Amazon negotiating for Palm? It does make sense...

The rumors are that Amazon is negotiating to buy Palm and WebOS from HP.

http://www.geekwire.com/2011/amazon-buying-palm-lot-sense

Todd Bishop at GeekWire doesn't think this makes sense. I disagree.

Amazon has been working with Kindle and developed a great e-Reader. They are now cannibalizing the RIM playbook hardware to produce the Amazon Fire, which is now available for Pre-Order. They have to manage two OS platforms to deliver these products. May be they want to evolve around one platform that they control.

I don't think they are so bothered about the hardware assets of the HP tablet - the real value is in the WebOS software. Remember, developing for WebOS is basically developing for HTML5. If Amazon acquires WebOS they can integrate their app marketplace, streaming, kindle and other services on a platform they own. However, there is another benefit. The apps they develop for WebOS can run as HTML5 web Apps on Android and iOS with very little development effort. 

Amazon will have control of their own platform and won't be at the mercy of Google's choice of development direction. You already see this on their Android platform. Amazon has been promoting it's own marketplace rather than depending upon Google's Android store.

WebOS is already highly portable. Apps developed for the HP tablet were ported to IOS for the iPad and ran faster than on HP's own tablet. 

No, Buying WebOS makes a lot of sense. Take ownership of their own destiny with a good OS platform and continue to use contract manufacturers to build the hardware.

Is Microsoft dissuading Facebook from buying their own OS?

What I am amazed at is that Facebook hasn't snapped up WebOS. It would be a great way for them to get their own OS platform for phones and tablets and allow them to compete in a vertically integrated way with Apple and Google. 

The reason they haven't done this is probably Microsoft. 

As a major investor in Facebook I am sure Microsoft won't want Facebook buying their own OS. They would prefer Facebook to build functionality in to Windows Phone/ Windows 8 to give Microsoft an edge in the phone and tablet wars.

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@reginaholliday preparing behind the scenes to rock the world at #health20 representing #patients20

Mark Scrimshire
B: http://ekive.blogspot.com
....Sent from my iPhone

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#health2con behind the scenes getting miked up for #patients20 session

Mark Scrimshire
B: http://ekive.blogspot.com
....Sent from my iPhone

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#Health2con

I wish I had been able to attend all of this session, but I was preparing for my participation in the Patients 2.0 session later this afternoon.

Data Utility Layer, Unplatforms … and Now Personal Sensors, Too!

GRAND B (Main Ballroom)

Sponsored by:

Don’t blink but while you were working at your mHealth strategy, we’re going beyond the smartphone. In our rush to get digital, we’ve ignored the analog world. But hardware that measures a variety of human activities is back and transforming consumer engagement. Increasingly, people’s data is automatically being added to the Data Utility Layer from a multitude of devices, including automatic updates from wearable sensors. Is this the year when Unplatforms go mainstream?

WITH DEMOS AND COMMENTARY FROM:

• Julee Thompson, Chief Healthcare Executive, Sprint
• Mike Raymer, GM, Microsoft Health Solutions Group
• Vaibhav Bhandari, Program Manager, Microsoft
• Cédric Hutchings, Co-Founder, Withings
• Jason Goldberg, President, IdealLife
• Jason Jacobs, CEO and Founder, RunKeeper
• Christine Robins, CEO, BodyMedia
• Yishai Knobel, Director of Mobile Health, AgaMatrix
• Ted Ladd, Director of Development Relations, WIMM Labs

There were some great demos from Withings - Blood Pressure Meter for the iPhone. AgaMatrix Glucose tester that is an IPhone accessory, RunKeeper (A device I am experimenting with myself),

The best devices fit in to our lifestyle unobtrusively.

WiMM Labs device is very cool micro android  device. Connects via WiFi to the cloud. http://www.wimm.com/

I should look at RunKeeper for tracking my skiing. 

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Pledge | HealthIT.gov

HealthCamp Foundation pledges to spread the word about the move to put the "I" in Health IT - a critical step in empowering patients and enabling them to be equal partners in their own care.
http://www.healthit.gov/pledge/

#Health2con Devices and Sensors session led by @stephenjdowns

Great devices and sensors session at Health 2.0:

Self Management Devices, Tools and Trackers

• Learn More / See Less
• don’tdeletethis

FRANCISCAN C/D

Moderated By: Steve Downs, Chief Technology & Information Officer, RWJF

FEATURING:

• Steve Corwin, Principal, Capito Life Technologies
• Tomer Shoval, CEO & Co-Founder, Simplee
• Bret Shamosh, CEO & Co-Founder, WellApps
• Karan Singh, Founder, ginger.io
• Makoto Ogawa, Founder, foo.log
• Tom Henke, President & CEO, QuickCheck health

Check out Textweight.com. free for next 3 months. Simple SMS interface coupled with the web site.

Simplee ADDRESSING THAT OXYMORON  - The EOB - Explanation of Benefits

Great graphical drill down that explains the indecipherable EOB.

They now offer e-payment.   

Simplee - often called the Mint of Health. 

Free to consumers.

WellApps - demonstrating an iPhone app for GI monitoring. Recently added is "Socialize" to allow people to share info.

The Web Apps allows you to graph readings, turn on and off data to allow quick and easy correlation. You can connect your Foursquare checkins and correlate them on the chart. Great way to gain insight and improve Quality of Life.

Expect this to expand to other conditions that are dependent on subjective measurement.

Ginger.io - collects mobile interaction data. 

Uses Accelerometer, use of phone and other passively collected data. 

Also have questionnaires to collect subjective data.

User owns the data and select who they want to share with.

Currently focused on Diabetes and depression. 

Combination of active and passive data collection provides feedback loops to improve outcomes.

Foo.log

Food Log Calculator. Neat - capture a photo of a meal. Image processing and analysis to recognize food items. Developed at University of Tokyo.

Uses color and texture information to identify food items. 

QuickCheck Health

The home-based Strep test is really cool. 

 A device and delivery company that uses the internet.

We spend about $8B on negative Strep tests. (75% of Strep tests are negative)

UTI, Strep, Flu and more tests. 

This is a very cool  product that offers real disruption potential.

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#Health2con @geHealth doing fascinating stuff for Aging In Place

The Deep Dive at Health 2.0 is from GE and they have some interesting technology solutions that address Aging in Place. A massive and growing market as baby boomers start retiring.

Intel-GE Care Innovations™ creates technology-based solutions that give people confidence to live independently, wherever they are. We are a unique joint venture between Intel Corporation and GE, based on a long history of driving innovation, solving hard problems, and creating new markets. In our Deep Dive session, CEO Louis Burns and Director of Clinical Development Julie Cherry will discuss Care Innovations’ vision for healthcare, and our role in the health transformation occurring today. This overview will set the stage for attendees to interact with four of our product solutions:

• Care Innovations™ Guide, a home-based health hub that enables patients to age in place and manage their health from their own homes. An FDA-cleared system, the Guide lets healthcare organizations and providers face the challenges of chronic care, increase efficiency, and achieve organizational objectives.
• Care Innovations™ Connect, a new wellness communications tool and social networking hub designed to address social isolation in older adults. Connect includes an easy-to-use digital device that serves as a wellness communication tool and social networking hub all in one.
• GE QuietCare®, a network of sensors that are placed in the homes and apartments of senior community residents, which assists caregivers to provide personalized, preventative care that is individualized for each senior. GE QuietCare learns the daily living patterns of senior community residents and sends alerts when certain out-of-the-ordinary events occur. A prototype falls risk assessment system, quantifying the standard “Timed Get Up and Go” test with on-the-body sensor technology and algorithms that provide an assessment of likelihood of falling.

GE QuietCare provides passive sensors that use an intelligent backend to determine behaviors. This is really interesting technology. There is a VA-based company BeClose.com that is competing in this market.

Sophistication  does not mean a flashy interface. Instead it should be designed for purpose and the sophistication should be hidden in the internals and back end services.

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