Video telephone manufacturer Scotty Group has clinched a substantial new contract with an Indian distributor and Altosys Software. The two companies have been working on a technology, telecare, that enables a private hospital chain to improve the after treatment of its patients. Telecare consists of Scotty’s Videophones combined with specially adapted and approved medical peripherals equipment.
Short news item complete with anoying pop-up advertisement.
Further to our note of Motorola’s Homesight Wireless Easy Starter Kit in November (Check it here), Creative’s WebCam Live! Has a pan and tilt head, and software that automatically moves to follow its subjects. Costs about £95.
The Motorola Homesight Wireless Easy Starter Kit has been generating interest in computing and other techie press since the early October announcement that it was to be sold exclusively through PC World in the UK. Most reviews have concentrated on its use for home or office security monitoring. However, with its range of add-on monitoring devices such as wireless day and night vision cameras, movement detectors, water (flood) sensor, door/window sensors, temperature sensor, it would be possible to set this up as a telecare system.
Devices can trigger each other. So a movement sensor in a bedroom can be programmed only to operate at night, and to switch on a light if someone gets up, or the flood sensor can activate a camera. Events triggered by the system can be sent via email or text. With additional software from ‘I’m in touch’, monitoring can be done from a remote PC (costs 99$ per year?).
Downsides seem to be: no installation or set-up help from PC World; no direct connection to emergency services; a proprietary system (so no interconnectivity with other manufacturers); ethical considerations are down to the installer. The upsides are: availability; potential for increased consumer awareness, and the prices of the add-ons seem reasonable.
Here are a selection of links for further information:
Information from the Motorola site.
PC World site. Not very informative, but each product does have a link to slightly more information. (Starter Kit is fourth entry down.) The kit is also featured in PC World’s in-store magazine, Autumn 2005 edition. Link to site.
UK review, security focused, misses the telecare monitoring potential. Scroll down the page to read the review.
Lengthy on-line US review with set-up instructions. Click here.
Finally, a link to the ‘I’m in touch’ software site.
There is also a useful review in January 2006 edition of PC Pro (p70) but this does not appear to be available on the internet yet.
New product range offers increased protection for residents and buildings, reducing the risk of burglary and anti-social behaviour. Tunstall press release.
IBM is offering free assistive software downloads as part of its continuing efforts to promote products aimed at aging baby boomers and people with disabilities. Read more.
The user presses a button on the Alertacall phone by an agreed time each day. Should the button not be pressed, then Alertacall first tries to call the user, then up to three nominated people to alert them that there may be a problem. Low-cost service to be marketed directly to concerned relatives.
This press release contains some interesting figures from a survey for the company.
Company website: www.alertacall.com/
Tunstall will be offering Honeywell’s HomMed Genesis monitor throughout the United Kingdom. The Genesis monitor is provided to patients at home by healthcare professionals to deliver more proactive and preventative levels of care for conditions such as COPD, diabetes and congestive heart failure.
SafeGuardian™ One Button Medical Alarm Cell Phone is a small, lightweight battery powered cell phone with a built-in GPS locator. The device is activated with just one push of the single oversized red “call” button on the front. Callers can request to be connected to anyone worldwide, store important information (names, telephone numbers, medical information, etc) for quick contact, receive turn-by-turn driving directions and even request location and directions to any local business, etc. Read more.
careMonitor is a service that combines video conferencing, Internet surveillance, and remote medical diagnostics (telemedicine) into a cost-effective package for home-based support of older people with health needs.
Information on our site
Medication reminder facility on Tunstall’s Lifeline 4000+ intelligent home unit, combined with a 28-dose medication dispenser unit with transmitter. Gives automatic reminder messages that require a user response and alerts carers via the Lifeline 4000+ if medication is not taken within an hour of the due time.
Read the news article.
Info. on our site.
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