Andy Kaiser gives two thumbs up to new Motorola Droid | Digital Bits 10/31/2009
Posted by thaadsma in broadband, design, mobile web, multimedia, social web, user interfaces, web, web services.add a comment
Andy Kaiser and I and a few more of us at i3 Business Solutions have been patiently waiting for the first smartphone based on the Google “Android” platform to hit the streets, and compete head-on with Apple’s excellent iPhone.
Andy likes the iPhone. Andy really likes the new Droid from Motorola.
Read his excellent review written at his Digital Bits technology column. Here’s an excerpt:
“The Droid is an excellent phone. Google, Motorola and Verizon really knocked this one out of the park. I don’t even like baseball, and I’m using a baseball euphemism. That’s how impressed I am.
As of this writing, you can visit “DroidDoes”, Verizon’s promotional site for the Droid. The site starts you off with a few blurbs about all the things the Droid does that the iPhone can’t do or doesn’t have like having a removable battery, physical keyboard, multitasking, and open app store, etc. To my knowledge, this is the first cellphone that has had the guts to directly criticize the mighty Apple iPhone.
It can criticize Apple all it wants. The Droid holds its own. Easily.”
Find out why Andy likes this phone so much, as he fully describes its features and capabilities at his website AndyBrain.com.
Social Media: Rolling with the changes | Lunch & Learn at i3 Business Solutions 10/28/2009
Posted by thaadsma in SaaS, microsoft, social web, web, web services.add a comment
Thanks to the great group who attended our Lunch & Learn session today. (And it was a beautiful fall day to get out of the office wasn’t it?)
i3’s Mike Ritsema introduced the session with the theme that ”Things are changing” and that we all need to change and starting using this stuff to thrive and compete.
Mike introduced the main presenter Bill Chamberlin, Principal Consultant – Social Insights Practice and HorizonWatching Community Leader at IBM. As of 2009, Bill is part of IBM’s Social Media Insights practice. This new practice for extracting business insights and value from social media marketing and online communities. Bill covered a point of view on how IBM approaches the social media ‘communities space’, which tools and platforms that are of business use, and what strategic decisions have to be made to use social media tools for customer support, marketing & promotions, and product development.
Brian Dokter of Thinkbox Creative then pulled all these concepts together by demonstrating how ThinkBox has linked (or ‘federated’) all their firms’ social media tools so they can make one update and feed the update out throughout their website, blog, Blog, Facebook page, and more.
Setting it all up correctly is critical. Doing this takes time, experience and expertise, so we look forward to working with our customers and ThinkBox Creative to assist people interested in pursuing this in business.
Once again, thanks to all presenters and attendees.
Are you ready to get busy with it?
LinkedIn seems to be a clear winner for businesses interested in networking and marketing themselves online– without spending a lot of time and money. For those of you ready to jump in, I found this great introduction on how to set up a compnay profile: HOW TO: Build Your Company’s Profile on LinkedIn.
I Repeat: The Answer to our Healthcare Problems are in Innovation, Entrepreneurs & Technology 10/22/2009
Posted by mritsema in government, healthcare, web.Tags: Business, Capitalism, entrepreneurial, Productivity, Technology
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I am forever consistent & unabashedly a free market capitalist with conservative principles bordering on libertarian ideals. Most know that I posit that technology (my own & company’s specialty) ‘holds the answer to all our problems.’
Bold statement or prediction: the answer to our healthcare problem in America won’t come from the government – but will come from both technology and India, China, Mexico, Costa Rica & cheap overseas delivery.
There’s no doubt that healthcare in America needs repair. The availability of insurance to protect against personal financial ruin must be repaired. Spiraling costs to patients … and physicians must be remedied. Access to treatment must be improved.
Question: is the government option or fix the answer? Again, I submit that technology and innovation are the answer.
The Wall Street Journal October 20th, 2009 edition provides yet another innovative option. High definition video can connect physician specialists around the world to any location with high speed internet – instantly. Diagnostic results skyrocket! Read about the innovation at:
Doctor, Can You See Me Now?
More Hospitals Are Using Video to Connect Patients With Specialists Far Away, Speeding Treatment
And, by the way, I just read an online review about Logitech’s new PC or Laptop webcam that delivers high definition 720p 2-megapixel (8 megapixel photos) for $79.99. That’s a whole lot of image for not a lot of money!
Add to that the opportunity to acquire quality surgery by highly trained specialists for around 10% of the cost of US based healthcare systems and things get really interesting. Granted, regulation, quality of service and legal recourse are not the same in a foreign country. Read about off shore surgery at:
Read about Medical tourism options at:
Low Cost Hip Replacement While on Vacation
American Insurance Plan May Cover Cost of Major Surgery Outside US
So, much like the challenge to the American automotive industry came from overseas and the answer was in technological innovation delivering better quality cars, improvements to the American healthcare industry will come from both technological innovation and worldwide competition.
Find the right doctor with these online resources | Webware | CNET 10/20/2009
Posted by thaadsma in healthcare, web, web services.add a comment
Every fall millions of us employees are subject to new health plans from employers. That often means finding a new doctor.
This CNET post has a review of some great resources available online to gather information and make the right decision:
“As the health care debate rages on, we’re still left wondering which doctor is best for what we need. Asking friends is a good way to find out about personal experiences, but one person’s opinion might not be enough to go on. For those instances, you need some help from a Web site or two.
I’ve compiled a helpful list of services that will help you research doctors, and with any luck, pick a good one. Let’s take a look: Find the right doctor with these online resources ”
via Find the right doctor with these online resources | Webware – CNET.
