Do you have a cold or flu? Spit and help Scanadu

&quot;Fill in your name, e-mail address, and mailing address. &quot;<p>A great way to build a database of dna! To be used for other reasons.<p>While I am not seriously thinking that this is some plot to do this it reminds me a bit of the scheme that the authorities use to round up people wanted on warrants by sending them a message that they have won a vacation. Then they all show up at the convention center to collect their winnings and are arrested en masse saving time and trouble.<p>In a sense this is really (or I should say really I should say &quot;could be&quot;) an example of social engineering.

Who is their institutional review board?<p>Their entry at <a href="http://www.indiegogo.com/projects/scanadu-scout-the-first-medical-tricorder" rel="nofollow">http:&#x2F;&#x2F;www.indiegogo.com&#x2F;projects&#x2F;scanadu-scout-the-first-me...</a> says:<p>&gt; As soon as we enter the clinical studies, the measurements relative to each study are collected to be part of the study data. This happens within the framework of a well defined Institutional Review Board - approved clinical protocol.<p>The page linked to by this HN post says &quot;...to be a part of the first usability study and then clinical studies for the company’s road to FDA approval.&quot;<p>Since the page says they just wants saliva samples, not usability feedback, that means they are in stage 2 - a clinical study.<p>But I find nothing about their IRB on their web site or elsewhere.

Beyond the DNA database this could create, it&#x27;s also for a for profit company and not a publicly released research? no...

1. Fill out form<p>2. Insert pet dog&#x27;s slobber into test tube<p>3. $10 Amazon gift card<p>4. Maintain DNA anonymity

Indeed, the DNA database building potential of this project is a little outside my comfort zone.

Tinfoil hat says: &quot;Nice try NSA, go away&quot;

How about telling us to the best of your knowledge what we had, instead or in addition to the $10 gift card? I&#x27;d really be interested to know, even if it&#x27;s a month later.

So... name, home address, and DNA sample for a $10 gift card?

No &quot;US-only&quot; in subject.

It&#x27;d be super cool if there were a good test for bacterial vs viral things. I often get sinus infections and get told to wait, wait, wait. Finally, I get some antibiotics, and the thing is gone in a few days, but in the meantime I&#x27;ve spent a week miserable, with low energy.

Scanadu, makers of a cool &quot;tricorder&quot; will give you a $10 Amazon gift card if you send them your spit.

Scam-adu?