MacWorld/iWorld 2014 Returns to Moscone North

SAN FRANCISCO (HighTech Reports), Moscone North, March 27, 2014 – MacWorld/ iWorld 2014. It was refreshing to see that MacWorld/ iWorld returned to Moscone North, MacWorld’s former location of years ago. There were around 30,000 attendees at this year’s MacWorld. The exhibit floor seemed bigger than last year and highlighted more booths that we visited. We spent some time in the MacIT room where companies that had booths gave presentations. While there, we learned about products from Printer Logic, Lantronix, Absolute Software, Parallels, and Crash Plan.

Printer Logic sells an enterprise software app that attaches to Windows 2008R file server. The app replaces print server boxes in the enterprise. A license for up to 50 printers costs $5,000. The spokesperson said that most users have 25-30 printers. Each client driver for Mac/Windows PCs links to the printer app via Wi-Fi that scales very big in the enterprise. For example, the Department of Homeland Security used its service to reduce support calls for print servers that went down. The app solution was more efficient and saved the client money.

Absolute Software makes software that helps organizations manage all types of computer assets: PCs, laptops, tablets, phones, etc. It helps track the life cycle of all IT equipment assets to end-of-life. For example, the software helps Apple track iTunes content licensee IP assets. The firm’s solution helped the Columbine school track tablets, laptops, and thefts from intruders entering its campus. The company puts a special sticker on devices with a phone number to call if a child gets cyber bullied. The victimized child connects to a caring person to talk to and so forth. Absolute Software is also exploring other vertical markets.

 

Translating Medicine from Civilian Life to the War Zone and Back Again.

I recently viewed a PBS documentary tv show called ‘Battlefield Medicine’ from the BBC hosted by a UK doctor from the UK’s NHS to see what is going on in wartime medicine that might be helpful back home in the UK.  He travelled all thje way to a medical base in Afganistan to see first hand of how doctors there save the lives of wounded soldiers.  I noticed that there are some new methods and technologies being used to help reduce the death rate of soldiers suffering from some horrific trauma injuries from gunshot, shrapnel and IED explosions.

Injured soldiers can bleed out 5 litres of blood in 5 minutes.

Solution: comrades in the field are trained to use nylon tourniquets that they all carry to stop bleed outs from arm and leg wounds. The do so in the 1st 10
mins. after a soldier is wounded.

Solution: airlift helicopter now comes with a Dr and nurse on board are prepared for incoming injured soldiers, they can do  in-air surgury, transfusions, etc. Special blood infusion technology devices was created to infuse blood into shoulder bone and or sternum in chest.

Solution: At trauma hospital ER, bleeding patients are given a 50-50 mix of whole blood and plasma rather than just whole blood because more plasma is needed to make clots faster to stop bleeding. Localized pain drip meds target nerve via catheter that connect to injured area rather than treat whole body with morphine.

The Dr traveled to the USA to an Atlanta hospital ER to learn about a clinical trial that uses progesterone to increase blood flow in patient brains that suffered from traumatic brain injury (TBI).  Rat studies showed that brain damaged rats given progesterone had less dead tissue areas than brains of untreated rats (controls).

The Dr traveled to a Pittsburg med. center and learned that ER is using extreme cold water (saline) infusion (10 deg C) to put patient in coma-like condition for nearly 1 hr (rather than 5 mins.). This procedure suspends activity in brain and heart while surgeons work in patients trauma issues. When stabilized, patients blood is re-infused to bring back body temp to normal range.
The UK Dr. concluded that advances in civilian trauma medicine often is used in military medicine but is modified to fit the field hospital situation.
Knowledge gained from the military applications can often be used in civilian trauma medical applications.  The UK Dr working with the UK NHS hopes to see
some of the military trauma procedures and technologies that he has seen would someday help save more lives in the civilian trauma ER situations such as car crash victims.

Maria Bartiromo and J.P. Morgan’s Jamie Dimon On Business in 2012 at SF Healthcare Meeting

On Monday January 9, 2012, I attended the J.P.Morgan Healthcare Conference luncheon at the Westin St. Francis Hotel in San Francisco.  During the luncheon, Maria Bartiromo, journalist and news anchor at CNBC, interviewed Jamie Dimon, Chairman, President and CEO of J.P. Morgan Chase about a number of issues facing his company, the U.S. economy and Europe in 2012.

I compiled a list of some of the answers to questions from Bartiromo and Dimon’s answers to those questions.  Bartiromo asked Dimon about the financial health of J.P. Morgan Chase.  The stock is lower, but the company is better with record earnings, Dimon said.  When asked about the U.S. economy, Dimon’s answer was that the U.S. economy is in a mild recovery.  He sees small business in better shape.  He does not see a huge formation of small businesses, however.  It is not access to capital that is the problem, but demand for their products.  There are also IPO backlogs.

He said that early indicators for the recovery include: housing improving and near bottom and shadow inventory is getting better.  He also believes that more people working, the better it is for the economy.  He is not nervous about the capital markets.  However, he did say that geo-politics is always the wild card.   When asked about the European debt crisis, he said that it has to be fixed for the health of the world.  He said that “countries have to be responsible.  They need to change their fiscal policies.”  J.P. Morgan has cut back exposure, but still is investing in Europe.

Bartiromo also asked Dimon about the “Basel Stress Test”.  He said he is in favor of a good  stress test.  Dimon said that J.P. Morgan will be fine with worst case scenario.  He added that J.P. Morgan never lost money in a quarter after the greatest stress test, which was the “Financial Crisis” in 2008.  He wants fairness around the world for derivatives.   He also commented on the Fed’s “Volcker Rule.”  “The Feds do not want us to take any risks,” Dimon said.  He wishes that people “writing these government rules were business people.” However, he is not opposed completely to regulation.

When asked about ObamaCare, he said he wants healthcare for everyone, but he believes that “ObamaCare just added to the mess.”  Bartiromo asked him about Fannie and Freddie.  He said they should have a hybrid or eliminate them.

When a member of the audience said he should run for President, there were huge laughs.  However, he said he has no plans to do so.