The free iOS app Epocrates Bugs + Drugs uses aggregated electronic health record data and geotagging to help users see superbug prevalence as well as sensitivity to drugs. by Elizabeth Armstrong Moore October 31, 2013 2:38 PM PDT Warning: The information herein is not easily forgotten. (Credit: Screenshot by Elizabeth Armstrong Moore/CNET) An app that tracks the presence of superbugs and their sensitivities to drugs by ZIP code is making the rounds among doctors in the US. The app, which has been downloaded more than 100,000 times since it was released in early October, shot to the top of the Apple App Store's free medical app list in its first week alone and now boasts an average user rating of 4+ stars. Epocrates Bugs + Drugs, a free app for iOS devices, uses aggregated electronic health record (EHR) data and geotagging to help users see both superbug prevalence and sensitivity to drugs by location. The developers, Athenahealth and Epocrates, add more than 6,000 lab isolate data points (from urine, blood, and skin samples) every day to keep the results fresh. While the app isn't for a layperson -- unless you're into regular confirmation that E. coli is alive and well all around us -- its clinical use is clearly anything but niche. Results that are pulled from Athenahealth's cloud-based clinical database of 15 million patient records can be viewed by specimen type and then paired with Epocrates' drug content to help make prescription decisions. Dr. Gerry Tolbert, a family physician in the Cincinnati area, says that since getting the app when it first came out, he finds himself using it about once a day in his practice. When he gets back a culture of urine or blood, for instance, he may be able to identify the bacteria but not yet know its sensitivity to the drugs he's considering turning to -- which is where the app comes in. It helps him make "a better educated guess on how to treat it." Tolbert isn't surprised the app has become so popular so fast. "It is a very pretty app, but the information is actually incredibly useful," he said, adding that for physicians and clinicians in family practice, ERs, urgent care centers, and beyond, the app serves as something of a beefed-up hospital antibiogram in their pockets. With more than 2 million people in the US contracting drug-resistant infections every year, and some 23,000 of them dying because of it, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, hospital antibiograms have become an imperative to help ensure that patients are prescribed the most effective drugs as quickly as possible. The Bugs + Drugs app takes that data a step further by enabling physicians to search by location -- well beyond their own hospital or clinic -- and in real time. Of course, if it's true that cell phones themselves are helping spread superbugs in hospitals, using this app to help fight them also involves dabbling in a bit of irony.
The free iOS app Epocrates Bugs + Drugs uses aggregated electronic health record data and geotagging to help users see superbug prevalence as well as sensitivity to drugs.
October 31, 2013 2:38 PM PDT
Warning: The information herein is not easily forgotten.
(Credit: Screenshot by Elizabeth Armstrong Moore/CNET)
An app that tracks the presence of superbugs and their sensitivities to drugs by ZIP code is making the rounds among doctors in the US. The app, which has been downloaded more than 100,000 times since it was released in early October, shot to the top of the Apple App Store's free medical app list in its first week alone and now boasts an average user rating of 4+ stars.
Epocrates Bugs + Drugs, a free app for iOS devices, uses aggregated electronic health record (EHR) data and geotagging to help users see both superbug prevalence and sensitivity to drugs by location. The developers, Athenahealth and Epocrates, add more than 6,000 lab isolate data points (from urine, blood, and skin samples) every day to keep the results fresh.
While the app isn't for a layperson -- unless you're into regular confirmation that E. coli is alive and well all around us -- its clinical use is clearly anything but niche. Results that are pulled from Athenahealth's cloud-based clinical database of 15 million patient records can be viewed by specimen type and then paired with Epocrates' drug content to help make prescription decisions.
Dr. Gerry Tolbert, a family physician in the Cincinnati area, says that since getting the app when it first came out, he finds himself using it about once a day in his practice. When he gets back a culture of urine or blood, for instance, he may be able to identify the bacteria but not yet know its sensitivity to the drugs he's considering turning to -- which is where the app comes in. It helps him make "a better educated guess on how to treat it."
Tolbert isn't surprised the app has become so popular so fast. "It is a very pretty app, but the information is actually incredibly useful," he said, adding that for physicians and clinicians in family practice, ERs, urgent care centers, and beyond, the app serves as something of a beefed-up hospital antibiogram in their pockets.
With more than 2 million people in the US contracting drug-resistant infections every year, and some 23,000 of them dying because of it, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, hospital antibiograms have become an imperative to help ensure that patients are prescribed the most effective drugs as quickly as possible. The Bugs + Drugs app takes that data a step further by enabling physicians to search by location -- well beyond their own hospital or clinic -- and in real time.
Of course, if it's true that cell phones themselves are helping spread superbugs in hospitals, using this app to help fight them also involves dabbling in a bit of irony.
The ethos of the new Nexus 5 is very simple: it's made to capture the moments that matter. At least that's what Google's new ad says. Love it? (Credit: Google/YouTube screenshot by Chris Matyszczyk/CNET) If there are some typos in this post, please forgive me. I'm writing it through a veil of sodden, gushing tears. You see, I've just caught a glimpse of Google's new ad for the Nexus 5 and, well, it's just so ridiculously happy that I can't help myself. The whole ad is full of wonderful moments from weddings. I love weddings. They are joyous events that promise so much and deliver for at least 24 hours afterward. I know that a few readers have been lucky enough to enjoy several of these events in which they were groom or bride. Each one was, very possibly, happier than the last. So here we have scene after scene of unparalleled joy at weddings of all kinds, including straight, gay, Indian, nerdy, and mountain-top. How can you not love this? How can you not imagine that the minute you have a Nexus 5 in your trembling hands your life will be as happy as these people's? How can you not weep even as you order it? Cynics, unbelievers, the unhappily divorced, and very possibly the Dutch will look at this ad and mutter: "But you can get wedding photos on any phone." That's not the point. Google is telling you that only with the Nexus 5 will you experience the ultimate, heartfelt high, and feel it coursing through you every time you look at your wedding pictures. Of course there are some who have never managed to waltz up the aisle to the sound of Al Green's "Let's Stay Together," Marvin Gaye's "Let's Get It On," or One Direction's "Let's Go Crazy." I have some advice for you. If, somewhere in your heart, you have an inkling that your George, Gabriela, Alexander, or Aziela are at hand, buy a Nexus 5 and get down on one knee. You will live happily ever after. Pass me a hankie, would you?
The ethos of the new Nexus 5 is very simple: it's made to capture the moments that matter. At least that's what Google's new ad says.
Love it?
(Credit: Google/YouTube screenshot by Chris Matyszczyk/CNET)
If there are some typos in this post, please forgive me.
I'm writing it through a veil of sodden, gushing tears.
You see, I've just caught a glimpse of Google's new ad for the Nexus 5 and, well, it's just so ridiculously happy that I can't help myself.
The whole ad is full of wonderful moments from weddings. I love weddings. They are joyous events that promise so much and deliver for at least 24 hours afterward.
I know that a few readers have been lucky enough to enjoy several of these events in which they were groom or bride. Each one was, very possibly, happier than the last.
So here we have scene after scene of unparalleled joy at weddings of all kinds, including straight, gay, Indian, nerdy, and mountain-top.
How can you not love this? How can you not imagine that the minute you have a Nexus 5 in your trembling hands your life will be as happy as these people's? How can you not weep even as you order it?
Cynics, unbelievers, the unhappily divorced, and very possibly the Dutch will look at this ad and mutter: "But you can get wedding photos on any phone."
That's not the point. Google is telling you that only with the Nexus 5 will you experience the ultimate, heartfelt high, and feel it coursing through you every time you look at your wedding pictures.
Of course there are some who have never managed to waltz up the aisle to the sound of Al Green's "Let's Stay Together," Marvin Gaye's "Let's Get It On," or One Direction's "Let's Go Crazy."
I have some advice for you.
If, somewhere in your heart, you have an inkling that your George, Gabriela, Alexander, or Aziela are at hand, buy a Nexus 5 and get down on one knee. You will live happily ever after.
Pass me a hankie, would you?
Obama administration reportedly asking Google, Oracle, and Red Hat for help fixing the problematic yet high-profile health care Web site. October 31, 2013 1:21 PM PDT healthcare website site obama obamacare healthcare.gov (Credit: CBSNews) In a move that could be described by the cliche "better late than never," it appears the US government has finally reached out to the experts to fix the beleaguered Healthcare.gov. Details are minimal at the moment, but CNBC broke the news via Twitter on Thursday shortly before noon PT that the Obama administration has tapped at least three Silicon Valley heavyweights to fix the problematic Web site: Google, Oracle, and Red Hat. Bloomberg further reported that a spokeswoman for the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services declared there are now "dozens of software engineers, developers, designers and analysts, who are methodically working around the clock on performance and functionality of Healthcare.gov." Healthcare.gov launched at the beginning of October amid the government shutdown, and the digital exchange has been plagued with problems and criticism ever since. Glitches (putting it mildly) have ranged from site crashes and down times, erroneous data, and possible privacy violations. The health insurance Web site forms one of the cornerstones of the president's domestic agenda, and there have already been plenty of hearings at the U.S. Capitol this week determining who to pin the blame on within the administration. President Obama himself deemed the glitches as unacceptable, last week pledging we would see "some of the best and brightest from both inside and outside government to scrub in with the team" in efforts to improve the site. The extra help will have to act fast. Healthcare.gov is scheduled to close its doors for registration on December 15 to meet the deadline for 2014 enrollment. This story originally appeared as "Report: Google, Oracle, and Red Hat tapped to fix Healthcare.gov" on ZDNet.
Obama administration reportedly asking Google, Oracle, and Red Hat for help fixing the problematic yet high-profile health care Web site.
healthcare website site obama obamacare healthcare.gov
(Credit: CBSNews)
In a move that could be described by the cliche "better late than never," it appears the US government has finally reached out to the experts to fix the beleaguered Healthcare.gov.
Details are minimal at the moment, but CNBC broke the news via Twitter on Thursday shortly before noon PT that the Obama administration has tapped at least three Silicon Valley heavyweights to fix the problematic Web site: Google, Oracle, and Red Hat.
Bloomberg further reported that a spokeswoman for the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services declared there are now "dozens of software engineers, developers, designers and analysts, who are methodically working around the clock on performance and functionality of Healthcare.gov."
Healthcare.gov launched at the beginning of October amid the government shutdown, and the digital exchange has been plagued with problems and criticism ever since.
Glitches (putting it mildly) have ranged from site crashes and down times, erroneous data, and possible privacy violations.
The health insurance Web site forms one of the cornerstones of the president's domestic agenda, and there have already been plenty of hearings at the U.S. Capitol this week determining who to pin the blame on within the administration.
President Obama himself deemed the glitches as unacceptable, last week pledging we would see "some of the best and brightest from both inside and outside government to scrub in with the team" in efforts to improve the site.
The extra help will have to act fast. Healthcare.gov is scheduled to close its doors for registration on December 15 to meet the deadline for 2014 enrollment.
This story originally appeared as "Report: Google, Oracle, and Red Hat tapped to fix Healthcare.gov" on ZDNet.
Three remote-controlled mountaintop mirrors now reflect light on the shady valley town of Rjukan, which has never seen sunlight during winter. October 31, 2013 1:19 PM PDT Residents of Rjukan, Norway, gather in the town square to celebrate the their new sun mirrors Wednesday. (Credit: Krister Soerboe/AFP/Getty Images) Residents of a remote Norwegian village are getting their first glimpse of winter sunlight, thanks to giant remote-controlled mirrors that reflect the sun's rays. Nestled deep in a valley between steep mountains, Rjukan is characterized by dark, sunless days between September and March. But now, three 183-square-foot mirrors placed in the mountains surrounding the small town reflect natural sunlight down onto the town square. Three giant mirrors erected on the mountainside above Rjukan, Norway, reflect sunshine toward the center of the town. (Click to enlarge.) (Credit: Tore Meek/AFP/Getty Images) At an inauguration ceremony on Wednesday, residents of Rjukan in sunglasses cheered, waved Norwegian flags, and even lounged in sun chairs in the 45-degree weather. Smiling kids sported suns painted on their cheeks. Prior to the mirrors' arrival, those same residents had to a catch a gondola to grab a few rays in the dark winter months. The founder of the town, industrialist Sam Eyde, conceived of the cable car to take residents up the hill and into the sunlight, and first launched the idea for a sun mirror, or "solspeil," in 1913. The tilted, industrial-grade mirrors, brought in by helicopter, sit on a platform about 1,476 feet above the center of the Southern Norwegian town. Funded by a combination of public and private dollars, they're remotely controlled by computers programmed to follow the sun's course across the sky and reflect it down into part of the town on the valley floor. Sunshine, or lack thereof, can have a dramatic effect on mood and energy levels, studies have shown. And while much of Norway may be accustomed to sunless winters, Karin Ro who runs Rjukan's tourism authority, says the little town about 93 miles west of Oslo could be a tough place to live. "People need sun," she said in the CBSNews video below. "If people get sun they will be more healthy and they will work better." The idea for mountaintop mirrors kicked around Rjukan and environs for a century until local artist Martin Andersen revived it. But this isn't the first time Rjukan has gotten a boost of light. When two other Norwegian artists created a giant glowing light sculpture and took it road-tripping through the shadiest regions of the country earlier this year, the fake sun stopped to hang from The Culture House in Rjukan. As for the new mirrors, they could end up bringing another bit of brightness to Rjukan. The town's mayor, Reidar Engell Olsen, thinks they might just boost tourism to the town.
Three remote-controlled mountaintop mirrors now reflect light on the shady valley town of Rjukan, which has never seen sunlight during winter.
Residents of Rjukan, Norway, gather in the town square to celebrate the their new sun mirrors Wednesday.
(Credit: Krister Soerboe/AFP/Getty Images)
Residents of a remote Norwegian village are getting their first glimpse of winter sunlight, thanks to giant remote-controlled mirrors that reflect the sun's rays.
Nestled deep in a valley between steep mountains, Rjukan is characterized by dark, sunless days between September and March. But now, three 183-square-foot mirrors placed in the mountains surrounding the small town reflect natural sunlight down onto the town square.
Three giant mirrors erected on the mountainside above Rjukan, Norway, reflect sunshine toward the center of the town. (Click to enlarge.)
(Credit: Tore Meek/AFP/Getty Images)
At an inauguration ceremony on Wednesday, residents of Rjukan in sunglasses cheered, waved Norwegian flags, and even lounged in sun chairs in the 45-degree weather. Smiling kids sported suns painted on their cheeks.
Prior to the mirrors' arrival, those same residents had to a catch a gondola to grab a few rays in the dark winter months. The founder of the town, industrialist Sam Eyde, conceived of the cable car to take residents up the hill and into the sunlight, and first launched the idea for a sun mirror, or "solspeil," in 1913.
The tilted, industrial-grade mirrors, brought in by helicopter, sit on a platform about 1,476 feet above the center of the Southern Norwegian town. Funded by a combination of public and private dollars, they're remotely controlled by computers programmed to follow the sun's course across the sky and reflect it down into part of the town on the valley floor.
Sunshine, or lack thereof, can have a dramatic effect on mood and energy levels, studies have shown. And while much of Norway may be accustomed to sunless winters, Karin Ro who runs Rjukan's tourism authority, says the little town about 93 miles west of Oslo could be a tough place to live.
"People need sun," she said in the CBSNews video below. "If people get sun they will be more healthy and they will work better."
The idea for mountaintop mirrors kicked around Rjukan and environs for a century until local artist Martin Andersen revived it.
But this isn't the first time Rjukan has gotten a boost of light. When two other Norwegian artists created a giant glowing light sculpture and took it road-tripping through the shadiest regions of the country earlier this year, the fake sun stopped to hang from The Culture House in Rjukan.
As for the new mirrors, they could end up bringing another bit of brightness to Rjukan. The town's mayor, Reidar Engell Olsen, thinks they might just boost tourism to the town.
Here's a list of when each U.S. airline plans to allow passengers to use personal electronic devices during all phases of a flight. October 31, 2013 12:33 PM PDT (Credit: LM Otero/AP) The Federal Aviation Administration on Thursday announced that travelers will soon be able to use their smartphones and tablets (in airplane mode) and other electronic devices at all times during a flight. The agency's press release noted that "passengers will eventually be able to read e-books, play games, and watch videos on their device during all phases of flight, with very limited exceptions." Travelers will still not be permitted, however, to make voice calls from their cell phones. The FAA said that it expects "many carriers will prove to the FAA that their planes allow passengers to safely use their devices in airplane mode, gate-to-gate, by the end of the year." The question remains, when will your favorite airline take advantage of the FAA's rule change? Delta Delta, the world's largest airline, confirmed that it has already completed tolerance testing on its aircrafts and is awaiting FAA approval. The airline said passengers may be permitted to use their portable electronic devices below 10,000 feet as early as Friday, November 1. Delta said that it has more than 570 mainline domestic aircrafts ready to allow travelers to use their mobile devices in airplane mode, and plans to have more than 550 regional aircrafts ready by the end of the year. United Airlines A United Airlines spokesperson confirmed to CNET that the company has already started work to implement the use of portable electronic devices "as safely and quickly as possible." While no timetable was given, the spokesperson added that United is "excited to offer this new benefit because our customers tell us they want to use their portable electronic devices." Southwest Airlines A spokesperson with Southwest Airlines told CNET that the company is "thrilled that we'll be able to offer this to our customers," adding that the airline is "amending our PED procedures quickly and should have more details on timing soon." JetBlue A JetBlue spokesperson confirmed to CNET that the airline "will allow the use of PEDs as quickly as we receive approval from the FAA, which can be as early as this afternoon." US Airways U.S. Airways has not yet announced information regarding the use of personal electronics devices. American Airlines A spokesperson for American Airlines provided CNET with the following statement: "American Airlines will submit tomorrow to the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) a plan to allow the extended use of portable electronic devices onboard our entire mainline fleet. American has been working with the FAA for some time on this initiative and we are excited to bring this improved level of service to our customers. American is working closely with our regional partners to bring the same level of portable device access to regional customers by the end of the year. We look forward to making this enhancement available to our customers as soon as we receive approval from the FAA." This article will be updated as additional information becomes available from more airlines.
Here's a list of when each U.S. airline plans to allow passengers to use personal electronic devices during all phases of a flight.
The Federal Aviation Administration on Thursday announced that travelers will soon be able to use their smartphones and tablets (in airplane mode) and other electronic devices at all times during a flight.
The agency's press release noted that "passengers will eventually be able to read e-books, play games, and watch videos on their device during all phases of flight, with very limited exceptions."
Travelers will still not be permitted, however, to make voice calls from their cell phones.
The FAA said that it expects "many carriers will prove to the FAA that their planes allow passengers to safely use their devices in airplane mode, gate-to-gate, by the end of the year."
The question remains, when will your favorite airline take advantage of the FAA's rule change?
Delta
Delta, the world's largest airline, confirmed that it has already completed tolerance testing on its aircrafts and is awaiting FAA approval. The airline said passengers may be permitted to use their portable electronic devices below 10,000 feet as early as Friday, November 1.
Delta said that it has more than 570 mainline domestic aircrafts ready to allow travelers to use their mobile devices in airplane mode, and plans to have more than 550 regional aircrafts ready by the end of the year.
United Airlines
A United Airlines spokesperson confirmed to CNET that the company has already started work to implement the use of portable electronic devices "as safely and quickly as possible."
While no timetable was given, the spokesperson added that United is "excited to offer this new benefit because our customers tell us they want to use their portable electronic devices."
Southwest Airlines
A spokesperson with Southwest Airlines told CNET that the company is "thrilled that we'll be able to offer this to our customers," adding that the airline is "amending our PED procedures quickly and should have more details on timing soon."
JetBlue
A JetBlue spokesperson confirmed to CNET that the airline "will allow the use of PEDs as quickly as we receive approval from the FAA, which can be as early as this afternoon."
US Airways
U.S. Airways has not yet announced information regarding the use of personal electronics devices.
American Airlines
A spokesperson for American Airlines provided CNET with the following statement:
"American Airlines will submit tomorrow to the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) a plan to allow the extended use of portable electronic devices onboard our entire mainline fleet. American has been working with the FAA for some time on this initiative and we are excited to bring this improved level of service to our customers. American is working closely with our regional partners to bring the same level of portable device access to regional customers by the end of the year. We look forward to making this enhancement available to our customers as soon as we receive approval from the FAA."
This article will be updated as additional information becomes available from more airlines.
After what seemed like an interminable wait, Google's new Android KitKat reference phone is here -- but some models might already be gone. October 31, 2013 12:07 PM PDT Forget Justin, meet the new Nexus 5! (Credit: Google) Less than an hour after the Nexus 5 -- the first phone to run Android KitKat -- officially hit the Google Play store around 11 a.m. PT, the online store is already showing certain models of the smartphone as "out of inventory." At the moment, both white and black 16GB models appear to be sold out. Black 32GB models now show a week delay in shipping, while white 32GB phones still promise to ship within 1 to 2 business days. Within only minutes of the launch, shipping times began to slip to a week or more. I've reached out to Google for clarification on Nexus 5 availability. It's happened with past Play Store launches that an "out of inventory" message appeared prematurely due to heavy inbound traffic, so keep checking back and refreshing that Play Store link as well as checking back here for updates. I'll update this post when I hear back from Google. Meanwhile, check out CNET's Nexus 5 hands-on and the rest of our coverage. Also, let us know in the comments if you've been able to order your own new Nexus phone, or if you even plan to.
After what seemed like an interminable wait, Google's new Android KitKat reference phone is here -- but some models might already be gone.
Forget Justin, meet the new Nexus 5!
(Credit: Google)
Less than an hour after the Nexus 5 -- the first phone to run Android KitKat -- officially hit the Google Play store around 11 a.m. PT, the online store is already showing certain models of the smartphone as "out of inventory."
At the moment, both white and black 16GB models appear to be sold out. Black 32GB models now show a week delay in shipping, while white 32GB phones still promise to ship within 1 to 2 business days.
Within only minutes of the launch, shipping times began to slip to a week or more.
I've reached out to Google for clarification on Nexus 5 availability. It's happened with past Play Store launches that an "out of inventory" message appeared prematurely due to heavy inbound traffic, so keep checking back and refreshing that Play Store link as well as checking back here for updates. I'll update this post when I hear back from Google.
Meanwhile, check out CNET's Nexus 5 hands-on and the rest of our coverage. Also, let us know in the comments if you've been able to order your own new Nexus phone, or if you even plan to.
After what seemed like an interminable wait, Google's new Android KitKat reference phone is here -- but some models might already be gone. October 31, 2013 12:07 PM PDT Forget Justin, meet the new Nexus 5! (Credit: Google) Less than an hour after the Nexus 5 -- the first phone to run Android KitKat -- officially hit the Google Play store around 11 a.m. PT, the online store is already showing certain models of the smartphone as "out of inventory." At the moment, both white and black 16GB models appear to be sold out. Black 32GB models now show a week delay in shipping, while white 32GB phones still promise to ship within 1 to 2 business days. Within only minutes of the launch, shipping times began to slip to a week or more. I've reached out to Google for clarification on Nexus 5 availability. It's happened with past Play Store launches that an "out of inventory" message appeared prematurely due to heavy inbound traffic, so keep checking back and refreshing that Play Store link as well as checking back here for updates. I'll update this post when I hear back from Google. Meanwhile, check out CNET's Nexus 5 hands-on and the rest of our coverage. Also, let us know in the comments if you've been able to order your own new Nexus phone, or if you even plan to.
After what seemed like an interminable wait, Google's new Android KitKat reference phone is here -- but some models might already be gone.
Forget Justin, meet the new Nexus 5!
(Credit: Google)
Less than an hour after the Nexus 5 -- the first phone to run Android KitKat -- officially hit the Google Play store around 11 a.m. PT, the online store is already showing certain models of the smartphone as "out of inventory."
At the moment, both white and black 16GB models appear to be sold out. Black 32GB models now show a week delay in shipping, while white 32GB phones still promise to ship within 1 to 2 business days.
Within only minutes of the launch, shipping times began to slip to a week or more.
I've reached out to Google for clarification on Nexus 5 availability. It's happened with past Play Store launches that an "out of inventory" message appeared prematurely due to heavy inbound traffic, so keep checking back and refreshing that Play Store link as well as checking back here for updates. I'll update this post when I hear back from Google.
Meanwhile, check out CNET's Nexus 5 hands-on and the rest of our coverage. Also, let us know in the comments if you've been able to order your own new Nexus phone, or if you even plan to.
