Author: Emma

Developer of Irish Covid tracker app brings its tech to the US

After a successful launch of its app in Ireland and parts of the UK, The Irish company ‘NearForm’ has launched similar technology in Delaware, USA.

Irish-based ‘NearForm’ is launching the Covid-19 Alert DE app in the US state of Delaware, in partnership with local authorities, to help track and trace the spread of Covid-19 .The app is very similar to the company’s current Covid Tracker Ireland app, which had great success at the beginning of July.

Both are built on the exposure notification API developed by Apple and Google, which identifies when one person comes in contact with another on the exact day of contact using Bluetooth ‘handshakes’ from their devices sending them a direct notification.While the Covid Alert DE app will be available to anyone over 18 who lives, works or attends college in Delaware, it will also allow for interoperability across the US in states that also have exposure notification apps based on the Bluetooth technology.

“The Covid Alert DE mobile app puts power in citizens’ hands to protect each other in the fight against Covid-19,” he added. “The open-source technology was built with privacy and data protection at its core.”

Since it was launched, the app has been downloaded by more than 1.7m people. NearForm’s contact-tracing tech is now being used in Ireland, Northern Ireland, Gibraltar and Scotland.

Source: Silicone Republic

‘Hundreds Of New Tik Tok Jobs’ to be created

The €420 million data centre, the company’s first in Europe, is to be operational by 2022 and signals TikTok’s “long-term commitment” to Ireland, according to chief information security officer, Roland Cloutier. 

Tik Tok Jobs

“My team is laser-focused on building our advanced security infrastructure, designing relevant programs, and engaging with the industry to develop our capabilities,” he said. 

“This investment in Ireland, to the value of approximately €420million, will create hundreds of new “Tik Tok” jobs and play a key role in further strengthening the safeguarding and protection of TikTok user data.”

He added: “Ireland already plays a key role in our rapidly expanding European operations. Since establishing our EMEA Trust and Safety Hub in Dublin at the start of this year, we have rapidly expanded our team.”

TikTok hit the headlines recently after US President Donald Trump suggested it had links with the Chinese government and posed a security risk. Trump all but stopped short of signing an order that would ban the app in the US.

Tech giant Microsoft is now reported to be in talks to buy the app from Chinese owners ByteDance, with Trump claiming the US Government should get a slice of the pie if that deal goes through.

Since May, this year TikTok has already been downloaded over 2 billion times!

Check out the full article below :

https://www.thejournal.ie/tiktok-announces-jobs-in-dublin-data-centre-5169093-Aug2020/