the 5G network while retaining critical intellectual property and modem technology that our team has created,” said Intel CEO Bob Swan. “We will put our full effort into 5G where it most closely aligns with the needs of our global customer base.”

In April, 2019 Intel announced intention to exit the 5G smartphone modem business. “We are very excited about the opportunity in 5G and the ‘cloudification’ of the network, but in the smartphone modem business it has become apparent that there is no clear path to profitability and positive returns,” said Intel CEO Bob Swan.

Following the Apple-Intel announcement, CEVA’s shares in NASDAQ rose by 14%, to $28.99. CEVA from Israel provides the IP for the DSPs in Intel’s cellular modems. This is an important market for CEVA. It was well clear when its stock price had fell 13.6% in April, after Intel’s CEO revealed the exit plan from the smartphone modems business.