October 7th through 9th, 2005
Weekend Immersion in Nursing Informatics (WINI)
Puget Sound Nursing Informatics and Bellevue Community College, Life Science Informatics Center present a weekend of learning and continuing education credit for the nursing professional with an incurable interest in technology. Nationally recognized nursing informatics educators will conduct the weekend session, open to participants from all over the nation. Approved by the Maryland Nurses Association, an approved provider of nursing continuing education, WINI focuses on basic competencies in nursing informatics.
Registration information and program brochure is available at: http://www.bcc.ctc.edu/informatics/lsicevents.htm.
The Puget Sound Nursing Informatics Fall meeting and dinner will follow the Friday opening session. So this is really two events in one.
Tuesday, June 7, 2011
Rugged Tablet PC - UberTablet Braniac Test
UberTablet.blogspot.com is an Aussie Tablet PC Blog. Contrived by Uber Geek, Hugo Ortega, it has slowly become a means of expression for its creator. Sharing tales of struggles and tales of joy are often riddled with impulsive thoughts that are sometimes clever enough to remain memorable. On this occasion I write as would a young child about to describe his first ride on a brand new bicycle, or an adult telling tales of some flaunting nighttime madness. I’ve got something to share with you and it’s one of those moments that go off the scale on the cool-ometer.
Rugged Tablets! We’ve heard the hype, and some of us have even sampled the delights. There’s the obvious contender, the Panasonic Tough Book. It’s been recognized as a winner and championed in many a field as the Ruggedized Tablet to own, while iTronix also successfully bear a rather attractive Rugged Tablet PC too. In regards however to these genre of tablet the average Geek knows little and to that degree have experienced little exposure to the Ruggedized version of the Tablet PC.
As most of my readers will probably know Australia is a rugged country. We are famed with the Aussie Outback, a barren land that is barely inhabitable. You’ll also know of the Aussie bloke, barely impenetrable when it comes to showing any form of emotion – we’re tough bastards you see! So it brings me to my point – Rugged Tablet PC vendors in Australia.
I was recently fortunate enough to sit with Robert Ward, the Director of Sales for Xplore Technologies Asia Pacific. He was in Sydney for some Training so I took the opportunity to break bread with the man (at Doyle’s Waterfront Restaurant) and do what I do best, “Talk Tablet”.
Impressed with Mr. Wards passion for all things Tablet it seemed obvious we’d remain acquainted, supporting each others hunger to see Tablet PC awareness in Australia increase. We completed the meal and as I dropped him outside his hotel of choice I did what any Uber Geek would have done… I inquired… “gotta demo I can borrow for a couple of days?” At which point he winks, steps out of my vehicle and says, “see what we can do.”
Many amicable emails later and here I am with Xplore IX104T Tablet PC in hand (Slate form factor). We’ve not parted for several months and our relationship is STRONG. Thinking back to our seafood extravaganza, of Salmon for Robert and Kingfish for me, I recollect a passing comment that Robert made during our meal. “While visiting with the local Water Boards or Sewer Plants we often throw the Tablet into a sink full of water to show just how waterproof it is!” And he boasts of many successes coming from this very act. He goes onto explain that the Xplore Tablet is thrown into the sink full of water while turned on – and Robert proceeds to Ink on it while in a submerged state – COOL!
So my time has now come to bid my farewells. Mr. Ward has sent several emails requesting “Kathy” back – that’s what I call the demo unit allocated to me. As I start to box her up I feel a kryptonite type effect dawn over me. I’m somber in the knowledge that as of tomorrow I will revert to regular Tablet Geek and I’d have lost all ruggedeized powers. I also begin to consider that this muscled beast has been wasted with my humble efforts to test its abilities. I’m not Army, nor am I Navy. In fact my 4x4 only sees sealed roads and seldom did the Rugged Xplore Tablet even leave my doorstep apart from a journey to BHP Billiton mines by one of my resellers. I quickly remember the sewerage plant, of Robert Wards dinner time conversation, and I hastily make my way to the laundry...
Rugged Tablets! We’ve heard the hype, and some of us have even sampled the delights. There’s the obvious contender, the Panasonic Tough Book. It’s been recognized as a winner and championed in many a field as the Ruggedized Tablet to own, while iTronix also successfully bear a rather attractive Rugged Tablet PC too. In regards however to these genre of tablet the average Geek knows little and to that degree have experienced little exposure to the Ruggedized version of the Tablet PC.
As most of my readers will probably know Australia is a rugged country. We are famed with the Aussie Outback, a barren land that is barely inhabitable. You’ll also know of the Aussie bloke, barely impenetrable when it comes to showing any form of emotion – we’re tough bastards you see! So it brings me to my point – Rugged Tablet PC vendors in Australia.
I was recently fortunate enough to sit with Robert Ward, the Director of Sales for Xplore Technologies Asia Pacific. He was in Sydney for some Training so I took the opportunity to break bread with the man (at Doyle’s Waterfront Restaurant) and do what I do best, “Talk Tablet”.
Impressed with Mr. Wards passion for all things Tablet it seemed obvious we’d remain acquainted, supporting each others hunger to see Tablet PC awareness in Australia increase. We completed the meal and as I dropped him outside his hotel of choice I did what any Uber Geek would have done… I inquired… “gotta demo I can borrow for a couple of days?” At which point he winks, steps out of my vehicle and says, “see what we can do.”
Many amicable emails later and here I am with Xplore IX104T Tablet PC in hand (Slate form factor). We’ve not parted for several months and our relationship is STRONG. Thinking back to our seafood extravaganza, of Salmon for Robert and Kingfish for me, I recollect a passing comment that Robert made during our meal. “While visiting with the local Water Boards or Sewer Plants we often throw the Tablet into a sink full of water to show just how waterproof it is!” And he boasts of many successes coming from this very act. He goes onto explain that the Xplore Tablet is thrown into the sink full of water while turned on – and Robert proceeds to Ink on it while in a submerged state – COOL!
So my time has now come to bid my farewells. Mr. Ward has sent several emails requesting “Kathy” back – that’s what I call the demo unit allocated to me. As I start to box her up I feel a kryptonite type effect dawn over me. I’m somber in the knowledge that as of tomorrow I will revert to regular Tablet Geek and I’d have lost all ruggedeized powers. I also begin to consider that this muscled beast has been wasted with my humble efforts to test its abilities. I’m not Army, nor am I Navy. In fact my 4x4 only sees sealed roads and seldom did the Rugged Xplore Tablet even leave my doorstep apart from a journey to BHP Billiton mines by one of my resellers. I quickly remember the sewerage plant, of Robert Wards dinner time conversation, and I hastily make my way to the laundry...
The following is a short video that will walk you through just how rugged this Xplore Tablet really is. I realize that one picture is worth a thousand words, and with that I present you with the most inspiring display of rugged technology you’ll see on any blog. Oh! And as Uber Geek host of Brainiac Jon Tickle states: “we do these stunts ourselves so that you don’t have to”.
Download the file here: WMV[5.7MB]
For all the Uber Geeks I've added running commentary to this cut of the underwater test.
Download file with commentary: WMV [6.2MB]
Watch it on:YouTube.com
Watch it on:YouTube.com
- Do you have any rugged Tablet PC tales? (We'll host photo's for you!)
- Are you a vendor and want to share your Rugged Tablet with Australia?
- Did you know Microsoft talked about the Xplore Tablet way back in 2002?
- All WMV files were edited using Windows Movie Maker - free on Windows XP!
Saturday, June 4, 2011
Information System for Emergency Responders
For those nurses that are also pre-hospital first responders(like myself) take a look at this free tool from the National Library of Medicine at: http://wiser.nlm.nih.gov/ I just downloaded the Windows version to my Tablet PC. In a quick navigation of the application, it appears to be easy to use and full of good information.
New Hand–held Information System for Emergency Responders
Bethesda, Maryland — The National Library of Medicine (NLM), a component of the National Institutes of Health, has announced the release of a PDA software tool designed to help first responders when they arrive at a hazardous material (Hazmat) incident, such as a chemical spill.
WISER (Wireless Information System for Emergency Responders) provides the emergency responder with critical information on hazardous substances, including physical characteristics, human health data, and containment and suppression information. Employing the unique characteristics of a PDA (Personal Digital Assistant), WISER is customized for easy navigation and quick access to key information required by first responders. To aid decision making, users can specify the role they are currently performing at the scene of an incident, and WISER organizes the critical information in a sequence most relevant to a first responder on-the-scene, a Hazmat specialist, or an emergency medical specialist (EMS).
“First responders in general, and Hazmat units in particular, must make decisions quickly in handling hazardous-materials incidents,” says Dr. Jack Snyder, NLM Associate Director for Specialized Information Services. “They need accurate information about hazardous substances, emergency resources available, and surrounding environmental conditions to save lives and minimize environmental impacts. WISER provides this lifesaving service.”
Snyder observed that WISER will be an indispensable tool for first responders in their efforts to combat the growing incidence of hazardous material incidents in the United States. Based on statistics collected by the U.S. Coast Guard’s National Response Center on all hazardous substances and waste released into the U.S. environment, Hazmat incidents have been increasing yearly since 1991, with approximately 34,000 incidents reported in 2004.
A useful feature of WISER is support for identifying an unknown substance. Using input about observed physical properties of the unknown substance, along with reported symptoms and observable signs among victims, WISER can help the user narrow the range of substances that may be involved in a specific incident. As the emergency responder selects observed properties and symptoms, WISER looks in its database for chemical substances that have these characteristics. The list of candidate chemicals decreases as additional information is provided, and WISER presents the user with a list of candidate chemicals at any point in the identification process.
The operational versions of WISER for Palm OS and for Pocket PC are now available without charge for downloading to users’ PDAs at http://WISER.nlm.nih.gov. More than 1700 copies of the WISER software have been requested and downloaded. A desktop version will be available later this spring, and a web-based version is also being developed.
NLM is collaborating with regional and local emergency response organizations and using their feedback as input for future enhancements to WISER. For example, NLM is working with CapWIN, an integrated transportation and criminal justice information wireless network across Maryland, Virginia, and the District of Columbia. WISER has been added as a resource to this network, providing easy access to authoritative chemical information.
WISER is also being incorporated into training curricula, such as the Baltimore County, Maryland Hazmat Team training program, the Illinois Fire Service Institute and the Federal Emergency Management Agency’s (FEMA) Chemical Stockpile Emergency Preparedness Program.
New Hand–held Information System for Emergency Responders
Bethesda, Maryland — The National Library of Medicine (NLM), a component of the National Institutes of Health, has announced the release of a PDA software tool designed to help first responders when they arrive at a hazardous material (Hazmat) incident, such as a chemical spill.
WISER (Wireless Information System for Emergency Responders) provides the emergency responder with critical information on hazardous substances, including physical characteristics, human health data, and containment and suppression information. Employing the unique characteristics of a PDA (Personal Digital Assistant), WISER is customized for easy navigation and quick access to key information required by first responders. To aid decision making, users can specify the role they are currently performing at the scene of an incident, and WISER organizes the critical information in a sequence most relevant to a first responder on-the-scene, a Hazmat specialist, or an emergency medical specialist (EMS).
“First responders in general, and Hazmat units in particular, must make decisions quickly in handling hazardous-materials incidents,” says Dr. Jack Snyder, NLM Associate Director for Specialized Information Services. “They need accurate information about hazardous substances, emergency resources available, and surrounding environmental conditions to save lives and minimize environmental impacts. WISER provides this lifesaving service.”
Snyder observed that WISER will be an indispensable tool for first responders in their efforts to combat the growing incidence of hazardous material incidents in the United States. Based on statistics collected by the U.S. Coast Guard’s National Response Center on all hazardous substances and waste released into the U.S. environment, Hazmat incidents have been increasing yearly since 1991, with approximately 34,000 incidents reported in 2004.
A useful feature of WISER is support for identifying an unknown substance. Using input about observed physical properties of the unknown substance, along with reported symptoms and observable signs among victims, WISER can help the user narrow the range of substances that may be involved in a specific incident. As the emergency responder selects observed properties and symptoms, WISER looks in its database for chemical substances that have these characteristics. The list of candidate chemicals decreases as additional information is provided, and WISER presents the user with a list of candidate chemicals at any point in the identification process.
The operational versions of WISER for Palm OS and for Pocket PC are now available without charge for downloading to users’ PDAs at http://WISER.nlm.nih.gov. More than 1700 copies of the WISER software have been requested and downloaded. A desktop version will be available later this spring, and a web-based version is also being developed.
NLM is collaborating with regional and local emergency response organizations and using their feedback as input for future enhancements to WISER. For example, NLM is working with CapWIN, an integrated transportation and criminal justice information wireless network across Maryland, Virginia, and the District of Columbia. WISER has been added as a resource to this network, providing easy access to authoritative chemical information.
WISER is also being incorporated into training curricula, such as the Baltimore County, Maryland Hazmat Team training program, the Illinois Fire Service Institute and the Federal Emergency Management Agency’s (FEMA) Chemical Stockpile Emergency Preparedness Program.
TC1100 Discontinued - death of a mate
Like any major loss, the decision made by HP to discontinue its TC1100 Tablet PC reverberated throughout the net with certain sadness. Even some of my favourite bloggers like Rob Busway, and James Kendrick were moved enough to mention the event online. Since becoming an owner of the device myself in late 2005 the news of it’s elimination from the HP line was devastating.
The little TC1100 hybrid is a Tablet of note. It carries itself with sophistication and a certain funkiness that few convertibles can match. It’s light, practical and profoundly efficient at getting daily tasks completed. For those of you that own the TC1100 I know that you’ll empathize with my note; still, while we lament this decision we must also look forward to yet another notebook-looking tablet PC by HP. We seem to have frightened the major vendors into some form of aesthetic compliance, maybe one of the new IEEE standards, that requires all notebooks to be of a certain shape, color, dimension and ergonomic line.
If only iPod flavored Tablet PC’s would grace the market place then perhaps the little teenee’s would all queue for hours to preorder our preferred PCB – the Tablet, only to later mark them up and post them on Ebay to the anticipating public. We could release them in numbered batches, like works of art, and hold Christies type auctions, by invitation only of course, and sell Tablet PC to the rich and famous – leaving the average geek only the ability to download PDF’s and stick them on his wall!
…hold on someone’s pinging me on IM…
I’m back!
Bloody TC1100! It’s too small to call a laptop and too big to call a PDA. As I went into Tablet mode to ink to my mate on messenger I seemed to have ripped the hinge off the keyboard…oops. I went to erase some text I’d hand written and scratched the glass on the screen – obviously forgetting that the standard TC1100 pen didn’t ship with an eraser on top but instead with a metal capped tether mount that really cut grooves in Tablet screens.
Guess I’ll speak to the wife in the morning and get some early budgetary approval for a new TC4200. I’ll miss you TC1100, but I think 3-months is long enough!
The little TC1100 hybrid is a Tablet of note. It carries itself with sophistication and a certain funkiness that few convertibles can match. It’s light, practical and profoundly efficient at getting daily tasks completed. For those of you that own the TC1100 I know that you’ll empathize with my note; still, while we lament this decision we must also look forward to yet another notebook-looking tablet PC by HP. We seem to have frightened the major vendors into some form of aesthetic compliance, maybe one of the new IEEE standards, that requires all notebooks to be of a certain shape, color, dimension and ergonomic line.
If only iPod flavored Tablet PC’s would grace the market place then perhaps the little teenee’s would all queue for hours to preorder our preferred PCB – the Tablet, only to later mark them up and post them on Ebay to the anticipating public. We could release them in numbered batches, like works of art, and hold Christies type auctions, by invitation only of course, and sell Tablet PC to the rich and famous – leaving the average geek only the ability to download PDF’s and stick them on his wall!
…hold on someone’s pinging me on IM…
I’m back!
Bloody TC1100! It’s too small to call a laptop and too big to call a PDA. As I went into Tablet mode to ink to my mate on messenger I seemed to have ripped the hinge off the keyboard…oops. I went to erase some text I’d hand written and scratched the glass on the screen – obviously forgetting that the standard TC1100 pen didn’t ship with an eraser on top but instead with a metal capped tether mount that really cut grooves in Tablet screens.
Guess I’ll speak to the wife in the morning and get some early budgetary approval for a new TC4200. I’ll miss you TC1100, but I think 3-months is long enough!
- What's your favorite Tablet PC?
- Are you upset that HP dropped the TC1100?
- Did you know Microsoft Infopath 'inks' out of the box when run on Tablet PC?
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