Apple is working on a hydrogen powered battery that could last for weeks

Always at the forefront of space-age technology, Apple has recently applied for a patent for a hydrogen based battery that could last for weeks between charges. This new power system could be years away and will require a fan to deliver oxygen to the fuel cell and a vent to allow water vapor to be released from the device. Could this be the future of mobile device power?

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PicCell Wireless at the 2012 NAFSA Conference

The PicCell Wireless team had a great time at the NAFSA 2012 conference in warm and sunny Houston, Texas. Thanks to all the friendly folks that came by our booth. A special thanks to our honored guest Streck Gubben, aka Stick Dude!

(Click image to view all Stick Dude photos from NAFSA 2012)

Nearly 9,000 international education professionals from around the world attended NAFSA's 64th Annual Conference & Expo this year.

Find out more about Streck Gubben

Mobile Phones Help Growth of Formal Banking in Cambodia

Researchers have been looking into the social impacts of wireless technology allowing Cambodians to transfer money using their mobile phones. Cambodia is now embracing this approach, popular in developing countries where many people don't have access to the formal banking system but do have mobile phones.

Wing is one of the mobile-based banking services now available in Cambodia.

In Cambodia, the abolishing of banks under the Khmer Rouge in the 1970's and traditional preferences for keeping wealth in gold, jewelry and cash, means that formal banking has been slow to grow. But Cambodia is one of the countries taking up this mobile phone money transfer technology. Research suggests the availability of mobile phones to use for banking is driving an increase in Cambodian’s personal savings, small businesses and conventional, brick-and-motor banking.

Bangladesh Raises Neonatal Immunization Rate with Help from Mobile Phones

Immunization rates in Bangladesh’s Habibganj town are up over 25%, thanks to health officer Dr. Asm Amjad Hossain, who began registering pregnant women and tracking the progress of mother and child over mobile phones.

The success story of this mobile phone-based strategy, devised by Dr. Hossain, has caught the attention of authorities in Bangladesh, as well as the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation.  

 

Dr. Asm Amjad Hossain, Gates Foundation Winner of Inaugural Gates Vaccine Innovation Award

The immunization rate is now above 85% in Habibganj and with this phone-based approach, other regions of Bangladesh hope to see immunization rates increase.

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Blackberry Pie in the Sky: The Decline of a Smartphone Pioneer

A recent report casts a dark shadow on one of the pioneer’s of smartphone technology. BlackBerry’s share of the world smartphone market just keeps falling while in the fourth quarter while sales of iPhones and phones running Google’s Android system soared

Delays in introducing its new BB10 operating system are partly to blame, the report said.

BlackBerry’s share of the smartphone market has seen a fall from double digits just one year ago, to less than 8 percent in the fourth quarter of 2011. That lands the market pioneer BlackBerry in fourth spot, behind Android, Apple’s iOS, and the Symbian system used by Nokia.

Even if BB10 is a good operating system, it won’t be a panacea all on its own, according to the report: When it’s finally available, RIM still needs to encourage the development of more mobile BlackBerry apps from outside developers.

Android powered into first place, rising from a 30.5 per cent share a year ago to 50.9 per cent in the fourth quarter of 2011, driven largely by sales of phones made by Samsung. Likewise, Apple’s iOS, used in the company’s iPhones, rose significantly, grabbing 23.8 per cent, almost a quarter of the smart phone market.

Microsoft’s Windows Phone 8 is expected to hit the market later this year, and could boost the company from its current sixth place spot in the operating system market, said de la Vergne, especially if BB10 isn’t out yet.

In the mobile phone manufacturer’s race, meanwhile, RIM slipped to seventh place, with just 2.8 per share of the global market. Nokia was still in first place, with 23.4 per cent of the market, ahead of Samsung’s 19.4 per cent. That segment includes all mobile phones, rather than focusing on the more lucrative smart phone segment.

To stay up-to-date with the declining Blackberry, checkout our favorite site for all things RIM and Blackberry, Crackberry.com

Cell Phones Helping Reduce Infant Mortality

Pesinet, an agency that combines mobile health and insurance, is using cell phones to reduce child mortality in Mali, as more phone-based initiatives bring healthcare into impoverished areas.

Mali has one of the world's highest infant mortality rates, with more than 110 deaths for every 1,000 live births in the country, and nearly 200 out of every 1,000 children dying before age 5. These high figures prompted creation of the non-profit Pesinet, which uses mobile technology to provide regular health checkups and affordable health insurance for young children in Bamako, Mali's capital.

Pesinet covers about 600 children. Families pay a small monthly fee to enroll children in the program, which covers medical examinations and half the cost of medications needed to treat a sick child.

The agency focuses on preventive care. Community health workers test children weekly for symptoms of illness, including fever, cough, diarrhea, weight loss or vomiting. They then enter data from the weekly checkups into a custom-designed app on their mobile phones.

 An infant at a Persinet weigh-in.

The data is sent via GPRS to an online database, where doctors review it for signs of sudden, troublesome changes in health status. If changes are found, community health workers get an alert on their phones and communicate with the child's family to arrange for the child to receive proper treatment.

To find out more or to support Pesinet, please visit their website.

PicCell’s Holiday Gift Helps Bring a Great Education to Three Kenyan Youth

Congratulations to the 2011 PicCell holiday gift recipients. With the help of the Hilde Back Education Fund (HBEF), we have helped fund the Secondary School education of three young Kenyan students.

It has been a busy year for the HBEF, ensuring that the new students report to Form One to start the important journey of 4-year Secondary School education, with all the necessary requirements. This year, the fund has awarded 170 scholarships to children from across the country that met their strict sponsorship criteria.

To find out more about the HBEF, or to sponsor a student click here.