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Earlier this month Microsoft announced the launch of HealthVault, a website designed to store medical records and health information which can be accessed by health care providers and patients alike. The goal of the site, according to Microsoft VP Peter Neupert, is “to empower people to lead healthy lives. The launch of HealthVault makes it possible for people to collect their private health information on their terms and for companies across the health industry to deliver compatible tools and services built on the HealthVault platform.” It’s undoubtedly a lofty goal, since some 94% of consumers polled currently use a paper-based method to track their health information. However, the advantages of having instant, online access to medical records is a no brainer. Wouldn’t it be nice if your primary care physician and a specialist were able to communicate with each other through your online records? Wouldn’t it be convenient to track your blood pressure/cholesterol/glucose levels online? Or if you switched physicians, you wouldn’t have to move your records from a previous doctor’s office? The idea is appealing, but there are as many obvious benefits as there are obvious pitfalls.

With the motto “Be well. Protected.” splashed atop HealthVault’s home page, Microsoft is clearly reaching out to users who have concerns about the privacy of these records. Industry watchdogs and bloggers alike have pounced on HealthVault, attacking the idea for the security and privacy nightmare that it is. One blogger amusingly offers five reasons why HealthVault is unappealing: “One, because it is a Microsoft offering… Two, because it is a Microsoft offering… Three, because it is a Microsoft offering… Four, because it is a Microsoft offering… Five, because it is a Microsoft offering.” A common refrain is, “If I can’t even trust Microsoft with Windows updates, why should I trust them with my health care information?” It’s a valid point.

The criticisms usually focus on Microsoft’s tendency to absolve themselves of lost/misplaced data, reliance on users to add privacy and security upgrades to systems, and the legal ambiguity about how HIPAA applies to online records. In spite of all the criticism, Microsoft is determined to make HealthVault a success. They have hired hacker organizations to test the security of the site, and the very branding is meant to reassure users (what do you think when you hear “vault”?). They are going about this by trying to convince health care industry companies to offer web services and devices which are compatible with HealthVault. Some 40 organizations have signed on, including the American Heart Association, LifeScan (a glucometer manufacturer), and the American Diabetes Association. The website will generate income through a web search tool which features sponsored links. The potential for success is huge, but unfortunately, so is the potential for disaster.

Other high tech and health care companies, including Aetna, WellPoint, and Google, are working on similar systems. The key for any of these initiatives to take off is gaining the trust of consumers. Privacy and security are increasingly important in the Web 2.0 atmosphere of identity theft, and Microsoft presents too juicy a target for hackers to ignore. They have not cultivated a brand of trust, and they may pay the price for it with the failure of HealthVault. Let’s not forget, also, that the main target group for a website like HealthVault is baby boomers, and people of that demographic are far less likely to share personal information online.

HealthVault is still in beta, and hopefully this will allow Microsoft plenty of time to make tweaks as users find holes in the system. The buzz surrounding this initiative is not likely to die down soon, and if it’s true that there’s no such thing as bad exposure, Microsoft may have the leg up on competitors in the health information field.

Many technology visionaries predict the future of computing is a fully-integrated interface that will hide the hardware and enable us to use the software as naturally as we walk and talk. The ideal interface is one where the machine will be a part of our daily routine, not a bulky, heavy device that requires our patience and attention. We are ripe as a society for taking our computers off our desks and incorporating them into our outfits and bodies. Many researchers are taking this imperative to the next level by developing wearable computers. If our computers are a stylish part of our everyday outfits, they would be the ultimate user-friendly way to attain the goal of function and form in technology.

Many of these wearable devices are taking the form of headgear, i.e. eyeglasses or visors of some sort. Just think if your sunglasses, upon your arrival in Paris, could direct you to the Métro stop nearest your hotel, point out restaurants in the area, and supply you with handy French phrases and pronunciation help. Researchers are also working to utilize voice-recognition technology in these types of wearable computers, making the device completely hands-free. One such organization, the Colorado School of Mines, is working on embedding remote controls into a pair of gloves, allowing skiers, bikers, or runners to adjust their MP3 players with the flick of a finger. The idea is to make your hand your remote control.

The most common wearable computer at present is, of course, the cell phone. These devices are becoming more and more integrated into our lifestyle, with Bluetooth technology and the proliferation of wireless internet applications. The eventual wearable computer, though, will have many more uses besides communication and entertainment. Expect to see these devices being applied to military technology, health care and surgery, education, and emergency services (like Search and Rescue). The hardware is currently the huge drawback of these devices; many prototypes are far too heavy and obtrusive to be in widespread use.

And then there’s the recent scare at Boston’s Logan airport, where an MIT student wearing an electronic sweatshirt (complete with circuit board, wiring, and Play-Doh) was surrounded by armed police officers and arrested for carrying a hoax device. This incident was followed shortly afterwards by the annual International Symposium on Wearable Computers in Boston, and I imagine many of the participants refrained from wearing their innovative designs through airport security. Perhaps it will be a few more years before air travel can be safely combined with small, unfamiliar electronic devices.

Despite the controversies and setbacks, wearable computers are the wave of the future. The iPhone and the much anticipated Google phone are steps in this general direction, but we can expect to see much more practical, integrated technology that we use as nonchalantly as we put on our shoes.

On April 26, 2007, Adobe Systems Incorporated announced plans to release source code for Adobe Flex as open source. This development means that both open source and commercial developers will be empowered to extend and enhance the Flex framework to suit desired needs, while simultaneously contributing to the evolution of Flex software.

So, what are the components being released in the newly open sourced design of Flex? Adobe hasn’t held back much; offering all components of the Flex SDK applications: source code for ActionScript, MXML compilers, ActionScript debugger, ActionScript libraries that make up the core Flex framework, and more. Also, the expectations to complete the transition to a fully open sourced project—one that will include Adobe Flex Builder along with all the other components—are expected for release fourth quarter 07.

For the sharing and contributing of Flex as open source, Adobe will use the Mozilla Public License. By licensing Flex under the MPL, Adobe is showing that they are understanding of many open source projects that need to balance the necessities of open source community and commercial software vendors. With the MPL, Flex can now be extended, contributed to, or incorporated into desired projects (barring a developer does not follow the Flex terms of use agreement). Also, MPL is already being used by many other well known open source projects (ICEFaces Ajax Development Platform, ECLiPSe) with both thriving communities and significant commercial users; demonstrating Adobe’s confidence in the open sourcing of Flex.

Adobe is banking on Flex, and by doing so they are demonstrating tremendous commitment to the recently open sourced application. With continuous developments and improvements being supplicated into the ongoing framework and language evolution of Flex, companies around the world are taking notice, and using the Flex capabilities to progress their needs and interests.

Let’s jump right to the point—not only is Web 2.0 real, it is the future of internet interaction, and business. As defined by Wikipedia, Web 2.0 is as follows – “A term often applied to a perceived ongoing transition of the World Wide Web from a collection of websites to a full-fledged computing platform serving web applications to end users. Ultimately Web 2.0 services are expected to replace desktop computing applications for many purposes”. So what is the ongoing transition? What is meant by a full fledged computing platform? How will desktop appliances ever be replaced? This blog entry has the answers to these questions along with an in depth look at what is Web 2.0, and will give insight into the proper way to harness and make the most of this new internet movement.

The promise of Web 2.0 is delivered in the form of richer and more open technology. The application of this technology, with a focus on user experience and customer service, is helping companies achieve their desired expectations in regards to what the first dot-com-explosion could not deliver. These technologies, coupled with open source and collaborative development, are driving companies in all industries to take a closer look at how they are best using this technology to meet the needs of their business and provide the best user experience possible for their customers.

Web 2.0 is about customer service. If you find ways to make your products and services friendlier, easier to use, and, in some cases, impossible to live without, then embracing the new applications that are Web 2.0 will have a broadening effect throughout your entire organization. Many Web 2.0 technologies help businesses ensure that enhanced efficiency, combined with customer ease of use, can be achieved immediately.

Technologies such as weblogs, social networking, wikis, and podcasts (among numerous others) are becoming the technical norm, and imply significant change in web usage; change that will lead to the rise in economic value of the Web—surpassing the impact of the dot com boom of the late 1990’s.

So what are the applied characteristics of the most internet savvy and efficient (most “Web 2.0-ness”)? One must recognize, and harness data as a driving force. Open source development is providing innovation for the assembly of systems and sites by synergizing features from distributed and independent developers. Web 2.0 will allow for an open architecture, a virtual democracy if you will, that encourages users to add value to the application as they use it, all the while maintaining the ease-of-picking-up by early adopters. Social-networking, enhanced graphical interfaces, and delivery of applications entirely through a browser are a few of the necessary mediums for harnessing the internet shift that is Web 2.0.

The most influential sites (i.e. EBay, Craig’s List, Wikipedia, MySpace, Amazon.com, Google, Apple, and Yahoo) grasp the characteristics of Web 2.0 by employing the philosophy that e-businesses will grow in effectiveness the more people interact with them on a personal level. The unique features of e-business revolve around building applications and services—both which must be taken advantage of—that derive their power from the human connections and network effects that Web 2.0 will make possible.

So it is imperative, that companies of all shapes and sizes take a closer look at how Web 2.0 can help them. This starts by aligning business goals with the tools you have in place for accomplishing necessary objectives. If you are starting from ground zero, then you will want to have an audit done to help expose Web 2.0 opportunities and possibilities of new profit centers.

Whether or not you’re a beginner to internet businessing, or a veteran web provider, the concepts, applications, and techniques that make up the basis for Web 2.0 is something you must adhere to, in order to maintain and offer the most successful internet experiences to your consumers.

With big name partners like Harrah’s Entertainment, Sheraton Hotels, and T-Mobile backing Microsoft Surface, this is one piece of technology that is sure to transcend the way we are used to viewing digital technology, and sure to revolutionize the way we learn, share, create, buy, and much more within our homes, businesses, schools, and endless other mediums. Microsoft Surface is the future of digital interaction.

At Talkibie we’ve been preparing for a world where there is no software, no keyboard, no mouse, no wiring, but instead a collection of live tools for people to use, anywhere, and at anytime—this is the essence of Microsoft Surface. Take away your standard monitor, and replace it with a countertop, a table, maybe a wall or even the floor. Don’t use the mouse to move things on screen, use your finger tips. Forget wiring your MP3 player to the CPU, just place it on Surface, and then drag whatever content you want to where your MP3 actually appears. The intuitive user interface works without a traditional mouse or keyboard, allowing people to interact with content and information by using their hands and natural movements. Microsoft Surface also recognizes physical objects placed on it, so, you can organize your Palm Pilot without having to connect wire ports. This represents a fundamental change in the way we interact with digital content.

Unlike a standard touch screen, Microsoft Surface recognizes dozens upon dozens of points of contact, making collaborative work not only ideal, but quintessential for harnessing the productivity rate that the standard point-and-click mouse could never provide. The standard tabletop will forever be transformed into a vibrant, radiant, interactive surface.

The power of this technology will easily be seen evolving in corporate America. Surface will provide customer reps the ability to provide a real service – from Financial Advisors to Real Estate agents; customer service just became more personal.

The first version of Microsoft Surface will be 22 inches high, 21 inches deep, and 42 inches wide, on an acrylic tabletop with an interior frame that is powder-coated steel. Surface could become the standard for customer interaction in hotels, restaurants, retail, and public entertainment venues later this year. Be assured that Surface will find its way into the design of web applications, most importantly, those that interact with customers.

Learn more at http://www.microsoft.com/surface/

Communication is key and a WIKI is one way for a company to enhance and extend team collaboration from within. A WIKI is a website where content is contributed, edited and organized by its users. Contributing users can quickly create pages and add valuable content and links between them. This type of sharing was available with previous generations of collaborative technology although it did not have the ease of use and creative freedom that WIKIs provide. Groupware, document management and knowledge management systems typically impose more structure and administrative control; whereas WIKIs have more freedom yet still offer the necessary controls to ensure structure.

WIKIs really begin to shine when information needs to be shared in a team atmosphere. A good example of this is a corporate call center or help desk. The ability for phone representatives to build a powerful and fluid knowledge base provides a place where knowledge can be transferred and shared. By nature, WIKIs allow the community of users to keep information up to date, even if they lack technical website knowledge.

A company can take WIKIs to the next level by harnessing this organic knowledge base and syndicating it through RSS feeds, offering information in and out of the company. Imagine your customers accessing the same content through the real time web applications that your help desk or other support team use. RSS and WIKI technology are pretty straight forward. Together, they capture your company’s knowledge and create a distribution model covering other corners of your business where this information is needed.

Why WIKI? It can help your company organize and share information, particularly in areas where information is changing quickly or there is a rapid turnover resulting in a loss of critical knowledge. Add a touch of social networking to the mix and you now have a breeding ground for new ideas that could propel creativity in your company. There is no limit to how you can utilize this type of technology.

Where do you begin? To start, look at open-source options including MediaWiki (the software behind Wikipedia) or Confluence. Established products, such as Microsoft’s SharePoint Sever 2007, are bundling support for WIKIs into their products and are good options if you are using them in your environment today. Having a good understanding of who will use your WIKI, how users might consume the information, and what their challenges are will provide the blueprint for you to start building your own WIKI style knowledge-based system.

Many people who have been in the workforce for a few years have horror stories about their on-the-job training, or lack thereof. I am reminded of a recent visit to the post office, where I pointed out a mistake made by the counter clerk. She apologized, explaining that postal regulations had recently been changed by Congress, and all the retraining the post office employees had received was a typed sheet of 8 ½ x 11 paper. While we might expect a sub-par training program from our federal bureaucracy, it is a surprisingly common failing of businesses big and small. Many are attempting to address the issue by implementing e-learning and online training programs. These flexible programs give more freedom to workers to learn at their own pace and in their own methods. They can also save time, cut down on costs, and allow for more frequent training.

Though print materials are still the most common way that companies prepare their employees to perform essential tasks, e-learning is quickly becoming very popular. Synchronous programs provide lessons to groups of employees simultaneously, and everyone learns together. This can be beneficial if you want to provide training to people at different locations at the same time through e-conferencing technology. I participated in two training sessions this way, logging into a website to watch the instructor’s presentation and feeding audio through a telephone. However, asynchronous courses are more common, allowing each individual to log on and complete tasks at their leisure. Some common tools used in both types of programs include online discussion boards, text chats, screen/podcasts, games, and wikis. These types of interactive technologies can give employees a sense of freedom and participation in their training, encouraging them to dedicate themselves to the tasks they will learn and fully invest themselves in the program.

Some businesses are seeking professional help to implement online training programs. One company which specializes in the market is ej4, which provides pre-packaged or custom sales, compliance, or technology training programs. ej4 also offers testing, video production, guide materials, or will distribute customized sales materials to your e-learners. Their boast is that they can reduce your training costs and increase revenues. Software developers are also jumping on the online training bandwagon. HP’s learning center provides free online classes, how-to guides, business templates, and software seminars. In addition to resources on using their own products, HP has even expanded training offerings to Microsoft Publisher and Access, Adobe products, and CorelDraw. Small business owners can even access free courses on general topics like guerilla marketing, driving online sales, and time management at www.officeliveseminars.com.

The trend towards online and e-learning training is catching on for large and small businesses alike. Companies are finding that participation rates are higher than in traditional face-to-face training, and employees have their pick of larger course offerings to encourage self-improvement. Critics of e-learning point to the lack of face-to-face contact that is the essence of an educational experience; proponents of the system argue that “face-to-face” has a different meaning in our Web 2.0 culture. More and more of our daily “human” interactions actually take place through the conduit of the web. Is there something lost from taking the live person out the training process? Perhaps, but there is also something gained. When the responsibility of training is put in the hands of the employee, making it an opportunity instead of a chore, they gain the desire and drive to make the most of it.

It seems with every passing day more and more of our daily tasks and interactions can be done online. The latest industry to take to the web is, surprisingly, health care. While information-focused websites like WebMD continue to grow in popularity, new sites and services are popping up which provide virtual doctor’s visits, medical advice, and community support groups.

One such company is Myca, which provides cell phone applications and video conferencing access to physicians. Based in Quebec City, Canada, Myca’s services include foodphone, doctorphone, and babyphone. These services allow subscribers in the U.S. and Canada to conference with a network of doctors and nurses, send in snapshots of their meals for nutritional analysis, and get general advice for childcare. Myca will even archive your conversations to add to your medical records. The idea is a unique one, but it addresses the growing problem of quick access to medical care in both Canada and its neighbor to the south. One can imagine the popularity of such services in rural areas where a qualified physicians are in short supply.

As their website says, “The unique video capabilities of the Myca platform reinforce the importance of the direct and personal relationship in generating positive outcomes for treatments and wellness regimens, in a society that is increasingly mobile and on-demand.” Myca is not the only company to examine the viability of cell phone medical capabilities. Motorola is developing a handset that can transmit your “vitals” to your doctor, and HealthPia America has a phone for diabetes patients that can keep track of their blood-sugar levels.

Another emerging business utilizes web tools to create an online community of patients who all suffer from the same conditions. PatientsLikeMe was founded by brothers Ben and James Heywood as a means of gathering information and organizing support for their brother Stephen, who had developed ALS (Lou Gehrig’s disease). Their resulting website provides “a new system of medicine by patients for patients. We’re here to give patients the power to control their disease and to share what they learn with others.” PatientsLikeMe currently houses information and communities of those afflicted by ALS, Multiple Sclerosis, and Parkinson’s disease. Users are able to share and manage their symptoms, connect with other sufferers, and find up-to-the-minute information about new treatment options and experimental research projects. Perhaps a surprising side effect is that researchers in the medical field can access valuable, engaged patient information to help with further research to combat these diseases.

My first question that came to mind when I heard about these two companies was, “Is it safe?” Can a physician really be expected to diagnose a problem or prescribe medication over a video conference call? Does commiseration help you or hurt you when suffering from a degenerative disease? Can we actually get reliable health information on the internet? The technology and trends are too new to answer all these questions, but the success of health care websites like WebMD only proves that the internet-using public has embraced this open access to medical information. Like WebMD, both Myca and PatientsLikeMe employ qualified doctors and nurses to deal with patients questions and concerns. The bottom line is that the public has come to expect instant gratification due to our online, text-messaging culture, and we are no longer willing to wait for access to health care providers.