Digital innovation in healthcare is positioned to be the single greatest driver in improving patient outcomes, extending life and creating a more equitable future for populations around the world. 

As healthcare organizations look to digital innovation to solve real-world healthcare challenges, the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS)—a US federal agency that provides health coverage to more than 100 million people through Medicare, Medicaid, the Children’s Health Insurance Program and the Health Insurance Marketplace—released an update to the Medicare Physician Fee Schedule proposal (the “Proposed MPFS/Rule”) that formalizes a new innovative branch of healthcare known as Remote Therapeutics Monitoring (RTM). 

Until now, RTM has largely acted as an addition to the more well-established Remote Physiological Monitoring (RPM) system from the regulatory framework perspective. Now, with the addition of five CPT codes – a uniform coding practice for medical services and procedures to streamline reporting, and insurance claims -, RTM will stand on its own as a formal medical service.

As a mobile applications development organization firmly committed to supporting mHealth app development, we believe that mHealth applications are the future of healthcare, and remote therapeutics monitoring will have a tremendous impact on the landscape of digital health. Let’s take a closer look at how remote therapeutics monitoring will change the world of healthcare, starting with making a big splash at the 7th Annual Neurological Disorders Summit.

About the 7th Annual Neurological Disorders Summit

The 7th Annual Neurological Disorders Summit is a healthcare symposium hosted in the heart of San Francisco with the intent to provide a unique opportunity for neuroscientists and physicians to share their research and experiences with the leaders in their fields. The program includes keynote speeches from internationally renowned scientists. Each of these speakers helped to shape the modern concepts of neuroscience. In addition, there will be sessions for oral and poster presentations. Presentations in these sessions will provide an overview of the cutting-edge technologies being used to address difficult therapeutic and theoretical issues in neuroscience.

NDS-2022 is unique in its approach of encouraging a dialogue between the basic and clinical scientists. We expect to have these dialogues both during scientific sessions and networking time. We hope to make the summit particularly educational and inspiring for young scientists who will get an opportunity to interact with leading experts.

How This Year Will Further the Conversation Around Remote Therapeutics Monitoring

This year, the 7th Annual Neurological Disorders Summit is set to showcase the value remote patient monitoring provides to the medical community by hosting Dogtown Media in collaboration with the National Institute of Health to present Remote Monitoring of Patients with Neurological Disorders. Marc Fischer, CEO and Cofounder of Dogtown Media, a Los Angeles-based mobile app developer, is set to present the talk, sharing his unique perspective on the value of remote patient monitoring. 

Marc Fischer CEO and Cofounder of Dogtown Media, exuberant about the opportunity to speak at such an esteemed event noted, “Telehealth health apps and wearable devices are opening up new possibilities for patients. Bringing hospital services to the home is the future of healthcare.” 

Moving Forward

As a premier mobile app development house, Dogtown Media has launched over 200 apps, and counting. Our team is experienced in creating solutions for a wide range of platforms, including iOS, Android, HTML5 Web Apps and more. Headquartered in Venice Beach, California with a presence in San Francisco, New York City, and London. Since 2011, our team of hardened techies We offer specialized packages to satisfy a range of needs and budgets, from rapid prototyping for startups to full-featured interfaces for international enterprises.

If you’re interested in learning how Dogtown Media can help bring your remote therapeutics monitoring solution to the market contact us. We’d love to help!

You’ve probably heard about cloud computing being offered by companies like Amazon and its

Consequently, many application developers are now starting to use cloud-centric platforms for mobile app design due to its numerous advantages and features over traditional application development. As a Los Angeles App Development agency, we’ve worked with many companies that have questions about cloud computing as they explore their next app idea. Hopefully, this article can shed some light on the importance of cloud computing, where it fits in the app development life cycle and considerations regarding your approach to cloud computing.

How can cloud computing benefit your mobile app development? We’re so glad you asked!

Throughout this article, we will be discussing some of the many ways cloud computing can positively impact your mobile application development. With these proven benefits, we believe that you will not only be able to optimize the application design process, but you will also have the tools necessary to produce high-quality mobile apps geared to provide users with a seamless in-app experience. 

Time Reduction: Say Goodbye to Unnecessary Time Consumption

In today’s competitive digital business landscape, efficiency is everything. The amount of time spent on a given task is arguably the most important factor in any form of business operation, as it can make or break the financial performance of an organization. 

One of the biggest complaints we hear from mobile app developers is that the application design process consumes too much time. From designing the framework of the app to testing its functionality, traditional mobile app development has the potential to eat up hours upon hours of a developer’s time. 

Enter Cloud Computing.

Currently, developers who utilize a cloud-based development platform are experiencing a significant reduction in the time taken for mobile app development. This reduction in time is a vital asset for developers as it lessens the time to market period, allowing their applications to gain ground over the competition. 

Because these cloud-centric development platforms come standard with key components such as advanced integration, stronger security and pre-installed application programming interfaces (APIs), mobile app developers are now able to spend less time on the development of the app and instead apply this time in other areas of the application design, such as new features and   app upgrades suggested by users. 

Compatibility: Cloud-Based Mobile Apps Function Across Multiple Platforms

Which platform do you prefer; iPhone or Android? No matter what your preference is, you’ve most likely come across apps that are only available on one platform or the other. 

This is because traditional mobile application development doesn’t permit developers to construct a “one-size-fits-all” app. Rather, most developers have to choose a platform to utilize. And, if they wish to make the app available on another platform as well, then they are required to completely recode the application in accordance with the other platform’s framework. 

Sounds like a handful, right? In fact, these compatibility issues can cause strenuous headaches for developers, typically resulting in lengthened time to market and a lesser quality end-product. 

Fortunately, cloud computing technology provides developers with the ability to launch their applications on various platforms, such as iOS and Android, without the need for re-coding. This is because cloud-centric platforms do the hard work and optimize applications for use on numerous platforms, allowing developers to focus solely on the features and design of the mobile application. 

And like we discussed prior, this minimized workload allows mobile app developers to cut down on unnecessary time consuming tasks and direct their efforts towards the implementation and functionality of the app. 

Scalability, Reliability and Recovery

As mobile apps continue to progress with our digital age, users are becoming increasingly demanding of applications that demonstrate strong reliability and recovery services. 

Unfortunately, traditional mobile application development can create nightmare scenarios for developers when faced with scalability, reliability and recovery issues. For instance, application updates and security patches with traditional app development often render mobile apps unusable until these issues are resolved by developers, due to the complexity of altering the application’s framework.

With cloud computing technology, however, developers are able to continuously fix and update their applications without pulling the app out of commission. This ability is not only instrumental in providing users with a seamless experience while using the application, but it also drastically reduces the time needed by developers to address these issues. 

In addition, cloud-centric platforms promote advanced data recovery through the use of cloud servers which store the application’s data and back it up regularly, in turn preventing critical data from being lost in complications such as data breaches.

Here at Dogtown Media, we’re dedicated to providing our clients with cutting-edge applications, built on a matured foundation of experience. With over ten years of experience in the app development industry and countless accolades, we’re confident we can bring your next mobile application from idea to reality.

Reach out to learn more!

Mobile is the future. At Dogtown Media, we help you build your dream apps and technologies. Known as Los Angeles’ finest, we’ve delivered brilliantly created and intuitive products that help companies digitally transform. We are a proud team that puts our money where our mouths are.

With that in mind, we are absolutely excited to announce that we have teamed up with Top Design Firms, a creative portfolio site, for their inaugural launch!

Brought by the creators of Clutch, Top Design Firms is a new platform that is designed to help companies stay in the know about different industries and services providers. The site encompasses the IT, design, development, and marketing spaces, helping users find the right firm to help their unique needs.

According to Top Design Firms, we rank among the top 100 in 2021 in the category of artificial intelligence app development. As service providers, this highlight means a lot to us. Our team’s growth, dedication, and excellence is paying off, and this new partnership will take all those to a whole new level.

Want to know how we made it on their list? The Top Design Firms’ team evaluated our company based on a set of criteria, screening our past projects, recognitions, and market position. Our strong presence on Clutch also allowed us to rank highly.

With 27 reviews as of press time, Dogtown Media is honored to be a top-performer on Clutch. Here are some of our clients’ phenomenal reviews:

The fact that they’ve done this before for several other health systems is great. They know exactly how to tailor their product and what to ask the client. Their team has really perfected the art of this. They’re responsive and quick to make any improvements or changes. Dogtown Media is great to work with.”

— Senior Management Associate, Atrium Health

“As a program manager, having Dogtown Media always deliver on their promises is a big plus. They’ve never let me down. I also appreciated their ability to generate a report in the fashion requested. It serves everyone who works on the detailed aspects of the project and gives staff at the senior management level an overview of progress. We were very pleased with their work.” 

— Engineering Consultant, Biotronik

Ready to transform and innovate? Get in touch with Dogtown Media and let’s work hand in hand to bring your ideas into reality. Send us a message today and schedule a free consultation with our team. 

We’re pleased to announce that earlier this month, Dogtown Media has been featured as one of the top recognized organizations in the category of Los Angeles app developers by industry-respected software and application review platform, Techreviewer! First and foremost, we’d like to give a huge thank you to all of our clients who have given us the opportunity to turn their mobile application ideas into a reality. Without your trust in our ability to turn your unique app ideas into a reality, none of this would be possible!

We also want to give a huge shoutout and thank you to our dedicated team. Spread across three continents and twelve time zones, we’ve built a dynamic and diverse team of highly skilled individuals who over the past ten years have turned this organization into a top-tier development organization. We couldn’t be more appreciative of this prestigious award and the team who have helped make this possible.

Offering verified ratings, reviews, and feedback of development firms, Techreviewer is an industry-recognized B2B service platform dedicated to helping businesses identify high-quality development organizations that match the unique financial and technical qualifications they seek in a technology partner.

From healthcare app development, to quality assurance and software testing, Techreviewer aims to provide information and rating on a wide array of development companies acting as a one-stop-shop review platform. Whether you’re looking to develop the next best IoT application or to expand on your mHealth application offering, Techreviewer can be a great place to help find the right technology partner that meets your unique qualifications. 

Throughout the year, Techreviewer provides a variety of evaluations of development companies based on segment, geographical location, development niche, and other factors. Their team of dedicated industry experts examines qualities such as client feedback, demonstrated success and expertise in the space, market adoption, quality of service, and other critical factors to determine the verified Techreviewer rating. 

In this process, hundreds of organizations are reviewed and only a select few make it into the list of top app developers in Los Angeles, so we are truly appreciative of this award! Backed by this recognition and other industry-recognized awards, we are determined to continue to provide top-tier app development services for our clients and hope to continue to receive esteemed recognitions in the future!

About TechReviewer.co
Techreviewer is an industry-trusted tech rating and review platform that compiles lists of top development, design, and marketing companies. The sim of the Techreviewer platform is to help organizations find the best development companies that align with their unique technical requirements. Companies trust Techreviewer based on their focus on providing accurate, research-backed information regarding the organization they are reviewing.

After crossing our 10 year anniversary (woohoo! We’re excited too) we’ve done some reflection on our Journey. From a small Los-Angeles mobile application development shop, to a remote-multinational team, we’ve reflected on process for bringing applications from concept to fruition for our clients and thought it would be valuable to our readers to share some of our insights. After helping bring over 200 mobile applications from idea to the app store, well, we’ve truly seen it all. And through this experience, we believe we can really help organizations as an advisor as they embark on their journey to create a mobile application for their clients. 

It’s this process that has helped us understand what types of applications fair well for clients and what application ideas require some additional growth before entering the research and development phase. In the following sections, we’ll look at five design considerations that should help grow that next idea into a viable application ready for custom mobile application development.

Education for Your Clients

One of the best places to start when considering how to bring value to your clients is by providing them educational services via your mobile application. Take for example our work with Worldwide Breast Cancer. Worldwide Breast Cancer (WWBC) is an American nonprofit that reaches over 200 million users in 22 languages in 90 countries, providing educational services for breast cancer awareness. Visitors of WWBC are educated on the 12 signs of breast cancer, when to get a mammogram, determine their risk for breast cancer, and much more. 

In this application, WWBC aimed to provide breast cancer information to its users in an approachable and engaging format. This emphasis on education led to building an intuitive mobile app with user-optimized screens and organized navigation to enable users to educate themselves. Further, the platform allowed users to book screening appointments with local FDA-certified centers, educate themselves on how to prepare for different breast tests, and provided with recommended questions for their visit.

This emphasis on enablement and education allowed WWBC to grow their userbase and empower users that didn’t have easy access to a computer with the same critical educational material regarding breast cancer.

Training for Your Internal Team

Another way to provide immense value through your mobile application is to offer training services. As we all know, we all use our phones to a significant degree throughout the day. By creating training-based applications that are designed to skill-up your internal team, you can effectively turn that smartphone into an enablement platform helping your team gain access to the skills and training that is critical to their day-to-day role.

A great example of this design approach can be seen through our work with Google. In this project, Google was seeking to build a mobile application called Google Train Up used to train retail employees on how to sell Google products. This project aimed to build in an incentive structure to encourage Google employees to use the platform while also designing the application in such a way that users found fun and enjoyable, increasing the likelihood that they would continue to use the application.

By focusing on this balance between training material, an incentive structure, and enjoyment, organizations are often pleasantly surprised by the high use and value generated by these internal mobile applications.

Communication Platform

Another major use for mobile applications is to enable communication. One project that is a particularly good example of this is our work with the United Nations. The United Nations, specifically ESCAP a division of the UN that oversees the Asia-Pacific region, wanted to develop a mobile application to enable communication with key stakeholders in the region and notify a population of 1.5 billion people of upcoming events, emergency situations, and educational information. 

One of the critical design considerations in the development of this application and something that should be a top priority for any organization considering developing a mobile application is the management of personally identifiable information or PII. Whenever an organization is working with the personally identifiable information of a user (a process that is common in these types of communication platform applications) it’s critical to be aware of how that data is being stored and processed.

Many organizations don’t realize that by storing PII they take on an incredible amount of responsibility along with it. If intentionally or unintentionally, PII is exposed, a given organization can sustain massive compliance fines. This being said, it’s critically important to work with a trusted development organization or advisor to advise on the development and management protocols for storing user PII.

Answer a Need

Lastly, answering a need is understandably a critically important design consideration. And in our opinion, the best way to assess if you’re effectively addressing a design consideration is to consider some examples of success in this area. One example that stands out here is our work with the University of Oklahoma. In our work with the University of Oklahoma, we set out to develop an application that enhanced student experience on campus. 

The application aimed to help students find parking using a real-time parking IoT tracking and e-voucher system as part of the University of Oklahoma’s drunk-driving prevention program known as SafeRide. The staff at Oklahoma University realized that parking was an issue for students. It caused traffic challenges, congestion and made it challenging for students to get to class on time.

By building a parking application for students, the University of Oklahoma and our team were able to address a challenge and provide a solution. The results? Wide-spread adoption of the application. Here, one of the critical aspects that drove adoption was the fact that the application truly answered a challenge for students, improving their lives and making it easier to park and attend classes.

Looking to develop an application? Consider reaching out to our team! We’d be happy to help take that application from idea to reality.

As devices and sensors start becoming increasingly connected and technologically advanced, mobile apps are springing up to help users manage their Internet of Things (IoT) applications and systems. These mobile apps offer access, connectivity, and communication with technology to improve the smart city and smart home experience. But mobile app development is complex and requires planning and continuous optimization to better serve users.

For mobile apps that control IoT devices, sensors, and systems, user happiness is of the utmost importance. Here are seven challenges that a mobile app development firm may face when designing and developing an app for smart devices.

#1: UI/UX Design

User interface (UI) and user experience (UX) design are important facets of any consumer-facing technology. In mobile apps, UI and UX can make or break an app’s success with users. And without users, a mobile app is worthless. Ultimately, proper investment in UI and UX will attract more new users and engage loyal users.

It’s important to establish an app’s UI and UX guidelines early on so that any future changes are made in accordance with previously-established principles for branding, device support, user profiles, and more. With these instructions, new and old designers can work to maintain a consistent user experience. Although it can be tempting to skip UI and UX, don’t make the mistake of putting your users in the corner. Without their feedback, constant use of the app, and word-of-mouth recommendations, your mobile app could be doomed to fail. The time spent in introspection to develop UI and UX specifications will also help inform decisions and ideas further down the development cycle.

#2: Data Flow Management

It’s imperative to create a consistent experience for users by controlling the management of data flow. This requires a stable Internet connection, strong device and connectivity uptime, and a stable database connection. Databases are often used to collect data from multiple types of devices and sensors and aggregate it for use in an application with a front end, like a smartwatch, mobile app, or web app.

Because smart devices differ in their singular data management, it can be difficult to organize data together in a way that makes sense. However, this is an extremely important and foundational part of IoT systems management, so exemplary data flow is necessary.

#3: Network Connection

Speaking of stable and consistent data flow, network connectivity is an important cog in the IoT system. From there, anything is possible: smart analysis, predictive insights, and real-time notification systems are just a few features that can set your mobile app apart from its competition. The network connects all devices and sensors together before they collate their data into a database for later use.

As IoT technology advances, network demand will continue to grow. Networks need speed, a stable connection, and proven performance to adequately aggregate all devices and sensors under one umbrella.

#4: Network and Sensor Compatibility

It may not be enough to spring for a top-of-the-line network connection and infrastructure if devices and sensors aren’t compatible with the network. Because real-time communication and data transmission are necessary to allow users control over the IoT system, ensuring compatibility between the network and devices is essential. The compatibility needs to be stress-tested to ensure many devices and sensors can connect without issue, and the testing needs to occur periodically to make sure nothing has fundamentally changed.

The reason for this issue is that sensor and device manufacturers and vendors don’t work under standardized protocols. Besides the network and device compatibility, this can also lead to major issues with device-to-device compatibility. Thus, it is important to test this early on, rather than being close to the end of the development cycle and having to nearly start over.

#5: Hardware Compatibility

When devices aren’t compatible with each other, it usually becomes obvious pretty quickly. To avoid lengthening the development timeline with this issue, set specific hardware requirements early on in the project. When resolved early, it can prevent issues with the app’s functionality later on.

#6: Performance and Security

Although it’s difficult to optimize for, speed and performance are what a user requires as a prerequisite to user experience. With a slow or lagging mobile app, you’ll create frustration in your users, prompting them to leave negative reviews on your app’s page. Extensive user testing and interviewing is a great way to avoid major bug reports and application crashes while gathering UX and UI feedback.

Similar to speed and performance, security is a foundational requirement for users. If they find out that their data, especially sensitive information like login credentials, is stored insecurely, you can face substantial user backlash and even lawsuits. To ensure your application’s security is robust enough, set security standards at the beginning of the project for all designers and developers to follow. Make this a best practice if you’re planning on developing more mobile apps in the future. At our mobile app development studio in Los Angeles, we always prioritize security and performance in our mobile apps from day one.

#7: Choosing Development Technology

Early on in the development process, the development team has to agree upon the technology stack they’ll use to develop the application. The choice between building a native, hybrid, or cross-platform app can be made by looking at what existing interfaces exist and how the mobile app fits into the IoT ecosystem. Often, one technology will be the clear frontrunner that will allow for a strong user experience, flexible data flow management, and performance and security optimizations.

If needed, reach out to an experienced IoT app development firm for a short consultation. Ultimately, it’s important to squash this issue early.

Taking On Challenges

These seven challenges may seem difficult to overcome, but they are common and every mobile app development team faces them. How you tackle them and continue on to the next issue will determine how well your mobile app will meet your business requirements and users’ preferences. Above all, make sure you’re rising up to the challenges early on, rather than waiting until users start complaining about the issue.

For senior citizens who were able to quarantine alone or live alone throughout the pandemic, technology has taken over many aspects of senior care so that nurses and family can safely ensure their patient and loved one is staying healthy and well. Internet of Things (IoT) applications like fall detection and alert devices, behavioral monitoring sensors, and malnutrition and dehydration trackers have worked tirelessly to support caregivers and elders alike during the pandemic. The hope is that these devices will identify signs of a larger issue so that it can be stopped before becoming serious enough to require hospitalization.

Fall Detection Devices

In elderly populations, falls are a major concern. Falls become more common with age and are the second leading cause of unintentional or accidental deaths worldwide. Thus, it is important to control as much as we can for falls both at home and in senior care facilities.

IoT technology can help caregivers prevent, predict, and detect falls by helping them record falls, pinpoint risk factors in the environment and the individual, and learn preventative and corrective measures. Conventionally, fall-detection technologies have used devices that the elderly person carries or wears. When the patient falls, they have to press the button on the device. This solution is great if your loved one is living across the country in Los Angeles while you’re in Atlanta.

But this method doesn’t account for patients that didn’t fall but don’t feel well enough to get up or for patients who haven’t been feeling normal recently. IoT can detect changes in the patient’s wellbeing by monitoring for discomfort and wellness. IoT sensors can help caregivers track their patients’ progress for days or weeks at a time and compare metrics to see if their patient’s health is declining, which is a risk factor for falling. This can support caregivers to act earlier and provide more care to make up for the senior’s deteriorating wellbeing.

Staying Home Longer

Research shows there may be a link between moving out of the home and into a senior care facility and dying earlier. For many elderly patients, it’s important for them to stay somewhere familiar and accessible to their families. IoT can help families remotely keep an eye on their senior family member by sending daily information about the patient’s health and wellbeing without any action necessary from the senior. When used with tele-assistance services, IoT technology really shines for seniors.

Companies like Vitalbase and SeniorAdom are working on remote assistance technology using IoT systems. Their tools include geolocation pendants, motion detection sensors, and wrist band devices. This hardware is supposed to automatically detect changes in behavior, motion, physical strength, and cognition.

By anticipating risks, sending early notifications to family and caregivers, and acting quickly in an emergency, these companies are making it possible to protect our seniors without expending more money, time, and effort. For example, SeniorAdom uses a self-learning algorithm and a smart box connected wirelessly to sensors in the senior’s home. With these devices and software, the company can detect abnormal situations or critical problems and send a warning to relatives and caregivers. SeniorAdom also uses motion sensors and door sensors to create a general daily schedule of the senior so that abnormalities are more obvious when they occur.

A Look at the Sensor Technology

These IoT-enabled sensors work on an 0G network which is used to send small amounts of data over a larger distance. They don’t pick up any personal or private information while they detect differences from the baseline conditions and movements. 0G devices also utilize low amounts of energy, making the overall cost a lot lower for the family.

For devices that run on other networks like cellular devices, it’s possible to utilize 0G as a backup network to ensure a stable connection for around-the-clock supervision and emergency communication. Vitalbases’s Vibby OAK is an automatic fall detection device worn on the senior’s neck or wrist. It connects to a cellular device (like a smartphone) but uses a 0G network when the cellular connection is unstable or unreachable. At healthcare and senior living facilities, devices operating on the 0G network can communicate with existing nursing call systems to keep medical staff updated in the event of an emergency.

More Autonomous Living

Many seniors want to continue an independent, autonomous, and healthy lifestyle. By outfitting their home and body with several devices and sensors in an IoT system, it’s possible for relatives and caregivers to remain vigilant, proactive, and connected without having to ask their seniors to leave home for good.

The roll-out of 5G across the entire world is going to largely affect how we connect and network with each other. In business, 5G will boost the stability and connectivity of existing Internet of Things (IoT) applications while bolstering new IoT systems. It won’t take long for our cities, homes, and ways of living to adapt to all of the benefits 5G will bring, not to mention the added communication abilities, like staying in touch while traveling or connecting to the car next to you in traffic.

Ultimately, 5G will effect change in society, digitalization, and economies in almost all aspects of life and business, but for now, 5G operators are working to ensure mobile connectivity is strong and stable before expanding their focus to other industries and fields. Once that’s done, work will pivot to optimizing connectivity across consumers, businesses, and supply chains.

The Growing Need for Connectivity

Every year, the world’s data volume increases, and with more Internet-enabled devices than ever, 5G has become crucial. Soon, existing technologies won’t be able to meet IoT’s requirements unless 5G is available everywhere. As an example, in 2017, Germany doubled its data volume from 2015, reaching 1 billion gigabytes in a single year.

Experts calculated the number of connected devices and sensors reached between 50 and 500 billion in 2020. With these numbers growing every year, 5G offers unlimited possibilities for our global economy and productivity. Once we reach a certain global data volume, we will need 5G to maintain and scale up business and consumer needs.

LTE Today, 5G Tomorrow

3G made it possible for us to use our phones on a mobile connection with relative ease and speed, and it catalyzed the popularity and manufacturing of smartphones. With the roll-out of 4G LTE, data transfer rates skyrocketed, and it remains the most popular and most-used network even today. 4G LTE offers speeds up to 100 megabits per second, although many of us will experience those speeds first-hand on and off.

It’s possible to boost LTE bandwidths for download speeds up to 4,000 megabits (4 gigabits) per second, and while this is super fast, LTE was designed for smartphone use. On the other hand, 5G will be optimized from the ground-up for IoT connectivity. 5G speeds are faster than much of the Wi-Fi connections available around the world: stable speeds up to 20 gigabits per second aren’t out of the question with 5G.

In comparison, the first smartphones with 1G were eight million times slower than phones will be with 5G. When you put it that way, it seems 5G opens up all kinds of new doors. Now we can dream of transmitting data in real-time with no quality loss. We can theoretically connect 100 billion mobile devices around the world and access them all at the same time. 5G offers stable connection quality and an obvious increase in speeds (moving up to 500 kilometers per hour). That’s like driving from New York City to Los Angeles in nine hours, rather than the 41 hours it would normally take by car.

And besides smartphones, in our increasingly digital world, 5G will be a major asset in applications to many areas and industries. As a result, 5G will become the key technology for connectivity in the near future.

Unlimited Potential

In addition to IoT, the Industrial IoT, a major consumer of mobile connectivity technology, will benefit immensely from 5G. 5G will offer continuous connectivity and data transmission between robots, systems, machines, and people. And analysis will be done on-demand using edge computing, which is an emerging technology that we won’t be able to utilize fully without 5G.

The number of connected sensors and devices is expected to grow at a massive rate, and problems will be pinpointed in real-time rather than after the fact. Optimization can be done in real-time (or close to it), minimizing downtime, revenue loss, and loss of productivity. 5G will enable humanless tasks, not just in driving, but for industrial tasks like picking up and delivering goods, machine-to-machine communication, and loading and unloading materials.

Connectivity in a Digital World

Digital transformation (thanks in part to the pandemic) is driving the growth and expansion of many emerging technologies. But in the field of network connectivity, digital transformation is leading the charge for what to focus on and for use cases. High-quality connectivity is the most important end goal of 5G, especially for both large and small IoT systems. A dropped connection could lead to the factory floor production getting halted.

IoT and 5G experts know that all of the possibilities are still unmapped and unknown. As we arm ourselves with more stable and scalable emerging technologies, we will uncover more ideas, innovations, and opportunities that were previously thought of as unfeasible. Smart farming, which involves keeping an eye on all animals at any given time, crop health, soil moisture, changing weather, and much more, will finally be possible and closer to real-time observation than ever before. Accordingly, we’ll see a large increase in sustainability and efficiency in food production.

5G’s Prospects

Although we don’t know when 5G will reach market maturity, it’s obvious that it will bring about more possibilities, efficiencies, and connectivity than we’ve ever experienced before. It’s unclear what new ideas will be unlocked by the power of 5G. But one thing is certain: The world will never be the same when this next level of network connectivity is fully realized.

And although this brings about more efficiency and productivity at the end of the day, we must still prioritize cybersecurity in IoT applications used by the media and entertainment industries. Without adequate and robust security protocols, there are substantial consequences. For example, major releases could lose significant amounts of revenue by hackers who publish the film ahead of its premiere.

IoT in Entertainment

IoT is being used in media and entertainment applications in a variety of interesting ways from Hollywood in Los Angeles to Bollywood in Bombay. First, the industry is using IoT to increase its customer base and profitability. By getting an idea of their customers, preferences, and household demographics, companies are building more accurate profiles of where their revenue comes from using data taken from social media, wearables, mobile devices, surveys, and more. This allows companies to develop or acquire more content that meshes well with their main audience, which in turn increases profit.

Having user profiles of customers yields incredible insights through advertising efforts. Ads can be targeted more granularly and with more focused copy and visuals. As the effectiveness of an ad campaign grows, the return on investment exponentially increases for the company by reaching other customers that have similar traits and by convincing existing customers to buy.

On the other hand, companies can include better-targeted advertisements in their media according to what their customers prefer in content and ad delivery. They can also schedule the media to run at a time when their customers are already watching something else they enjoy. Lastly, companies can run marketing campaigns and promotional offers at highly effective times as a result of knowing their customer base.

For theme parks and cruises, sensors and electronic bracelets create a new technological, hands-free experience for customers. These bracelets allow theme parks and cruises to track their customers’ movements for analysis and optimization. IoT also helps companies utilize preventative maintenance of media equipment based on sensor data.

While IoT is bringing about better customer experiences for the media and entertainment industry, it’s also opening up companies to cybersecurity incidents and hacking attempts. The industry is already being attacked frequently, especially around big releases, but we can fortify our efforts to prevent malicious attackers from successfully gaining access to sensitive and private data.

The Current State of Security

It’s crucial for media and entertainment companies to figure out what their customers want, and the data generated and collected in the search for answers to these problems are highly sought-after. Data usage is prominent in the industry, and success depends upon relationships between partners, the company and the customer, and the customers and the content. Thus, it’s imperative that a company’s reputation is known to be secure, trustworthy, and friendly.

When a company in the industry is developing and distributing a creative product, it uses outside vendors often to achieve various goals. For this purpose, IoT is a great tool. But because this creates more complexity in workflows and processes, it can become complicated to secure assets and information.

According to research by Hiscox, more than half of surveyed media and entertainment companies had three or more cyber attacks over a 12-month period. This is no small number, especially because these companies are managing extremely sensitive data like financial, consumer, and personal information. What’s worse is that outside vendors hired in the past are also being targeted, which could compromise the entire supply chain.

Strengthening Security

To reinforce a media and entertainment company’s security procedures and protocols, there are three key areas to concentrate on. First, the prevention of attacks and successful hacks is paramount. This can be accomplished by accurately assessing any and all risks and vulnerabilities to the company and its data. Cybersecurity should be prioritized from the start of any project that involves IoT technology and devices or sensors. Staff must be trained to adequately recognize when a malicious attack is occurring.

Second, detection is an important area to focus on. Track all attempted hacks and attacks and analyze the time of day, day of the week, country of origin, and other dimensions to find a pattern that you can act upon. Develop a coordinated response plan to enact if an attack is discovered. And set up a secure portal that employees can use to report any issues or intrusions.

Lastly, mitigate, mitigate, mitigate. Implementing IoT technology is no small or inexpensive feat. After you’ve worked hard to develop a plan, train employees, and analyze past attack attempts, don’t let your efforts fall to the wayside. Mitigation involves prevention, detection, containment, and assessment of cyberattacks. It also includes a continuous review of security upgrades and updates to devices and software.

Many industries, including the media and entertainment industry, overestimate security and underestimate their risk. In almost all cases, your company could always be doing more to protect your assets and information.

IoT Innovation in Entertainment Is Just Starting

Don’t delay in implementing IoT technology if it’s the right tool to take your company and profits to the next level. Cybersecurity is a major concern, but it mustn’t scare you from utilizing IoT in your business operations — the benefits far outweigh the negatives. To be safe, keep your assets well-guarded with a strong security plan and solution from the get-go.

How have you experienced IoT in entertainment? As always, let us know your thoughts in the comments below!

At-home patient care has made great strides in the past decade, with the advancement of technology in IV infusion pumps, CPAP machines, and asthma inhalers. Unfortunately, because patients often misuse or underuse their at-home medical devices, providers often see poorer outcomes for their patients when compared to those who regularly use their home-based medical devices.

Tracking these outcomes and patient home situations are difficult for a variety of reasons: lack of knowledge of how devices are being used, how often and how exactly they’re used for off-label purposes, how much they malfunction, how often and how they are misused, and how effective they are when used properly and as intended. But by adding the Internet of Things (IoT) into the mix, medical applications can track usage, monitor devices, and analyze the output to provide clinicians, insurers, researchers, regulators, and device manufacturers realistic data. This data can be used to measure outcomes and optimize the next generation of medical devices.

Staying Healthy at Home

Before the pandemic, non-clinical settings like the workplace or home were growing in popularity for medical devices developed and meant for use in a medical setting. But with the current state of things, at-home medical devices are more important than ever to ensure patients stay safe and at home. At-home care is more convenient, easier on the wallet, and eases anxiety for the patient. It also helps patients avoid exposure to other illnesses at the doctor’s office or at the hospital.

Experts say IoT should be incorporated into any medical device that could be used in a non-clinical setting. IoT technology generates real-time data all day and night, and it can notify a provider if the patient is misusing or underusing their medical machine. It also can detect malfunctions, inefficiencies, and maintenance problems before the machine breaks down and leaves the patient without a device.

Infusion Pumps for IV

There are public IV bars where you can go for an IV boost if you’re feeling down or exhausted from physical exertion. These pumps are being sent home more often with patients for antibiotic delivery, hydration, parenteral (meaning outside of the mouth and digestive tract) nutrition, and post-operative pain management. When you go to a public IV bar, you’ll be injected by a registered or certified nurse.

Infusion pumps are complex to use, and each model from every manufacturer has different controls and prompts to learn. As a result, patients can accidentally mess up the dosage or insert the wrong IV bag or medication if they’re not paying attention and taking multiple medications. With IoT, we can keep track of dosage, inventory, and monitor the time of day usage, temperature, heart rate, and the patient’s qualitative condition to help patients avoid these errors. IoT applications can also alert the patient’s medical provider if there are any serious predicted problems as well as speak directly to the patient to help them learn how to better interact with their infusion pump.

CPAP Machines

CPAP (continuous positive airway pressure) machines are becoming increasingly popular for home treatment. These machines help patients with obstructive sleep apnea, which increases blood pressure, causes atrial fibrillation, and escalates the effects of heart disease. For patients who first get a CPAP machine at their home, there is initial discomfort as well as a significant learning curve. Additionally, patients don’t see immediate benefits to using the machine because it takes time for the effects to become apparent.

As a result, patients find it difficult to adhere to their PAP therapy, and less than 50% of patients use their CPAP machine for over four hours a night. This machine delivers the best therapy for sleep apnea, but it’s so uncomfortable to use that patients would rather take the risk of causing other health issues than keep it on all night. Insurance companies have become circumspect about buying expensive CPAP machines for patients and have started renting machines with monitoring installed to patients instead. If the patient wants to keep the machine long-term, they can eventually buy the machine from the insurance company.

With IoT technology, physicians can monitor their patients and analyze data about underuse of the machine. This can help the provider start a frank conversation with the patient geared towards improving the patient’s experience with the CPAP machine. Because insurance companies often try to get out of paying for replacement supplies like tubing, filters, and masks for patients, IoT technology can help the patient make a stronger case for their consistent usage of the machine. Unfortunately, many patients find the monitoring and rent-to-buy business model intrusive and inappropriate.

Inhalers for Asthma

For patients with asthma and breathing problems living in wildfire-prone areas like Los Angeles or polluted areas like New Delhi, living life “normally” can be extremely difficult for half of the year. Because these patients often cannot go outside without triggering an attack or episode, it’s imperative that the patient maintains their wellness from the comfort of their own home. But metered-dose inhalers (MDI) are frequently misused by patients, leading to uncontrolled asthma that comes with life-threatening risk. When this irreversible event occurs, the patient’s provider will often increase their MDI dosage or prescribe a more powerful medication.

When a patient is experiencing a breathing episode, they face difficulty in correctly administering their MDI because it requires hand-lung coordination, proper inhalation, and physical dexterity. But if you’ve ever used an inhaler, you know that there is no feedback to show that you administered the inhaler correctly or effectively. You have to wait a minute or so to see if breathing got easier for you. As a result, it’s easy to forget a step or become overwhelmed by the fear that you’re unable to breathe correctly.

The most common trend over time for the patient is to underuse the MDI, which requires excess use of rescue medication and increases the risk of a serious or life-threatening episode. Providers cannot go off of the patient’s recall memory about how well they used their MDI; it’s been shown that patients tend to misremember how well they administered their MDI medication. But new MDIs provide some hope: they can measure and monitor how much of the medication is reaching the patient’s lungs, how the device is being used, and under what circumstances the patient needed their MDI. With this data available, the patient’s provider can tailor their training, device selection, and messaging to the specific patient’s needs. The provider can even make changes to what device they prescribe for future patients.

Keeping up with Therapy at Home

Because the very nature of IoT is to generate data in real-time without any sort of break from monitoring machines, the data should help patients and providers become more communicative, more empathetic, and more understanding. No patient wants to end up in the emergency room for underusing their medication, and IoT can help patients avoid the risk of becoming hospitalized by creating a more transparent patient experience and by alerting providers sooner.