With a last name like O’Neil, I should know better than to sit outside for eight hours without any sun protection. The iSunBurn app for the iPhone, while pretty basic, can protect folks like me from looking like a lobster on those deceptively cloudy days.
With dermatologists shouting at the top of their lungs about the dangers of excessive sun exposure – skin cancer and wrinkles are just two of the many delightful ramifications – it is important to take the necessary precautions. iSunBurn helps you to do just that by making a UV Index reading and then indicating the level of risk you face from unprotected sun exposure. The app’s UV Index scale runs from one (low risk) to 11-plus (high risk).
Standing in my back yard in Glendale, Calif., the UV Index was a predictable 10, or very high risk. It was indicated with a cautionary bold red bar across the screen of my iPhone.
“Minimize sun exposure during midday hours, from 10:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m.,” the app instructed. “Protect yourself by liberally applying a sunscreen with an SPF of at least 15. Wear protective clothing and sunglasses to protect the eyes.”
Helpful advice, yes, but the app is too cut and dry. It could take things a bit further and attach some graphic images of people with terrible sunburns. That would be enough to make anyone reach for the Coppertone.
