geek speak

It is true - there really is an app for everything for the iPhone. Intuapps.com founders Barry Schwartz and Lilly Gold are just awaiting approval from Apple to offer theirs on the App store. Schwartz and Gold want to keep people informed about the virus and where it is spreading, thus their app will be free.

“Just being able to have the information with you on the go is a powerful tool for people,” Gold told CNN.

The Swine Flu Tracker’s first tab shows the current threat level, which is/was Phase 5, and a brief description from the World Health Organization. The next tab, and potentially the most useful feature, is a map that tracks where there is confirmed cases spreading in relation to the user via a locate me button. Each pin that pops up on the map offers details about confirmed and suspected flu cases. The data comes from a Google Maps RSS feed. A third tab provides virus facts and flu symptoms from the Centers for Disease Control, Wikipedia and other sources. The final screen, called Alerts, is a consolidated triad of Twitter updates from the World Health Organization, the CDC and HealthMap.

Schwartz submitted Swine Flu Tracker on Thursday and said Apple typically takes a week or two to approve new apps before they are released. Given the urgency of the swine flu outbreak, maybe they’ll move more swiftly on this one.

“Hopefully the virus will end soon, but being informed is important for now and [for] trying to keep everyone healthy,” Gold said.

All iPhone users interested in downloading Swine Flu Tracker can leave a comment for Schwartz on his blog, CartoonBarry.com, and he will let you know when the app goes live. The blog has a detailed description of the app as well.

There is also a page on iTunes for a swine flu mapping app from Spoon Software. Go to iTunes to download this app for free of charge. It is demonstrated in the video.