One in three Kiwis will be affected by cancer in their lifetime, so finding answers through medical research is extremely important.
To help get closer to finding a cure for cancer, we are thrilled to pledge our support to Vodafone’s DreamLab app, which uses the computing power of idle smart phones to help speed up cancer research.
Waste Management is delighted to support this wonderful initiative. Being part of our community is one of our core values – so our team is very proud to be able to get behind this worthwhile cause.
How does it work?
While you are sleeping (or when you mobile is idle), the DreamLab app uses the computing power of your idle mobile to crunch medical research data.
The more people who use the DreamLab app, the faster it crunches data, and the closer researchers can get to finding a cure for cancer. For the Garvan Institute of Medical Research, app users are helping crunch data in half the time as their supercomputer takes – helping them to move more quickly towards personalised treatments for cancer.
If you want to become involved with DreamLab
- Simply download the DreamLab app onto your work and/or personal mobile using the Apple App Store or Google Play (Android).*
- Plug-in your mobile, open the app and click Power DreamLab (make sure to not press home or lock).
- Encourage family and friends to do the same
Every day, our team makes a difference. Now we can make a difference while we sleep.
A number of our team are using the app. We asked Kelsey Townsend, Content Specialist in the Marketing team what she thought of DreamLab.
Kelsey Townsend Interview
What motivated you to download the DreamLab app before the official launch?
Kelsey: “Because I wanted to see what it was like and try it out myself. There is a history of cancer in my extended family and I thought it was a nice way to easily support cancer research.”
How did you find your experience of the DreamLab app?
Kelsey: “I found the app quite intuitive and very easy to use. I really enjoy being able to see how many calculations I’ve ‘crunched’ overnight and how that fits into the calculations all of the ‘dreamers’ have done. This tells me how much I have contributed to the research compared to the overall team, which is pretty exciting and I feel like I am really contributing to the project.
What did you find inspiring about using this app?
Kelsey: “I am inspired by the app and find it exciting because I like the idea of supporting cancer research. It is a cause that is pretty close to me but it’s often hard to find the time and money to donate to causes like this.”
How much time does it actually take you to use the DreamLab app?
Kelsey: “It takes virtually no time at all. All I have to do is plug in the phone, which I would be doing anyway. It pops up on my phone to tell me to power DreamLab, so it is only really an extra 10 seconds at the most to make sure that it is running.”
Why would you encourage others to become part of DreamLab?
Kelsey: “It’s a really easy way to contribute to cancer research and stay engaged - as it’s always rewarding seeing the number of calculations I have made in the morning.”
*If you have a company or personal Vodafone mobile (and you are not using your Wi-Fi data), running the app is completely free. If you are on Spark or another provider, you will need to pay for the data used by the app.