3D Model Puts Common Cold in Researchers’ Sights

If a new 3D simulation is as helpful as its creators hope, you might spend a lot less time in the future with the sniffles.

Researchers in Melbourne have simulated the movement of the human rhinovirus on Australia’s fastest supercomputer. The 3D model was created on the IBM Blue Gene Q, which was just delivered to the University of Melbourne earlier in July.

The model looks suitably creepy – a bit like a nest of earthworms surrounded by brightly-colored gummy candy. Rhinovirus is thought to be responsible for about 40 percent of cases of the common cold, as well as a contributing factor in other conditions.

The research focuses on an experimental drug by pharmaceutical company Biota that halts the spread of the virus. The drug is intended to stop a cold from complicating the condition of someone with asthma, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, and cystic fibrosis. The head researcher, Professor Michael Parker with St. Vincent’s Institute of Medical Research, said the benefits of the simulation weren’t limited to curtailing the common cold.

“An increase in understanding how existing drugs work with one virus will pave the way for the development of new anti-viral medications for these related viruses and hopefully save lives around the world,” he said. Rhinovirus is related to polio and meningitis viruses.

Earlier work has involved running simulations on only parts of the rhinovirus. A more complete 3D model can enable a more thorough analysis.

“The IBM Blue Gene Q will provide us with extraordinary 3D computer simulations of the whole virus in a time frame not even dreamt of before,” Parker said. “Supercomputer technology enables us to delve deeper in the mechanisms at play inside a human cell, particularly how drugs work at a molecular level.”

In a Brisbane Times video, Melbourne University computational scientist Michael Kuiper explains that every atom of the virus has now been modeled using Blue Gene Q’s 64,000 processors. So don’t try this feat at home just yet.

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3D is a Welcome Addition to Gaming

Ask a group of friends to see a 3D movie and you might get some divided opinions. Headaches and higher costs are concerns for movie-goers interested in 3D cinema. Ask a group of friends to play a video game that comes in 3D online on different displays and another result occurs. Each player can decide whether to view the game in 3D and, so far, games with 3D support are no more expensive than normal new releases.

Some Xbox, Playstation and PC games come with 3D capabilities built-in. PC gaming was the frontrunner in the field, integrating Nvidia’s 3D platform long before the technology was available on consoles. 3D gaming does require other special hardware, which adds to the initial cost. Monitors and televisions that can display 3D content can be a bit pricier than ones without 3D support. Many of the displays that support 3D require users to purchase glasses separately. Active 3D glasses can cost up to $100 for two pairs. Passive ones are less expensive.

Even if you’re not a fan of 3D cinema, try out 3D games. Erik Sofge of Popular Mechanics admitted to being unimpressed by Avatar in theaters and Avatar: the Game, but got a kick out of “Super Stardust HD,” which can be downloaded from the Playstation Network. (He also said that 3D works better in games than in movies because games are meant to be fun and gimmicky.) If the first time playing through a 3D game is underwhelming, try a different title and see if it’s more to your taste.

Not sure where to start? Here are a few games that take advantage of 3D technology and do it well:

• Halo: Combat Evolved Anniversary Edition is the original Halo with new graphics and stereoscopic 3D support. Even if the graphics aren’t perfect, Halo is one of the essential console games; it has a large fan base who will certainly enjoy playing through the game again with 3D enabled.

• Gran Turismo 5, according to Dan Ackerman of CNET, offers one of the most immersive 3D experiences. He suggests playing in cockpit view and playing with a wheel instead of a controller for an even better time.

• Crysis 2 minimizes the resolution loss and jagged edges that 3D graphics can produce in a game. The cutting-edge PC moves its 3D graphics to the console effortlessly. The 3D view is designed to recede in the background, CNET reports, which creates less eyestrain and visual confusion.

If you’re a gamer and haven’t played 3D games yet, why wait? Some excellent titles are already on the market and both console and PC games with 3D support are only improving every year. Slip on your glasses, pick up your controller and give it a try!

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Content is King at Mass TLC 2012 Mobile Summit

On July 11, I attended the Mass Technology Leadership Council’s 2012 Mobile Summit in Cambridge, Massachusetts. Dozens of developers, entrepreneurs, and IT decision-makers gathered at the Microsoft New England Research and Development (NERD) Center to discuss the next generation of mobile technology.

The hot topic of the morning was content, the subject of a panel moderated by Phuc Trong, the Managing Director at Mobext. The panelists were:

• Phil Costa, Director of Product Management at Brightcove
• Jeff Moriarty, Vice President, Digital Products at The Boston Globe
• Sanjay Vakil, Director of Mobile Product at TripAdvisor

Discussion centered on the attributes one’s online content must have to be most effective and compelling. While content might be text, pictures, video, products for sale, or any number of other formats, the panelists agreed, it must all be:

Discoverable

First, customers must be able to find your content. Search Engine Optimization (SEO) matters just as much in the mobile space as it does on the desktop.

“You need to pay attention to your mobile pages,” Vakil said. Search engines utilize crawlers that masquerade as mobile browsers specifically so that they can return results relevant for mobile users.

One way to make sure mobile pages are just as optimized as desktop pages is to use responsive web design, in which the same content is delivered to any browser but is formatted to fit the user’s screen. This approach was advocated by Moriarty, who said it had been successful at bostonglobe.com.

Costa, whose company specializes in video content, said that transcribing videos or tagging them with keywords is essential to making them discoverable.

Readable

After machines read your content, actual people must be able to as well. In some cases, a mobilized website can accomplish this task quite well. Costa said that native apps are very useful at this point in the customer acquisition lifecycle, because installing an app and taking up virtual real estate on one’s phone or tablet creates a tighter relationship between content and user.

Relevant

Any information “above the fold” on a newspaper’s front page is much more noticeable than any below the fold. On a desktop browser, that translates to the first screen a user can see without scrolling. Much less space is available on a mobile browser, so the very first information a user sees has to be relevant.

Shareable

Because so much of the online experience is dominated by sharing among friends and colleagues on sites like Twitter and Facebook, content must be easily shareable. It’s a way of spreading your content further but also of encouraging readers and viewers to be more actively engaged with it.

Actionable

Mobile devices are great for consuming information, but typing can be a hassle. If content is behind a paywall, logging in must be automatic. If a user has visited before, that should be remembered.

“Everything that stands in the way is a problem,” Vakil said. Take away as many barriers as possible between your consumers and your content and you have the best chance of reaching them.

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OUYA: The Android Face of Console Gaming

The company went from 0 to 2 million in two days.

OUYA, a hot new gaming console that will run Android 4.0, went on Kickstarter with a goal of $950,000. In two days, it has already earned more than $2.5 million. Its popularity stems from its inexpensive hardware, open-source game model and free trials of all games. Anyone capable of Android development will be able to develop for the platform, CEO Julie Uhrman says, without paying for expensive SDK kits that traditional console gaming requires.

It also means game developers can avoid expensive licensing, retail and publishing fees.

OUYA offered rewards like reserved gamertags, early consoles, engraved consoles and early SKD kits for different pledge levels. The 2000 $90 OUYA consoles are already sold out, though some are still available for $99. The lowest pledge level, $10, lets donors reserve a gamertag before the launch. The highest pledge gift comes with a $10,000 pledge and includes a private, pre-launch dinner with developers and designers. The donors username and donor ID will also be engraved into every first-run console produced.

Gamers and developers can take the console apart easily without voiding their hardware. It’s held together with basic screws. Once inside, users are free to play with the hardware. Peripheral devices can be connected via USB or Bluetooth LE 4.0. The console itself is based on a Tegra3 quad-core processor and includes:

• 1GB RAM
• 8GB internal flash storage
• WiFi 802.11 b/g/n
• one USB 2.0 slot
• and an HDMI connection that can support 1080p

All consoles will ship with a wireless controller that features two analog sticks, a d-pad, eight action buttons, a system button and a touchpad. Donors can pledge an extra $30 to receive an additional controller with the OUYA console.

The team at OUYA is excited about the potential that comes from the extra donations. Uhrman says the team in the office was hitting the refresh button on the Kickstarter campaign every few seconds, watching the donations climb. According to an article in Business Insider, OUYA developers plan to listen to the community and see what they want from the additional money, as well as work with game developers to have more games ready at launch.

If you have an idea for an Android game, remember that Zco offers exceptional Android game development services. Give us a call at 603-881-3000 to learn more.

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Intrusive Mobile Ads Worry Security Experts

Determining how best to implement advertising in a mobile app can be a tricky business. Hold back and your revenue trickles in too slowly. Go overboard and users abandon your app altogether. That’s the challenge a wide range of companies face when distributing mobile applications to the world.

Facebook, with one of the top downloaded apps for both iOS and Android, is currently navigating that difficult road. The Wall Street Journal reports that the social network giant is preparing to launch a new type of advertising that targets customers based on what other apps they use.

The approach works by leveraging Facebook Connect, a feature allowing users to log into other services with a Facebook account. Data gleaned from tracking that activity gives Facebook valuable information about what its users are interested in –and what ads might appeal to them in their News Feed.

It isn’t the first controversial ad strategy Facebook has employed. The company is currently in talks to settle a lawsuit regarding “Sponsored Stories,” user posts that get repurposed as ads when they mention specific products or websites without the express consent of the user.

Neither is Facebook alone in using questionably intrusive advertising targeting tactics. Mobile security firm LookOut Mobile says that more than 80 million apps with invasive ads have been downloaded, or about 5 percent of all free apps on the Android platform. These apps can harvest data from phones or surreptitiously install other software in the background.

“Aggressive ad networks are much more prevalent than malicious applications. It is the most prevalent mobile privacy issue that exists,” said Kevin Mahaffey, LookOut’s technology chief and co-founder, in a Reuters interview.

Even ads that don’t pick through users’ personal information can take a toll on devices. A study from Microsoft and Purdue University showed that up to 75 percent of an app’s power consumption can come from the communication required by the advertising. Whether the ad software is transmitting your contacts back to a database or simply fetching a new banner image, that’s a huge drain on your battery.

It’s possible to make money from a free app, even with advertising that doesn’t intrude on users’ privacy. Concentrating on delivering a satisfying experience will lead more people to use your app, allowing your ads to be less intrusive and still profitable.

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Innovation, the FDA, and Medical Mobile Apps

Mobile apps are lots of fun, but they’re more than just games, alarms, timers, and social media platforms. More and more, medical professionals are using mobile apps to meet the needs of patients; certain mobile apps make documentation and patient reporting more simple and effective. Medical applications can help eliminate misunderstandings about medications, catch errors on patient charts, and clear up a doctor’s instructions for a patient who has returned home.

Even Harvard Medical School, arguably one of the finest schools of medicine in the United States, is taking advantage of mobile apps. Students are instructed to bring their own mobile device and the school itself holds licenses on apps it finds useful. The most popular app for students at HMS is Dynamed, which offers an evidence-based clinical reference to be used at the point-of-care, which means with or near patients.

Harvard’s doctors aren’t the only ones taking advantage of this mobile technology. A 2011 report from MobiHealth News showed that pharma companies’ investments in medical mobile apps and websites were up 78 percent from 2009 to 2010. As of 2012, there are over 40,000 medical mobile apps available for download.

In 2011, the FDA decided that as-yet unregulated medical apps needed oversight. It drafted a set of guidelines requiring medical apps that made health claims to be tested and approved. The problem is, approval for traditional healthcare devices is a difficult process that costs millions of dollars. The market for medical mobile apps is still growing and doesn’t yet earn as much money as that of traditional medical devices. A Stanford University report showed that the cost of device approval through the FDA is between $24 million and $75 million. The entire worth of the medical mobile application market is only $718 million, but is expected to double before the end of 2012, according to Research2Guidance.

Regulation is important, as is protecting users of medical apps – but innovation may be stifled by the long, expensive approval process. If the FDA finds a way to streamline the process so that the mobile apps can be processed more quickly and effectively, it will be on the right track. Medical mobile apps, like the rest of the mobile industry, are updated regularly and can be released with a low initial cost. These attributes make medical apps extremely valuable in a field where knowledge grows by leaps and bounds every week – and where the right app can be the difference between a well patient and an unwell patient.

Bring your medical organization into the 21st century with a state-of-the-art mobile app. Email us to get started.

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Android May Be Getting Military-Grade Security

The same week a Microsoft developer discovered a new e-mail botnet taking over Android devices, USA Today reported that the U.S. military is getting involved in efforts to make the mobile operating system more secure.

The Defense Research Advanced Projects Agency (DARPA) has hired Invincea to create software for Android that makes it more difficult for malicious hackers to gain control of devices, and also less likely that data can be extracted from lost or stolen tablets or phones. Invincea is already putting the $21 million grant to use, testing its software with 3,000 soldiers in Afghanistan.

Android’s open philosophy has helped it with consumers, propelling it to a solid lead in smartphone market share in the U.S. At the same time, corporate clients have been more hesitant to adopt Android devices. Plenty of security solutions exist, but mostly rely on the end user to install antivirus software.

Invincea hopes to introduce its own consumer security software based on its military work, said the company’s founder and CEO Anup Ghosh. If it does, it would join companies like AVG, Lookout, and Symantec, which have released independent antivirus and antimalware apps for Android. It could also go another route: joining with Google and integrating directly with the operating system. That would make Android inherently more secure without sacrificing all of the freedom Android users enjoy.

There is middle ground between being totally open and totally locked down like Apple’s iOS. One Android security feature – which is easily disabled if desired – is the prevention of installation of apps not from Google Play. Third-party security software can scan every app at the time of installation, and even every time they’re opened, for signs of infection or malicious behavior.

Unfortunately, that still puts the processing burden on the consumer’s device. Apple’s approach has the advantage of providing a trusted source, the iTunes App Store, for apps. Still, even that approach isn’t perfect: though far less malware exists for iOS than for Android, it’s been demonstrated to be possible. “Jailbreaking” an iPhone to allow it to run apps from anywhere puts it at the same risk of downloading risky code as an Android device.

It could be a year or two before Invincea’s solution makes its way to consumer devices. By that time, perhaps Android will already be less vulnerable to malware.

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Best Independence Day Apps to Help You Celebrate

Fireworks, barbecues, sweet tea, and swimming – Independence Day is all about celebrating America and spending some downtime with the people you care about. Celebrated since 1777 – when 13 rifle shots marked the occasion in Rhode Island and a larger celebration with food and fireworks took place in Pennsylvania – Independence Day is a time for fun and frolic. Mobile technology offers even more ways to send greetings, invite people over, plan meals and enjoy fireworks. Whether you’re roasting under the sun or stuck inside thanks to some ill-timed rain, iOS mobile apps will put a little extra holiday smile on your face.

Vintage Fourth of July Cards is an iOS app that has graphic representations of old-fashioned Independence Day cards. There are one hundred cards to choose from for only $1.99; download as many as your heart desires without paying extra. Once you’ve found one that strikes your fancy, send it out to relatives you aren’t going to see or to friends coming to your cookout as a precursor to the event. They’re sent right to an email account, so your friends and family don’t need to have the app to view the card. If you’re feeling especially patriotic, you can even set your favorite as your mobile wallpaper.

Speaking of your cookout, check out Fourth of July Recipes if you aren’t quite sure what to serve your guests. For only $0.99 you get access to more than 200 recipes. Move quickly, though, because the app is on sale (and it’s usually $14.99!) Try out Lemon Firecrackers, Star Spangled Pie or Aunt Carol’s July 4^th Kosher Cole Slaw and who knows, maybe you’ll end up with a new family favorite. Most recipes in the cookbook stem from Independence Day favorites like baked beans, potato salad, various types of pie and hamburgers. There are also a few surprises — like the red, white and blue ice cream cake. Most of the recipes are fairly simple. Even if you aren’t a gourmet chef, Fourth of July Recipes is the perfect app to help you decide what to put on the menu at the last minute.

Stuck inside due to some very unfriendly storm clouds? Worried you’ll miss fireworks? Let your mobile device create the next best thing. Fireworks Arcade not only lets you design your own fireworks show, but it includes realistic sounds to dazzle your audience. It’s free, but you can choose to pay $0.99 to remove the ads. Once you’re done creating your fireworks show, save it and share it with friends right in the app. Even if you’re planning on spending the night outside and the skies are clear, Fireworks Arcade can still work to entertain your children when you get caught in the post-fireworks traffic.

So load up your iOS device with Independence Day apps and make the most of your holiday!

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Responsive Web Design Vs. Purpose-Built Mobile Sites

SEMPO, a non-profit organization created to serve both the search engine industry and marketing professionals, recently held a webinar that featured two guest speakers, a moderator, and a discussion of the mobile search experience. Google recently announced that it prefers responsive web design to purpose-built mobile sites, and the discussion centered on which businesses would benefit from dedicated mobile sites and how people use their mobile devices.

Responsive web design is built for desktop users, but adapts to work for mobile users too. It costs less than making a dedicated mobile site, because it addresses both audiences, but it often doesn’t look as nice or function as easily for mobile users. Purpose-built mobile sites are made for mobile users and present the information a mobile user would be looking for in a clean, simple format, but require a greater investment up front.

The discussion was moderated by Sherwood Stranieri, CEO of Skypromote, a Boston-based SEO agency. Stranieri has been working in search since 1998 and has provided SEO consulting to healthcare, tech financial and automotive companies. He specializes in mobile search. Bryson Meunier and Adam Boalt were the panelists. Meunier is the Director of Content Solutions at Resolution Media, Omnicom’s search agency. He works to drive SEO strategy and execution for Resolution Media clients and has worked for companies like Lowes, Apple and Groupon. Boalt is the president of BOALT, an interactive agency that designs and develops performance-driven user experiences with intelligent online marketing strategies. He has provided marketing solutions to companies like Bacardi, Sony and Royal Caribbean.

The speakers agreed that some types of businesses need to create purpose-built mobile sites. As Meunier said, “There is a time and place for creating dedicated mobile experiences.”

A chart showing the number of keywords for each business category and the number of mobile searches for the group of keywords demonstrated which businesses need to consider dedicated mobile sites. The dining and nightlife category, for example, had 1,095 keywords. Of those, 33 percent were searched on mobile devices. 21 percent of the keywords – 225 sets of keywords – had more mobile searches than desktop searches. The amount of mobile searches in the dining and nightlife industry would justify the expense of a dedicated mobile site. Other sites that would benefit include retailers, general merchandise, sports, and fitness.

Real estate websites, on the other hand, have 1,033 keywords. Only 16 percent of those are searched on mobile devices. Only 1 percent – 10 sets of keywords – have more mobile searches than desktop searches. In the case of real estate businesses, the extra expense of a dedicated mobile site isn’t merited. Other businesses with low mobile searches were apparel, home, garden, occasions, gifts, jobs and education.

Sites that aren’t designed for mobile users can drive a user who has found a business via mobile search from using the website – and the business. If information like hours, menus, stock, and location isn’t easily and readily available without of tapping, clicking, and zooming on a mobile screen, users are likely to navigate back to search and move on to the next site.

Ultimately, the panel concluded that the business type should determine whether it builds a responsive website or invests in a purpose-built mobile site.

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iPad Costs $1.36 Per Year to Charge, Study Finds

Charging an iPad up to 100 percent every other day will consume less than 12 kilowatt-hours (kWh) of electricity in a year, according to an analysis by the Electric Power Research Institute (EPRI). Using the national average electricity rate, that adds up to $1.36.

A dollar and change might not sound like a lot, but it adds up. All 67 million iPads put together, from the first generation in 2010 to the newest edition introduced this year, consume as much power as 3,000 U.S. homes, the executive summary of the full research report said. That’s 590 gigawatt-hours.

The newest iPad, at 11.9kWh per year, uses about 50 percent more power than the first generation’s 7.2kWh because of its faster dual-core processor. It also costs more power than an iPhone 4 ($0.38 per year) or iPhone 3G ($0.25 per year).

When viewed in comparison to other computing devices, however, the iPad looks like a straight-up bargain. The EPRI estimated a laptop computer to cost $8.31 per year and consume 72.3kWh of electricity per year, while a desktop would cost $28.21 and consume 245.5kWh.

They all beat out household appliances. The most costly item tested by the EPRI was a clothes dryer, which added up to $105.82 and 921kWh for a year of use; a refrigerator with 21 cubic feet of storage space would cost $65.72 (572kWh) and a dishwasher would cost $34.47 (300kWh).

One device that used about the same amount of energy as the iPad was a compact fluorescent light bulb, which would cost just $1.61 per year and use 14 kWh, compared to its 60-watt incandescent equivalent at $7.58 and 66kWh. It looks like you can save about the same amount of energy switching from a laptop to a tablet as you can by replacing your light bulbs.

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