Feel sick? Cough into your phone

Darius Chang | Nov 13, 2009

According to a study, your mobile phone may contain more bacteria than a toilet bowl. After all, when was the last time you washed your handset and scrubbed it clean? However, soon there may be a reason to intentionally cough into your phone, especially if you are sick.

Research company STAR Analytical Services won a US$100,000 grant from the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation to develop an acoustic vocalization analysis software which is capable of analyzing a cough and determining the possible medical causes. This is achieved by using a pre-recorded database of thousands of coughing sounds to find a possible match for the ailment.

Though it is unlikely to replace a trained diagnostician, this software will be very useful in rural or isolated areas with mobile phone coverage but lack a proper medical facility. Let's hope it's not an iPhone-only (pictured) app, because we doubt people in these places are wealthy enough to afford a high-end mobile in the first place.

Via The Economic Times

Filed under: Mobile Phones, Software
Leave a comment | Bookmark | Share