Windows Mobile

Windows Mobile is one of the operating systems that is used for mobile devices. As the name obviously implies, it is a Windows product made by Microsoft. There are a variety of devices that are capable of running Windows Mobile. Some of them include the Pocket PC, Smartphones, Portable Media Centers, and some automobile computers. The current version that is avilable is Windows Mobile 6 (it was released in February of 2007), and for those who use this program, a new version release is expected at some point in 2008. Windows Mobile contains a variety of standard functions that are probably well-known to PDA users. Some of the common ones include Windows Media Player, Outlook, and Office Mobile. Windows users will recongize those programs as being the very ones that are used on many computers. I would prefer this type of program, I think, because I am so familiar with the way the programs run. All things else being equal between Windows Mobile and other programs, I think the familiar interface would be a very big advantage.

Lexi-Comp

One of the more popular drug databases is Lexi-Drugs. I have used this one several times throughout my time as a pharmacy student at Iowa, so I know my way around it a little bit. There are others that I like using more (Clinical Pharmacology), but it is definitely better than some others. Lexi-Comp says that its products "develop superior drug information to support medication safety." The database includes a lot of information, although most of it is also included in other comparable databases. Some of the information includes dosing by route and population, indications, specific renal and hepatic warnings, and special FDA warnings as well as any black box warnings which may exist. Additionally, it contains a program for identifying drug interactions. I do not like the interactions checker as well as the one found in Clinical Pharmacology, but Lexi-Comp's is not too difficult to use. Lexi-Comp also includes an area that is labeled as "Clinical Pearls." Just as the name implies, that feature contains bits of information that health care professionals would find especially useful. Overall, I think Lexi-Comp does a nice job, and I would rate it in the middle of the pack when it comes to databases.

Micromedex

A very popular drug database (for both web users as well as PDA users) is the Micromedex branded products. From their website, www.micromedex.com, much information is given about a variety of products. I am going to focus on a product called "Drugdex." This is a tool that provides comprehensive drug monographs of over 2,300 drugs to health care professionals (especially intended for pharmacists). This database really includes a tremendous amount of drugs, and it includes FDA-approved drugs, foreign drugs, over the counter drugs, and even investigational drugs. Because it is online, it updates very regularly, so even the newest of drugs can be found very quickly on Drugdex. Two important features for this program make it especially useful. Drugdex allows users to compare two drugs by various attributes, and it also provides off label indications, which can be very valuable to a wide variety of health care professionals.

Sprint and MySpace

Exhibiting yet more evidence of the continuing technology advancements in regards to the smartphones, Sprint has made a major announcement today. Sprint Nextel, a United States wireless carrier, announced today that their users will have free access to the MySpace mobile web site when that site finally launches sometime in 2008. As is the way most of these smartphone features run, Sprint subscribers will be able to connect directly to the MySpace website through the Sprint home page. There will be a direct link with no URL required. On MySpace's end, they are redesigning their website so that the graphics and e-mail interface will be easier to use. MySpace is the biggest social network in the world, and the article that I read concerning this announcement claims that one million people have visited the mobile site since its beta launch last September. I personally do not use MySpace, but obviously many people are. Yesterday I made a post concerning Palm's recent improvements, and now here is another company improving its product and attempting to give its uers something that they would value.

Palm Treo 755p

I am especially interested in smartphones because I believe they are the future of PDAs and quick information access, and one of the smartphones that I hear about most frequently is the Palm Treo. One of the models that is currently popular is called the Treo 755p. It has many of the standard features of many other smartphones, but I am going to go through them anyway. This particular phone "combines a smarter phone with wireless e-mail, a built in web browser, and rich media capabilities--all at blazing, broadband-like speeds" (according to the Palm website). The Treo 755p is capable of running Microsoft Excel, Word, PowerPoint, and it can also open PDF files. Like many other modern phones, it has a color screen and the full standard keyboard. There are a tremendous number of applications available for the Treo--far too many to go into here. The Treo does have access for instant messaging, and Google Maps. I have never used the Treo, so I cannot confirm this is true, but the Treo 755p brochure claims that the newest model is smaller than older models. To me, the 755p looks like a very good product and one of the top smartphones on the market.

Diagnosaurus

One of the most unique of the PDA software programs that we have examined this semester in the PDA course is the one called Diagnosaurus. This very simple program has some fairly valuable information in it. The basic premise behind this program is to match a symptom with a possible diagnosis. The online version consists of a very easy-to-use program. You can browse by symptom or disease and then click on whichever one you are looking for. If you click on a symptom, a list of disease pops up. That list of diseases is all of the possible diseases that are associated with that particular symptom. If you select a disease instead of a symptom, the exact opposite occurs--a list of symptoms pops up that are associated with the disease. A third browsing option is to browse by organ system. Clicking on one of them brings up a list of all associated symptoms and diseases. Diagnosaurus does not include any additional information, so a different database would be needed for that, but it does give a quick overview which could be ideal for a doctor who needs a quick answer.

Palm Update

Palm has released a product update, version 2.11, for the AT&T/Cingular-branded edition of the Treo 680. The ROM update will provide a number improvements to the Treo 680. Some of the improvements include the following: you can now use the Treo like a walkie-talkie to talk to one person or a group of people, a wider variety of ring tones formats (such as MP3, AAC, MIDI, WAV), AOL, Windows Live Messenger, or Yahoo! instant messaging, and larger expansion cards (up to 4 GB SD). The upgrade also provides access to extra AT&T services, including TeleNav GPS Navigator and MobiTV for watching live TV4, in addition to a new look to AT&T's Xpress Mail application. Finally, the battery life is supposed to be improved and default system power preferences are improved as well. Evidently Palm's relative lack of success in the last couple of months (see earlier blog) has not stopped it from releasing new updates and products. I do not know how these updates work, so I would be interested to find out how people install these updates, what they cost, and how often a new update would eventually come out. I guess I will have to do research on things like that before purchasing my own PDA.

New iPhone Feature

The wildly popular iPhone continues to find ways to improve itself. A new application is available for the iPhone or iPod Touch which will allow users to remotely control a software program called "Pro Tools LE." This software is commonly used by musicians to record music on a computer from their Apple device. It is also intended to offer detailed feedback on a number of Pro Tools features. To me, that does not really make a difference at all. If I was going to buy something like an iPhone, it would be mostly for the internet capabilities and the information (including drug information) that would be available on it. To some, though, perhaps this feature will be the one which pushes them to purchase the iPhone. As I said in an earlier blog, whenever a new product or a new feature to an already existing product hits the market, the consumers are the real winners. The competition really pushes companies to find new improvements to their products.

Tarascon

From way earlier in the semester, one of the first PDA databases we covered in the PDA course was Tarascon. Tarascon is not my first choice when it comes to selecting a database to use, but it is a good option to use. One advantage Tarscon has is that it also comes in a print form, so people who do not like to use PDAs can quickly look up information in the print form. It is a little booklet that can easily fit into a pocket. I have never actually used it, so I cannot say whether it is convenient to use, but for people who do not like electronic resources, it probably would be a very appealing alternative. As for the information that is found on Tarascon, it is very similar to information found elsewhere as well. The PDA version has the standard drug interactions checker, the usual drug monographs, and it also has a section for herbal and alternative drug information. The price for a one year subscription is right around $30, so it is very competitive (and lower than many) with other databases and may be a good buy for interested buyers.

iPhone Ban Lifted

For the true smartphone lover, good news has come from Apple (who manufacturers the iPhone). I read an article on the internet and discovered that consumers can now buy up to five iPhones per person. Evidently, a couple of months ago, the company restricted consumers' ability to buy the iPhone, limiting them to only two per person. For an unspecified reason, that restriction has now been lifted, and everyone can buy five of them. I personally do not understand why people would need five of them (unless you're giving everyone on your Christmas list an iPhone), but I really do not understand why Apple restricted the purchasing. It would seem to me that the more they sold, the better off they are. Nevertheless, the article did say that consumers should be ready to be told they will be restricted once again--the company has not said that the lift on the ban is permanent. So, with Christmas quickly approaching, get out and buy those iPhones while you still can. Obviously, these are very popular products and are in very high demand. I have never actually used one, but I would think they would be very handy for a drug information needing pharmacist.

Dell's Smartphone

Right now, there is a fairly wide variety of smartphones available to consumers (both recreational users and those who use them for more "business" activities). However, in America, there can never be too many options. An article I found on the internet has said that the giant computer company Dell will be entering the market for smartphones in 2008 sometime. The article quotes a Forbes' article which says that Dell will indeed be releasing a smartphone (Dell has actually not commented on the report itself). According to the report, Dell's device will (like many other smartphones) include an MP3 player, a video player, and internet access. The article did not specify, however, whether the smartphone will offer the cellular-wireless or Wi-Fi only voice and data access. most smartphones today do include both of these, so I would hope that Dell's product would not take a technological step back and only offer once. Perhaps we should wait until we hear a definitive announcement from Dell before we really start analyzing what the company should and should not do. For consumers, however, it is always a good thing when new products enter the market, so this is good news for smartphone users.

Clinical Pharmacology

Clinical Pharmacology is by far my favorite database to use when searching for the answer to drug questions. I really like the way the online version is laid out, and obviously the PDA version is very similar to the online one. I have not used the PDA version as much as the online version, so I can only really speak as to how to use the online one. The best part of the on-screen lay-out is the "Report" feature. I like how easy it is to create a drug interactions report or a adverse reactions report. I have actually never seen some of the features (like the adverse drug reactions report) offered on other drug information databases, so I think Clinical Pharmacology definitely offers some great benefits in those areas. Also, when searching for something as simple as a drug monograph, it is very easy to navigate the site and get directly to the information that you are looking for. While some websites make it very difficult to find the information, either through a large number of steps or by making all the information one long paragraph, Clinical Pharmacology seemingly committed itself to making the searches as simply as possible. To me, that is a very important attribute when examining a database.

Palm Losing Money

With all of the hype surrounding the smartphones today, one company is struggling substantially more than others. Palm, a major smartphone manufacturer, has recently said that it is not making nearly as much money as it had projected. They did not give a reason for it, but an article I found did say that other companies like Apple (and their iPhone) and the Blackberry manufacturer are doing quite well. The question is whether this represents a change in what PDA/smartphone users desire. The Palm has always been known as having a simpler interface and easier to use. Something like the iPhone is substantially "fancier," and people probably need some sort of computer experience to use something like that. Perhaps now that most people have extensive computer knowledge, the PDA users are looking more at "fancier" products as well. I guess it only time will tell if this is a true pattern or if Palm just had a down quarter.

5-Minute Clinical Consult 2008

This software is available for $70. It will help you quickly assess patients based on various signs and symptoms. The clinical consult will ensure that the information you get is current, accurate, and accessible. This product contains clinical resource with the most up-to-date information about the diagnosis, treatment, medications, follow-up, and associated conditions of the most common medical conditions. This is a very popular software that is being used by many residents and physicians.

http://patientkeeper.com/

This software is available to purchase and helps keeps doctors at the top of their game by being able to document and track patients information. This software allows the physician to upload various information into their PDAs such as CBC, WBCS, patients chief complaints and many other functional roles. This software helps physicians see more patients and helps to remember them more easily. You will never have to fight for a free work station every again!

Biomedical PDA

BioMedicalPDA is a Palm Operating System-based management tool containing expert-authored biomedical databases that can be accessed on personal digital assistants (PDAs). Databases published in BioMedicalPDA are peer-reviewed and provide insights into the growing volume of emerging biomedical data. With over 60 databases currently available BioMedicalPDA is intended to provide you with quick facts and figures that researchers regularly quick reference. Free demo download is available and the cost of the program is $69 for the Windows OS.

Best Buy Ad 12-9 thru 12-15

The Palm® Tungsten E2 PDA with Bluetooth which has a regular price of $209 is on sale for $149 and Palm® TIX with Bluetooth® and Wi-Fi with a regular price $315 is on sale for $200. Both of these products offer great versatility and a range of specifications perfect for the beginner or the expert PDA user. Thereduced prices would make both of these products great stocking stuffers!!

Medical PDA Freeware

The commonly called "Free Medical PDA software" is geared to physicians and their handheld computers. Many free medical demos can be downloaded at http://www.netdoc.com/medical-software/medical-student-software/. However the most common free medical application for the PDA is the medical dictionary. Several other PDA program are much more helpful such as Archimedes. This medical calculator is designed for Internal Medicine but easily can be used by anyone on hospital rounds. This calculator contains acid/base calculations, TPN, GFR, IBW, and CrCl to just name a few..

The one problem with downloading free medical PDA software is that is it sometime tough to knw who wrote the program. So if this is a concern for you then be sure to stick to professional sponsored software packages to be sure the information you are getting is correct.

Facebook for BlackBerry

RIM's developed a Facebook application for BlackBerry. The Facebook has become a lot more popular than I expected...mobile facebook who would have thought!!!

The first thing I would like to point out about the Facebook BlackBerry application is that it does not do everything that Facebook can from a desktop. You can update your status, send message, write on walls, poke, upload pictures, and invite someone to Facebook. Any other activities have to be done on a PC or via the mobile Facebook Web site (m.facebook.com), which is accesible from the Facebook for BlackBerry application menu.

The Facebook BlackBerry application is simple and easy to use. When you receive something new in Facebook, such as message, a little Facebook icon appears in the top banner to make sure you know it is Facebook that needs attention and not something else.

The application also appears as an entry in your BlackBerry profiles, so you can set a ringtone for when your Facebook account becomes active. You can set your BlackBerry to vibrate or have the LED blink. And because it is in your profile when you change from Normal to Vibrate, you don't have to worry about Facebook making a sound when you don't want it too.

Each Facebook activity you can perform from your BlackBerry receives a shortcut key. For example, there's S for Status Updates or U to upload a picture. If you prefer to use a trackball you can also navigate manually to icons that launch these functions at the top of Facebook application.

Because the Facebook application knows who your friends are, when you begin to type in a name to poke someone it'll begin to pull up friends with matching names. So there's no need to remember the full name of a friend. This makes it easier to send pokes, messages, or write on a wall.

This popular social networking site along with many other ones are now becoming popular among BlackBerry users who lives are mostly on the go. The best part about this application is that its FREE!!

HTC Touch

The HTC Touch™ P3450 is the very latest compact PDA design from HTC. The HTC Touch™ comes loaded with Windows Mobile 6.0® supporting Microsoft Direct Push email, as well as Word, Excel and Powerpoint Mobile edition.

The elegantly designed HTC Touch™ fits nicely into the palm of the hand and although lightweight is still a robust little unit that should stand up to the rigours of every day life. HTC have clearly carefully considered ergonomics with the P3450 which sports a beautifully sharp 2.8 inch touch sensitive colour transflective TFT screen which can be rotated to suit individual needs. Rotating the screen to a landscape position is perfect for taking high colour photos using the 2 Megapixel camera. Once you’ve taken your photos you can view them either individually or as a deck by using the slide show viewer. The HTC Touch™ camera's interface is very intuitive and will be a pleasure for most people to take and edit photo’s on the fly.
The HTC Touch™ features the new TouchFLO™ technology allowing users to interact with the unit through a 3D interactive interface which can be spun by moving a finger across the screen. TouchFLO™ also makes the whole experience of interacting with the devices far easy including the scrolling of web pages, messages, contacts and documents. The HTC Touch™ truly rivals the iPhone in this area.

The HTC Touch™ comes with a neat little MP3 application for listening to your favourite music tracks through the stereo USB headphones supplied as part of the package. You can even set a MP3 track to play as your ring tone. The P3450 comes with plenty of storage options with the ability to slot in a Micro SD card in the side of the unit as well as onboard memory.
Getting push e-mail setup on the HTC Touch™ is extremely simple, once the address of the Exchange server has been entered followed by your domain, username and password you’ll be up and running in minutes. You can now even set your out of office status while away from your desk. The HTC P3450 Touch™ also comes loaded with Windows Live that plugs directly into the Today Screen. This allows you to quickly manage e-mail and instant messages without needing to go into each individual application.
Another great feature of the HTC Touch™ is that there is drop down menu available in the top right hand corner of the screen that displays a list of application that are currently running, from here you can either select or close individual applications.
To sum up the HTC Touch™ P3450 is a sleek unit that will appeal to many people. With support for Bluetooth and WiFi this unit really does stand out from the crowd and will attract many users looking for a new gadget that is both stylish and practical.


HTC Touch™ Main Features Overview
Windows Mobile 6® (with push email)
2.8 inch transflective TFT touch screen
MP3 Player
WLAN
Bluetooth
2 Megapixel Camera
Quadband
MicroSD slot