Where is Windows Phone going?

I find myself wondering what the mobile folks are doing at Microsoft. Where is Windows Phone going? How will it differentiate itself from iOS or Android to really make a significant impact? Windows Phone 8 resembles Windows 8 in many ways. But, that's not going to be enough to get people to switch. Windows Phone is an elegant OS, but right now there are not enough apps for Windows Phone. This is especially true if you look at professional medical apps for medical students, residents, and physicians.

My mobile ecosystem uses so many cloud-based apps that I work in a device-agnostic fashion. I can grab almost any device - iOS, Android, Windows 8 - and get my work done. I have access to all my critical files and my applications.

Perhaps eventually we will all work like this. If we rely on web apps that are running on any web browser, then the issue of native apps will become irrelevant. However, the native app vs. web app (HTML5) debate will probably never end in my lifetime, so I will find myself testing and playing around with a wide variety of mobile devices to keep up with them.

HTC Windows Phone 8X vs. 8S

HTC has recently announced two new smartphones running Microsoft Windows Phone 8. Yes, Microsoft is still in the business of smartphone operating systems and they are competing against iOS, Android, and BlackBerry.

The 8X is a high-end smartphone and the 8S is similar, but slightly less powerful and less expensive (and it lacks a front-facing camera).

How will Microsoft position their new Mobile OS?
How quickly will we see mobile apps for Windows Phone 8?

These Windows 8 smartphones from HTC are joined by others such as the Samsung ATIV S, the Nokia Lumia 920 and 820, and others.

Nokia Lumia 900 Windows Phone on AT&T won't appeal to medical professionals

Several years ago, I used to be an avid Windows Mobile user. In fact, I knew many physicians, medical students, and other health care professionals who preferred the Windows Mobile interface over the Palm OS. It's hard to imagine those days when the Palm Treo was the dominant device in the health care sector.

Fast forward to 2012 where the overwhelming majority of medical professionals use the iPhone, an Android smartphone, or a BlackBerry. Palm is out of the picture and some people are wondering what Microsoft is going to do.

Nokia and Microsoft have teamed together to reveal the Lumia 900. This smartphone runs the Windows Phone OS and is going to be available on AT&T. Will this be a smartphone that's going to capture the attention of medical professionals?

The Lumia 900 appears to be a great smartphone for your average consumer, but I doubt that medical professionals will embrace this new device. This new smartphone won't appeal to medical professionals because of the lack of medical apps in the Windows Phone "App Store." Android apps are quickly catching up to iOS. BlackBerry is losing traction in the medical apps space. Windows Phone has a very long way to catch up.

A mobile health app for Windows Phone 7: TrackMyShots

We don't seem to be seeing many mobile health or medical apps for the Microsoft Windows Phone 7 operating system. There are plenty of apps for iOS and Android. There are even medical apps for BlackBerry. For many years, I was a loyal Windows Mobile user. Now, I'm mainly using Android and iOS.

There's a new app called TrackMyShots. Developed by Linxter, Inc., a software development company in Cooper City, Florida, the app was created to help a family friend with multiple sclerosis, said company CEO and founder Jason Milgram.

A free smartphone app, TrackMyShots, is now available to help ease the log-keeping of patients with multiple sclerosis, diabetes and other conditions requiring frequent injections.

The app eliminates the need for bulky log books by allowing the user to record each injection, track injection sites and monitor adverse reactions. Users can set up an ongoing schedule for their injections and get email alerts when it is time for their next shot.

Learn more here: http://trackmyshots.com

MyVirtualHealthCheck Launches Windows Phone 7 Personal Health Application

Health and disease management comes to Windows Phone 7 supported by MyVirtualHealthCheck.com. One app to manage glucose, heart rate, blood pressure and weight.

San Antonio, TX July 13, 2011 -- With the launch of its Windows Phone 7 App, MyVirtualHealthCheck expands its offerings of mobile health and disease management applications. Those looking to improve their health can securely record, monitor and share vital sign information directly from their mobile devices. One versatile app allows users to manage glucose, heart rate, blood pressure and weight, while making a healthier lifestyle easier to achieve with the aid of a robust set of Web-based tools.

Twitter apps for Windows Mobile

I realize that Windows Phone 7 is coming out at the end of the year, so all these apps written for Windows Mobile 6.5 probably won't run on the brand new Windows Phone 7. However, let me write about Twitter apps for those of you who may be hanging on to your Windows Mobile smartphones for a bit longer.

TouchTwit, MoTweets, and Twikini are some of the more popular Twitter apps for Windows Mobile. I've tried all of these and I still don't have a favorite Twitter app for Windows Mobile. Maybe that's because Twitter hasn't released an official app for Windows Mobile. I still meet so many physicians and medical students who don't understand Twitter. How can you live in modern society and be uninformed about Twitter?

Speaking of Twitter, don't forget to follow me: @DrJosephKim

What's the best Windows Mobile phone?

The best Windows Mobile phone is still a Windows Mobile phone (meaning that it's not an iPhone or an Android smartphone, so how good could it really be?)

Do you agree with that?

I've been a loyal Windows Mobile user for many years. I've had numerous opportunities to switch to a different platform and I even made the jump and tried the BlackBerry Storm for a few weeks. I ended up going back to Windows Mobile.

Now, if I had to get a brand new Windows Mobile smartphone today, which would I choose? What's really the "best" Windows Phone out there?

I have two in mind:

1. If you want a slide-out QWERTY keyboard, then go with the HTC Touch Pro2 (also called the Tilt2 on AT&T). This is a great smartphone, but it lacks a capacitive touch screen, so you won't get any multi-touch gestures on this device.
2. If you don't need a physical keyboard, do you want a device that has a large capacitive touch screen? Then get the HTC HD2.  A 4.3" screen is very large compared to the 3.5" screen found on an Apple iPhone.

If you're not interested in the 2 above, then wait.  Consider a smartphone that doesn't run Windows Mobile.  OK, maybe I'm being too harsh on Microsoft (and I hope my friends and relatives who work for Microsoft don't take offense). Wait for a smartphone running Windows Mobile 7. We may see some this year. Get a smartphone that has a capacitive touch screen that is capable of multi-touch gestures like "pinch to zoom." Remember that you're probably going to replace a smartphone every 2-3 years, so don't spend too much money on a smartphone or its accessories.

Most popular apps on the Windows Phone Marketplace

Microsoft recently added a feature called the "Marketplace." It's really an app store on Windows Mobile and it's made it much easier to install apps, but it's still very rudimentary and you won't find many apps on the current Marketplace (also called Marketplace for Windows Mobile).

The #1 app right now is the Mobile Manager for Netflix. I'm surprised that Bing is #5. Social media apps like Facebook is ranked #8, and MySpace is #4.

You can also try Office Mobile 2010 beta for free.

Frankly, I'm still quite disappointed that they don't have a "Medical" or "Health" category in the Marketplace. There are many great medical apps for Windows Mobile, but you have to go out and hunt for them. If you're a medical professional and a brand new Windows Phone user, you could get disappointed very quickly. I'm hoping that Microsoft will make some significant improvements before they release Windows Mobile 7, but I'm not holding my breath. Instead, I plan to migrate over to Android by the time I need to replace my current smartphone.

Smartphone with a DLP pico projector (LG eXpo)

Now imagine this: you want to show your patient a digital image (radiograph, anatomic illustration, etc.) and you're in your exam room but they really can't see the details on your small smartphone screen. You turn off the lights and you project the image on the wall using your smartphone and an external DLP pico projector attachment (too bad it's not internal like the slim little Nikon S1000pj that has a built-in projector). Who wants to carry around a device that has a bulky attachment on it?

Well, now you can have this fantastic feature if you purchase the LG eXpo smartphone which will be appearing on AT&T this month. I'm sure it won't be long before we start seeing some smartphones that have built-in projectors.

Free Samsung Omnia on Verizon Wireless

In anticipation of the new Samsung Omnia 2, the original Omnia is now available for FREE if you purchase it online from Verizon Wireless. Otherwise, it's $49.99. This smartphone is running Windows Mobile 6.1, but you may find a custom ROM out there that has 6.5.

This is a decent smartphone that has a relatively small screen (compared to the newer Windows Phones like the HTC Touch Pro2, the HTC Imagio, or even the Android phones like the Motorola Droid and the HTC Droid Eris). If you want a great deal on a smartphone that has some nice features, the Omnia is a good choice at a bargain price. If you can afford to wait and you're willing to spend a bit, then the Omnia 2 will be a much better choice.

HTC Imagio: the next Windows Phone on Verizon Wireless

The HTC Imagio is coming to Verizon later this month (October 6). I'm definitely looking forward to seeing other Windows Mobile phones on Verizon. This one will be the first one to be released with Windows Mobile 6.5. We should also see Windows Mobile 6.5 upgrades for the Touch Pro2.

Speaking of the Touch Pro2, could I live without the hardware keyboard on my HTC Touch Pro2? Probably. However, the keyboard really typing much more efficient when I'm doing a lot of typing.

When will we see the next version of the Samsung Omnia on Verizon? It should also be interesting to also see some Google Android based smartphones later this fall. 

Best smartphone operating systems for physicians

Many people often ask, "what's the best smartphone for physicians?" I wish it was a simple answer, but it's rather complicated. The smartphone industry is changing so rapidly and we see new and exciting phones coming this summer. Let's briefly review a few of the major operating systems (OS):

• Original Palm OS. This is a dead OS. Although Palm was very popular in the early-to-mid 2000's, it's now a dead operating system and it's been replaced with WebOS.
• Palm WebOS. This is a brand new OS. Hence, there is a serious lack of medical software. If the Palm Pre really takes off and we see many developers jumping in to create medical software, then we should see a plethora of software available by the end of 2010.
• Symbian. You'll find this on Nokia, but you won't find much in terms of medical software. Enough said.
  
• Google Android. This is still a new OS for the medical community. It suffers the same problem as WebOS - there's a lack of robust medical software. I love the capabilities found in Android, but we're not seeing much traction and uptake in the medical community. If Android becomes available on more carriers, then we may see more medical professionals demanding software on their Android devices.
  
• BlackBerry. The BlackBerry Storm has been a very popular device. More doctors are using their smartphones for e-mail, SMS, and other functions. Because the Storm uses a touch-screen, it's very easy to navigate. We're starting to see more medical software for BlackBerry, but it's still somewhat limited.
• Windows Mobile. This OS has gone from Windows CE to Pocket PC to Windows Mobile and now newer devices may be called Windows Phone (if that phrase catches on). Microsoft can't seem to make up its mind. For a while there, it looked like Windows Mobile was gaining significant traction (mainly because Palm OS was dying and none of the others were popular yet), but now it looks like Windows Mobile is quickly falling behind the others. Unless Microsoft makes some significant changes, it may suffer a similar fate as the original Palm OS. Plenty of medical software available.
• Apple iPhone. This is a relatively new OS, but it's gained tremendous popularity among medical professionals. As a result, we've seen a surge of medical software emerge over the past year. Will the Apple iPhone dominate the medical community? I think much of this depends on what the others do to compete against Apple.

So, what will it be? Will you choose a smartphone based on the form factor or the operating system?

Apple iPhone, BlackBerry Storm, or Palm Pre?

Right now, the most popular touch-screen smartphones are probably the Apple iPhone, the BlackBerry Storm (soon to be replaced by the Storm 2), and the upcoming Palm Pre. There's a newer version of the iPhone that we'll probably be seeing pretty soon, but I don't think you'll see a whole lot new in terms of form or function. Google Android just hasn't gained much traction among healthcare professionals mainly because of the paucity of medical software. I guess to be fair, I should also throw in a Windows Mobile device. However, I'm just not very excited about any of the existing models. Maybe if the next version of Windows Mobile (which should be version 7) ends up being an earth-shattering operating system, then I'll start getting excited again for Microsoft. By then, we'll probably be up to Windows Mobile 8 or 9 (maybe even 10).

So, if you had to buy a new smartphone this summer, which one would you choose?

• Apple iPhone (AT&T)
  
• BlackBerry Storm 2 (Verizon)
• Palm Pre (Sprint)

Will you wait until the device-of-choice ends up coming to your mobile carrier? Will we see the iPhone on the Verizon Wireless network? The Palm Pre will make its rounds eventually.

Losing Faith in Windows Mobile

I've been a loyal Windows Mobile user for many years. Before that, I was a loyal Apple user (does anyone remember the days when it was called Macintosh?). I've never been a BlackBerry user, and there was a time when I played around with the outdated Palm OS.

I'm starting to lose my faith in Windows Mobile. Microsoft has a huge talent pool (I know, because many of my friends and relatives work for Microsoft). Yet they have done very little to improve Windows Mobile. In the meanwhile, Apple has come along and they swept the nation with their iPhone. Google released Android and BlackBerry made some drastic improvements with the touch-screen Storm. Where are you Microsoft? Why all the delays with Windows Mobile 7? What's up with all these versions of Windows Mobile 6? (we had 6, then 6.1, then 6.3, and now 6.5, then we'll have 6.7, then 6.9, and then 6.93, and then probably 6.98...) Is this insane or what?

I think Microsoft has some tremendous potential, but unless we see some major improvements in the Windows Phone operating system, I plan to change to an entirely different system (and maybe even a new mobile carrier).

I Love Twikini!

I love using TweetDeck to Twitter on my laptop. I've also been experimenting with several Twitter clients for Windows Mobile, but I haven't found one that works like TweetDeck.

Today, I tried Twikini and it works really well! It's almost like a TweetDeck experience on your Windows Mobile device. I think it may be the best Twitter client for Windows Mobile (but I haven't tested all of them, so I can't be entirely confident of that).

Defining PPC

If you're a blogger generating income from your ads, then PPC will mean "pay per click."

However, if you've been a Windows Mobile PDA user for many years, then PPC will mean Pocket PC. Microsoft has a funny way of renaming their operating systems. They can't seem to make up their mind about nomenclature. Windows CE evolved to Pocket PC which then turned into Windows Mobile and now we'll have Windows Phone (what about those PDAs that aren't smartphones?).

What's the Best Smartphone for Physicians?

This is one of those topics that gets debated endlessly (unless you're in a room full of Apple lovers). What's the best smartphone for a medical student, resident, or attending physician?

Several years ago, the answer would have been simple: Palm Treo. Then, the answer may have evolved to: Treo (either Palm OS or Windows Mobile). After the Apple iPhone came out, the resounding consensus among young physicians was: iPhone. Now, we see doctors carrying the BlackBerry Storm (among other BlackBerry devices). There's a newer version of the BlackBerry Storm that's coming out. The Palm Pre running Web OS is a hot new phone that has many people excited, but will it beat out the iPhone? The Palm Pre has a hardware button keyboard, so that may be a very attractive feature for people who want to type quickly. What about all those Windows Mobile users out there? I admit that I'm still one of them and I use an older HTC Windows Mobile device (the xv6800 which is also known as the Sprint Mogul and HTC Titan).

So which phone is the best? It's so difficult to answer because technology evolves too quickly. We can't keep up with the advances and as soon as you buy what you think is the "best" phone, a new mobile device pops up that's faster, cooler, and better.

Windows Mobile 6.5 on May 11

I can't believe that May is around the corner. Windows Mobile 6.5 will be released on May 11.

I've been a Windows Mobile user since the days of the old Windows CE platform which evolved to Pocket PC and then to Windows Mobile. Soon, it will be called "Windows Phone." Won't that be confusing? I still want an iPhone, but I'm locked into Verizon Wireless, so I'll just stick with my XV6800 for now.

MedicalSmartphones.com

I've registered a new URL: MedicalSmartphones.com

I've been an avid PDA/smartphone user for many years. During medical school and residency, I used to provide advice about these devices. I've been blogging about it for a while, but now I want to keep a dedicated blog about this topic. I hope you'll visit and find some useful information.

Medical Students and BlackBerry

Medical students often need to get some type of PDA for their clinical clerkships. They may be required to enter patient information or log their procedures. Also, since they're often asked to write prescriptions (not sign them, just write them), they need to know how to look up drug dosing. Software like Epocrates can be very helpful when you're filling out 15 scripts on different medications. Gone are the days of flipping through a huge PDR to look up dosing.

So how does the BlackBerry fit into all of this? Traditionally, Palm had the greatest marketshare in the medical field. Recently, the Apple iPhone has become very popular among medical students, residents, fellows, and attendings. Yet you still find some medical students who are in their early years of training who are attracted to the BlackBerry. Why? Part of the reason could be that they may have come from a corporate background. Others may be serious "texters" and they may have gravitated to the BlackBerry because of the excellent keyboard and texting capabilities. For others, it's simply about cost. You can get a free BlackBerry from many carriers.

I've been wondering why RIM hasn't been more aggressive with their marketing towards medical professionals. They should partner with more software developers and have more available for their devices. Otherwise, they'll be left in the dust with the Apple iPhone and the Microsoft Windows Phone running off into the sunset.