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Andrew Orr, Jr. serves as a Special Projects Director. Andy is responsible for taking the product development lead for certain large products being launched, including HTH Mobile and HTH Appointment Scheduling. Andy has an extensive entrepreneurial and technical background. He has served as HTH IT Director in the past as well as president of a number of entrepreneurial businesses. Andy earned his Master of Business Administration from the Darden School at the University of Virginia and his Bachelor of Science degree from Yale University.

Will Going Mobile Finally Speed Adoption of Personal Health Records?

Monday, June 20th, 2011 by

In a (somewhat) recent post on Sean Nolan’s blog, Family Health Guy, we learn that Microsoft’s HealthVault is going mobile.  I think this is big news for the adoption of personal health records, or PHRs.

Privacy concerns, the difficulties associated with integrating information from the myriad of players in the health care industry and lack of better or complete standards for PHR has hampered the adoption of their use.

As one of the three top players in the PHR field, along with Google Health and Dossia, Microsoft may be in the best position to take the lead.  While Dossia operates under a different model (it is a non-profit working for the benefit of its founder companies and additional employers), HealthVault and Google Health are focused mainly on the “P” in PHR – the patient or person.  Microsoft’s leadership in taking the PHR mobile may be just what is needed to break through and convince people that it is worth it to have a PHR, keep it up to date and use it when seeking health care.

Microsoft has also been smart, as Nolan points out, by making sure that HealthVault works well with all of the main mobile platforms.  They will soon release SDKs for Apple’s iOS and Google’s Android operating systems; the SDK for Windows Phone 7 is out.

I am excited to see how quickly Microsoft’s move ushers in a new generation of innovative and deeply capable mobile health applications that take advantage of integration with one’s PHR.  What’s available so far in the app stores does not address many of the shortcomings that seem to be holding back adoption of PHRs.

What do you think?  Do you have a PHR?  Are you still concerned about privacy issues?  Will making them mobile make a difference in your thinking?

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WHO Reports Cell Phone Use May Cause Cancer

Wednesday, June 1st, 2011 by

In yesterday’s press release on radiofrequency electromagnetic fields, the World Health Organization’s International Agency for Research on Cancer (IARC) announced it has classified the exposure to radiation from cell phones and other similar radiation-emitting devices (radar, microwaves, radio, television) as a Group 2B carcinogenic risk.  To put that into perspective, the IARC has five classifications:

  • Group 1 – carcinogenic to humans
  • Group 2A – probably carcinogenic to humans
  • Group 2B – possibly carcinogenic to humans
  • Group 3 – not classifiable as to its carcinogenicity to humans
  • Group 4 – probably not carcinogenic to humans

There are several hundred items classified as Group 2B, ranging from talc-based body powder to surgical implants made from nickel to titanium dioxide (used in paint, sunscreens and food coloring). Coffee is also a 2B item even though recent studies show that coffee drinking lowers the rate of prostate cancer.

While this news may be scary, I still believe in the old adage of “moderation in everything” — try to limit your cell phone use and use a headset if possible, but don’t let this news make you go back to smoke signals and the telegraph.

Photo by Nemo’s great uncle.

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Egypt Is Back Online

Thursday, February 3rd, 2011 by

As a follow up to our report on the 28th, it seems that Egypt restored Internet service yesterday.  In the aftermath of this event, it is even more obvious how important it is to have important information at your fingertips and with others.  When trying to manage an evacuation, it really helps if your passport number, country and expiration date, birth date, full name, gender, cell phone number, email address, current location and desired destination are stored with your travel agent, school’s program director, immediate family member contact, etc.

Don’t count on the Internet and other communication services to be up and running from the epicenter of whatever situation you find yourself in.  Be prepared.

Photo by Mike Licht, NotionsCapital.com.

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What To Do When Your “Net” Breaks

Friday, January 28th, 2011 by

Egypt’s President, Hosni Mubarak has pulled the plug on the Internet and on most wireless and SMS service.  This is a pretty drastic step for a government to take and luckily, fairly rare.  However, it made me think that we should point out the dangers of being over-reliant on services that may not be available.

There are lots of pieces of information that might be important to you while traveling far from home – personal health information (allergies, prescription medications), identification documents, emergency numbers, itinerary details, etc.  The always-on aspect of the Internet has lulled us into believing that we can always rely on it.  While you may not be in a country trying to suppress political views or protest event details, you may often find yourself away from a reliable connection to the Internet or phone service.  Make a point to capture the important information you need in a format that doesn’t need a connection – type it in as a note on your smartphone, download an app that helps to organize this information and stores it locally, or, God forbid, write it all down on a piece of paper (remember that option?).

For apps that might help in these situations see 15 Best Note Applications for iPhone or The Best Note-Taking Apps (includes Android apps).

What else can you think of that you might want to have at your fingertips on a trip?  Let us know.

Photo by Frame Maker

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What does the new Verizon iPhone mean for Global Travelers?

Wednesday, January 12th, 2011 by

The big news in the mobile world yesterday was the long-awaited, anticipated and not-so-much-of-a-surprise announcement that Verizon will get the iPhone 4.  Of course, I shouldn’t say “the” iPhone, for the one that Verizon will sell, heavily subsidized to the tune of approximately $400/unit, is different from AT&T’s iPhone 4.

This is the big difference:

Verizon’s CDMA network is not as widely used in some parts of the world, most notably, Europe.  Check out Wikipedia’s table of mobile network operators to get a sense of CDMA versus GSM (AT&T’s technology) country coverage.  CDMA only seems to be in Brazil, China, India and the United States.  This might not be truly accurate, but it is true to say that GSM phones are supported much more broadly worldwide.  This is a big problem for international travelers that want to use their own phone (many rent locally not only for convenience but also to save on high roaming rates).

Some of the differences aren’t huge, in my opinion:

  • The antenna has been redesigned to stop the death-grip problems that some reported on the AT&T version.
  • The buttons have been moved ever so slightly – big consequence of this?  a whole new slew of iPhone 4 cases just for the Verizon version.
  • Verizon’s network (CDMA) doesn’t support voice and data at the same time.  I have an iPhone, and, at least for me, this is not such a big deal.  For some, however, it might be a little annoying.
  • Verizon’s iPhone allows a user to set it up as a WiFi personal hotspot to support up to 5 devices.  One can tether an AT&T iPhone, but that only works via Bluetooth or USB with one device at a time.  AT&T charges an extra $20/month for tethering.  It is unclear what the hotspot functionality will cost with Verizon.  While this is a cool feature, there are rumors that this will be available on all iPhones in the future.  It is an open question as to whether AT&T will support it.

On the whole, I can’t recommend Verizon’s iPhone for international travelers, unless they just want to use it for downloaded apps when outside of where CDMA is supported.

Photo by theOOBE.

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Travel Bulletin Australia: Devastating floods spreading with the wet season just beginning

Wednesday, January 5th, 2011 by

Widespread flooding in Queensland is now affecting an area about the size of California, Nevada and Oregon combined.  For you geography aficionados, that is about the same as France and Germany or just over half of Queensland – Australia is a big place.

The prevailing atmospheric conditions known as  La Nina produced the third-wettest year on record for Australia in 2010, but more importantly, these conditions are expected to persist until April.  A timeline search on Google shows that it has been over 100 years since floods in Queensland were as newsworthy.

Altegrity International  has highlighted the threat to the Great Barrier Reef as tons of waste and pesticides pour into the sea.  Local officials also fear the flood waters will damage sea grass beds that serve as feeding grounds for dugongs (Australian manatees) and affect popular tourist activities and locations such as the resorts  on Whitsunday Islands.

Reuters reporter, Daniel Munoz, writes that the flooding’s  impact on coal and wheat production will have worldwide consequences.  With 75% of Queensland’s coal mines shut down,  coal prices are rising which will drive up steel prices everywhere.  In addition, half of the wheat crop (Australia is the world’s fourth-largest exporter of wheat) could be downgraded to animal feed or other low-grade milling grains, raising the specter of wider human hunger.

While the economic impacts are worldwide, those feeling the most pain are in Queensland.  Let’s hope the next three months turn unexpectedly dry.

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Recent Travel Newslinks

Friday, December 17th, 2010 by

If you’re reading this blog, you’re probably interested in healthy travel or maybe just travel. Here are some of the more interesting articles on these subjects that we found in this weeks’ news. Do you have any you’d like to share?

  1. Do We Travel to Get There or Get There to Travel? There can be joy in the trip as well as the final destination.
  2. An American iPhone in Paris  iPhone coverage in Paris is great, holding calls even on the subway. 
  3. Travel Improvement Ideas – win €20,000  Submit your idea for implementing technology to improve travel for a chance to win €20,000.
  4. New Debit Card Works Overseas Travelex has created a prepaid debit card for travelers heading to countries where the “chip and PIN” technology is used.
  5. Outfitting Your Family’s Traveler for Stellar Photography Make sure you leave for your trip with the right camera.
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How Much Baggage Are You Carrying? Just checking…

Thursday, December 2nd, 2010 by

It turns out that the airlines are improving their baggage handling service, and it is not just because the new fees have meant fewer bags to handle.  Today’s article in the Wall Street Journal’s The Middle Seat, Better Odds of Getting Your Bags, is a very detailed look at the recent improvements airlines have made, and it turns out that much of the gain comes from the application of fairly common technology.

I am not sure if the investments in technology predated the new revenue coming in from the baggage fees, but the knowledge that there are revenues tied to handling baggage will surely help keep the airlines focused on improving their services.  As Robert Isom, chief operating officer at US Airways Group Inc., says in the article, “If you are going to charge for bags, you better be really reliable.”

With all of the hassles associated with flying (anyone up for an invasive, full body pat-down?), it is nice to hear that the aggravation of a lost bag may be less common.

Photo by V.H.S.

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Pardonnez-moi, is that a bump on your head?

Thursday, September 23rd, 2010 by

From one of my favorite sites, Book of Odds, comes an interesting article about Foreign Accent Syndrome (FAS), a very rare case of a person’s accent or language skills changing suddenly due to head trauma, strokes or even severe migraines. 

The stories are disturbing and somewhat amusing to those not affected — a Croatian girl waking up from a coma no longer able to speak in her native tongue but able to speak fluently in a language she had only just started to study, or someone from England waking up to speak with a French accent.

How does this relate to healthy travel? you might ask.  Wouldn’t it be wonderful to be able to trigger these changes on command when arriving at a destination?  Of course, this is a stretch even for someone who believes in the vast potential of stem cell research. 

Book of Odds estimates the chances of suffering from FAS in a given year are approximately 1 in 6 billion, so for now, intrepid travelers should rely on the growing number of translation applications, tools or guides designed for smart phones.  Which ones have you used, and how did they work?

Photo by gcbb.

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It’s Safer to be Hands Off: OnStar and Harman Help Drivers Get Social

Wednesday, September 15th, 2010 by

Roadside assistance service OnStar is expanding its capabilities and beta testing new social features.  Soon drivers will hear their incoming text messages and Facebook wall posts read aloud, and they will be able to send text messages or post to Facebook.  The posts include transcriptions using voice recognition technology as well as a link to an audio file.  There were rumors of Twitter integration with OnStar last year, but as far as I can tell, it never happened.

In other news, automotive audio player Harman announced the purchase of Aha Mobile, a provider of on-demand mobile and location-based Internet content services.  They convert web-based social media, news and entertainment content and stream it to your radio or smartphone.  They also focus on making access safe and smart (based on where you are headed).

Both announcements highlight the market’s response to both the growing demands for always staying connected and the need to address the related safety issues caused by drivers using their gadgets with their hands.  They are also trying to compete with Ford’s Sync technology which already supports text messaging.  These features are increasingly becoming what sells cars.

If they can find ways to keep us safe and informed (many might question whether Facebook truly informs), I am all for it.  Chris Preuss, the President of OnStar, mentioned on CNBC this morning that it is difficult to predict how government regulation of driving habits will play out, which could limit investment in these technologies.  There is a fear that accidents caused by distracted drivers will force legislators to limit communication options.  In this case, I believe we need good technology that is easy for the driver to understand and use and not new laws.  Hands off will work best.

Photo by DioMakr.

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