Press Eats Up 'App' That Helps People Search For Migrant Boats On The Meditarranean... Despite It Not Actually Doing Anything

from the come-on-guys dept

Apparently, last week there was some buzz in the press about a new "app" that was being offered for iPhone users, put together by the charity group Migrant Offshore Aid Station (MOAS) and Grey for Good, a group that's associated with the ad giant Grey Group (itself a part of WPP). The idea behind the app is that it feeds users real-time satellite imagery of the Mediterranean Sea, and if you happen to see a boat full of migrants, you alert MOAS and they'll go check it out. Many in the press ate it up because it hits all the buttons: it's an app (ding!) that lets people feel good (ding!) by pretending they're changing the world (ding!) on a topic of great public interest (ding!). And thus, we got a bunch of stories, though only Reuters went with the most obvious of headlines: Want to save migrants in the Mediterranean? There's an app for that. Other reports appeared at Wired, Mashable, Huffington Post, the Evening Standard and a variety of other, smaller publications.

There's just one issue. The app appears to be complete bullshit -- as the wonderful Twitter account SwiftOnSecurity pointed out: Following that, a bunch of others started digging in and highlighting that it's clearly a bogus app. Matt Burke pointed out that it appears to be a link to a static image, while Rosyna Keller found a bunch of details about the app, including the fact that it uses images from Google Maps (meaning that they're not real-time or even remotely up to date) and a static weather call for the weather from Misrata, Libya, rather than whatever patch of Mediterranean you think you're looking at. Oh, and also that the app asks for donations and personal info including your passport number. Malika Rodrigues pointed out that the app is up for an award at the Cannes Lions advertising awards, which just happen to be going on this week. At least as I type this, the app still has a page on the awards website with a heartstring-tugging video about how important this app is: Of course, there are a variety of things that should have tipped you off. First off, while it's theoretically possible to see how such a thing could be created, real-time satellite imagery is not easily available to just any charity building an app. The video quotes someone from a satellite company, SES, praising the app, and (I guess?) implying that's where the satellite imagery is from. But SES promotes itself as being about communications satellites for connecting teams in different places. I can't find anything on its website about imagery, real-time or otherwise. But, perhaps just as important: how would a random person who actually spotted a boat using such an app be able to distinguish a "refugee" boat from... any other boat?

It's always interesting to see how tech and innovation might help with real challenges, but creating a fake app and a fake campaign, including getting widespread press coverage for something that doesn't appear to actually do anything, seems pretty damn scammy.

Filed Under: apps, isea, mediterranean, migrants, satellite imagery
Companies: grey for good, grey group, moas

DailyDirt: Satellites Looking Down On Us

from the urls-we-dig-up dept

It used to be only the people wearing tinfoil hats that were worried about satellites flying above us all the time. However, satellite technology is getting cheaper and easier to access, and more satellites are looking down at us than are looking at the stars. No one should be worried about a bunch of Helicarriers targeting everyone just yet, but we're making progress towards a sky filled with some pretty advanced technology.

• China is building yet another GPS network called Beidou. The US has GPS. Russia has GLONASS. The EU has Galileo. Do we really need another one? [url]
• Nanosatellites could provide an always-on connection for ground sensors, making disaster relief efforts more efficient and providing tons of useful data. Terran Orbital wants tiny satellites orbiting at 600 km above us to provide reliable (not necessarily fast) wireless connections to all kinds of devices. [url]
• Satellite imagery can be used for a bunch of business intelligence services. Retail parking lots can be monitored during prime purchasing seasons. Mining operations and construction projects could be tracked to ensure foreign companies are making the progress they say they're making. (And drones will be spying on everyone!) [url]

After you've finished checking out those links, take a look at our Daily Deals for cool gadgets and other awesome stuff.

Filed Under: beidou, cubesat, galileo, glonass, gps, nanosatellites, satellite imagery, satellites
Companies: terran orbital

Artist Creates A Real Where's Waldo Adventure For Online Satellite Imagery

from the good-luck-finding-him dept

A few years back, a bunch of publications ran misleading stories claiming that the department store Target was trying to make use of tools like Google Maps/Google Earth that used satellite imagery to advertise on their rooftops. That wasn't the case at all. The image of a Target rooftop in question was near an airport, and there are a number of stores that have painted large advertisements on their rooftops for passengers in landing airplanes to spot. However, the concept has inspired some artistic thinking. Reader Joseph B writes in to tell us about how one artist has now purposely hidden a rather large image of Waldo of "Where's Waldo" fame on an unidentified rooftop in Vancouver. The real trick, though, is figuring out not just where this Waldo is, but when he'll actually show up in Google Earth. Of course, this whole thing has ticked off folks who are upset with the suggestion that it's somehow Google taking all of these satellite photos (no, Google doesn't own a satellite... yet), rather than 3rd parties who license the photos to a bunch of companies. In the meantime, while this is a bit silly, it's kind of cool to see people thinking about different ways to create artwork, display it and interact with it, thanks to new technologies like Google Earth.

Filed Under: google earth, satellite imagery, where's waldo