MarketingBeyond

The Human Need for Touch and Growth of Consumer Electronics

The Consumer Electronics Show in Las Vegas is over and exhausted attendees--including bloggers and journalists--have gone home. You've probably already read about some of the exciting--and not so exciting-- technologies demonstrated at the show. High-Definition TV's dominated, while few innovative mobile devices caused a loud "Yahoo" to echo throughout the exhibit halls, according to the guys from Mobile Tech Roundup, who produce a weekly mobile podcast.

The major consumer electronics theme that emerged from CES is touch screen technology in mobile and other consumer devices. See the LG.Philips 52-inch multi-touch display YouTube video for a mind-blowing experience. Mobile technology manufacturers also touted their latest. (See Catherine Holahan's TechNewsWorld article "How the iPhone Touched the Gadget Industry" for a review of the "touch frenzy," continually developing among mobile device manufacturers.

The move to touch interfaces is not new. They've been used in medical devices, grocery store checkout counters, kiosks and even taxicabs for years. Mobile device touch screens, however, are rapidly developing. While speech and voice recognition input technology is available in some mobile devices (read Bill Meisel's "The Changing Face of Telephony"), touch technology now dominates. And it's not only because of Apple's iPhone.

Pam Leo in her comprehensive article on the need for infant touching and massage ("Reach Out and Touch Someone: Massage in Schools") reviews studies showing that humans--especially at birth--need to be touched. Pam writes: "Touch is one of our basic needs. As early as the 7th week of pregnancy, a baby reacts to touch. Touch is the earliest sense to develop and the last one to leave us at the end of life. Studies show that both people and animals develop very slowly and even die if they are denied touch...In the first two years of life 80% of a baby's brain growth is occurring. Babies who receive abundant touch will be more likely to reach the upper limits of their intellectual potential. Studies show that the brain of a child develops 20-30 % more if they have received massage or touch often compared to children who have not."  Check out Pam's website for further insights.

Pam also points out in her article that humans touching and massaging infants and children also personally benefit. Touch is clearly a built-in sense that is necessary for human life.

Humans drive technology growth. Could it be that developments in touch screen technology reflect our innate desire to "reach out and touch someone"? The old expression "you pushed/touched his hot button" is extended by technology's ability to bring us closer together in a disconnected world.

Need Prescription Drugs? Health Plan Marketing Mania

Reading my new Blue Shield of California HMO drug plan is like watching Robin Williams do a stage solo.

"Drugs?....yes, we have them. The copay? Well, let's see. Generics are $XX, formulary brand names $XXX, non-formulary brand names $XXX. Of course, that's after paying your yearly deductible of $XXX. Oh, and don't forget that before we'll cover brand names x, y and z, you must try generics a, b and c.

"If there isn't a generic equivalent for name brands, that's too bad. Just pay the brand copay. Remember, Green Cross of Idaho is always happy to answer your questions. Have you tried our website at www.GreenCrossIdaho.com? You'll find all your answers there. But if you must call us, remember we only answer the phone from 8A-5P, except on the second Friday of each month when we throw a lunch party for the call center reps. Leave a message and we'll call you back."

According to the U.S. Labor Department, prescription drug price increases are slowing as more consumers choose generics. But group and personal health plan premiums, copays and deductibles continue to rise as health care consumes an increasing part of the U.S. GDP. Health Care GDP is now 15% and is expected to rise to 19.6% by 2016.

As the population ages and pharmaceutical manufacturers release new medicines, drug costs will continue growing. While simplifying pricing strategies may not reduce higher member  contributions, consumers would at least better understand what they're paying for and why.

"My iPod, My Cell, My Insulin Pump": Mobile Carriers and Social Responsibility

Much good from cellular phones has emerged on this planet. African farmers can now call ahead to see if there's a market for their produce 200 miles away, saving useless travel time and improving human life in that country. Parents of children who have a cell phone know that if their kids need help, they're just a phone call away, alleviating parental anxiety about the safety of their children. Cell phones are handy instruments to have.

A recent article in Businessweek, called "My Ipod, My Cell, My Insulin Pump" discusses a device, developed by Medtronic, called a Paradigm Real Time System (PRT). The PRT, connecting to a cell phone or iPod, provides read-outs of glucose levels for diabetics.

Healthpia America manufactures and distributes a mobile device called a "Glucophone" permitting diabetics to receive glucose levels by pricking their fingers, swiping a small amount of blood on a strip, which is inserted into cell phones made by LG and Motorola. An internal program analyzes the sample quickly, displays the results and, with the patient's permission, sends results to a doctor.

The article mentions an alarming prediction by The International Diabetes Federation. The Federation estimates that if the current growth of diabetes continues, worldwide diabetes will increase to 380 million people, including children, by 2025.

The Open Handset Alliance, created after Google's API release, should develop, as I'm certain they will, applications for public benefit, compatible with Android-enabled mobile devices.

The mobile carriers, using publicly-owned radio spectrum, should offer these applications at low or no cost to customers who would benefit. Acting in the public interest seems reasonable and humane in the  Mobispheric age.

This is the next requirement for our Android-based mobile device.

If you would like to contribute to our growing list of features for the "ideal mobile device," please respond to any of my recent posts. I'll post a full description of our new mobile phone within the week and forward the specs to the OHA.

Mobile Devices for the Blind, Visually Impaired and Deaf

The global Mobisphere must include mobile devices for the deaf, blind and mute...and the search continues for the best mobile device on Earth..serving all.