New Intel Haswell Processor

If you're thinking about upgrading your laptop or Windows tablet PC, you may want to consider waiting for computers that will use the new Intel Haswell processor. We're finally about to see fast performance in mobile computers that have all-day battery endurance. These newer computers will get released this summer.

The Intel Haswell processor is a 4th-gen Core processor. It's much more power-efficient. Imagine the power of i5 but the battery life of Atom.

Right now, your options for all-day computing on a Windows platform are dual-core Atom-based mobile computers like Windows 8 tablets. While these devices perform very respectably for basic computing tasks, they don't compare to the processing speed that you'll find with ultrabooks computers equipped with Intel i3, i5, or i7 3rd-gen Core processors (Ivy Bridge). So, you have to make a compromise. Either get a small and light Atom-based PC that has really long battery life but slower performance, or grab a larger, heavier device that is fast, but doesn't last all day.

One of the first laptops to come with the new Intel Haswell processor could be a refreshed MacBook Air in the middle of June. I'm sure the Microsoft Surface Pro will also get a new processor this summer that will give it longer battery life.

8" tablets running Windows 8 are coming soon

These days, some may argue that the 8" tablet is the "perfect" size. It fits easily into a white coat pocket if you're a medical student or doctor. You can usually hold it in one hand. It's fairly light. If you own an iPad mini, you're probably using that more than your regular iPad because it's smaller, but not too small.

We can expect to see some Windows 8 tablets on 8" form factors soon. The Iconia W3 Windows 8 tablet from Acer might be one of the first ones to hit the market. This is an 8.1" tablet that will run Windows 8 Pro on an Atom processor. The screen resolution is 1,280 x 768 (or maybe 1,280 x 800?) and you can expect all-day battery life at approximately 8 hrs.

How many 8" tablets running Windows 8 will we see this summer?

Get Doximity on your iPad

If you're a physician in the United States, get the Doximity app for your iPad. Doximity is the largest and fastest growing physician network in the US. There are over 160,000 physicians on Doximity. 

Here's the press release from a few days ago:

Largest Physician Network Brings HIPAA Collaboration to the Big Screen 

 

SAN MATEO, Calif., May 2, 2013 /PRNewswire/ -- Doximity, the largest online physician network, today launched its new iPad app, bringing its HIPAA-secure communication platform for doctors to the big screen. Already available online and for iPhone and Android smartphone devices, the new Doximity iPad app enables seamless digital communication and collaboration among physicians leveraging the iPad's larger screen and performance.

Read more »

Samsung Galaxy Note 8: is pen-based computing coming back?

The Samsung Galaxy Note 8 is an Android tablet that includes the Samsung S-Pen, an active digitizer that uses Wacom technology. This little tablet is almost like an iPad mini with a pen.

Is pen-based computing making a comeback? In Asia, pen-based devices are extremely popular because of the way Asians write characters. For example, in English, we may write "hello." That's easy when you have an on-screen keyboard.

In Korean, it would be: 안녕하세요
In Chinese, it would be: 你好
In Japanese, it would be: こんにちは

OK, I think you get the picture. So, how about in health care? It's easier to jot notes when you're standing by a patient's bedside. It also feels more natural and it's easier to maintain eye contact when you're jotting notes with a pen.

For now, pen-based computing is an essential form of data entry. However, as we rely heavier on voice recognition, the pen and our finger tips will become obsolete. We're just not there yet.

HP Slate 7 Android Tablet

You can now get a 7" Android tablet for $169.99 from HP. The HP Slate 7 is an Android tablet that also includes a microSD card slot, cameras on the front and back, and features Beats Audio for excellent sound from a small little device. Runs Android 4.1.

7" is a really nice size for an Android tablet. Fits easily in one hand. Slips into a white coat pocket.

Ethernet to Wi-Fi

These days, more hospitals are moving from Ethernet to Wi-Fi because of the rapid growth of mobile devices that use wireless connectivity. Who needs to be wired into a wall when you're carrying around a tablet PC or pushing a "computer on wheels" through the halls of a hospital?

Many smaller, lighter, thinner computers like the Apple MacBook Air and most of the Windows 8 tablet PCs don't have Ethernet ports on them. Who wants to carry around an Ethernet USB adapter?   Switched Ethernet is an Ethernet LAN that uses switches to connect individual hosts or segments.

Verizon telemedicine commercial

The other day, I was exercising at the gym and I caught this Verizon commercial that showcases a telemedicine example of a skier who was injured on a mountain. Rescuers placed ECG electrodes on the patient and they were using mobile tablets to communicate with a remote doctor who was able to view the patient's vital signs and communicate with the rescuers on the mountain. Looks like the clinicians in the commercial were using Samsung Galaxy tablets, but I can't be sure.



Verizon Powerful Answers - "Black Diamond :60" Commercial

Verizon is helping to create technologies that enhance healthcare delivery and emergency response. Because the world's biggest challenges deserve even bigger solutions.