Category Archives: Technology

CORPUS CHRISTI -

Teachers from area districts are turning to technology to make learning activities more exciting for students and staff alike. Instructional Technology Specialist Cary Perales says, it's all for the third annual "Tech 2 Teach" conference held at Veterans Memorial High School.

"We have teachers that're on their break coming in to learn something to bring to their classroom to teach at a higher level," Teacher, Denis Wisner said.

Wisner is just one of nearly a thousand teachers trying to better their ability to educate, ahead of the new school year.

"Really it's to let our teachers get fired up about going back into the classroom and teaching our students those 21st century skills sets that they need," Perales said.

She adds, that the conference considers multiple ways of learning and bringing staff together.

"Getting to network with other teachers, they're getting to see all kinds of sessions integrating technology in the classroom."

Teachers like Emily Schellinger and Jenifer Martinez say, while technology is seeming taking over, some still like the old fashioned way of hands-on learning. However, students are still encourage to B.Y.O.D.

"It's very important for the students to come into the classroom and use their devices, here at Veterans we have BYOD, which is bring your own device and whether it's a phone or chrome book or a laptop the kids are encouraged to use it," Martinez said.

Overall, the goal is to keep the attention of easily distracted students, focused on fun, interactive learning tools.

More information: https://www.tcea.org/event/area-2-corpus-christi-technology-conference-tech2teach/

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Teachers embracing technology in the classroom - KRIS Corpus Christi News

Ionic said it had developed prototypes of a rechargeable alkaline battery that can be made using continuous manufacturing processes similar to the making of plastic wrap. So far, the company, which is backed by William Joy, a pioneering Silicon Valley computer designer, has demonstrated up to 400 recharge cycles for its prototypes. Ionic executives say they believe they will be able to triple that.

The alkaline batteries that Ionic has developed would initially be heavier than todays lithium-ion batteries, said Mike Zimmerman, a materials scientist who is the founder and chief executive of Ionic. But the new batteries would more than compensate for that handicap with their cost advantage and, in time, their ability to store more energy.

There are other advantages besides cost and safety. Lithium-ion batteries rely on cobalt, and using that element comes with a human cost. Cobalt mines in Africa, for example, have been accused of using child labor while leaving behind a toxic mess.

Alkaline batteries, on the other hand, use relatively abundant zinc and manganese. Ionic can help us get lithium-ion past cobalt and completely eliminate it with alkaline, said Mr. Joy, who is a member of Ionics board.

He also said that the company had made progress toward an alkaline battery design that would replace zinc with more affordable aluminum. In the past, aluminum has not been usable because of issues like corrosion. Alkaline batteries based on aluminum would potentially weigh less than lithium-ion batteries and would be even cheaper to produce than todays alkaline designs.

Ionic will make its announcement in Colorado at a conference for the 35th anniversary of the Rocky Mountain Institute, a sustainable-energy research group founded by the physicist and environmentalist Amory Lovins and Hunter Lovins, his former wife.

They started with a very sensible set of criteria, Dr. Lovins said of Ionic. They use an unusual electrolyte to come up with a battery that uses common cheap materials and is benign.

But he added a note of caution: Batteries are very difficult and I want to see what they have and what can be measured and proven and whether it will get to market.

Technological progress in battery technology has been glacial compared with the exponential advances in processing speed and data storage capacity that have been staples of Silicon Valleys growth. In the last 150 years, only a handful of rechargeable battery chemistries have reached mass adoption.

Tesla, in partnership with Panasonic, is building a factory in Nevada with the intent of greatly expanding capacity to make lithium-ion batteries and lower production costs. Tesla officials said they wanted to create enough capacity to produce batteries for 1.5 million cars a year.

There is growing interest in pursuing such so-called solid-state battery technologies for both consumer and transportation applications. Last fall, the United States Department of Energys agency for supporting research in next-generation energy technology announced 16 research awards aimed at accelerating development of solid battery technologies, including a $3 million contract to Ionic Materials. The company said it had signed several licensing deals to produce commercial versions of its design, but it would not identify its partners.

The United States Advanced Battery Consortium, an auto industry group, wants to greatly reduce the cost of lithium-ion production. Analysts, however, say they believe the new facilities and technology from auto and battery manufacturers will help bring costs down, but still fall short of industry goals.

In contrast, Ionic executives said they had found a way to achieve energy production costs that would be less than a fifth of the auto consortiums target.

Bloomberg New Energy Finance, an energy research group, has forecast that mass-market adoption of electric vehicles will not occur until operating costs fall to match those of internal combustion engines. That is expected to happen in 2025, according to the group.

In December, Ionic Materials also described a solid material it said would improve the safety of existing lithium-ion batteries. The company has demonstrated the batteries resistance to catching fire or exploding by driving nails through them and even shooting them with bullets.

A version of this article appears in print on August 2, 2017, on Page B2 of the New York edition with the headline: Massachusetts Start-Up Trumpets Advance in Battery Capacity.

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A Better, Safer Battery Could Be Coming to a Laptop Near You - New York Times

Tesla Inc.s director of battery technology has left the company, the latest in a raft of management departures from the automaker introducing its new Model 3 electric car.

Kurt Kelty, who joined Tesla in 2006, was one of the longest-serving executives at the automaker led by Chief Executive Officer Elon Musk. He previously worked more than 14 years at Panasonic Corp., Teslas partner on the battery gigafactory near Reno, Nevada. Kelty led negotiations with Panasonic on that plant, according to his LinkedIn profile.

We can confirm that Kurt Kelty has left the company to explore new opportunities and we want to thank him for everything hes done for Tesla, the company said in an emailed statement Tuesday, noting that his responsibilities will be distributed among Teslas existing teams.

Kelty couldnt immediately be reached for comment.

News of Keltys exit comes at a critical juncture for Tesla, which turned over the first batch of Model 3 vehicles to employees Friday night. Tesla began producing the more affordable electric car last month and aims to make 20,000 a month by December, a challenging ramp-up plan that Musk described to employees as production hell.

Teslas more than 22,000 deliveries of Model S sedans and Model X sport utility vehicles in the second quarter were slowed by a temporary shortage of 100 kWh battery packs. The company said last month the packs were being made using new technology and production lines.

Tesla and Keltys previous employer Panasonic have had a close partnership, with the two in a supply agreement for 1.8 billion battery cells through 2017 for the Model S and Model X. For the Model 3, the companies jointly developed new, slightly larger cylindrical battery cells than those used in Teslas existing models.

Chief Financial Officer Jason Wheeler, a former Google executive, left the company earlier this year. Tesla reports second quarter earnings on Wednesday after the market closes.

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Tesla's Longtime Battery Technology Director Leaves Company - Bloomberg

August 1, 2017 by Ethan Varian, Los Angeles Times

At an after-party for the red carpet premiere of the seventh season of "Game of Thrones" at Walt Disney Concert Hall, partygoers watched as Westeros came to life on the building before them.

An icy visage of the Night King loomed over the affair while dragons soared across the hall's sweeping arched facade, breathing flames that appeared to envelope the iconic structure.

Local designer Bart Kresa created the multimedia installation for the HBO event using a technique called projection mapping. Employing high-powered video projectors and sophisticated spatial mapping software, projection mapping enables artists and designers to cast virtual graphics onto the physical world, fitting them to the exact contours and dimensions of just about any surface.

Projected light shows have been popular in Europe for years, thanks to generous public funding for the arts. But as the underlying technology has advanced and become more affordable, projection mapping has exploded in the U.S.

LA in particular, with its year-round calendar of Hollywood premieres, parties and theme park events, has become a hotbed for this emerging medium. Projected installations have been recently featured at TCL Chinese Theatre and the "Harry Potter" attraction at Universal Studios Hollywood. Disneyland also showcases projections at a number of its attractions, including Sleeping Beauty Castle and It's a Small World.

TV and film executives say the technology helps create social media buzz around certain events. "I had phone calls from vendors and friends around the world," said Billy Butchkavitz, HBO's event designer who used projection mapping for the premiere of "Game of Thrones," "Westworld" and other shows.

"Whenever the budget allows I try to work in some form of projection mapping in the overall design of the event," Butchkavitz said.

Many companies hired to work on these events are based in LA, tapping the city's pool of experienced animators to meet a growing demand for projection mapping shows.

In addition to the HBO premiere, Kresa and his 30-person team at Bartkresa Studio have created shows for Disney, Warner Bros., Universal Studios and the Grammy Awards. A projection for a Warner Bros. party in 2012 filled nearly an entire movie studio lot, creating optical illusions that gave the multistory buildings the appearance of depth and movement.

"It's a large-scale, bigger-than-life experience," Kresa said.

To create a projection, mappers first take hundreds of photos of an object or building or use laser scanning technology to gather its exact dimensions. The information is then analyzed by specialized software that stitches together a 3-D computer model of the structure. Onto the model, the software overlays graphics that are created using commercial animation programs. Next, designers produce a warped, two-dimensional image of the digital reproduction that perfectly fits to the shape of the physical object.

The final product is projected onto the space using extra-bright laser or LCD projectors built by retailers such as Panasonic and Epson, which can cost as much as $100,000 apiece. Kresa and his crew operated 12 projectors to cover the concert hall for the HBO after-party.

To captivate an audience, telling a compelling story with the technology is just as important as creating striking visual effects, said Garson Yu, founder and chief executive of LA-based design company YU+co.

Yu and his team of designers have projected New Year's Eve light shows onto Los Angeles City Hall since 2015. The projections, which covered the historic building's nearly 30-story face, not only featured dazzling 3-D effects but also each had unique narrative themes. One followed a young boy as he explored different neighborhoods in LA and discovered the history of the city.

"When I look at a building, I don't just look at it as an object or as a canvas we project an image onto," Yu said. "I look at it as almost like a character - as something that carries a lot of stories and memories."

Yu declined to reveal the company's finances but said demand for projection mapping has helped boost his company's revenue by more than 50 percent in recent years.

Philippe Bergeron, founder and head of LA-based projection mapping company Paintscaping, also has enjoyed brisk business since its founding in 2009.

Bergeron declined to reveal finances but said 2017 is poised to be the company's most profitable year. The company usually charges $50,000 to $100,000 per project, Bergeron said.

Most of his team of 20 to 30 contractors have experience working in local film and video game studios such as Dreamworks Animation and Digital Domain. "There is an availability of the most incredible animators on the planet right here in LA," Bergeron said.

LA County is a major hub for artistic talent with more than 5,800 animators and multimedia artists, according to the 2017 Otis Report on the Creative Economy.

Despite the abundance of quality animators, projection mapping makes up only a small fraction of event spending in LA. One reason is that it's hard to get approvals. City officials can be reluctant to issue permits for large-scale installations, fearing they will distract drivers on local freeways.

Still, Kate Johnson, a digital media professor at Otis College, said an increase in public city-sponsored events is driving a higher demand for projection shows.

"Projection mapping has been huge throughout Europe, where it had a history of public gatherings," Johnson said. "LA is now an emerging market because it's beginning to figure out how to put on a big public event."

Bergeron's company has created a number of projections for public venues, including LA landmarks such as Rodeo Drive and the entertainment district called Hollywood and Highland Center, which has become a key source of revenue.

Paintscaping has produced mapping effects in music videos for Rihanna, John Legend and Eminem, as well as television commercials for Infiniti and BMW. For BMW, Bergeron and his team concocted projections that appeared to spiral and twist inside of the body of a car.

"It's not just an artist's paintbrush, but a new paradigm in lighting, marketing and entertainment," Bergeron said.

Eventually, projection mapping may replace your smartphone. San Francisco startup Lightform is building a computer that will be able to attach to any projector and, in effect, turn it into a real-time 3-D scanner. It would enable an individual artist to project graphics onto an object at the same time he or she is designing them.

Lightform CEO Brett Jones said the computer will be available by fall. The company, which launched in 2014, has raised $2.6 million in seed funding and grants led by Silicon Valley venture capital firms Lux Capital and Seven Seas Partners.

"Projection mapping can provide visual illusions that are compelling magic, similar to (virtual reality) headsets that you would wear," Jones said.

"In our version, you have projectors as light sources and every surface in a room can become an interactive display."

In Jones' future, which he refers to as "projected augmented reality (AR)," you'll be able to order a ride with Lyft or shop on Amazon just by touching or talking to a projected display.

"We have a vision for being the Apple of projected AR," Jones said.

Bergeron also predicts a bright future for projection mapping.

"I see every light bulb being an intelligent light bulb that can scan in 3-D in real time and re-project," he said. "In the future, we're not going to be able to trust reality because we will be able to create effects that are so incredibly real that you're not going to know the difference."

Explore further: New technology for dynamic projection mapping

2017 Los Angeles Times Distributed by Tribune Content Agency, LLC.

It has been thought technically difficult to achieve projection mapping onto a moving/rotating object so that images look as though they are fixed to the object.

A team from the Ishikawa Watanabe Laboratory at Tokyo University and Tokyo Electron Device (TED) have come up with a prototype of a high-speed projector called "DynaFlash" which can project 8-bit images up to 1,000fps with ...

Once upon a time family entertainment meant checkers, darts and playing charades. Then came game consoles and headsets. Now a Microsoft Research effort shows RoomAlive, a proof-of-concept prototype that makes rooms immersive ...

The facial appearance of actors can be transformed during live stage performances using a new advanced system developed by a team at Disney Research that can track an actor's movements and changing expressions so that the ...

NICT has developed a new projection-type see-through holographic 3-D display technology combining an optical screen of a digitally designed holographic optical element (DDHOE) and a digital holographic projection technique. ...

Projecting images on curved screens poses a dilemma. The sharper the image, the darker it is. A novel optical approach brings brightness and sharpness together for the first time on screens of any curvature and additionally ...

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Use of this visual technology is becoming popular for big events - Phys.Org

It may be tempting to pick up some Egalet Corporation (EGLT) stock now that the price has dropped over 75% in the last year, but be wary of catching knives which may still be falling. Much of Egalets apparent value is reliant on its Guardian Technology proving itself as a credible abuse-deterrent technology. Egalet stock should remain stagnant in the near future, and I advise to keep an eye on it and re-evaluate in mid-to-late 2018.

Opioid abuse, including the prescription drugs oxycodone, hydrocodone, and others, has risen exponentially in the last decade. Drug overdoses were the leading cause of accidental death in the United States in 2015, with prescription opioid deaths making up roughly 40% of these. As the problem grows worse, more and more companies are creating abuse-deterrent technology platforms to attempt to curb the epidemic. Egalet Corporation is focused on developing abuse-deterrent formulations of opioids using its proprietary Guardian Technology. The Guardian Technology platform is designed to make pills more resistant to physical and chemical manipulation, but Egalet's first approved product utilizing Guardian Technology, Arymo ER, did not receive all abuse-deterrent designations for which they were hoping. This could lead to a very slow stock price recovery for Egalet as much of their pipeline is reliant on Guardian Technology, which now seems like it will not be able to stand out in a crowded market.

The companys stock has been decimated in the last year due to labeling problems of its most recently approved drug, Arymo ER. Though gaining FDA approval of Arymo ER early this year, Egalet was not able to secure the coveted intranasal or oral abuse-deterrent labels. The FDA has been fairly relaxed regarding Arymo ER abuse-deterrent marketing material, but the only abuse-deterrent label granted was deterrence against intravenous use. The FDAs relaxed oversight of marketing material may be indicative of anything helps attitude in the fight against opioid abuse. While this may help Egalet market Arymo ER, there are still many problems associated with marketing a similar product in a crowded market.

Egalet has two other approved products which it is currently marketing, SPRIX Nasal Spray and Oxyado. SPRIX nasal spray is an NSAID (Nonsteroidal Anti-Inflammatory Drug) targeted at short-term (up to 5 days) pain management for moderate to severe pain which requires analgesia at the opioid level. SPRIX, which accounts for ~75% of Egalets sale, may face competition beginning in 2018 from generics as its patent protection runs out. The other approved product, Oxyado, is an IR oxycodone pill aimed designed to discourage against nasal and intravenous abuse. Egalet recently submitted approval for higher dose Oxyado (10 mg and 15 mg) which could help boost sales in 2H17. Revenues have been growing steadily for these two products, seeing double digit percentage growth quarter over quarter for the past year.

Guardian Technology is Egalets proprietary technology used to create abuse-deterrent forms of opioid pills. Apart from SPRIX nasal spray and Oxyado, all Egalets approved and pipeline products rely on Guardian Technology being accepted by the healthcare field as a viable abuse-deterrent technology. Guardian Technology takes advantage of injection molding a polymer matrix to create a physically hard and difficult to manipulate pill. The technology also resists chemical manipulation and API extraction by turning into a viscous hydrogel on contact with liquids. This allowed Arymo ER to secure an intravenous abuse-deterrent label.

It is important to note that Guardian Technology does not actually alter the API of the drug, but is a way to make it more difficult to abuse. The problem with Arymo ER and other abuse deterrent opioids on the market is that they are not effective in deterring against the most common way prescription opioids are abused orally.

During a recent conversation I had with an abuse counselor, he described drug addicts as some of the smartest, most clever people he knew. This conversation got me thinking about the innovation needed to curb the opioid abuse crisis in the United States. Yes, Guardian Technology will make it more difficult for patients to misuse prescription drugs. Yes, Guardian Technology is a step in the right direction. No, Guardian Technology should not be considered a game-changer in the fight against oral and nasal opioid abuse.

Figure 1. Orange Arrows Represent Use of Guardian Technology.

To make matters worse, the abuse-deterrent opioid market is crowded and growing more crowded rapidly. Many of the players in this field utilize abuse-deterrent mechanisms very similar to Egalets Guardian Technology (MorphaBond ER, RoxyBond, etc.). Arymo ER only securing the intravenous abuse-deterrent label greatly hindered its chance to set itself apart from the other players in the market. The FDAs comprehensive action plan to reduce opioid misuse and abuse has a provision to expand abuse-deterrent formulations (ADFSs) to discourage abuse - which should encourage even more players to enter the market.

While the fundamentals arent looking great, Egalets technical indicators imply a bounce may be coming soon. The Relative Strength Index (RSI) has been hovering in the low 30s for the last few weeks indicating oversold, and the Moving Average Convergence Divergence (MACD) seems to be crossing the signal line, indicating potential bullish momentum.

Financially speaking, Egalet is in a decent position. Net Product sales increased from $2.5 million in 1Q16 to $5.5 million in 1Q17 while net loss increased from $18.5 million to $25.4 million in the same timeframe. Arymo ER sales may rely heavily on how well product is marketed. The company has a relatively high cash burn rate, but management has expressed confidence the company has enough cash, cash equivalents, and marketable securities to last until at least June 30, 2018. The company will continue to have a high cash burn rate for the foreseeable future as it continues R&D and marketing efforts.

This stock may be a buy if you are looking to sell on any bounce in stock price. Shorting does not seem logical at this point due to the stock losing ~75% of value in under a year, but may be a good move on a substantial bounce. Overall, the risk/reward is currently not in a good enough place to establish a position either way. I would suggest keeping an eye on this ticker and establishing a contrarian position on any big move either way. Short-term, this stock may be a good buy due to a possible technical bounce.

Yes, Guardian Technology discourages abuse by making the API less accessible and more difficult to alter, but to what extent? Egalet and their proprietary Guardian Technology are obviously improvements over the large number of opioids being prescribed with no abuse-deterrent properties whatsoever. The problem is whether Guardian Technology is a game-changing innovation or small step in the right direction which could soon be overshadowed by innovations of other companies. I lean toward the latter due to the fight against opioid abuse epidemic being such a potentially profitable market. Long-term, I do not believe Egalets Guardian Technology to be the solution for the opioid crisis taking place.

Overall, while Egalet Corporation may seem like a good buy at the current price, there is still room for further falling and the possibility the company may never be profitable. The long road to profitability for Egalet, coupled with the fact Guardian Technology is not a particularly game-changing technology, leads me to recommend avoiding this stock for now. There are better places to put your money which offer a much better risk/reward ratio. If you do feel the urge to invest in this company, I would encourage you to wait until at least August 9th to better evaluate after the conference call and Arymo ER sales data.

Disclosure: I/we have no positions in any stocks mentioned, and no plans to initiate any positions within the next 72 hours.

I wrote this article myself, and it expresses my own opinions. I am not receiving compensation for it (other than from Seeking Alpha). I have no business relationship with any company whose stock is mentioned in this article.

Editor's Note: This article covers one or more stocks trading at less than $1 per share and/or with less than a $100 million market cap. Please be aware of the risks associated with these stocks.

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Egalet's Guardian Technology Begins Fight Against Opioid Abuse Epidemic - Seeking Alpha

By: Eden Collinsworth

Morality is a personal set of beliefs, and you could say that its the core of who we are as individuals. Ethics is expressed in terms of the expectations and the sanctions that are defined and enforced by a certain culture and society.

Whats completely confounding today is that the world has never been so interconnected, but what we forget is that the ethical positions or decisions or expectations occur within a given period of time in a certain cultural silo.

That is why many of us are completely disconcerted by what we think is so obviously right and wrong when other people dont believe that. Quite honestly, the book that Ive written was the result of living in China for a period of timeand they are simply operating with a different set of moral values.

The perspective is not one from aJudeo-Christian sense of rightand wrong. Theyre far more philosophical and dont believe that theres any one way of beingright, and there are very few ways of being wrong. A business contract becomes extremely vague and amorphous even after youve signed it because theres a belief that its a continuation of a dialogue and not the culmination of one.

This led me to contemplate whether my own values were at all germane or applicable any longer in the US, as an American. I explored that question with a variety of other people in terms of the moral choices theyve made. Some of them have upheld the moral status quo, others have been defiant. From Technology and the Decline of Morality

DISCLAIMER : Views expressed above are the author's own.

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Technology and morality - Times of India (blog)

Federal IT budgets are expected to exceed $4.8 billion in 2019, and the amount of money spent on IT is predicted to outpace other industries [1][2]. But which software and tech trends are dominating the medical field? Here are three that you need to know about.

Patient scheduling tools optimize patient management. This software makes it easier for hospitals and medical facilities to arrange appointments and communicate with patients. Unlike other types of software, patient information is centralized in one place, providing users with quick access to valuable data. The best new software automates patient scheduling, sends appointment reminders to patients via SMS or email and optimizes record keeping and billing. Some of the most popular patient scheduling tools include NueMD, ECLIPSE and WebPT.

There are various benefits of patient scheduling software. Medical practitioners reduce no-shows, save money and improve the level of service they provide to patients. Unlike manual patient scheduling, everything is automated.

Patients can also book appointments online -- a growing trend in the medical sector. Seventeen percent of patients scheduled a doctor's appointment online or through a mobile app in the last year, while a further 42 percent said they would schedule an appointment online if they had the opportunity to do so [3]. Moreover, 66 percent of US health systems will provide online self-scheduling by the end of 2019 [4].

Around 610,000 people die of heart disease in the United States every single year, making it the leading cause of death for both men and women [5]. Tech developers are trying to solve this problem with new products like diagnostic chips and portable devices. There's even a smartwatch that prevents heart-related conditions: iBeat features tiny micro sensors that monitor a user's heart rate for symptoms of a heart attack or cardiac arrest [6].

With these sensors, iBeat constantly monitors heart rate and notifies users -- and 911 -- in the event of an emergency. It's water-resistant, comes with a touchscreen interface and has built-in GPS for location tracking. The product was designed to save lives and could change cardiovascular disease prevention forever.

It's not just iBeat, either. Apple Watch offers a heart rate monitor and could predict heart attacks before they occur [7].

Marketing automation software is a medical administrator's best friend. These tools automate everyday processes -- think data integration, patient monitoring, patient outreach, and so on -- for more effective healthcare management. Marketing automation software gathers data from various sources and combines it all in one place. This lets medical professionals send targeted communications to patients -- something that could reduce patient churn significantly.

Marketing automation also provides healthcare professionals with real-time analytics about patients. Medical administrators can use this information to make important decisions and solve problems quickly. Forty-nine percent of businesses already use marketing automation tools [8], but expect more hospitals and healthcare facilities to adopt this software in the future.

Patient scheduling software, smartwatches that detect heart disease and marketing automation tools are just three software and tech trends that are changing the medical profession. These tools improve patient communication, optimize healthcare management processes and could even save lives.

_______

Avi Savar is CEO and Managing Partner of Dreamit, a top venture accelerator and early stage investment fund. He is the author of Content to Commerce and consults globally on trends in digital media, disruptive technologies and corporate innovation. He has been featured on Fox News, Forbes, Mashable, Business Insider, TechCrunch, VentureBeat, the New York Times and is a contributing editor for Inc.

Dreamit Health is currently accepting applications for fall 2017.

_______

[1] https://www.nuemd.com/news/2016/11/14/global-spending-reach-3-5-trillion-2017-healthcare-rises-with

[2] https://www.enterpriseinnovation.net/article/healthcare-it-spending-forecast-outpace-other-industries-1727170764

[3] https://smallbiztrends.com/2015/10/online-appointment-scheduling.html

[4] http://www.fathomdelivers.com/blog/healthcare/are-these-2015-healthcare-marketing-statistics-guiding-your-digital-strategy/

[5] http://www.cdc.gov/heartdisease/facts.htm

[6] https://www.ibeat.com/

[7] https://www.cultofmac.com/322011/how-apple-watch-could-one-day-predict-heart-attacks/

[8] http://www.cmo.com/features/articles/2017/2/16/15-mind-blowing-stats-about-marketing-automation.html#gs.Mwo7rOs

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3 Trends in Healthcare Technology That You Need to Know About - Inc.com

LONDON (Reuters) - Royal Dutch Shell Plc plans to cut more than 400 jobs in the Netherlands, mainly at its major projects and energy technology operations, as the oil giant shifts its business model in response to lower oil prices, according to an internal document seen by Reuters.

The world's second-largest oil company by market capitalization said in a statement responding to questions from Reuters that "approximately 400 (staff) are potentially at risk of redundancy during the last quarter of 2017/first half of 2018".

That represents around a quarter of the roles at the department, according to the staff consultation document seen by Reuters. The group employs 92,000 worldwide.

"Shell is transforming into a simpler company," a spokesman said, adding the final number of job cuts would be subject to consultation with employees. He declined to answer detailed questions about the consultation document.

The proposed restructuring, which will also see dozens of research roles move from the Netherlands to Bangalore, India, highlights how lower oil prices are prompting the Anglo-Dutch oil giant to shift away from the mega-projects which have been its focus for over 20 years.

It also underscores an increasing shift of higher-value roles, such as research to lower cost countries.

"There will be fewer one-of-a-kind highly complex mega-projects and proportionately more simple to medium complex projects... This heralds a more 'commoditised' world for project delivery, said the document, which was given to royaldutchshellplc.com, an independent website used by Shell staff, and seen by Reuters.

In addition to staff cuts, Shell aims to reduce costs by outsourcing more "lower value-adding" design work, reducing the number of staff on expensive expatriate employment packages and by cutting layers of management in its project and technology operations.

"The industry as a whole has become less efficient over the last 1-2 decades, whilst automotive, aerospace, solar and wind, for example, have become more efficient," it said.

The oil industry has been cutting jobs including around 12,500 at Shell - and capital investment budgets in recent years as lower oil prices have rendered many previously profitable projects uneconomic.

While the second quarter saw a rebound in many companies' earnings, analysts say strong production and low operating costs at U.S. shale oil fields means a significant recovery from the around $50/barrel level Brent crude has traded at over the past two years is unlikely anytime soon. That price is around half the level crude traded at over the previous six years.

Editing by Louise Heavens

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Shell plans 400 job cuts at Dutch projects and technology department - Reuters

The report added: "As the number of research projects has increased, so too has awareness, both amongst the participants and elsewhere in their industries, with competitor companies in turn beginning to consider whether they too should seek to gain competitive advantage from deployment."

"For financial technology (fintech) start-ups in the blockchain space, this can only be good news, since it demonstrates the high level of demand within an enterprise space that is increasingly well-informed about blockchain," Windsor Holden, blockchain specialist at Juniper, told CNBC via email.

The blockchain specialist added that the digital element of distributed ledger technology, which is processed by a network of computers, could benefit industries other than the financial services as well.

Holden said: "Essentially, blockchain offers particular benefits to improve efficiency and corporate transparency; if an enterprise is heavily dependent upon paper-based storage and has high volumes of transactions or transmitted information, it can be especially effective."

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Blockchain technology being considered by more than half of big corporations, according to study - CNBC

Susan Spencer Telegram & Gazette Staff @SusanSpencerTG

John Dowd of Worcester moved back home a few years ago to care for his father, who had Alzheimer's disease, while managing his own job in field service, a position that required him to travel. He relied on a panoply of technology to make it work: internet-connected security cameras, shoes with GPS tracking insoles, door alarms, medication dispensers with alerts, Google Calendar and lots of texting among his eight siblings for the "constant rotation" of people bringing in dinners.

His father, former firefighter Thomas Dowd, died last September.

The benefit of technology, Mr. Dowd said, was, "We were able to keep him in the home longer, without having a lot of other care. He was in his comfort zone."

Michelle Edelstein, Sutton Senior Center director, cares long-distance for her parents in Cooperstown, New York, who have chronic health problems. In between regular visits home, she joins their doctors' visits via Skype and communicates with their health care providers through MyChart, a patient portal integrated into their electronic health record system.

Taking care of an elderly relative or child with a chronic illness at home can be practically a full-time job, one that many people perform on top of their paid employment and other family responsibilities. There are medical visits to coordinate, health conditions to monitor, and transportation, finances and meals to manage - tasks that are largely done alone, without pay and without a break.

It's a role more than 650,000 family caregivers in Massachusetts take on, providing nearly 800 million hours of unpaid care annually, valued at approximately $11.6 billion, according to an AARP 2015 survey.

A survey sponsored by the Massachusetts eHealth Initiative at the MassTech Collaborative, and conducted by MassINC Polling Group, found that technology from apps and websites to remote monitors can make caregivers' jobs easier.

But caregivers are either unaware of the options available to them or are aware of too many options and do not know how to choose among them.

"Caregivers and Digital Health: A Survey of Trends and Attitudes of Massachusetts Family Caregivers," polled 700 non-professional caregivers in the state about their caregiving experience and how technologies could help. A caregiver was defined as an adult partly or fully responsible for the care or the coordination of the medical care of anyone who requires frequent care, and who spent at least two hours a week on care-related tasks.

The survey found that caregivers are overwhelmingly stressed, depressed and feel isolated as a result of their 24-7, 365-day lifestyle.

Caregivers reported the most common challenge didn't have to do with the complexities of providing care, but rather the time and energy required while trying to balance caregiving tasks with their personal lives.

The most appealing technologies for these home-based caregivers were those that can serve as a platform to facilitate peer-to-peer support, provide access to medical care and resources, or manage or consolidate tasks and times, according to the report.

Two years ago, Debra Dowd-Foley, a caregiver specialist at Elder Services of Worcester Area, started a program with her colleagues at Montachusett Home Care in Leominster and Tri-Valley Inc. in Dudley to talk about different ways caregivers can use technology to support their role.

Ms. Dowd-Foley is also one of Mr. Dowd's siblings who helped him juggle caregiving.

The program is "about how to use things they already know about, but use it in a different light," Ms. Dowd-Foley said. "It is changing so fast. It's mind-boggling."

Covering the basics of social media websites and blogs, to caregiving tools in mobile apps, the program starts with definitions of digital terms like hashtag and podcast and provides examples of sites or apps that caregivers might find useful.

"Just knowing that Facebook and Pinterest have information for caregivers, or a group," can help stressed-out, time-limited caregivers find support, Ms. Dowd-Foley said.

Blogs such as "Dementia Diaries: A Journey with Dementia," can let people know that they're not alone in their struggles.

YouTube isn't just for cat videos and comedy re-runs, either. Channels such as Teepa Snow's Positive Approach to Care series on dementia or UCLA Health's presentations on caregiving and dementia also provide guidance that is easy for caregivers to access.

Ms. Dowd-Foley said that online forums "give people a place to get some tips and ideas. But we discourage people from taking medical or legal advice."

Tools to manage the appointments, medications, insurance information and other necessary details of caregiving can be found online and in smartphone apps too, such as CareZone, a caregiving organizing app.

Scheduling can be shared on a Google Calendar or websites including Lotsa Helping Handsand VolunteerSignup.

Ms. Dowd-Foley said that relaxation, meditation or music apps can relieve stress for the caregiver and help calm a person with dementia who is receiving care.

"It gets people thinking a little differently about finding ways to support themselves," she said about the agencies' digital technology and caregiving presentation.

Ms. Edelstein, at Sutton Senior Center, said that both seniors and family caregivers enjoy the center's Facebook page, which features photos of activities and informative events. "They're showing these things to their kids, and they love it," she said.

"The tough thing we see around here is limited family involvement," she said. "Either the kids are working or they live far away."

The Senior Center is looking to hop on another technology tool soon, to help seniors with transportation: the ride-sharing app Uber.

"This program is designed for people who don't have smartphones," said Clarke Alderman, Senior Center outreach director.

Through Uber's Safe Rides program, billing and ride requests would be handled through the Senior Center, so seniors wouldn't have to have a smartphone or set up an online credit card account. Ms. Edelstein said she hoped to get the program started by fall.

The Sutton Senior Center is served by the South Central Massachusetts Elderbus, but the schedule is limited and doesn't go to Milford Regional Medical Center, where some seniors receive health care, according to Ms. Edelstein.

Dr. Lawrence Garber, director of informatics and an internal medicine physician at Reliant Medical Group in Worcester, said Reliant has been encouraging patients for years to sign up for MyChart, its patient portal to integrated electronic health records. MyChart is an Epic Systems software product.

Approximately 40 percent to 50 percent of patients have signed up, and 5 to 10 percent of Reliant's elderly patients have assigned proxy access to a caregiver, which allows them to see everything in the chart, get alerts when there are new results, set up appointments and ask questions.

"They love it," Dr. Garber said. "They're actively engaged in sending messages. It's convenient."

Reliant "has tried to make this one-stop shopping," according to Dr. Garber, so patients and proxy caregivers can get all their electronic health information in one place.

Dr. Garber said Reliant is working on turning on video visits in a secure way that complies with federal Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act requirements.

They're also looking at extending online health monitoring from the current group of high-risk patients with high blood pressure, to patients with congestive heart failure. Not only can blood pressure measurements be sent electronically, but also patients' weight can be sent by internet-connected scales.

The Massachusetts eHealth Initiative commissioned the report in its role as the state's point agency for the Massachusetts Digital Health Initiative, a public-private partnership that aims to accelerate the competitiveness of the state's digital health care cluster, according to a news release accompanying the survey.

Laurance Stuntz, MeHI director, said in a statement: "This research is the foundation for a statewide conversation around the role that technology can play in a major health and economic challenge for Massachusetts: helping improve the lives of caregivers."

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Technology can lend a hand to family caregivers - Worcester Telegram