Category: Technology

The Future Of Data Storage is Way Crazier Than You Think

A key focus of my blog is Technology. Our world is becoming more and more data driven than ever before. As such, more and more ways to store data are being created. The following contributed post is entitled, The Future Of Data Storage is Way Crazier Than You Think.

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The last ten years have seen something of a revolution in data storage technologies. Solid-state disks in server farms were a pipe dream a decade ago, but exponential improvements in the technology now mean that it is something that the majority of companies use. The price per gigabyte fell below $1 quite some time ago, and now storage costs are competitive with traditional HDD solutions.

The future of storage, however, looks like it is going to be way more exciting than the past. Not only will we get denser and cheaper storage options, but also technologies that keep data safe for longer.

For companies like Interbyte, these trends are important. They mean that the storage industry is going to move away from traditional NAND and disk-based technologies and into radically different realms. What the controllers will look like for the technologies we’re going to discuss below is anyone’s guess. But you can be darn sure that they will look like nothing we’ve seen so far.

DNA Drives

DNA is nature’s storage system. It’s a substance in practically every living thing, including plants and animals, and provides the instructions that allow cells to divide and make new proteins.

Researchers have found that DNA can last for an incredibly long time outside the protective envelope of the cell. Some scientists believe that they may be able to breed new woolly mammoths, even though the last populations died out some 10,000 years ago.

DNA drives are a futuristic technology, but not entirely impossible. The idea is to encode the chemical sequence in a way that a computer could read it and, thereby, derive information. What’s more, because DNA is such a stable molecule, the drive wouldn’t degrade in the same way that traditional storage devices do. You could potentially have a computer that lasted 1,000 years – maybe more.

Then there’s the fact that DNA operates on the molecular level – the smallest possible scales. DNA, after all, is just a chain of atoms held together by a bunch of phosphate groups. Nature probably settled on that design because it was the most efficient way to store information. It is unlikely that there is a way to improve on it. If there were, then evolution would have found it. As far as we know, it hasn’t.

Helium Drives

Unlike DNA drives, helium drives are something that is actually with us already. Boffins and Western Digital – a company that makes storage devices – have come up with a way to pump helium into their devices to improve their performance. These drives, the company claims, need less power to spin (because helium is lighter than air), while still providing the required internal pressurization by the components function correctly.

The cost of these drives is still really low. Another manufacturer, Seagate, currently offers an 8 TB helium drive, which costs less than six cents per gigabyte – that’s competitive.

Are you excited about the future of storage technology? How will it affect how you live your life?

Achieving IoT Project Success

A key focus of my blog is Technology. In addition to Artificial Intelligence, the Internet of Things (IoT) is predicted to significantly impact all areas of life going forward. With this new technology, understanding how to properly use it in projects will be critical. The following contributed post is entitled, Achieving IoT Project Success.

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There is no denying that the IoT is cropping up everywhere at the moment. A lot of businesses are deploying IoT projects. However, there are many of them that are failing to have much success. With that being said, read on to discover a number of tips that will help you with your IoT project.

Understand the cost and impact of not doing the project – You need to understand the real cost of improving the process. It is easy to determine hard costs. However, soft costs are more challenging to figure out. If real value can be obtained, the objection of not finishing the project should not even really be an option at all.

Make sure your IoT project will deliver a ROI – In addition to this, you need to ensure that your project is actually going to deliver value. There are a lot of IoT projects that end up not being rooted in true company value, and instead they become more about playing with the latest shiny objects instead. This is why it is critical to ensure that your IoT implementation actually has the potential to deliver ROI.

Begin with a couple of quick wins – You need to understand your current competencies and then aim for wins that are easy and quick. After all, the more success that you take in the beginning, the greater your organizational appetite is going to be.

Enable software and hardware integration – Aside from the tips that have already been mentioned, it is important to make sure that there is feasible integration between IoT software and hardware. Although both software and hardware require good design, their approaches are very different. You need to ensure that your projects have the capabilities and the understanding of the nuances so that they can be bridged.

Understand the impact of scale – IoT puts forward a bigger challenge of scaling services and systems than we have ever come across before. It is not purely about delivering IoT products or devices but it is also about the management of the lifecycle of these devices, as well as scaling edge and back office computer resources and dealing with the volume of data being handled. This is why it is critical to start small and then plan for scale.

Put more research into the front end of development – Last but not least, a greater amount of work needs to be done before development can even begin. This is critical to ensure that it is marketable and relevant. While this may take a bit of time, it will lower the failure rate, which can end up costing you much more money than the extra research would.

As you can see, there are a number of different things that you can do in order to make sure that your project is a success. If you follow the advice that has been discussed above, you can ensure that your IoT project goes as well as possible.

How To Make Money Online With Your Business

Three of the focuses of my blog are Financial Literacy/Money, Business/Entrepreneurship and Technology. In today’s digital world there are so many ways to leverage the available online tools to make money. The following contributed post is entitled, How To Make Money Online With Your Business.

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When it comes to your business, you want to exhaust all the opportunities that come your way to make money. And when it comes to the online world, there are plenty to sink your teeth into. Regardless of where your business stands right now in the real world, here are some tips to make money online with your business.

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Take Advantage Of Video Content

Video content is a hot commodity right now and something you should definitely be using for your business not only to make money but to get a boost to your traffic. Video content can become profitable when using platforms like YouTube to advertise that content. So many of us are now watching videos on a daily basis and it’s because they’re usually bite-sized content that you can keep scrolling through and watching for hours on end. You want to help relieve people’s boredom but also get them engaged. So think of how you can engage with your customers and potential customers, through video content. For example, it might be a look into the manufacturing process of a product in a documentary style way. Get creative with your ideas and start posting content as regularly as possible.

Make Use Of Paid Advertising

Paid advertising is a great way to make some extra dosh and you should be using it where you can to help generate leads. When doing online advertising, it’s more of an investment in order to buy potential leads that could convert into customers. That’s one way of doing it and the other is by making full use of your company’s website. Does it bring in a lot of traffic? And if so, then it’s a good idea to reach out to the other businesses and offer an advertising slot for a certain amount of money or based on however many click-throughs they get from your website. These ppc management tools can be really handy if you need some guidance.

Build A Shop On Your Website

When you’re bringing in traffic, depending on your business, you might find it beneficial to have a shop on your website. This could be selling merchandise or products that you may be selling in a physical store or via another website. It’s important to try and diversify your selling points and online is a great way of doing that. Get your website set up with a shop by using any of the ecommerce companies that are available and start selling your branded products directly through your website.

Offer Exclusive Subscriptions

When it comes to your email marketing or selling your services, it’s a good idea to try and offer this in the form of exclusive subscriptions. It could be a few dollars for your existing customers to subscribe to and then you can offer them content, freebies or whatever you want that is worth the amount they’re subscribing for.

Making money online with your business is a must-do, so start looking at what you could do with your company.

Things You Need To Know: Basic Car Repairs

Two key focuses of my blog are Financial Literacy/Money and Technology. One of the most valuable but costly pieces of technology most of us own is a car. Understanding how cars work and having the skill sets to repair them can save you a lot of money and make you lots of money as well. The following contributed post is entitled, Things You Need To Know: Basic Car Repairs.

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There are many necessary skills in which we are equipped in life, but unless we are all learning the basics of car maintenance, we’re facing costly repairs when things go wrong. The good news is that there are many different repair jobs that you can do for your car without having to take it into the garage. It’s an excellent skill to have under your belt if you know how to make the most basic repairs on your car, and you only need a few tools to make sure that you get the job done.

It’s going to take some time to gain experience with your car, but if you’re careful about learning about the different brands of parts, you’re going to be fine. Companies like Automotive Stuff offer a wide range of car parts, which means you can buy and replace parts easily yourself. Are you ready to learn which repairs you should know for your own learning? Let’s go!

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1. You need to know how you should change the engine oil and the filter. It doesn’t require you to have special tools, but you do need to have an oil filter wrench. Your car manual should have straightforward instructions on how to change the engine oil in your car.

2. Windshield wipers are a must on your car, and it only takes ten minutes to change yours, and you should be doing this twice a year to keep yours fresh! Here’s how to change your windshield wipers yourself.

3. Keep checking the wiring of your car – they need to be inspected for burns and cuts in the plastic covering. If corrosion gets into the electrical connectors, the electrical flow can be compromised, and that is dangerous to your car.

4. There is a range of belts in your car, from the steering pump and radiator fan to the alternator belt. Checking them ensures that there is no cause for worry with any shredding in the belts, and once you see any signs of wear, check your manual for instructions on how to change them over.

5. Swapping the fluids in your car, from the engine oil that we mentioned earlier to the transmission fluid, brake fluid, and steering fluid, is vital. It would help if you replaced the liquid on a regular schedule, and this is listed in your car repair manual, too.

6. A battery service won’t be in every car manual, but it’s something you do need to check – and regularly. Without a battery that is in good working condition, you are going to find that your car doesn’t run as efficiently – if at all. Learning how to service and check your battery may feel too far beyond what your expertise allows, which is why knowing the best garage to do it all for you will be crucial!

7. There are other things that you’ll be able to do for yourself as well, such as changing the tires and replacing the brake pads. Water pumps and fuel pumps are also simple enough tasks to manage alone. The key is to ask for help from the experts, and it’s always essential to get your advice from qualified mechanics where you can.

3 Tips to Shoot Professional-Looking Videos on Your Smartphone

Three of the focuses of my blog are Financial Literacy/Money, Business/Entrepreneurship and Technology. In today’s digital age, many forms of business and marketing involve shooting video and posting it online. You don’t always need an extravagant studio to shoot video and sometimes your smartphone will do. The following contributed post is entitled, 3 Tips to Shoot Professional-Looking Videos on Your Smartphone.

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Thankfully, it’s becoming more common knowledge for businesses to realize that video marketing is here to stay. It’s one of the most effective ways to connect with people, build your brand, and give your business an actual voice.

In fact, 51% of marketing professionals believe video marketing is the best for ROI. SO, if you haven’t jumped on the bandwagon yet, it’s time to play catchup!

If you have, and you’re not sure why you haven’t experienced as much success with your video marketing efforts, have you considered the kind of video you’re shooting and producing? Are you using quality video SDKs from an app or website to quickly shoot and publish your content?

If the quality of your video isn’t up to par, there’s a good chance people will skip it. That’s especially true as more businesses recognize the importance of video and try to outdo their competition when it comes to quality.

So, what can you do to shoot more professional-looking videos for your business, using a smartphone? The good news is, you don’t have to be a pro videographer to make it happen. Let’s go over some tips that can set you apart from your competitors.

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1. Have the Right Lighting

Even if you have the latest and greatest smartphone with the best camera that’s ever been released, your video could still look less-than-professional if your lighting is bad. Professional videographers rely on good lighting to make their videos look sharp, bright, and easy to see.

You don’t have to invest in studio lights or other fancy equipment to get better lighting for your recording. But, always try to shoot in a well-lit area to prevent shadows and graininess that can make it difficult for people to see the detail in your video.

Most phones nowadays have “touch focus,” so you can tap on the area of the camera that’s highlighted to focus on one area. The phone should automatically balance the lighting based on the area you’re focused on.

2. Audio is Just as Important

It’s great if you have a high-quality, sharp-looking video. But, if the audio quality doesn’t match up, people aren’t going to pay attention. Unfortunately, most phone manufacturers haven’t given as much attention to the microphones on their devices as they have to the cameras.

So, what can you do to boost the sound quality of your video?

The best thing you can do is to get an external recording device of some kind. Even an inexpensive microphone that can be plugged into your phone will make a world of difference when it comes to the clarity of the sound. If you can’t afford an external mic or don’t want to get one right now, make sure you always record on your phone in a quiet room with no external noises. Try to avoid recording outside.

3. Never Shoot Vertically

It’s hard to believe that this still needs to be said in 2020, but perhaps the biggest and most important tip to keep in mind is to never shoot your video vertically on your phone. When you record vertically, it makes playback look strange on many other devices. Hold your phone horizontally, and playback on screens everywhere will look just fine.

You don’t need to hire a professional camera crew or be a pro yourself to create better-looking videos on your phone. Keep these simple tips in mind as you boost your video marketing efforts this year.

Tech That Can Help Keep Any Workplace Safer

A key focus of my blog is technology. Management at any workplace must always think about ways the keep their workplaces as safe as possible. In today’s digital age, technology has given us an abundance of tools for doing so. The following contributed post is entitled, Tech That Can Help Keep Any Workplace Safer.

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What’s most important when it comes to keeping the rate of injuries and accidents low in any workplace? Is it effective and thorough human observation of the risks and strategic planning around them? In part, yes, but that’s not to say that technology can’t play a role in helping keep your team safe, as well.

Photo by Mimzy – Pixabay License

CCTV
Aside from being useful for retail store security, CCTV can also go a long way in ensuring the physical safety of your employees, especially if crime or assault is of any concern. CCTV can increase staff comfort and make them feel safer in the workplace and in surrounding spaces, such as car parks or stairwells. Furthermore, they act as a very clear deterrent to crime.

Alarms
Not just talking about security alarm systems, alarm equipment in general can be very helpful to bringing attention to hazards and encouraging your team to react responsibly to them. Of the two types, choosing between a buzzer vs speaker is all about determining your needs. Buzzers can be useful for immediately bringing attention to a nearby fault, such as a malfunctioning machine, so trained individuals can react appropriately. Speakers are better for communicating information, such as the particular aisle or area a spill or incident has happened in.

Safety apps
It’s not all hardware you should be thinking about, either. Health and safety data technology is playing an increasing role in recognising the risks that your team might face in the workplace. These apps can help you make checklists for safety, file hazard reports, and record information is an accident does happen. As such, they can help you become more aware of incidents that happen more regularly, allowing you to react and create a safety policy around them more quickly.

GPS systems
The workplace doesn’t always have to be in an office. If you have a fleet of vehicles, then the road is your workplace just as much as anything else. If that’s the case, then GPS and fleet management technology can be crucial for ensuring your drivers’ safety on the road. You can not only track their route but pay attention to any habits that could potentially put them at risk, including speeding, and crack down on drivers that fall into such habits.

Wearable tech
If you’re hoping to create a healthier team for a more reliable workplace, then looking at the tech that they could be wearing on their person might be an investment worth making. These devices can track a range of details, including monitoring their vitals, and can be set up with reminders such as when they need to take a break or get up and stretch to avoid ergonomic injuries.

Tech can help you make the office a much safer environment, but never think that you should rely on it, alone. Training your team to recognize safety hazards in the workplace and making an effort to address any common risks with effective police and practices is number one. The tech above can help, but it can’t solve your problems.

3 Simple Ways To Make Your Website More Powerful

A key focus of my blog is Technology. No matter what you’re using it for, your website can be valuable tool if used correctly. Depending upon its purpose, you want to optimize your website to get the most traction out of it. The following contributed post is entitled, 3 Simple Ways To Make Your Website More Powerful.

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Are you finding that your website isn’t providing the levels of conversions that you want or need. If that’s the case, then you might want to consider taking a few different steps to correct the issue. Here are some of the possibilities to think about.

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Add A Video

You might want to start by considering adding a video to your website. One of the best ideas to consider here is an introduction video to your website where you, or a rep talks directly to the customer. This is particularly useful for websites that have tricky or difficult to understand concepts that aren’t always going to be particularly easy to understand in text format. With a video you can simplify the situation and cut through the waffle.

Alternatively, you can also use a video to show some skin. One way to do this is to essentiallly provide a window behind the scenes of your business. In doing so, you can make sure that you will be able to show that you are more than just a profit machine. A lot of businesses find this to be a highly effective option. The trick here is to ensure that your videos look professional by using high quality video production services.

Fix The Structure

You might have a website where customers can buy a product or service directly. If so, then this is great news, however you do need to make sure it’s as easy as possible for them to buy. One of the ways that you can do this is by ensuring that your website has the right structure. In other words, you need to avoid the possibility of a customer getting lost along the way to a potential sale. The general rule here is that a customer should never be more than three clicks away from something that they are looking for on your site, regardless of what it is.

A structure issue can be quite difficult to fix. So, you can also consider adding a chatbot to your site instead. With a chatbot, a customer will be able to ask questions and immediately get the answer that they want. By doing this, you should be able to cut out the search completely and lead them directly to the sale page. Chat bots may even be able to add products to the basket of a customer.

A/B Testing

Finally, you may want to think about trying A/B testing. As the name probably suggests, with A/B testing you will essentially be able to run two versions of the website at the same time. The benefit of doing so is that you can change little details and discover how these changes impact conversions. You will then be able to build a site with all the right smaller details in place.

A/B testing can be a little tricky so if you’re struggling, make sure that you do hire a marketing manager to complete this process for you.

We hope you can use these tips to get the results you want with your website.

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Three Reasons You Can’t Skip Image Captions

Two of the focuses of my blog are Blogging and Writing, and Technology. In today’s world where most everyone needs and uses websites, the use of images is critical. Just using the image is the only key to maximizing is effectiveness for you. Captioning the image also matters. The following contributed post is entitled, Three Reasons You Can’t Skip Image Captions.

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Since the internet began (or near enough), website images have been key to appealing to audiences and getting big-name search engines like Google on-side. And, with human attention spans now commonly shorter than that of a goldfish, proper usage here has reached new heights. You’ll certainly struggle to appeal to modern audiences if you only offer unbroken pages of text for them to scroll through!

But, you don’t need us to tell you that. A business pro like you has been using images on your company page since its launch. What you might not realize is that simple image use may not be enough to give you an edge for much longer.

As online competition heats up, changing priorities and needs mean that, now, businesses who also implement image captions achieve the edge. This is a step that many of us skip because, on the surface, it doesn’t seem to offer any business benefit. But, once you delve into the matter, you could find that the habit of captioning your website pictures opens you up for benefits including –

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Accessibility

As any company that deals in ADA eCommerce site compliance will tell you, adherence with accessibility requirements is, by far, the best benefit of image captioning right now. By including an easy-to-read description, you increase the chances that even visually impaired visitors will be able to grasp your website content. You could even take this further by pairing captions with audio descriptions. Then, there’s no risk of discriminating or failing to accommodate possible audiences. What’s more, this simple step guarantees that you’re always operating on the right side of the law. Given the reputational and monetary damage that legal proceedings can cause, that’s always worth working towards.

Credit where it’s due

While this doesn’t apply if you use your own images, captions also provide the opportunity for you to give credit. Again, this can help avoid legal proceedings if you’re using royalty-free images. Even if you seek pictures from an outside company, something as simple as a caption with credit can help to maintain positive relationships. That’s an absolute must for keeping your reputation clean and ensuring you can use those same photographers down the line.

SEO

Search engine optimization (SEO) is a pressing reason to use images, but it also provides an incentive to caption your pictures. That’s because, while the readability benefits of images are the most apparent search-engine benefit, SEO also relies heavily on keywords. By increasing your keyword usage through carefully-planned captions, you can guarantee that your relevance, and thus your search listings, soon start to soar. And, given that a high ranking on sites like Google is your best chance to entice a new target market quickly, we would say it’s well worth the added work you’ll need to put into design to make it happen.

Before you skip captions during your next design rehaul, you might find that it pays to think again. Your consumers and your profits will undoubtedly thank you for it.

Take Your eCommerce To Brand New Heights

Three of the focuses of my blog are Financial Literacy/Money, Business/Entrepreneurship and Technology. In today’s digital age, more business than ever before takes place online via eCommerce. There are some considerations when setting out to do business in cyberspace. The following contributed post is entitled, Take Your eCommerce To Brand New Heights.

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If you are running an eCommerce business, you know just how tough it is to stay ahead of the curve and also take on your rivals. While eCommerce is a very large pie, every person in the business world seems to want a piece nowadays.

In today’s post, we are going to be taking a look at some things you may be able to add to your eCommerce business to help it flourish just that little bit more.

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Why The Future Is eCommerce

Put simply, we now live in a world that demands we work harder than ever before, so eCommerce store provides us with a solution that enables us to get out hands on things faster than ever before.

The world today has blessed us with many ways to live life a little easier while simultaneously keeping up with other demands. As of 2019, global eCommerce sales are almost $3.46 trillion, and this figure is climbing yearly.

Hopefully, this post will enable your business to take a larger slice of this pie than ever before.

Get Your Storefront Perfect

Ok, so we know that you don’t have a literal storefront, but you do still have one on your website. The most important thing to your whole eCommerce operation is your website, and a lot of the time, businesses aren’t using it to its full potential.

When it comes to your website, it’s where your business is conducted, and a lot of the time, there can be so many issues that will slow down your site.

If you really want to get the full potential from your site, you should be looking at companies out there like Scale Dynamix that can really give your store the speed boost it needs,

Let The Customers Really See The Product

One of the biggest complaints from customers that shop online nowadays is that they are never really sure of the product they are buying.

Rather than offer the same service as every other business out there, you could consider giving the customer the ability to view the entire product with 3D visualization. Companies who have embraced this have seen increased sales and decreased cases of cart abandonment.

Give The Customer What They Need

The final thing to make this post is that you should always give the customer what they want when they want it.

The key to doing this is by simply looking after your returning customers by giving them a personal shopping experience. Larger companies like Amazon have set the trend with this, and it’s become something that customers love.

By simply collecting small pieces of data while a customer uses your online store, you can tailor a service directly to them that gives them what they want the moment they arrive on your website.

By taking on this and the previous two things we mentioned, you will soon see that your eCommerce store is capable of reaching the heights you have always dreamed of.

Technology Is Changing the Patient Experience

Two key focuses of my blog are Financial Literacy/Money and Technology. As with all sectors of life, technology is changing the patient experience. While technology is literally changing patient, it’s also impacting the ancillary aspects of the patient experience as well. The following contributed post is entitled, Technology Is Changing the Patient Experience.

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Image from Pixabay – Pixabay License

Healthcare is one of the most important services that anyone will ever use and that any organization can provide. Healthy people are essential for a healthy society, so people need to be able to receive the healthcare that they require. For medical and healthcare providers, meeting their patients’ expectations and providing them with satisfaction is vital. The patient experience needs to be continually improving so that patients are happy with the care they receive and choose to remain with their healthcare providers for any future needs. Technology can help to improve the patient experience in a number of excellent ways, and is still developing to become even more useful.

Apps for Keeping Patients Updated and Engaged

Communicating well with patients is essential for any healthcare provider. Patients need to feel that they understand what is happening, and why things are happening too. Their family and friends also want to remain updated on their progress. At the same time, they need to know that any of their patient information is kept private and won’t get into the wrong hands. Apps like Ease are helping healthcare providers to improve Press Ganey scores with better communication. They can allow for messaging between doctors and patients, as well as their families, keeping them updated.

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Reducing Medical Errors

Medical error could be responsible for hundreds of thousands of deaths each year in the US. One reason serious medical errors could occur is if the doctor or other healthcare providers don’t have the necessary or correct information about the patient, medication or other important factors. Technology is helping to change this, with digital tools that make it easier to record and keep track of this vital information. For example, platforms for managing electronic prescribing and medical alerts can help to reduce errors and improve patient safety.

Make Care Easier to Access

Healthcare can also be made easier to access using technology today. One solution is telemedicine, which allows the use of apps, video calls and other tools to provide some types of healthcare to people online. Convenience is a huge factor in people’s interaction with any type of service, and that includes healthcare. If healthcare providers are far away or don’t have convenient appointment times, patients may be reluctant to engage with them. However, technology can offer a more accessible and convenient solution. Tech solutions can provide communication using several different channels to suit the patient.

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Monitoring Health

Some healthcare providers are also using technology to help their patients monitor their health. For example, it’s possible for doctors to ask patients to wear a fitness tracker such as a Fitbit during the day. The patient can then share the data from their fitness tracker to show their doctor important information, such as their heart rate, oxygen levels, activity levels and other metrics that might be tracked. Some healthcare providers have their own apps to help their patients track various health measurements.

Technology continues to develop and could provide many more useful solutions in the future, with artificial intelligence especially offering some interesting possibilities.