Thursday, March 31, 2011

First Japanese Doctor to Launch Interactive iPhone Application: Akira Hayasaka M.D.

Chiba, Japan, April 4th, 2011 -- Despite the recent catastrophe in Japan, there are still those who are looking to make a difference. One of those individuals is Dr. Hayasaka, who has launched the first medical iPhone application in Japan. This application will help Hayasaka keep in contact with his patients and colleagues, making himself available at anytime for health related inquiries.
During the current disaster in Japan, Dr. Hayasaka feels that “even though we are having a big and sad disaster, I will never give up on helping people whom I can assist and encourage.”  The launch of this application will only further Dr. Hayasaka’s efforts in providing faster paced medical assistance to those in need.

Dr. Hayasaka has over thirty years of experience in the medical field. He is a Board Certified Hepatologist of the Japan Society of Hepatology, a Board Certified Gastroenterologist in Japan, Board Certified Member of the Japanese Society of Internal Medicine and former Clinical associated professor of medicine at Chiba University School of Medicine.

Get your game on, the American Medical Association has issued a challenge

Author: Thuc Huynh, MD


Not too soon after releasing their first app, the American Medical Association is now calling all physicians, residents, fellows, and medical students for the first ever 2011 AMA App Challenge.  The AMA would like you to design an innovative app that can be used by fellow healthcare professionals.

There are two categories in which you can win prizes.  Physicians are in one category and residents, fellows, and medical students will compete in another separate category together.  The winners will receive $2,500 dollars in gift cards and an all-inclusive 3 day/2 night trip to New Orleans in November for the AMA House of Delegates meeting.  Winners will receive recognition at the meeting as well as authorship credit when the app if the design actually goes into processing.

The contest is similar to Health 2.0's Code-A-Thons where innovative ideas are born.  But the difference is that Health 2.0 does their challenges live, in a group, with an immediate judging process.  I would have liked to see the AMA follow suit.  It would be a great way to get creative minds flowing together to think up innovative medical apps.

Tuesday, March 29, 2011

Mobile Health Market: Sensor-Based Mobile Apps Show How M-Health Business Models Could Work

From research2guidance

Outside app store revenue will drive the market. Sensor-based business models prove how to actually make money with mobile applications.

Berlin, March 29, 2011

Making money with mobile healthcare applications takes much more effort than most developers expected. mHealth apps normally do not get into the app stores’ top ranking lists and thus do not receive high download numbers.


But there are working business models for the mHealth applications. Within the mobile health app category revenue won’t be generated through app stores. More and more mHealth app publishers have understood that they have to adapt their business model accordingly. Turning away from the “normal” pay-per-download models to practices like charging for medical service (call a doc) or sensor based models.


Blogging on the HTC ThunderBolt 4G

I have to admit that I've been very impressed by the HTC ThunderBolt 4G on Verizon. Compared to my old Motorola Droid X (which is a fine smartphone), the ThunderBolt feels so much faster and the 4G speeds are great for bloggers who like to upload photos and videos when they're at a conference or meeting. The WiFi Mobile Hotspot also works reliably.

For me, the biggest disappointment is the battery life on the HTC ThunderBolt. I may need to invest in an extended battery (which would make the phone really bulky) and use that battery when I know I'll require all-day performance.

It's refreshing to use a smartphone that's fast and responsive. I hope to share more as I continue to use this device.

Monday, March 28, 2011

Discussing mobile health on Mobile Monday

I am at the Mobile Monday Mobile Health Forum in Philadelphia. During the panel discussion, people were discussing mobile apps like:
  • Epocrates
  • CPR app
  • I Fitness
  • Restaurant apps
  • Health cloud
They also spoke about hardware management challenges related to mobile devices like smartphone and slate tablet devices.  Consider employing a Mobile Device Management or MDM provider. These tools can help you manage all these mobile devices.

Presenters on the panel included:
  • Brian McDonough, MD, FAAP from St. Francis Hospital
  • Sal Volpe, MD, FAAP, FACP, CHCQM from HIMSS New York State Chapter
  • Renee Steiger from AT&T
  • Chris Clark from Fiberlink
  • Henry Fader from Pepper Hamilton
  • Corrine McIsaac, MEd, BScN, RN, PhD(c), from Health Outcomes Worldwide

Day 2 using the HTC ThunderBolt 4G LTE on Verizon

Today is day #2 using the HTC HTC ThunderBolt 4G LTE on the Verizon Wireless network. I've used the Droid X, the HTC Droid Incredible, and the HTC Droid Eris on Verizon.

Before I got the ThunderBolt, I was using the Droid X. Here are the main reasons why I chose to upgrade:

1. 4G is lighting fast (and if you're using the WiFi Mobile Hotspot feature, you can connect up to 8 devices)
2. Front-facing camera (which is great for interviewing or taking self-portraits when I'm blogging at various conferences)
3. It comes with a 32 GB microSD card
4. HTC Sync™ to synchronize Outlook contacts and calendar
5. Kickstand - works in both portrait and landscape modes
6. Simultaneous voice and data: You can talk on the phone and use the Internet at the same time

Rock Health is a seed accelerator for health apps

Author: Thuc Huynh, MD

Innovation in health just got more interesting.

Technology incubators and accelerators have been around for several years now helping no-name startups become game-changing web applications.  Companies like Scribd, a web 2.0 based document sharing site and Disqus, a commenting platform for websites, had their start in little apartments with weekly mentorship lectures by successful tech-entrepreneurs.  Now, Disqus is the platform for over 700,000 websites including CNN and Techcrunch, and Scribd is valued at over $10 million dollars.

We've seen two health 2.0 companies born this way, Get Up and Move and DrChrono, but there hasn't been anything else.  Until now.

Rock Health is a new company that funds, mentors, and houses early stage startups focused on health applications.   The company has an impressive lineup of mentors including the makers of Guitar Hero, the founder of Sermo, and a lead designer at Facebook.  Their list of advisors is just as impressive.

Saturday, March 26, 2011

Smartphones in Forensic Psychology

Author: Allison Gamble

The increasing popularity of smartphones has made them a ubiquitous factor of modern life. According to figures researched and published by the Pew Internet and American Life Project in April 2009, 53 percent of adults aged 18 to 29 in the United States reported having used a handheld device to access the Internet. When it comes to American small business owners, the figures are even higher: 49 percent report owning a smartphone. As such, the unabated growth of smartphone usage has caught the attention of the legal community, particularly those that work in the field of forensic psychology.

Friday, March 25, 2011

2nd Annual Mobile Healthcare Forum

If you live near Philadelphia, don't miss this event next Monday! I hope to see you there.

2nd Annual Mobile Healthcare Forum
Mon, Mar 28 2011, 5:00p.m. - 8:30p.m.
The College of Physicians of Philadelphia, Philadelphia, PA

MobileMonday’s 2nd Annual MOBILE HEALTH FORUM
How Mobile Devices and Services are Changing the Healthcare Landscape –
"A Guide for Entrepreneurs and Healthcare Providers"

MobileMonday is delighted to present Mr. Robert Jarrin, Senior Director of Government Affairs for Qualcomm Inc, as the Keynote Speaker. Based in Washington, DC, Mr. Jarrin represents Qualcomm on US regulatory matters relating to wireless health and life sciences.

Medical smartphone apps from the US government

I want to thank Dr. Stephen Sun, Medical Officer in Controlled Substance Staff at the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA), for sharing this information with me on LinkedIn:

US Gov't Medical WebApps (Access these sites via your smartphone browser)

1. CDC: http://m.cdc.gov
2. AIDSinfo Mobile (NIH): http://m.aidsinfo.nih.gov
3. MedlinePlus (NIH): http://m.medlineplus.gov
4. PubMed (NIH): http://lnkd.in/JH8k4d
5. DailyMed (NIH): http://lnkd.in/JH8k4d

What a great list! Thanks Stephen!

Thursday, March 24, 2011

CTIA coverage

I wish I could be in Orlando for CTIA. Since I'm not there, I'm following the updates from CTIA on their website here.

Here are some interesting findings from CTIA:

CTIA-The Wireless Association® Announces Semi-Annual Survey Results
Wireless Data Traffic Increased by 110%; MMS Increased by 64%; Texts Increased by 31%
CTIA-The Wireless Association® today released its bi-annual survey, which tracks data submitted by carriers from January- December 2010, documenting wireless trends in subscribership, usage, revenue and capital investment. The survey results were announced by CTIA’s President and CEO Steve Largent on the keynote stage during International CTIA WIRELESS® 2011 at the Orange County Convention Center in Orlando, Florida. With dramatic increases in smartphone adoption, wireless data traffic and SMS and MMS messaging, the survey is yet another proof point that the U.S. wireless industry needs more spectrum so that service providers can continue to meet growing consumer demand.
CTIA-The Wireless Association® Redesigns AccessWireless.org
CTIA-The Wireless Association® today announced the redesign of AccessWireless.org, the association’s website to help people with disabilities, seniors and their families find the right accessible wireless products and services. As part of the wireless industry’s continued commitment to serving people of all abilities, AccessWireless.org is the initial website that consumers should visit for information about accessible wireless handsets and services. For the first time in the U.S., consumers can “Find a Phone” by searching and comparing the accessibility features of a variety of wireless handsets through the Mobile Manufacturer Forum’s (MMF) Global Accessibility Reporting Initiative (GARI).

Wednesday, March 23, 2011

Mobile Monday

MobileMonday (MoMo) is an open community platform of mobile industry visionaries, developers and influential individuals fostering brand neutral cooperation and cross-border P2P business opportunities through live networking events to demo products, share ideas and discuss trends from both local and global markets. Originating in Helsinki Finland, in 2000, events are organized by some 300 dedicated volunteers from around the world and it has become an industry leading mobile platform. Chapters have held events in over 100 cities worldwide and we continue to launch new locations monthly.

MobileMonday has the following global objectives:

* Foster an open and independent innovation platform within the mobile sector
* Facilitate industry networking between small and large companies and individuals
* Bridge partnership exchanges between domestic and international organizations
* To present innovative visions, trends, studies and forecasts from the mobile marketplace
* Provide opportunities for local members to effectively participate in global initiatives

If you're in the Philadelphia area, make sure you don't miss the 2nd Annual Mobile Healthcare Forum.

Learn more about Mobile Monday here.

Amazon launches Android App Store

Author: Thuc Huynh, MD

This morning, Amazon ruffled some feathers when it opened it's own App Store for Android.  It launched with 3,800 apps priced between $0.99 cents and $45 dollars.  Of those apps that are currently listed, 121 apps are health related and only 42 of those health apps are specifically for medical professionals.

Amazon's App store has some big shoes to fill with Google Market as a direct competitor.  But Amazon is approaching the apps business differently.  Unlike Google Market, Amazon will be screening every application to ensure it meets certain standards of quality.  In addition, Amazon is markedly undercutting Google's prices.  With Google, whatever price a developer sets, that's what the price will be.  With Amazon, it's the company who will ultimately decide the price based on their own market research.

Tuesday, March 22, 2011

T-Mobile USA Powers World’s First Multilingual Medical Communication System

Phrazer Telehealth Application from GeaCom Eliminates Communication Barriers, Improves Medical Treatment and Reduces Medical Costs

Duluth, MN and Orlando, FL, March 22, 2011— GeaCom, Inc. announced today that its handheld interactive multilingual medical communication system, called Phrazer, will be powered by the robust network of T-Mobile USA, Inc. The first system of its kind in the world, Phrazer enables the collection and delivery of critical information between patients and caregivers, regardless of language, culture or literacy.

Communication barriers often result in errors in medication and treatment, misdiagnoses and caregiver mistakes that potentially cause the patient serious harm or even death. According to a 2003 study an average of 31 interpreter errors occur per encounter with limited English proficient patients. Of those errors, 63% result in clinical consequences.1

Sprint taking a hit at the Exchange after the AT&T/T-Mobile Merger


I wanted to write this quick post as a follow-up to Dr. Kim's post the other day about the AT&T/T-Mobile merger, here. I thought it was fitting being he ended his post with "So, what's going to happen to Sprint?" Well, the reaction on Wall St. today is all negative--Sprint took a 14% loss just today and has propelled options trading on the company. Many felt that it's price before the merger is now overvalued as so many were expecting a Sprint/T-Mobile merger to come to fruition in the next year. 

I think most analysts were predicting Sprint to do everything it could to be the one to merge with T-Mobile so that it could more effectively compete with the much larger (and now even larger) AT&T and Verizon. With AT&T taking T-Mobile, Sprint is now a distant second to Verizon in AT&T in size and user base. Considering Sprint and T-Mobile seem to be the ones adding much of the mobile plan pricing competition to the market, one has to think that it's in the consumer's benefit for the struggling Sprint to push on...and keep added necessary competition to a still young mobile marketplace. 

Monday, March 21, 2011

Are 4G smartphones (more) hazardous to our health?

As smartphones become more powerful, I often wonder if they're also becoming more hazardous to our health. I think we can't deny the fact that they may be more hazardous based on the increased data 4G smartphones are transmitting wirelessly compared to 3G mobile devices. As these devices transmit energy, they warm up, they get hot, and there is potential for electromagnetic interference or EMI.

Recent studies have shown that powerful smartphones can interfere with medical equipment. This 2007 study concluded, "Critical care equipment is vulnerable to EMI by new-generation wireless telecommunication technologies with median distances of about 3 cm." This 2008 paper in JAMA concluded, "In a controlled nonclinical setting, RFID induced potentially hazardous incidents in medical devices." This other 2008 paper concluded, "EMI from mobile phones have an adverse effect on the medical devices used in critical care setup. They should be used at least one foot away from the diameter of the syringe pump."  I realize that some studies are looking at RFID, others are evaluating Bluetooth, some are comparing Wi-Fi signals, and others are looking at GSM signals. At the end of the day, all these wireless radiation gets combined and we may be exposing ourselves to invisible hazards.

So who's measuring the health effects of newer 4G smartphones that now transmit much more data compared to 3G devices? Will all the data be retrospective studies 10 years from now? Will these newer smartphones cause any immediate health effects?

Sunday, March 20, 2011

AT&T to acquire T-Mobile

AT&T is acquiring T-Mobile for $39 billion. This will make them the largest wireless provider in the United States and place some serious competition on Verizon Wireless. So, what's going to happen to Sprint?

Friday, March 18, 2011

Verizon Wireless Trade–In Program

Trade in your used phone, regardless of carrier. Be rewarded with a gift card. Here's the information:

Verizon Wireless Trade-In Program

The Verizon Wireless Trade-In Program allows you to trade in your used handset in a convenient and responsible way.

We accept devices from all carriers – even the iPhone from at&t.

In just 4 simple steps, you can determine the value of your device and receive a Verizon Wireless gift card!

Appraise your phone by answering:
  • Does the device power up?
  • Does the display work?
  • Is the display cracked?

Thursday, March 17, 2011

Doximity raises $10.8 million

According to this story on MobiHealthNews, Doximity has raised $10.8 million to further develop its secure physician network.

By the way, speaking of Doximity, make sure to try their Adroid App. Tell your colleagues who have Android phones to get Doximity so you can securely connect and message each other. It's free and available in the Android Market.

Using iOS? You can access the iPhone Doximity app here.

Doximity is a private network for verified physicians and medical professionals to connect, refer, and securely communicate. It’s reliable, secure, and specifically designed by physicians, for physicians to save time and improve care.

Wednesday, March 16, 2011

Google Mobile Apps is now Google Search

Google likes to keep things simple. Google Mobile Apps for iOS is now Google Search. I think we all know how Google Search works. Here's a brief description from the iTunes app store:

Get the most advanced Google search experience for your iPhone, now with Google Goggles, Voice Search and My Location.

GOOGLE GOGGLES
* Search by taking a picture with your iPhone camera.
* Image recognition technology recognizes objects and returns relevant search results.
* Good at identifying barcodes, products, famous landmarks, storefronts, artwork, business cards and print ads.
* New! Translates text in 6 languages and solves Sudoku puzzles.

VOICE SEARCH
* Search by speaking into your iPhone.
* Just bring the phone to your ear, wait for the tone and speak your query.
* Supports American, British, Indian, Australian or South African English accents, Afrikaans, Cantonese, Czech, Dutch, French, German, Italian, Japanese, Korean, Mandarin (Simplified and Traditional), Polish, Portuguese, Russian, Spanish, Turkish and Zulu.

MY LOCATION
* See results customized to where you are (e.g. ‘weather’).
* Find places nearby without needing to type your current location (e.g. ‘pizza’ or ‘movies’).

Tuesday, March 15, 2011

Hospital Smartphone Messaging

Amcom has a new white paper titled: Industry Survey Results on Smartphone Trends
Amcom Software surveyed more than 300 healthcare organizations about the use of smartphones. Survey participants were from hospitals of all sizes across the United States and included clinical leadership, IT, telecommunications, and call center supervisor titles. The survey was conducted to better understand the healthcare industry and how mobile devices are making an impact. In this document, you will find a summary of the results from the survey.
You can access the white paper here (registration required)

Here some additional information about Amcom and their smartphone solution called Amcom Mobile Connect:

Device Consolidation with Smartphone Messaging

Mobile Device Madness 

Today’s smartphones and other mobile devices have brought with them new possibilities, but also new challenges in healthcare. Physicians, nurses, and administrators often carry several devices at all times. A BlackBerry®, iPhone®, Android® or Cisco® phone, often alongside one or more pagers—it’s become cumbersome for staff members and IT teams alike. Likewise, the need for two-way communications and delivery confirmations has become increasingly important to ensure efficiency and patient safety.

The time has come to leverage smartphones for everything from code calls and consult requests to personal communications. Amcom Mobile Connect™ makes this possible.

Monday, March 14, 2011

I'm on YOUR HEALTH™ Radio talking about health apps and smartphones

I recently had the opportunity to speak about mobile health apps and smartphones on YOUR HEALTH™ radio.

YOUR HEALTH™ is a weekly one hour radio talk show on patient health produced by the University of North Carolina Department of Family Medicine. The show is co-hosted by Dr. Adam Goldstein and Dr. Cristy Page, nationally known physicians, teachers and researchers.

YOUR HEALTH™ provides practical health-related news and information to its listeners in a manner that is comforting, convenient and easy to understand. The show airs five times weekly on WCHL 1360 AM in Durham and Orange counties and features health experts, patient experiences and health topics in the news.

Click here to listen to the show.

Friday, March 11, 2011

First NIH mHealth Summer Institute in 2011

What are you doing this summer? Maybe you could spend it at the first NIH mHealth Summer Institute.

The National Institutes of Health today announced the creation of the first NIH mHealth, or mobile health, Summer Institute. Scheduled for the summer of 2011, this week-long workshop will bring together leaders in mobile health technologies, behavioral science researchers, federal health officials and members of the medical community to provide early career investigators with an opportunity to learn about mHealth research. The Office of Behavioral and Social Sciences Research (OBSSR), part of NIH, partnered with Qualcomm, a developer of wireless technologies, to cosponsor the course.

Mobile technologies have the potential to transform medical research and enable health care providers to more rapidly and accurately assess biological processes, behavior, attitudes, and the environment. These technologies also allow providers to help patients improve their health in real time—enabling them to personalize health care options and monitor progress.

Thursday, March 10, 2011

Which MiFi would you get?

I need to purchase a mobile WiFi hotspot. Which one should I get? I currently use my Droid X as a 3G Mobile Hotspot and it works fine, but I now need a dedicated WiFi hotspot.

Here are some of the ones I'm currently considering:
  • Sprint Overdrive™ 3G/4G Mobile Hotspot by Sierra Wireless
  • Verizon MiFi™2200 Intelligent Mobile Hotspot
  • Verizon Wireless Fivespot™ Global Ready™ 3G Mobile Hotspot
  • AT&T Mobile Hotspot MiFi® 2372
Then again, I should probably wait until 4G rolls out everywhere. I also need some clarification as to whether you can use these different MiFi models when it's plugged into a power source. Some online forums appear to report that the WiFi stops if you plug the MiFi into a microUSB power supply. I think I'll have to run my own experiments so that I can find a way around that issue.

Wednesday, March 09, 2011

Apple releases the iOS 4.3 update for certain devices

I'm downloading iOS 4.3 now for my iPad. Here's what you'll get:

• Personal Hotspot*
Share iPhone 4 cellular data connection with up to 5 devices (combination of up to 3 Wi-Fi, 3 Bluetooth, and 1 USB)
• iTunes Home Sharing
Play music, movies and TV shows from a shared iTunes library on a Mac or PC (requires iTunes 10.2)
• New AirPlay features**
Play videos from the Photos app including the Camera Roll album, iTunes previews, enabled third-party apps and websites on Apple TV
Play slideshows from Photos on Apple TV using transitions available on Apple TV
• Faster Safari performance with Apple Nitro JavaScript engine
• HD video out using the Apple Digital AV Adapter***
View 720p HD videos from Videos app, iPod app, Photos, YouTube, Safari, Keynote, and enabled third-party apps on an HDMI display
• Ping features
Push notifications for comments and follow requests
Post and Like songs directly from the Now Playing screen
Parental controls
• New Settings
Messages setting for number of times to repeat an alert
iPad side switch setting to lock screen rotation or mute audio notifications and sound effects
Single tap conference call dialing with a pause to send a passcode
• Bug fixes
*Requires iPhone 4 with tethering data plan
**Requires Apple TV (2nd generation) running software version 4.2 or later
***iPhone 4, iPad, iPod touch (4th generation)

Wireless-Life Sciences Alliance Convergence Summit

Wireless-Life Sciences Alliance 6th Annual Convergence Summit
Manchester Grand Hyatt, San Diego, CA

May 10-12, 2011

Day 1: Executives Forum
Day 2: Investors Forum and I Award Program
Day 3: Ecosystems Forum

Learn more about this conference here.

The Wireless-Life Sciences Alliance (WLSA) is a special purpose trade organization for innovators, globally relevant companies, scientists, physicians, and policy makers.

The WLSA is dedicated to creating value and improving health, globally, through the convergence of communications technologies, consumers, caregivers and all sectors of the life sciences and technology environment. WLSA partners and companies all over the world are using wireless health innovations to better manage chronic conditions, preempt disease and improve the lives of the elderly and under-served populations around the world.

Tuesday, March 08, 2011

Smartphone App Market Outperformes Other Booming Markets - 3 Years Benchmark

From research2guidance

The mobile applications market made it from ramp-up phase to a mass market in only 3 years. This is much faster than previous mobile market sectors needed.

Berlin, March 8th, 2011

The numbers regarding the smartphone applications market are impressive: Global app download numbers increased by 1700%, user base by 1300%, number of different smart devices by 800%, number of apps by 500% and even app store number increased by 300% in the first 3 years.

With application numbers increasing by almost 100.000 apps per quarter on all major app stores the competition level in a category and platform can change over night, which has an immediate impact on download numbers. Compared to these trends user behavior and demographics in terms of age, gender, usage time, downloads etc. has not changed so quickly over the last three years but will do when applications are proliferating into the mass market. There will be substantial differences per country and platform any company should be aware of, when formulating their application strategy.

Monday, March 07, 2011

Android beats BlackBerry and captures the #1 position in the smartphone market

comScore Reports January 2011 U.S. Mobile Subscriber Market Share

Google Android Captures #1 Position in Smartphone Market

RESTON, VA, March 7, 2011 – comScore, Inc. (NASDAQ: SCOR), a leader in measuring the digital world, today released data from the comScore MobiLens service, reporting key trends in the U.S. mobile phone industry during the three month average period ending January 2011. The study surveyed more than 30,000 U.S. mobile subscribers and found Samsung to be the top handset manufacturer overall with 24.9 percent market share. Google Android took the lead among smartphone platforms with 31.2 percent market share, after two short months in second place.

OEM Market Share
For the three month average period ending in January, 234 million Americans ages 13 and older used mobile devices. Device manufacturer Samsung ranked as the top OEM with 24.9 percent of U.S. mobile subscribers, up 0.7 percentage points from the three month period ending in October. LG ranked second with 20.8 percent share, followed by Motorola (16.5 percent), RIM (8.6 percent) and Apple (7.0 percent).

Top Mobile OEMs
3 Month Avg. Ending Jan. 2011 vs. 3 Month Avg. Ending Oct. 2010
Total U.S. Mobile Subscribers Ages 13+
Source: comScore MobiLens
  Share (%) of Mobile Subscribers
Oct-10 Jan-11 Point Change
Total Mobile Subscribers 100.0% 100.0% N/A
Samsung 24.2% 24.9% 0.7
LG 21.0% 20.8% -0.2
Motorola 17.7% 16.5% -1.2
RIM 9.3% 8.6% -0.7
Apple 6.4% 7.0% 0.6

Smartphone Platform Market Share
65.8 million people in the U.S. owned smartphones during the three months ending in January 2011, up 8 percent from the preceding three-month period. Google Android captured the #1 ranking among smartphone platforms for the first time in January with 31.2 percent market share. RIM ranked second with 30.4 percent market share, followed by Apple with 24.7 percent. Microsoft (8.0 percent) and Palm (3.2 percent) rounded out the top five.

Top Smartphone Platforms
3 Month Avg. Ending Jan. 2011 vs. 3 Month Avg. Ending Oct. 2010
Total U.S. Smartphone Subscribers Ages 13+
Source: comScore MobiLens
  Share (%) of Smartphone Subscribers
Oct-10 Jan-11 Point Change
Total Smartphone Subscribers 100.0% 100.0% N/A
Google 23.5% 31.2% 7.7
RIM 35.8% 30.4% -5.4
Apple 24.6% 24.7% 0.1
Microsoft 9.7% 8.0% -1.7
Palm 3.9% 3.2% -0.7

Friday, March 04, 2011

Problems with the Droid X 3G Mobile Hotspot: dropped connections

For the past few months, I've been using my Motorola Droid X as a 3G Mobile Hotspot. Most of the time, this feature works fairly well. However, I've recently started experiencing more problems. Specifically:
  • It drops a connection and the 3G Mobile Hotspot service stops
  • It freezes up and I lose access to the Internet even though the 3G Mobile Hotspot service is still running
I've tried resetting my phone and experimenting with various settings, but nothing seems to fix these intermittent problems. I've tried the following steps outlined on the Verizon user forums, but I don't want to go through this process every time I use my Droid X as a Mobile Hotspot:
Step. 1 - Ensure WiFi is disabled. (instruction below)
http://search.vzw.com/?do=viewdoc&id=33719&p=null

Step. 2 - Try switching the hotspot channel (Step 6 in the article under channel)
***To access settings, 3G Mobile Hotspot must be disabled (Off).
http://search.vzw.com/?do=viewdoc&id=33761

Step. 3 - Try changing the encryption
http://search.vzw.com/?do=viewdoc&id=33761 (Step 6 in the article under security)

Step. 4 - Try relocating the device. (Something in the immediate location could be affecting the service received)

Step. 5 - Soft reset (power off the device, pull the battery out for 20 seconds and place it back in)
I'm wondering if people who own a MiFi are experiencing similar issues. Perhaps a dedicated Mobile Hotspot like a MiFi is a better option than using my smartphone. Maybe it's time to upgrade to a 4G device. When's the 4G MiFi 4510L coming to Verizon? When's the HTC ThunderBolt 4G smartphone arriving? Maybe I should just get a 4G MiFi from Sprint now.

Thursday, March 03, 2011

March 23 will be "Wireless Health Day"

Author: Thuc Huynh, MD

Here's a press release from International CTIA Wireless :


INTERNATIONAL CTIA WIRELESS® 2011 DEDICATES MARCH 23 AS “WIRELESS HEALTH DAY”

Keynote Speakers, Educational Seminar and Exhibits to Focus on Mobile’s Impact on Healthcare

WASHINGTON, D.C., March 2, 2011 – As mobile connectivity becomes nearly ubiquitous, International CTIA WIRELESS® 2011 will feature innovations demonstrating how mobility is transforming the health sector. On Wednesday, March 23, CTIA’s “Wireless Health Day” will include a variety of activities, including a keynote, educational seminar and special reception. Throughout the show, CTIA’s Wireless Health Pavilion will showcase mHealth technologies on the exhibit floor. International CTIA WIRELESS will take place March 22-24, 2011 at the Orange County Convention Center in Orlando. Pre-conference seminars will begin on March 21.

The Wireless Health Pavilion, produced by CTIA and strategic partner Qualcomm, will feature products and services from a variety of companies: BodyMedia, Continua, Diversinet, Doro, Keynetik, LifeComm, Optumhealth, Preventice, Telcare and the Wireless-Life Sciences Alliance, among others.

Wednesday, March 02, 2011

5-Minute Emergency Medicine Consult

Unbound Medicine, a leader in knowledge management solutions for healthcare, recently released 5-Minute Emergency Medicine Consult for mobile devices.

What's Important:

* 5-Minute Emergency Medicine Consult puts hundreds of urgent care topics on mobile devices in a proven, rapid-access format that's ideal for on-the-spot consultation.
* 5-Minute Emergency Medicine Consult is available on mobile devices or within Emergency Central, a bundled app with a companion website that includes a drug guide, a diagnostic test reference, treatment guidelines, and disease information.
* 5-Minute Emergency Medicine Consult is available for iOS (iPhone®, iPod touch®), Android™, BlackBerry®, and Windows Phone® devices.

For more information, click here.

Tuesday, March 01, 2011

Amazing Charts EHR Mobile Solutions

Amazing Charts OnCall App – Now Available!

Got an Apple iPhone, iTouch, or iPad? Now Amazing Charts can be accessed on the go from any of these devices. The Amazing Charts OnCall App allows you to handle your after-hours patient calls by providing a convenient and secure method for accessing patient information while away from the office.

You can look up a patient’s medications and refills, save a message to a patient’s chart, or give hospital emergency rooms vital information when patients are admitted unexpectedly.

The Amazing Charts OnCall App is available at the iPhone App Store for a one-time charge of $24.99.

“AC OnCall is the obvious extension of Amazing Charts, allowing providers to handle their after-hours patient calls with a convenient and secure method for accessing and documenting patient information while away from the office,” said Jonathan Bertman, MD, a family physician and the founder and CEO of Amazing Charts. “Users of our iPhone App will be able to look up a patient’s medications and refills, save a message to a patient’s chart, and give hospital emergency rooms vital information when patients are admitted unexpectedly.”

Win a free app! LogMeIn Ignition

Here's your chance to win a free app! LogMeIn Ignition. We're giving away three (3) copies of LogMeIn Ignition here on MobileHealthComputing.com and we need your help to promote this contest!

I've been using LogMeIn Ignition for the past few months and I've found this to be an "essential" app for my iPad. It's been a great way for me to access my PC or Mac remotely from my Apple iPad. LogMeIn Ignition has some nice features that facilitates the remote computing experience on a touch-screen device like the iPad. They also have an application for Android smartphones & tablets. You can read my review of the iPad version here.

Here's how you can enter the contest:
  1. Leave a single comment at the bottom of this blog post explaining how you plan to use LogMeIn Ignition to remotely access your computer from your mobile device (iPhone, iPad, Android, etc.) Your creativity can help you win! Make sure to include your full name with your comment.
  2. You'll need a Facebook account for this second step: "Like" the following four pages on Facebook:
It's that simple. Leave a comment and like 4 Facebook pages for a chance to win one of three LogMeIn Ignition apps.

How the winners will be chosen: Two of the winners will be selected at random. The third winner will be selected based on the creativity of your comment.

This contest will run from Feb 21, 2011 to May 21, 2011.

On May 23, 2011, we will announce three winners on MobileHealthComputing.com!

Each winner will receive a free LogMeIn Ignition app for either their iOS or Android device. = Winners will be notified via their Facebook page.

With LogMeIn Ignition, you’re just a touch or click away from all your computers. Install LogMeIn Ignition on your iPhone, iPad or Android deviceand get to your information anytime, anywhere.

CTIA WIRELESS® 2011 Dedicates March 23 as "Wireless Health Day"

Keynote Speakers, Educational Seminar and Exhibits to Focus on Mobile’s Impact on Healthcare

WASHINGTON, DC – As mobile connectivity becomes nearly ubiquitous, International CTIA WIRELESS® 2011 will feature innovations demonstrating how mobility is transforming the health sector. On Wednesday, March 23, CTIA’s “Wireless Health Day” will include a variety of activities, including a keynote, educational seminar and special reception. Throughout the show, CTIA’s Wireless Health Pavilion will showcase mHealth technologies on the exhibit floor. International CTIA WIRELESS will take place March 22-24, 2011 at the Orange County Convention Center in Orlando. Pre-conference seminars will begin on March 21.

The Wireless Health Pavilion, produced by CTIA and strategic partner Qualcomm, will feature products and services from a variety of companies: BodyMedia, Continua, Diversinet, Doro, Keynetik, LifeComm, Optumhealth, Preventice, Telcare and the Wireless-Life Sciences Alliance, among others.