Few would argue that converting a paper filing system into an electronic format is a huge step up. Whether you are a small business organizing your receipts, or the head of a household putting together your shopping lists, having an easy to use, searchable, electronic record is ideal. In the simple case of going shopping my iPhone enables me to keep electronic lists of the items I think of throughout the week that I will need to pick up when I go to the stores. That list can also be emailed to the Misses if she is going to a particular store I needed something from. I also have an app that stores all of those little discount cards that every retailer uses now, so there is no need to weigh down my wallet, or key chain with an abundance of plastic. The point I am making is that I use these things because they make not just my life easier, but that of my girlfriends, the cashiers and everyone who doesn’t have to wait longer in line as I search for the right discount card. That is supposed to be the function of Electronic Medical Records, or EMR. While EMR is an outstanding achievement in healthcare, many clinicians and patients are feeling a cold shoulder during interactions with one another. “The whole point of EMR is to simplify the process and to enhance and facilitate communication,” Dr. O’Malley said. “But in order for that to happen, EMR needs to be more user-friendly and more responsive to the clinical needs of patients and clinicians.” Citing the difficulties of using EMR while creating a welcoming environment and pleasant experience with their patients, some clinicians are hoping EMR systems are redesigned with the Clinician-Patient user experience seamlessly integrated.
To read more on this complication of EMR, click here for the NY Times article, by Pauline W. Chen, M.D.
At TEDIndia, Pranav Mistry demos several tools that help the physical world interact with the world of data — including a deep look at his SixthSense device and a new, paradigm-shifting paper “laptop”.
In an onstage Q&A, Mistry says he’ll open-source the software behind SixthSense, to open its possibilities to all.
As an AT&T customer I know the frustrations of their less than ideal cell service. As I sit in the AS|D Labs office and type this post I am without service on my iPhone with its painfully expensive monthly bill. However, AT&T might have come up with a viable solution to fixing its service dilemma, through a product they are calling MicroCell. The MicroCell operates by plugging the unit into a DSL cable and it in theory creates your own personal cell tower. “The signal on the device can cover an area up to 5,000 square feet, and it gives access to up to 10 AT&T phones, four of which can connect to it simultaneously. The device can also be moved around to different locations.” Not to be skeptical, but we purchased similar devices for the office to improve service with no results, so I will be interested to see how effective the AT&T MicroCell will be. Oh and there is one little catch, right now the device is set to cost AT&T customers $150!
Nick Bilton writes on the NY Times Bits Blog:
Last December I wrote about some of the strange rituals iPhone users have adopted while trying to make phone calls on AT&T’s flaky cellular network. One idea I put forward was the creation of iPhone booths that would let iPhone customers know where there is a strong AT&T signal, to spare them having to walk around in circles saying “Can you hear me now?”
On Wednesday, at the C.T.I.A. wireless conference, AT&T might have finally answered some customers’ prayers with the national rollout of its 3G MicroCell device. The device has been available in limited cities for several months.
According to Adobe the main request they have received in regards to Photoshop has been “to make adding, removing, moving or repairing items faster and more seamless.” The above video showcases the new Content-Aware Fill feature the software will include to answer those very requests. Watching this video my jaw dropped at the speed and quality of the feature, but than I thought how would this feature work in images that are less random and more subject to have flaws pop out at the viewer. The images in the video are all nature based, grass, a dessert field and clouds, who would notice if a shrub or cloud was out of place, not many I imagine. Regardless though, I would have to suspect in any application the use of the new Content-Aware Fill will speed up any modifications needed for an image, even if they might not be as fast and simple as those in the video.
Sadly we all get old, and in some cases that means being homebound. In the past this meant, for many homebound seniors, a life of isolation, an essential prison sentence. However, there is a pilot program looking to bring the fun and camaraderie of senior centers to those who can’t go to one themselves. “At least, that’s the mission Microsoft has taken on with the launch of its new Virtual Senior Center, a program that teaches homebound seniors to use technology and the Internet to take Tai Chi classes, paint, join discussion groups and participate in other previously out-of-reach activities.” While this is no doubt a noble cause, I do hope that the program also provides security features and training to prevent these seniors from becoming the target of the unscrupulous. I mention this because despite always telling my Grandmother not to open the door without asking who was there first, every time I knocked the door would swing open without so much as a peep out of her. Be sure to read the full Forest Hills Times article on this program by clicking the Source link below.
(image source | by Dash Snow via everyone is an art director)
It’s official, that group of engineers who couldn’t stand to see Polaroid film disappear have announced the release of their version of the classic instant film. The group dubbed The Impossible Project, in acknowledgment of the difficult task of creating a working chemical composition for the new film due to the lack of availability of the original Polaroid ingredients, successfully revived the Polaroid-style instant film, for both the popular 600 series and the classic SX-70 cameras. Sales are set to begin tomorrow, 03/25. It’s a shame Dash is no longer here to see this day.
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