‘SA favours mobiles over TV’
February 29, 2012 by admin
Filed under Uncategorized
Get Sanlam’s view on the Budget Speech
Article source: http://www.iol.co.za/business/business-news/sa-favours-mobiles-over-tv-1.1245500
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Universal charger tantalisingly close for mobiles
February 29, 2012 by admin
Filed under Uncategorized
BARCELONA — Mobile phone users are tantalisingly close to the day when they can power up any phone with the same charger.
But industry players gathered at the the World Mobile Congress in Barcelona still have some way to go.
Three years ago, 17 manufacturers and operators agreed at this same conference to share the same standard for mobile phone chargers fitting into a micro-USB socket.
The relatively modest goal, defined by the global industry’s GSM Association, was that most mobile phones sold in 2012 should be compatible with the new universal charger.
Despite European Union pressure on the industry to ensure all phones share the same type of charger and thus avoid hassle for users and vast amounts of unnecessary waste, results have been mixed.
“It has been announced so many times and the customers are still waiting for it,” sighed Flavio Cuchietti, one of the project’s supervisers at the UN agency, the International Telecommunication Union.
“It has been clearly aimed at smartphones, which account for about 25-30 percent of the market in Europe. Then what about the other 70 percent, and what about the Third World?” he asked.
The ITU in 2011 asked all manufacturers to share the same mobile phone charger by 2014.
Last year, a study by the University of Genoa researchers found 10 different charger models among the eight major market players.
“Our intention is not to punish an industry or to block their development. Our intention is to find a solution that is viable, adding extra complexity and extra cost, but in the end we get to a universal solution,” Cuchietti said.
The result is also less waste, he said, estimating that more than 100,000 tonnes of chargers were discarded every year by consumers when they bought new phones.
But despite uneven progress, manufacturers say they are optimistic.
Samsung and Sony Mobile say all their models now use the universal micro-USB charger while Nokia estimates that about 70 percent of mobiles sold in the second half of 2011 were compatible with the new standard.
ITU secretary general Hamadoun Touri said the universal charger provided practical benefits for the customer. For example, people who forget their chargers when travelling would easily find a spare.
“I would like to see this technology extended across the world so that when you buy a new telephone that charger is just an option,” Touri said.
But that would require manufacturers to take another bold step.
“Consumer expectation is to have a charger included with the sales package,” said Peter Harrison, in charge of regulatory standards at the Finnish phone maker Nokia.
“We are now in a transition period,” he said.
Bertrand Villie, in charge of sustainable development at Sony Mobile France, said manufacturers were reluctant to stop selling the charger along with the phone unless everyone agreed to do so at the same time.
“We cannot decide on our own to sell our products without a charger; if we did that no-one would buy Sony Mobile!” he said. “Even so, the mobile phone industry is the only one in the world that has agreed on a universal charger.”
Copyright © 2012 AFP. All rights reserved.
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Article source: http://www.google.com/hostednews/afp/article/ALeqM5hJajc0RzOZhy-pxfk8Et09RRqR-Q?docId=CNG.42f861f1fe02bc15ece2ca430de7ad4e.8f1
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Mobiles, Medicine: Brave New World Of MHealth
February 29, 2012 by admin
Filed under Uncategorized
More Than 320 Different Medical Apps Currently In Use Around The World
Posted: 2:34 am PST February 29, 2012Updated: 3:13 am PST February 29, 2012
(CNN) — ATT and Vodafone are names we generally associate with calling plans rather than with healthcare. But with the rise of “mobile health” — the use of mobile communications technology in healthcare — some of the world’s best-known telecoms brands are partnering with health-sector companies to enter the medical fray.
“MHealth,” as it is known, has moved beyond a mere buzzword and now stands at a tipping point, say backers. According to recent analysis by PricewaterhouseCoopers for the GSM Association, an industry body representing nearly 800 of the world’s mobile operators in 219 countries, mobile-enabled services will become integral to healthcare delivery by 2017, creating a global market worth about $23 billion. GSM estimates there are more than 320 different medical applications of mobile technology currently in use around the world. MHealth has arisen as a response to a number of pressures facing healthcare systems around the world, says Jeanine Vos, executive director of mHealth at the GSM Association. She says in the developed world, ageing populations and rising rates of chronic disease are burdening overstretched health systems, coinciding with a desire from patients to take “a more active role in their health.” Mobile is particularly good at monitoring patients, giving them scope to independently manage their health, and allowing for more efficient handling of patient data, she adds. A different situation exists in the developing world, where a shortage of health services is a major issue. By making medical services more portable and accessible, Vos says mobile technology could play an important role in bringing healthcare to remote, underserviced areas. So just how is mobile tech changing healthcare provision? Below are a handful of the most innovative mHealth initiatives: ATT Vitality GlowCaps: Simply put, these pill bottles tell you when it’s time to take your medicine. With patients’ failure to take their prescribed medicine a major headache for healthcare providers, these medicine bottle caps use embedded mobile technology to encourage patients to stick to their prescription routine. When it’s time for a pill, the caps illuminate, play ringtones, then progress to calling or texting the patient’s mobile phone to remind them. A record is made of every time the pill bottle is opened, which is periodically transmitted to nominated medical staff or family members to monitor the patients’ adherence to their treatment regime. Mobisante MobiUS SP1 Ultrasound System: Ultrasound imaging is a vital diagnostic tool that can save lives, yet an estimated 70% of the world’s population, especially patients in developing countries, does not have access to the technology. This device — a mobile ultrasound probe which plugs into a smartphone — allows for handheld ultrasound imaging, enabling the technology to reach rural areas in developing countries which may be far from clinics with a conventional ultrasound machine. For a second opinion, or remote diagnosis, the scan images can be transmitted via cell network or WiFi. Read more: Waterproof mobiles make a splash Telenor home monitoring trial: This trial in Norway used embedded mobile technology — a concept encapsulated in the phrase “the internet of things,” in which machines and devices communicate wirelessly — to support the elderly in living independently by using sensors in the home to monitor for signs of distress or illness. The array of machine-to-machine (M2M) technology included a fall detector, an electronic pill dispenser, a moisture sensor for bed linen, an epilepsy alarm, and a GPS location detector. Once an alarm was triggered, healthcare providers would be notified by text. SIMAP (Intelligent Personal Alert Monitoring System): This project involving Vodafone and the Spanish Red Cross is designed to give Alzheimer’s sufferers confidence to live independently. The system equips the patient with a mobile device with a GPS receiver, which logs its position every three minutes. The device can be set to trigger an alert if the patient moves beyond a pre-defined geographic area. Dexcom Seven Plus Continuous Glucose Monitoring (CGM) system: For diabetics, monitoring glucose levels can be a cumbersome process, often involving keeping paper records of readings which are then passed on to doctors. This device features a sensor implanted under the skin to provide a continuous reading of glucose levels — monitoring the response to medication and activities. The sensor transmits blood sugar measurements to a cellphone-sized receiver every five minutes. The sensor can be worn for up to seven days at a time, sounds an alarm when glucose levels drop to a certain threshold, and allows for trend data to be transmitted to a computer for analysis. Although it’s not a true mobile device, it’s a great example of how wireless technology could revolutionize healthcare.Article source: http://www.kxly.com/health/30566619/detail.html
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SA prefers mobiles over TV
February 29, 2012 by admin
Filed under Uncategorized
South Africans spend more time on their mobile devices than they do watching television to listening to the radio, according to a Mobile Media Consumption survey. On any given day, mobile web users spend 30 percent of their media time on mobile devices, 29 percent on television and 20 percent listening to the radio, mobile advertising network InMobi said in a statement. “Availability, ease of use, and privacy are the top three driving factors to be on mobile,” it said. “Social media, entertainment, and games are the top three mobile media activities among mobile web users. This popularity will continue to grow in the next 12 months.” The survey also revealed that 79 percent of mobile users were as comfortable with mobile advertising as they were with television or online advertising. Mobile devices were redefining the media landscape across the world, InMobi CEO Naveen Tewari said in a statement. “While the opportunities to exploit mobile media remain strong, the stakeholders across the industry will be confronted with ongoing questions and challenges which need to be addressed in order to meet the growing expectations of the customer.” Respondents to the survey were recruited on global mobile advertising networks between September and November. The sample was calculated according to available mobile website demographics and included 20 000 mobile consumers in 18 markets across all continents.
Article source: http://technology.iafrica.com/articles/781527.html
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How do we manage mobiles outnumbering PCs in the enterprise?
February 29, 2012 by admin
Filed under Uncategorized
The mobility revolution will not be televised. That’s because it’s all happening in the data centre as mobile applications are being “managed” to a higher degree than ever before.
Managed applications? Yawn, boring, forget it — right?
Have you stopped reading already? Have you heard this all before? It’s an inconvenient truth, but vendors of all shapes and sizes have been slapping the “mobile application management” handle around with feverish fervour since the turn of the millennium if not before.
So why on Earth do applications need management and what makes this interesting?
BYOD – Bring Your Own Device
The challenge here is that companies have to manage personally owned BYOD devices (smartphones, tablets and laptops) that are brought into the workplace and then used to run corporate enterprise applications. Not only do firms need to lock down the security element in this equation, they also need to be able to perform analytics on the data that applications run on these devices impact.
This then, is the USP, the money shot, the $64,000 question i.e. how do we treat mobile devices (in many cases BYOD devices) the same as corporate desktops and servers and run complex data analytics on them.
With enterprises mobilising more key business functions and allowing employees to work at any time and from anywhere via mobile devices, managing and securing these mobile application environments has never been more critical.
SAP is attempting to address this market need with its release this week of the Afaria 7.0 mobile device management tool. The product aims to provide dashboards for mobile analytics and to also simplify the distribution of applications in the first place.
IDC analyst Stacy Crook says that SAP has completely revamped and streamlined Afaria’s administrative console with this release. “These enhancements have the opportunity to significantly benefit customers as the number of mobile devices surpasses PCs in the enterprise and IT requires more simplified, cost-effective mobility management.”
Afaria offers end-user self-service portals so that users can register and manage their devices. There is also device security and some application management to keep workforces productive. The product works via what SAP rather charmingly describes as a “delightful” user interface — and hey, it’s even “optimised for touchpad interaction”, but let’s leave it there lest we stray into marketing too far.
For developers, Afaria has a new web services application programming interface (API) layer, providing access by customers and partners to help integrate with enterprise systems for automation between mobile device management (MDM) and the corporate systems.
Have we provided some tiny degree of clarity into what we really mean by this term “mobile device and application management”, I sincerely hope so.
Article source: http://www.computerweekly.com/blogs/cwdn/2012/02/how-do-we-manage-mobiles-outnumbering-pcs-in-the-enterprise.html
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Mobiles and medicine: The brave new world of mHealth
February 29, 2012 by admin
Filed under Uncategorized
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The Mobisante MobiUS SP1 smartphone ultrasound system has the potential to bring ultrasound technology to remote rural areas.
The Vitality GlowCap — the mobile enabled bottle cap that tells you, through lights, ringtones or a text message, when to take your medicine.
Dexcom Seven Plus Continuous Glucose Monitoring system features a sensor implanted under the skin to provide a continuous reading of glucose levels. The sensor transmits blood sugar measurements to a cellphone-sized receiver every five minutes.
1
2
3
(CNN) — ATT and Vodafone are names we generally associate with calling plans rather than with healthcare. But with the rise of “mobile health” — the use of mobile communications technology in healthcare — some of the world’s best-known telecoms brands are partnering with health-sector companies to enter the medical fray.
“MHealth,” as it is known, has moved beyond a mere buzzword and now stands at a tipping point, say backers.
According to recent analysis by PricewaterhouseCoopers for the GSM Association, an industry body representing nearly 800 of the world’s mobile operators in 219 countries, mobile-enabled services will become integral to healthcare delivery by 2017, creating a global market worth about $23 billion.
GSM estimates there are more than 320 different medical applications of mobile technology currently in use around the world,
MHealth has arisen as a response to a number of pressures facing healthcare systems around the world, says Jeanine Vos, executive director of mHealth at the GSM Association.
She says in the developed world, ageing populations and rising rates of chronic disease are burdening overstretched health systems, coinciding with a desire from patients to take “a more active role in their health.” Mobile is particularly good at monitoring patients, giving them scope to independently manage their health, and allowing for more efficient handling of patient data, she adds.
Mobile phone boasts built-in projector
A different situation exists in the developing world, where a shortage of health services is a major issue. By making medical services more portable and accessible, Vos says mobile technology could play an important role in bringing healthcare to remote, underserviced areas.
BlackBerry in your car and in your hands
Read more: How mobile broadband can transform Africa
Ford goes high-tech with new vehicles
So just how is mobile tech changing healthcare provision? Below are a handful of the most innovative mHealth initiatives:
ATT Vitality GlowCaps: Simply put, these pill bottles tell you when it’s time to take your medicine. With patients’ failure to take their prescribed medicine a major headache for healthcare providers, these medicine bottle caps use embedded mobile technology to encourage patients to stick to their prescription routine.
When it’s time for a pill, the caps illuminate, play ringtones, then progress to calling or texting the patient’s mobile phone to remind them. A record is made of every time the pill bottle is opened, which is periodically transmitted to nominated medical staff or family members to monitor the patients’ adherence to their treatment regime.
Mobisante MobiUS SP1 Ultrasound System: Ultrasound imaging is a vital diagnostic tool that can save lives, yet an estimated 70% of the world’s population, especially patients in developing countries, does not have access to the technology.
This device — a mobile ultrasound probe which plugs into a smartphone — allows for handheld ultrasound imaging, enabling the technology to reach rural areas in developing countries which may be far from clinics with a conventional ultrasound machine. For a second opinion, or remote diagnosis, the scan images can be transmitted via cell network or WiFi.
Read more: Waterproof mobiles make a splash
Telenor home monitoring trial: This trial in Norway used embedded mobile technology — a concept encapsulated in the phrase “the internet of things,” in which machines and devices communicate wirelessly — to support the elderly in living independently by using sensors in the home to monitor for signs of distress or illness.
The array of machine-to-machine (M2M) technology included a fall detector, an electronic pill dispenser, a moisture sensor for bed linen, an epilepsy alarm, and a GPS location detector. Once an alarm was triggered, healthcare providers would be notified by text.
SIMAP (Intelligent Personal Alert Monitoring System): This project involving Vodafone and the Spanish Red Cross is designed to give Alzheimer’s sufferers confidence to live independently. The system equips the patient with a mobile device with a GPS receiver, which logs its position every three minutes. The device can be set to trigger an alert if the patient moves beyond a pre-defined geographic area.
Dexcom Seven Plus Continuous Glucose Monitoring (CGM) system: For diabetics, monitoring glucose levels can be a cumbersome process, often involving keeping paper records of readings which are then passed on to doctors. This device features a sensor implanted under the skin to provide a continuous reading of glucose levels — monitoring the response to medication and activities. The sensor transmits blood sugar measurements to a cellphone-sized receiver every five minutes.
The sensor can be worn for up to seven days at a time, sounds an alarm when glucose levels drop to a certain threshold, and allows for trend data to be transmitted to a computer for analysis. Although it’s not a true mobile device, it’s a great example of how wireless technology could revolutionize healthcare.
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Article source: http://www.cnn.com/2012/02/29/tech/mobile-health/index.html
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Mobiles and medicine: The brave new world of mHealth
February 29, 2012 by admin
Filed under Uncategorized
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The Mobisante MobiUS SP1 smartphone ultrasound system has the potential to bring ultrasound technology to remote rural areas.
The Vitality GlowCap — the mobile enabled bottle cap that tells you, through lights, ringtones or a text message, when to take your medicine.
Dexcom Seven Plus Continuous Glucose Monitoring system features a sensor implanted under the skin to provide a continuous reading of glucose levels. The sensor transmits blood sugar measurements to a cellphone-sized receiver every five minutes.
1
2
3
(CNN) — ATT and Vodafone are names we generally associate with calling plans rather than with healthcare. But with the rise of “mobile health” — the use of mobile communications technology in healthcare — some of the world’s best-known telecoms brands are partnering with health-sector companies to enter the medical fray.
“MHealth,” as it is known, has moved beyond a mere buzzword and now stands at a tipping point, say backers.
According to recent analysis by PricewaterhouseCoopers for the GSM Association, an industry body representing nearly 800 of the world’s mobile operators in 219 countries, mobile-enabled services will become integral to healthcare delivery by 2017, creating a global market worth about $23 billion.
GSM estimates there are more than 320 different medical applications of mobile technology currently in use around the world,
MHealth has arisen as a response to a number of pressures facing healthcare systems around the world, says Jeanine Vos, executive director of mHealth at the GSM Association.
She says in the developed world, ageing populations and rising rates of chronic disease are burdening overstretched health systems, coinciding with a desire from patients to take “a more active role in their health.” Mobile is particularly good at monitoring patients, giving them scope to independently manage their health, and allowing for more efficient handling of patient data, she adds.
Mobile phone boasts built-in projector
A different situation exists in the developing world, where a shortage of health services is a major issue. By making medical services more portable and accessible, Vos says mobile technology could play an important role in bringing healthcare to remote, underserviced areas.
BlackBerry in your car and in your hands
Read more: How mobile broadband can transform Africa
Ford goes high-tech with new vehicles
So just how is mobile tech changing healthcare provision? Below are a handful of the most innovative mHealth initiatives:
ATT Vitality GlowCaps: Simply put, these pill bottles tell you when it’s time to take your medicine. With patients’ failure to take their prescribed medicine a major headache for healthcare providers, these medicine bottle caps use embedded mobile technology to encourage patients to stick to their prescription routine.
When it’s time for a pill, the caps illuminate, play ringtones, then progress to calling or texting the patient’s mobile phone to remind them. A record is made of every time the pill bottle is opened, which is periodically transmitted to nominated medical staff or family members to monitor the patients’ adherence to their treatment regime.
Mobisante MobiUS SP1 Ultrasound System: Ultrasound imaging is a vital diagnostic tool that can save lives, yet an estimated 70% of the world’s population, especially patients in developing countries, does not have access to the technology.
This device — a mobile ultrasound probe which plugs into a smartphone — allows for handheld ultrasound imaging, enabling the technology to reach rural areas in developing countries which may be far from clinics with a conventional ultrasound machine. For a second opinion, or remote diagnosis, the scan images can be transmitted via cell network or WiFi.
Read more: Waterproof mobiles make a splash
Telenor home monitoring trial: This trial in Norway used embedded mobile technology — a concept encapsulated in the phrase “the internet of things,” in which machines and devices communicate wirelessly — to support the elderly in living independently by using sensors in the home to monitor for signs of distress or illness.
The array of machine-to-machine (M2M) technology included a fall detector, an electronic pill dispenser, a moisture sensor for bed linen, an epilepsy alarm, and a GPS location detector. Once an alarm was triggered, healthcare providers would be notified by text.
SIMAP (Intelligent Personal Alert Monitoring System): This project involving Vodafone and the Spanish Red Cross is designed to give Alzheimer’s sufferers confidence to live independently. The system equips the patient with a mobile device with a GPS receiver, which logs its position every three minutes. The device can be set to trigger an alert if the patient moves beyond a pre-defined geographic area.
Dexcom Seven Plus Continuous Glucose Monitoring (CGM) system: For diabetics, monitoring glucose levels can be a cumbersome process, often involving keeping paper records of readings which are then passed on to doctors. This device features a sensor implanted under the skin to provide a continuous reading of glucose levels — monitoring the response to medication and activities. The sensor transmits blood sugar measurements to a cellphone-sized receiver every five minutes.
The sensor can be worn for up to seven days at a time, sounds an alarm when glucose levels drop to a certain threshold, and allows for trend data to be transmitted to a computer for analysis. Although it’s not a true mobile device, it’s a great example of how wireless technology could revolutionize healthcare.
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Article source: http://www.cnn.com/2012/02/29/tech/mobile-health/index.html?eref=rss_health
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Criminals use mobiles in jails
February 29, 2012 by admin
Filed under Uncategorized
Jaipur: Rajasthan High Court slammed the prison authorities taking a suo motu cognisance of the news report that criminals were openly using mobile phones inside jails in state and said the jail administration “appears to be on the verge of collapse”. A division bench headed by Chief Justice Arun Mishra observed, “It is a serious matter in which it appears that the jail administration appears to be on the verge of collapse.” Annoyed with the news published in various newspapers that a hardcore criminal Atish was running a threat and extortion racket from Central Jail, Ajmer, Justice Mishra said, “Prisoners are being incarcerated with a view to preventing them from committing offence. In case they are getting offence committed while remaining inside the jail, the state cannot escape the responsibility.” The bench said, “We direct the jail administration to search all the jails in state and ensure that no prisoner in Rajasthan is possessing any mobile or any such electronic device by which he can communicate with outside world.” The court directed Additional Advocate General N A Naqvi to ensure compliance of the order in two days and asked the DG Prisons to appear in person on March 2 with compliance report. (PTI)
Article source: http://news24online.com/Criminals-use-mobiles-in-jails_News24_40700.aspx
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Consumers spending more time on mobiles than watching TV
February 29, 2012 by admin
Filed under Uncategorized
Allan Swann
Published 28 February 2012
New research suggests that mobiles are rapidly becoming one of the main ways we consume media, passing TV usage for the first time.
New research suggests that mobiles are rapidly becoming one of the main ways we consume media, passing TV usage for the first time.
Research by mobile advertising company inMobi states that users are now spending 27% of their media time on mobile, and just 22% with television. Computers are still in the lead with 32%. These stats are based upon an average media consumption of 7.2 hours per day.
InMobi CEO Naveen Tewari believes that mobile devices are redefining the media landscape worldwide.
“As we move into 2012, we will continue to see these trends rapidly accelerate as consumers rely ever more heavily on their mobile device. While the opportunities to exploit mobile media remain strong, the stakeholders across the industry will be confronted with ongoing questions and challenges which need to be addressed in order to meet the growing expectations of the customer.”
Most interestingly, 66% of users surveyed are more or equally comfortable with mobile advertising vs. TV or online ads. 48% said that phones most impacted purchasing decisions, ahead of computers with 47% and TV with 46%.
Mobile consumers also recognise the impact of mobile advertising on purchase behaviour, with three quarters planning to conduct m-commerce activities within the next year and 42% claiming that mobile advertising has introduced them to something new.
Article source: http://www.cbronline.com/news/consumers-spending-more-time-on-mobiles-than-watching-tv-28-02-12
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Dumb Friends League spay-mobiles are on the move
February 29, 2012 by admin
Filed under Uncategorized
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Article source: http://www.examiner.com/animal-news-in-denver/dumb-friends-league-spay-mobiles-are-on-the-move