Wireless mobile monitoring in pediatric asthma

Here's a great story of wireless mobile monitoring technology improving the management of pediatric asthma:

Qualcomm and Rady Children’s Hospital Collaborate on 3G-enabled Monitoring Kit to Help Prevent Serious Asthmatic Attacks in Children

Qualcomm Incorporated, through its Qualcomm Wireless Reach™ initiative, Qualcomm Life, Inc., a subsidiary of Qualcomm Incorporated, and Rady Children’s Hospital, the primary pediatric health provider serving San Diego, Imperial and southern Riverside counties, today announced their collaboration on a 3G-enabled kit for monitoring the activities of asthmatic children. The project features Asthmapolis and Zephyr technologies in order to help reduce costs and improve outcomes and seeks to determine whether asthma-related therapy can be personalized based on a patient’s physiology, reducing serious asthmatic attacks, emergency room visits, hospitalization and associated costs.

Asthma is one of the most common chronic disorders in childhood, affecting an estimated 7.1 million children under 18 years of age.[1] It is the third leading cause of hospitalization among children under 15. The annual direct health care cost of asthma is approximately $50.1 billion. Asthma is also one of the leading causes of school absenteeism.

My iPhone 5 experience so far (problems connecting with LTE vs. 3G)

I've had my iPhone 5 for several days and I really like how it's lighter, thinner, and faster compared to my iPhone 4S. The elongated screen doesn't do much for me - I would have preferred to see a wider + longer screen. I had gone back to using my Android smartphone for a few weeks and I was reminded of how much I appreciate the larger 4.5" screen that is wider and taller on my Android smartphone compared to my iPhone. My eyes aren't bad - I just prefer not to zoom to read tiny font.

I have the Verizon iPhone 5 and I've been experiencing some strange connection problems when the phone is in 3G mode vs. 4G/LTE mode.

When I "enable LTE" I also find that the reception bars on the top of the screen may drop from 4 bars down to 2 bars. This same issue has been reported online among other iPhone 5 users. I also find that sometimes my iPhone 5 says that it's not connected to the network when it's on LTE mode. But then I'll turn LTE off and it has no problems connecting (and staying connected) on 3G. If I toggle around with airplane mode, I may be able to re-establish broken LTE connections, but that's no fun.

So, for now I leave LTE off and the phone works fine on 3G. My hypothesis is that this "bug" is driven by power-saving features built into the iPhone 5. I wonder if it reduces power to the antenna when it's in LTE mode and if it sends more power to the antenna when it's in 3G mode.

Force your MiFi 4510L Mobile Hotspot into 3G (EVDO) or 4G (LTE) mode (WWAN Settings)

The other day, I wrote about how my Verizon MiFi 4510L Mobile Hotspot was stuck on 3G (EVDO) and was not switching to 4G (LTE). If you're experiencing similar issues, make sure to read this.

For those of you wanting to manually switch your Wi-Fi Mobile Hotspot from 3G to 4G (or vice versa), here's a simple tutorial that outlines the steps that will help you do that.

• Connect to your MiFi
• Log in to your MiFi by typing this URL into your browser: http://192.168.1.1/
• Click on "Setup Wizard"
• The default password is "admin" (unless you've changed it)
• When it asks you to set up a new password, click "cancel"
• Now you'll see that you have several new menu options at the top red horizontal navigation bar: Home, Wi-Fi, LAN, WWAN, Security, Advanced

Verizon MiFi 4510L Mobile Hotspot on 3G (EVDO) & not switching to 4G (LTE)? Here's a solution.

I have a Verizon MiFi 4510L Mobile Hotspot and recently I experienced the issue where my device was stuck on 3G (EVDO) and was not switching to 4G (LTE) even though I knew that 4G service was available. The device indicator light was blinking purple/violet instead of green. This is apparently a known problem for this device. So, if your device isn't switching to 4G, it's not defective. Resetting the device won't do anything.

Here's how I got it back to 4G (LTE):

• Connect to your MiFi
• Log in to your MiFi by typing this URL into your browser: http://192.168.1.1/
• Click on "Setup Wizard"
• The default password is "admin" (unless you've changed it)
• When it asks you to set up a new password, click "cancel"
• Now you'll see that you have several new menu options at the top red horizontal navigation bar: Home, Wi-Fi, LAN, WWAN, Security, Advanced

Now, you'll want to click on WWAN -> and then go to the "WWAN Settings" at the bottom of the page.

• Under the WWAN Preferred Mode, select "LTE only"
• Then, click "apply" and the device will reboot.

My understanding is that this is a temporary fix. Therefore, you may need to do this periodically if you move into areas where you only have 3G coverage. The MiFi could have a tendency to get "stuck" in 3G mode and it needs to manually get moved back to 4G using the steps outlined above. 

Sprint Launches 4G Enterprise WAN for Businesses

Industry’s first solution to offer bundled 4G and 3G wireless WAN connectivity, with secure and reliable access to Sprint Global MPLS; Explorer Pipeline experiences significant cost savings and improved productivity

Overland Park, Kan. – June 27, 2011 – Sprint (NYSE: S) now offers businesses Sprint 4G Enterprise WAN (wide area network), a fixed wireless access solution that provides speed, reliability and secure wireless connectivity to the Sprint Global MPLS network. Not only can wireless connectivity open a world of possibilities by allowing people to work virtually anywhere, now Sprint 4G can enable businesses to replace or improve on traditional "wired" options with a solution that is cost-effective, fast and flexible to deploy without compromising bandwidth and network reliability, available within all Sprint 4G markets.

Extend battery life on the HTC ThunderBolt by switching to 3G (disable 4G LTE)

For the past few weeks, I've been using my HTC ThunderBolt on 3G mode. Disabling 4G LTE and staying on 3G allows me to use the phone call day on a single battery charge (on a standard battery). If you're struggling to keep your ThunderBolt charged up, consider using the "LTE On/Off" app to disable 4G. I don't generally require 4G speeds, but it's nice to occasionally switch the 4G on so that I can download a 50 MB file in just a few seconds. 

Switch between 3G (EVDO) and 4G (LTE) on the HTC ThunderBolt

It would be nice if the HTC ThunderBolt had a widget or an app that would easily let you toggle between 3G and 4G. When I'm on 4G, my battery drains really quickly, even if I'm not actively using the phone. I could stop all my background processes, but that doesn't seem like it's the best option for me.

Here's how you can manually switch between 3G and 4G on your ThunderBolt:

Open the phone dialer
Dial: *#*#4636#*#*
You'll see a menu titled "Testing"
Go to "Phone information"
Scroll down until you see "CDMA + LTE/EvDo auto"

To set your ThunderBolt to stay on 3G, select: "CDMA auto (PRL)"

Then, when you want to go back to 4G, select: "CDMA + LTE/EvDo auto"

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?

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.

Battery life when using my Droid X as a 3G Wi-Fi Mobile Hotspot

The Droid X and many other smartphones are capable of turning themselves into 3G Wi-Fi Mobile Hotspots that allow you to connect up to 5 mobile devices. When you enable this feature, you'll get a notice reminding you that this feature will drain your battery very quickly, so you should plug your phone to a power source.

A few weeks ago, I was using my Droid X every day as my personal hotspot. I was using an external battery pack, so I had the ability to recharge my battery during the middle of the day. If I didn't have that battery pack, my phone would have died by noon.

The 3G mobile hotspot on the Droid X is a great feature, but it would be nice to see a higher level of battery efficiency in these devices. The MiFi 2200 is rated to 4r hrs and the Fivespot Global Ready 3G hotspot lasts 5 hrs, so those devices aren't great either unless you're carrying a separate battery pack.

Speed differences: Verizon USB tethering vs. 3G Wi-Fi Mobile Hotspot

I have a Motorola Droid X and I've been using the 3G Wi-Fi mobile hotspot feature so that I can get online with my laptop and my iPad. In the past, I used to tether using the USB cable.

Well, I did a speed test because I was convinced that 3G Wi-Fi Mobile Hotspot was slower than USB tethering. Sure enough, with 3G Wi-Fi Mobile Hotspot, I was experiencing download speeds of 0.5 Mbps. With USB tethering, the speeds were almost 3x faster! 1.3 Mbps.

Are you experiencing similar results?

Using my Droid X as a 3G Mobile Hotspot for my iPad

Since I'm on the Verizon Network, I got an iPad that only has Wi-Fi access. Fortunately, I can use my Motorola Droid X as a 3G Mobile Hotspot so that I can get online with my iPad when I'm out and about. It's a great feature and it allows me to use my iPad without a separate 3G hotspot like the MiFi 2200 Mobile Hotspot.

I'll probably need to invest in an extended battery for my Droid X if I plan to use it as a 3G Mobile Hotspot for extended periods of time. Tethering via Wi-Fi will drain your battery quickly!

To use your Droid X as a 3G Mobile Hotspot, click on the green icon that says "3G Mobile Hotspot" and make sure that you have this feature enabled on your service plan.  It's an extra $20/month.

Tiered data plans for Verizon smartphones

If you're a Verizon customer using a smartphone, get ready for tiered data plans. Fortunately, it appears like Verizon will still provide an "unlimited" data plan for smartphone users on the 3G network. We don't know what they will do to their data plans once they roll out with 4G. With the unlimited plan, you should not have any problems tethering and getting online with your laptop.

On a budget? Medical students and residents may find it difficult to spend $30/month for a data plan. Well, you'll have the option to spend $15/month if you use your data plan sparingly. You're probably living in the hospital, so you really don't need a data plan if you're connected via Wi-Fi and if you're surrounded by computers.

I'm planning on sticking with the unlimited data plan so that I can listen to music on Pandora while I'm in the car and so that I can tether when I'm traveling.

3G Broadband Card vs. Tethering

If you use a smartphone, do you also carry a separate 3G broadband card for your mobile computer? Why not tether using your smartphone?

My Lenovo ThinkPad has a built-in 3G radio, but I would need to use AT&T if I wanted to use the internal wireless card. I could also get a 3G mobile broadband USB card for any of the major wireless providers in my area. Does it make sense to get a separate card if I can also tether?

The only reason it doesn't make sense is money. If you're trying to save money, then tether.

Otherwise, here are several reasons why you should consider a dedicated 3G wireless card for your mobile computer:

1. Save battery life on your smartphone. (smartphones can have trouble charging if you're connecting via a USB cable to tether)
2. Talk and surf. If you're tethering, you can't talk and surf simultaneously. So, if you need Internet access while you're talking on the phone, you'll need a separate connection.
3. Reliable connection. Tethering is reliable, but not as reliable as a dedicated broadband card. 
4. Heat. Tethering will probably heat up your smartphone. That can also lead to a shorter battery life span.
5. Sharing. Do you ever need to share that 3G broadband wireless card? It's much more difficult to share your smartphone.
6. Bulk. Why have anything connected to your mobile device if your computer has an internal built-in radio? 

I realize that dedicated 3G wireless plans are expensive. We're talking about roughly $60/month just for the data access. When 4G networks roll out, that price could even go up. Or, you may need to choose among different data plans for your dedicated broadband access card. 

From 3G to 4G networks

In different parts of the country, you can experience a 4G network which is much faster than the current 3G network. 4G refers to the fourth generation of cellular wireless standards.

According some news the other day, Verizon will probably roll out 4G networks by the middle of 2011. Sprint currently has a 4G network in several places in the U.S.

The next Apple iPhone will probably be a 4G model. When will AT&T be set up for 4G? How about T-Mobile?

As wireless standards continue to evolve, we can anticipate faster data transmission which will lead to more capable smartphones. This means more broadband access, more streaming video, faster file uploads and downloads, and 

3G Wireless Performance Tests by PC World

PC World has released their "3G Wireless Performance Tests" and they've given AT&T the highest ranking. I find that rather ironic given all the recent complaints about the reliability of the AT&T network. Maybe PC World ran their tests before the Apple iPhone spread across the 13 different cities tested by PC World. Or, maybe the editors (and testers) at PC World have a bias. Maybe these test results are very representative of the 13 cities tested. Who knows. I haven't performed 3G head-to-head studies, so I have no data.

In any case, it's an interesting study and you can read about it here. Since PC World isn't a peer-reviewed journal, I doubt that we'll see many editorials or comments regarding the study design, methodology, data collection, possibilities of bias, etc. 

AT&T's iProblem is an iMess (BusinessWeek)

Wow, the cover of BusinessWeek almost shocked me! It has a photo of an iPhone with zero signal bars. It says: "AT&T's iProblem... the iPhone has been a profit bonanza. But an overloaded network has AT&T at war with its customers."

Call it an "iMess," an "iProblem," or anything else you'd like. How is AT&T handling this issue? How are they reacting to things like:

• iPhone Nation
• Operation Chokehold

I'm glad I'm not on AT&T. If you're thinking about switching to AT&T just to get an iPhone, you may want to think again. I don't suspect we'll see any official tethering on the Apple iPhone anytime soon (unless it comes to some other wireless providers like Verizon). To read the BusinessWeek cover story, click here.

Google Nexus One having some 3G connection problems

This is embarrassing. The Google Nexus One smartphone (made by HTC and running Android) is having some 3G connection issues on the T-Mobile network. Here's what we currently know:

Google and T-Mobile are investigating this issue and hope to have more information for you soon. We understand your concern and appreciate your patience.

You can learn more and contribute to the solution by participating in this T-Mobile forum found here.

iPhone 4G rumors

There are growing rumors regarding the next generation iPhone. I will not be surprised if it's called the Apple iPhone 4G. By then, we may be using a different system and the distinction between CDMA vs. GSM may not be relevant. Let's wait to see how networks transition from 3G to 4G and UMTS.

So, here are some of the rumors floating around:

• 64 GB or storage space (not surprising, considering the iPod touch already comes with 64 GB)
• 5 MP camera. Wow! Let's hope we see an LED flash.
• Smaller screen? Really? Instead of a 3.5" screen, we may see a 2.8" screen. I think that makes sense. 
• Available on Verizon Wireless. Well, we had been hearing about that for a while, but let's hope it's available on multiple networks. Why limit yourself to a single carrier? That simply doesn't make sense and I think Android will move ahead because of the way it's currently positioned.

I guess Apple must not have any plans to release a thicker version of an "iPhone Pro" and include a hardware slide-out QWERTY keyboard. Personally, I think that would attract many business users who rely on buttons for typing. Apple should offer both an iPhone 4G and an iPhone "Pro" 4G. Then again, maybe by the time the 4G comes out, we'll be so accustomed to on-screen typing that we won't want to go back to a hardware keyboard.

AT&T is suing Verizon Wireless about those ads

We live in a society where lawsuits occur daily. Physicians worry enough about a lawsuit. Well, today's lawsuit is an interesting one that deals with the “There’s a map for that” commercials.

"AT&T sues Verizon Wireless over 3G ads"

Here's the summary from Reuters:

* Wants to stop use of "misleading" maps in Verizon ads
* Says ads are causing "incalculable" market share loss
* AT&T asks for temporary restraining order
* Verizon Wireless says suit without merit (Adds Verizon Wireless comment, detail from suit, background)

NEW YORK, Nov 3 (Reuters) - AT&T Inc (T.N) is suing Verizon Wireless in an effort to stop its bigger mobile rival from using "misleading" coverage maps in advertisements that AT&T says are causing it to lose "incalculable market share."

To read the entire story, click here.