News items submitted by readers

http://www.guardian.co.uk/technology/2009/may/19/gps-close-to-breakdown

Interesting item in today's Guardian that may have implications for devices using GPS, though something makes me think they'll sort this one out!

 

AT&T is testing shoe insoles with built-in sensors that take gait, stride, and pace measurements as patients walk. The measurements are beamed wirelessly to a modem-like gateway box that's connected to a health-care network via the Internet. AT&T's scientists are hoping that by catching changes in a patient's walking pattern, the software can alert doctors to a problem before they take a tumble.

Could AT&T Prevent Falls Among the Elderly? from Business Week

http://www.airstriptech.com/ Is part of the Apple conference

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/technology/8254444.stm

Insightful video clip featuring Joice - a TV-phone for extremely simple video communication targeting seniors, home-based patients and people with disability.

Despite the worst snow in Hampshire for 30 years, all of the committed team at CarelineUK, a leading nationwide emergency response service based in New Milton, made it into work in the icy Arctic conditions.

Mike Hobson, aged 36, a shift supervisor at CarelineUK for seven years, went further than most to ensure he was there. While he usually has a 10 minute car journey from his home in Ashley, Hants, with sheet ice covering the roads - and unable to even get into his car, there were no other options but to walk to work.

So on Wednesday 6th January he set out on an hour long walk in temperatures of minus six degrees. "I was well wrapped up," says Mike, "but even in three layers of clothing it was very, very cold. I felt like an intrepid explorer as I set off on the journey which took me about an hour." With the weather no better on Thursday 7th January, Mike strapped on his walking boots again. "On Thursday I got up before 04:00 and left at 05:00, so was in plenty of time for the start of my shift at 06:00. Luckily, while it was very dark, the roads were well lit so I was always visible. "CarelineUK is an essential service for thousands of elderly people, so there was absolutely no question that I wasn't going to get into work. If I hadn't made it in, the night shift staff would have stayed on to answer the calls - but after working for so many hours I think they deserved a break! And all of my team managed to make it in which is really something." Mike has worked at CarelineUK for seven years.

Mike concludes: "I love my job and get a lot of satisfaction out of helping people. Come rain or snow hundreds of people need our help - even more so in the bad weather when people are more likely to fall over or have problems in their homes. At the end of the day, however minor the problem may seem we are there to help and offer reassurance. The forecast does look like we might be in for more snow. If that happens then I'll just dig out my walking boots and walk in again!" Gill Bennett, Head of Operations at CarelineUK, added: "We are a vital service to the customers we support and have well documented and practiced procedures to deal with events such as adverse weather, such as reinforcing the shift quotas. It's a testament to Mike and all CarelineUK staff who are dedicated to providing a quality service to our customers, that every member of staff turned made it in to work".

If you consider India to be a fruitful market for mobile based healthcare and m-education it is unfortunate to know that the market sizing processes and tools are not upto the mark. Dr Ruchi Dass explains how statistics on which you are making a business plan can be wrong.Ruchi explains if a connection is purchased in Rural India but is being brought to Urban- there are no procedures to track this. A good read... We talk about 600 million subscribers in India- Are these subscribers or connections?

[Claire: The link to Dr Ruchi's blog is on our blogroll. All fans of Dr Ruchi are encouraged to post in the Telecare Aware Facebook discussion with her name in it rather that use the comments facility here. Ed. Steve]