27 replies

1. Francis 🏴‍☠️ Gulotta 1 min later

   @zachleat they switched it up?!

2. MagicLike 🏳️‍🌈 5 min later

   @zachleat but WHHYYY

3. Kuraiko 8 min later

   @zachleat lol

   but at least you get free tests :blobfoxthink:​

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5. Bill, organizer of stuff 20 min later

   @zachleat What could possibly go wrong?

   (On the other hand, I'm all for free, hackable components I can scavenge...)

6. Gaelan Steele 23 min later

   @zachleat bleh

   what do the tests actually look like? can you not just ignore the app and use it like a normal rapid test?

   1. Zach Leatherman 40 min later

      @Gaelan **doesn’t** look like it. It only shows the results in the app

7. Heather Rose Jones 32 min later

   @zachleat I’ve received multiple orders of free tests from the government and none was of this type. They have, however, been from about three different brands (so far), so I can’t exclude the possibility that I might get one in the future.

8. Jesse Morris 1 hr later

   @zachleat @annika I think they’re just giving away whatever they have that’s gonna expire. For a while these smartphone Internet ones were required for reentry into the us (with some remote doctor or whatever administering the test over a video call). I bought some the day before my trip also the day before they stopped requiring that. Those tests suck.

9. cthos 🐱 1 hr later

   @zachleat I would be willing to bet it’s a normal lateral flow test under that plastic with an optical sensor, too.

   1. Zach Leatherman 1 hr later

      @cthos it is a swabby lateral flow test, yeah. Not sure what optical sensor you’re referring to!

      1. cthos 🐱 1 hr later

         @zachleat how the app is reading the result. So it’s probably just a normal “2 line” test with a sensor looking for the lines.

         The reasoning behind that is because the sensor can prevent misreads on situations where the test line is real faint. But then you have to have some sort of reader and yeah, this situation.

         1. Zach Leatherman 2 hr later

            @cthos a ha, that makes sense!

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10. Zach Leatherman 1 hr later

    Since folks are asking:

    The only way to administer the test and view results is via the smartphone app. The app requires Bluetooth permissions and asks for location, first/last name, date of birth, email, gender, and address. Test results are automatically reported back to the local/state/federal government.

    I’ve attached screenshot receipts.

    1. Arri Blais 1 hr later

       @zachleat we’re living in hell

11. elle mundy 1 hr later

    @zachleat 🥲

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13. Reed Piernock 2 hr later

    @zachleat requiring a smartphone is elitist and I hate it

14. anemone 7 hr later

    @zachleat@fediverse.zachleat.com lmao what

15. Alesandro Ortiz 🇵🇷🏳️‍🌈 7 hr later

    @zachleat Huh, must depend on stock. I got Binax tests this time, had gotten some generic tests in earlier shipments. Never gotten these smart tests. :/

    1. Zach Leatherman 2 days later

       @AlesandroOrtiz yeah, a couple of other folks have confirmed that too 👍🏻

16. Sir Funk 🇦🇺 9 hr later

    @zachleat @bifpowell 🤮