Consortium for Innovation & Research in Converged Learning
Interesting article on iPad's depute in Japan
Business News http://mdn.mainichi.jp/mdnnews/business/news/20100703p2a00m0na02500...
People, companies putting iPad to unforeseen uses, suggesting device may change our lives
About a month has passed since Apple Inc.'s iPad debuted in Japan. While sales numbers have not been revealed, the tablet computer's various new uses are coming to light. Is there a possibility that the iPad will change society as Apple CEO Steve Jobs promised?
Under the bright lights of an operating table at Kobe University Hospital in Hyogo Prefecture, Dr. Maki Sugimoto gives quick and efficient instructions to his surgical team. Close by is an iPad wrapped in a sterilized plastic bag. CT scans and ultrasound images taken of the patient earlier are brought up with a simple tap or two on the touchscreen during surgery, allowing the doctor to check the location of organs and blood vessels.
"Using computers that require handling a mouse or keyboard is too difficult during surgery," Sugimoto says. "The iPad allows us to check data as we go along to conduct safe operations."
Saiseikai Kurihashi Hospital in Saitama's Kuki is planning on employing software that will allow doctors to view X-ray images away from the hospital with iPads. Hiroshi Honda, the deputy director of the hospital, is optimistic about the new set-up, saying it will allow doctors to give instructions in emergency cases no matter where they are. "It will also cut back on patients' waiting time, and lead to a reduced burden on doctors," he says.
The iPad also comes in handy at a dress shop in Tokyo's Ginza district operated by Novarese, Inc., a wedding services provider. Photos and videos of models dressed in the shop's 15 newest dresses are available for viewing by brides-to-be who come looking for a dress for their special day.
Dresses heretofore had been presented to customers in albums made of paper, but they were heavy and wore out easily. With a single tap or swipe on the iPad's touchscreen, customers are now able to zoom in on delicate lace and embroidery.
"It's possible to see the color and details this way," said Minako Imai, 30, who is here to choose a dress. "It makes it easier to imagine myself wearing the dress, too."
Used car dealer Gulliver International Co. has also begun using the iPad, and says that being able to pull up the latest inventory information for their customers has been a huge plus, while Otsuka Pharmaceutical Co. says that it will distribute 1,300 iPads to its medical representatives within the month of July.
Meanwhile, Maebashi Kyoai Gakuen College in Gunma Prefecture plans to begin using 70 iPads to display resources for students during classroom instruction.
Akio Omori, the head of the school's Department of International Social Studies, says, "In the future, we hope to promote the development of applications by students."
On June 22, Apple announced that it had sold over 3 million iPads worldwide. Kazuhiko Nishi, who is a former vice president at Microsoft Corp. and currently a professor at Shobi University's Graduate School of Arts Information, predicts that the iPad will bring about widespread change. "It allows users to go about their lives with information constantly at their fingertips. Just like the emergence of television and cell phones drastically changed our lives, a new way of life is bound to spread."
Nishi warns, however, that the iPad's success does not mean that Apple can just sit back and relax. "Other OS manufacturers will join hands with electronics companies to come up with rival products," he says. "It will not necessarily be a smooth ride from here on out for Apple."
Click here for the original Japanese story
(Mainichi Japan) July 4, 2010
People, companies putting iPad to unforeseen uses, suggesting device may change our lives
About a month has passed since Apple Inc.'s iPad debuted in Japan. While sales numbers have not been revealed, the tablet computer's various new uses are coming to light. Is there a possibility that the iPad will change society as Apple CEO Steve Jobs promised?
Under the bright lights of an operating table at Kobe University Hospital in Hyogo Prefecture, Dr. Maki Sugimoto gives quick and efficient instructions to his surgical team. Close by is an iPad wrapped in a sterilized plastic bag. CT scans and ultrasound images taken of the patient earlier are brought up with a simple tap or two on the touchscreen during surgery, allowing the doctor to check the location of organs and blood vessels.
"Using computers that require handling a mouse or keyboard is too difficult during surgery," Sugimoto says. "The iPad allows us to check data as we go along to conduct safe operations."
Saiseikai Kurihashi Hospital in Saitama's Kuki is planning on employing software that will allow doctors to view X-ray images away from the hospital with iPads. Hiroshi Honda, the deputy director of the hospital, is optimistic about the new set-up, saying it will allow doctors to give instructions in emergency cases no matter where they are. "It will also cut back on patients' waiting time, and lead to a reduced burden on doctors," he says.
The iPad also comes in handy at a dress shop in Tokyo's Ginza district operated by Novarese, Inc., a wedding services provider. Photos and videos of models dressed in the shop's 15 newest dresses are available for viewing by brides-to-be who come looking for a dress for their special day.
Dresses heretofore had been presented to customers in albums made of paper, but they were heavy and wore out easily. With a single tap or swipe on the iPad's touchscreen, customers are now able to zoom in on delicate lace and embroidery.
"It's possible to see the color and details this way," said Minako Imai, 30, who is here to choose a dress. "It makes it easier to imagine myself wearing the dress, too."
Used car dealer Gulliver International Co. has also begun using the iPad, and says that being able to pull up the latest inventory information for their customers has been a huge plus, while Otsuka Pharmaceutical Co. says that it will distribute 1,300 iPads to its medical representatives within the month of July.
Meanwhile, Maebashi Kyoai Gakuen College in Gunma Prefecture plans to begin using 70 iPads to display resources for students during classroom instruction.
Akio Omori, the head of the school's Department of International Social Studies, says, "In the future, we hope to promote the development of applications by students."
On June 22, Apple announced that it had sold over 3 million iPads worldwide. Kazuhiko Nishi, who is a former vice president at Microsoft Corp. and currently a professor at Shobi University's Graduate School of Arts Information, predicts that the iPad will bring about widespread change. "It allows users to go about their lives with information constantly at their fingertips. Just like the emergence of television and cell phones drastically changed our lives, a new way of life is bound to spread."
Nishi warns, however, that the iPad's success does not mean that Apple can just sit back and relax. "Other OS manufacturers will join hands with electronics companies to come up with rival products," he says. "It will not necessarily be a smooth ride from here on out for Apple."
Click here for the original Japanese story
(Mainichi Japan) July 4, 2010
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Replies to This Discussion
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Permalink Reply by Dwayne Harapnuik on -
I really hope that we start to see some genuine and significant competition for the iPad. This will not only force apple to NOT sit back and relax but force them to continue to innovate. I have been using the iPad on a recen trip and the large screen and maps make navigation a breeze.
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