Palm/PDA ComputingPalm/PDA ComputingSeminars on Academic ComputingSeminars on Academic Computing

Snowmass, COSnowmass, COAugust 7, 2001August 7, 2001

Kay Sommers – ksommers@vcu.eduRichard H. Falk – rfalk@vcu.edu

Virginia Commonwealth UniversityRichmond, VA

The TrendThe Trend

• Background of VCU– Medical and academic campus– 15,000 undergraduate and 6,500 graduate

students– Many IT groups

• What’s driving the PDA movement?– Good management tools and useful

applications– Mobile users

PDA Projects at VCUPDA Projects at VCU

• Allied Health Professions– Nurse Anesthesia• Surgery – Grand Rounds• Virginia Institute for Developmental Disabilities• Department of Pharmacy• Beaming Kiosks• CBIL (Computer Based Instruction Lab)• Occupational Therapy

Nurse AnesthesiaNurse Anesthesia

• Grant for simulator-based training videos for graduate students

• Short instructional videos on a PDA

• HP Jornada 540 Pocket PC selected

• Technical challenges of running videos on PDAs (Adobe Premiere, Windows Media Player 7.1, HP Encoder)

• Test video is 7.3 MB and runs for 6:43

Dept. of SurgeryDept. of Surgery

• Need to take attendance during Grand Rounds

• Requirements for mobility, accuracy and ease

• Scan VCUCards with Mag Stripe Reader/Palm application

• Sync to Access database

• Pendragon application available

Palm Magnetic Stripe ScannerPalm Magnetic Stripe Scanner

Virginia Institute for Developmental Virginia Institute for Developmental DisabilitiesDisabilities

• University affiliated program

• Initial approach and project proposals

• VIDD staff generate many ideas

• Project selected – Autistic individuals– HanDera 330 and MemoPlus

School of PharmacySchool of Pharmacy

• Residents and faculty using PDAs in clinical rounds

• Plans to provide PDAs to 4th year students

• Development of applications ,suites and presentations

• Wireless project is part of student laptop initiative – access points on all 5 floors of Pharmacy’s main building

Beaming KiosksBeaming Kiosks

• Infrared communications – PDAs and laptops

• Kiosks use Clarinet Systems equipment

• AvantGo channels, email, calendar syncing on-the-go, web surfing

• Kiosks placed in public lab as a pilot

• Pictures of a beaming kiosk …

Clarinet Systems Clarinet Systems IrDa InfraredIrDa Infrared

www.clarinetsystems.comwww.clarinetsystems.com

BeamingBeaming

Beaming KioskBeaming KioskJavits Convention Center, Javits Convention Center,

Manhattan, NYManhattan, NY

First ImpressionsFirst Impressions

ConversionConversion

Mass ConversionMass Conversion

Computer Based Instruction LabComputer Based Instruction Lab

• Targeted Participants• CBIL provided

– Handspring Visor Deluxe PDAs, software, eval forms, group meetings, technical support

• Participation requirements and selection process• Software selected• Support services• Results

Occupational TherapyOccupational Therapy

• Support call from a faculty member…

PDA Connections to the InternetPDA Connections to the Internet

• Modems – serial modem devices or CF modem cards

• LAN – CF Ethernet Card

• Infrared connections– Cell phone with IrDA port <-> PDA

• Wireless – Fixed wireless with access points– Remote via wireless services

Capabilities of PDAsCapabilities of PDAs

• Pocket Internet Explorer• Windows CE’s Inbox (POP3 and IMAP4)• Accessing web content – streaming or offline• Blazer “proxy” server (www.bluelark.com)

– Resize and dither web pages for small screen– Graphics, color and caching

• Web Clipping• AvantGo Channels

– Pocket PC and Palm OS devices

PDA ApplicationsPDA Applications

• Word documents – PocketPC Word– Documents to Go

• HanDBase Relational Database – Pocket PC and Palm compatible

• Ebook – Microsoft Reader; other free versions– Ebooks download (www.memoware.com) -cross

platform formats and free– Audio books – www.audible.com– Mint your own eBooks

The Wireless ConnectionThe Wireless Connection

• Fixed wireless– PC and CF cards used to connect to LAN– Modules for Handspring and Palm M500 series PDAs

(Xircom Wireless Ethernet Module)

• Remote wireless– PC Cards (CDPD, Ricochet 128 and CDMA wireless

networks)– CF digital phone card (Socket Communications)– Bluetooth – connect without cables

• WAP Gateways

DevelopmentDevelopment

• Web programming – HTML, Java, XML, etc.

• C and C++/Java (Palm conduits); Assembler; Visual Basic (AppForge), Microsoft eMbedded Visual Tools

• Forms programs – Pendragon and Satellite

VCU PDA ProjectsVCU PDA Projects

• VCU POPS (Pockets of Progress Site) http://www.vcu.edu/ucs/POPS/

Other IssuesOther Issues

• What about security?– Extensible Authentication Protocol– Security utilities

• CryptInfo, ReadThis!, TealLock, etc.

• What about cost?

• What about limitations – Why not just buy a laptop?

FinaleFinale

• Other issues?

• Q&A

• Thank you for coming.

ReferencesReferences

• VCU POPS:– http://www.vcu.edu/ucs/POPS/

• VCU Library – Personal Digital Assistants– http://www.library.vcu.edu/tml/bibs/pda.htm

• CMU Pittsburgh Pebbles:– http://www.cs.cmu.edu/~pebbles/

• Dynasys Copilot (interface for mag stripe reader)– http://www.dyna-sys.com/

• Clarinet Systems (IrDa switches)– www.clarinetsystems.com/

• Blazer Palm compatible browser– http://www.handspring.com/software/blazer_details.jhtml

• Fireviewer (media web portal for Palm OS devices)– http://www.fireviewer.com/index.html