Jerry Fahrni

Category: Mobile Computing

  • Samsung Galaxy Note 10.1 just around the corner

    It appears that the Android tablet I’ve been waiting for is mere weeks away from hitting the street. Of course I’m talking about the Samsung Galaxy Note 10.1. If reports around the ‘net are true, the Note 10.1 should be available by the end of August, i.e. this month.

    Specs include a 1.4GHz quad core processor, 2GB RAM, a pair of cameras (1.9MP on the front and a 5MP on the rear), microSD card slot, and of course pen support. I’m looking forward to having a 10.1-inch Android tablet optimized for the S Pen.

    My limited experiences with the Galaxy Note have been exceptional, and one can only imagine that the additional real estate provided by a 10.1-inch screen will provide ample opportunity to do some really cool stuff.

    The promotional video is below. If the tablet can perform even half of the functions covered in the video, the Samsung Galaxy Note 10.1 will be a must have tablet.

    Samsung is on fire.

  • Quick Hit: Thoughts on the Sony Tablet P

    While I was in Texas I had an opportunity to spend about half an hour with a Sony Tablet P. It’s an interesting tablet in that it uses a clamshell form factor. I’m a big fan of the clamshell design. Not exactly sure why, but I am. Perhaps it has something to do with the compact design and the fact that the unit’s screen is protected when it’s closed. Who knows.

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  • Lexicomp offering deal on new subscriptions until the end of July

    In my opinion Lexicomp is still the gold standard for pharmacist drug references. I don’t use any of the Lexicomp references these days as I no longer have a need, but I used to use them all the time. I remember using Lexi-drugs on my Palm Pilot (actually a TRGPro) back in the day.  The reference went everywhere with me because my TRGPro was always in my pocket.
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  • Medical calculators available on Medscape Mobile app for Android

    Medscape Mobile is a nice little free app to have on your Android device. It’s no Lexi-comp, but it’ll certainly do a respectable job in a pinch.

    I’ve been accessing Medscape for years. I think it may have been the first online reference site I subscribed to. I frequently read through the pharmacy news section of the site. It’s pretty good.

    Anyway, I received an email notification that the Android version of the app now includes medical calculators. The calculator selection is pretty good. No awesome pharmacokinetics calculators like RxCalc (shameless plug), but still pretty good.

    I spent a little time playing with it yesterday. I’ve included some screen shots below (click to enlarge).

    You can grab the app for free at the Google Play store here. Enjoy.

  • 5-Minute Clinical Consult 2013 available for Android

    I don’t use the 5-Minute Clinical Consult reference, but someone might. If you decide to purchase feel free to use the discount code below. I received it in an email from Skyscape.

  • Making data input on tablets simpler, easier (SwiftKey Healthcare)

    Healthcare requires a lot of data input. Unfortunately that’s where tablets fall woefully short, i.e. doing lots of typing. So it’s was with great interest that I read about the new SwiftKey Healthcare keyboard for tablets.

    SwiftKey Healthcare is an intelligent keyboard solution that offers unrivaled next word prediction for healthcare professionals. Built using real-world clinical notes data, it makes text entry on mobile devices fast, easy and tailored to your healthcare context.

    SwiftKey Healthcare is based on the SwiftKey language engine. This uses patented Natural Language Processing and Machine Learning techniques to understand the relationship between words and offer powerful corrections and targeted next-word predictions that run straight from a device.

    My daughter uses texting apps on her Android phone with “next word prediction” and I have to admit, the kid can text pretty stinking fast. While I don’t think an onscreen keyboard will ever totally replace a physical keyboard, things like SwiftKey Healthcare are certainly a step in the right direction. I’m looking forward to giving it a whirl.

  • Microsoft announces the Surface tablet

    It’s not often that I become giddy at the announcement of a new piece of technology. I mean let’s face it; everything is pretty run of the mill these days. But tonight I am giddy.

    In case you missed it, today Microsoft announced the Surface tablet. And no, it has nothing to do with the Microsoft Surface we’ve come to know over the past several years (now PixelSense). Why they’re calling it “Surface” is beyond the abilities of mere mortals to decipher. If there’s one thing I’ve learned about marketing folks it’s that they don’t know dick about a great many things. The “new” Microsoft Surface is a slate tablet PC.

    The Surface tablet will be available in two models, RT and Pro. Both will run full versions of Windows 8, RT and Pro respectively, but will utilize different hardware; RT for machines with ARM-based processors and Pro for Intel processors.
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  • Evernote update for Android is awesome

    I received an update for Evernote today on my Galaxy Nexus. And let me just say that it’s awesome. I use Evernote all the time. It’s one of the few services I pay for because it’s the best method I’ve found for collecting notes; all kids of notes. I use it to clip web pages on my tablets (all of them) as well as my smartphone, take hand written notes, collaborate with others via shared notebooks, take audio notes, store journal articles in PDF format, and so on. It’s easy to organize my notes because of the familiar tag system that Evernote uses. Simply put, Evernote is indispensable.

    The biggest change with the Evernote update is the user interface. The home page is easy to use and intuitive. In addition it lets you swipe out a hidden menu just off the screen to the right to get to your notes. The navigation is more “swipe friendly” and I like it. It’s really quite slick.
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  • News flash, not all docs happy with iPad in the hospital setting

    Palmdoc Chronicles: “It looks as if most doctors and nurses would rather not touch the iPad at work (or deal with any other kind of tablet computing). They certainly won’t be making it their go-to device. “We had some instances where physicians wanted iPads – thought they wanted them – borrowed them, used them for a few days and returned them,” said Kirk Larson, a vice president and chief information officer at Children’s Hospital Central California, who spoke at the Healthcare Information Transformation conference in Jacksonville, Florida.” – This article caught my attention because I used to work at the facility mentioned in the article (Children’s Hospital Central California). The actual content isn’t really a big deal. Unlike hats, one size doesn’t necessarily fit all when it comes to tablets. Slate tablets really aren’t designed for data input. I ran into this problem nearly two years ago when the hospital I was working for at the time rolled out iPads to the pharmacists. Within a couple of weeks they were asking for their convertibles back (Dell XT2 tablet PCs).

  • Android App: Tarascon Prescriber’s Essentials

    I never had much use for the Tarascon Pharmacopoeia, but I got a lot of mileage out of the Johns Hopkins ABX Guide.

    From Google Play: Tarascon Prescriber’s Essentials

    The Prescriber’s Essentials Android App is a combination of the award-winning Tarascon Pharmacopoeia and the Johns Hopkins POC-IT Center ABX Guide, now available for your Android device.

    This must-have resource contains vital information on thousands of drugs and antimicrobials to help clinicians make better decisions at the point-of-care.

    Prescriber’s Essentials Features Include:

    • Convenient and quick portable access on your Android device
    • Continuous drug updates for 12 months
    • A fully integrated tool for multiple drug interaction checking
    • 47 invaluable drug reference tables and 15 dynamic calculators
    • Extensive pediatric drug dosing
    • Anti-microbial agents
    • Infectious diseases
    • Commonly-encountered pathogens