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Grandview, Mo. School District Superintendent Michael Brown is testing a pilot project to take the school system paperless. Using Android tablet devices, students are moving from physical textbooks to electronic ones. Note and test taking are also taking place without pen and paper using the technology. Earlier this year, district officials purchased 20 HaiPad Android electronic tablets at $145 apiece and are in the process of distributing … [Read more...]
MakerBot is bringing the price of 3D printing within reach of almost anyone. The magic of 3D printers—and digital fabrication in general—is that it takes a computer-created model and/or a digital design, and turns it into a real, physical object by “printing” using plastic to build up the model or a tool to cut out the object. 3D printing allows anyone with an idea to create a manufacturing plant in their garage. I wonder how carriers … [Read more...]
Google has launched Google Wallet, a mobile payments system, in partnership with MasterCard and Citigroup, Inc. The service utilizes Near Field Communication (NFC) technology that allows customers to wave or tap their phones at the checkout counter to pay for purchases. NFC is a wireless technology that enables data transmission between two objects when they are brought within a few inches of each other. Smartphones enabled with NFC technology … [Read more...]
As expected, just a few months after Applied Systems purchased Artizan Internet Services, they have announced final integration of their online customer service tool, CSR24, with Applied TAM and Epic. With the integration, the CSR24 system will be able to access client policy data from either system and post it through a secured connection to Artizan’s servers. The data will then be available online for staff and policyholders. The … [Read more...]
In any conversation about the use of social networking sites, someone inevitably questions whether these technologies actually separate people from the real world, and only provide them with the illusion of connection. According to a recent study by the Pew Internet and American Life Project, that's not actually the case. The study asked 2,255 Americans about their social networking habits. The answers challenge beliefs held by some. Facebook … [Read more...]
Keyboard typing and messaging are undoubtedly paving the way of the future, but at the cost of cursive writing? Indiana recently became one of a number of states that no longer requires cursive handwriting to be taught. Instead, schools require typing skills. Indiana’s move is part of a larger move to a common learning (and ultimately, testing) program known as the Common Core State Standards Initiative. That program, adopted by 46 state … [Read more...]
The American Health Information Management Association (AHIMA) recently published an article in the Journal of AHIMA about so-called “small data breaches” reported to Health and Humans Services (HHS) and the Office of Civil Rights (OCR). These are defined as breaches of less than 500 patients and for covered entities, but not for business associates and sub-contractors. Breach reporting is a provision of the HITECH Act, which modified … [Read more...]
ReSource Pro provides outsourcing services to independent agents in the United States using a service center in China. They were recently awarded the ISO/IEC 27001 information security management certification from the International Organization for Standardization. This certificate is recognized across data-centric industries as external verification that the business in question has adopted rigid security standards in order to better defend its … [Read more...]
