iPad Wild West

It's the wild west out there. Just as the early days of website development, everyone now wants a custom iPad app., but no one really know how or what to ask for. A qualified organization should have experience developing web apps as well as mobile apps. A known history of creating self contained software applications helps. ROM, kiosk, web applications and database design are a few good indicators that your team is qualified. Of course, a history of developing iPhone apps is a winner as the platform is essentially the same. Although graphic design and branding agencies will have a firm grasp on the terminology and marketability, they will often hire other development firms to program your solution and may not have the experience or knowledge of how to properly write specifications and plan the project for success.

As producer of the CVMD network, I helped create the world's first cardiovascular audio podcast and later the world's first video podcast of cardiovascular education. Our web development efforts have helped educate the medical field about new technologies and techniques and our asset management solutions and consulting have enabled real time posting of content to multiple devices at once.

Our first iPad app increased sales leads by 30% for a well known medical marketing giant (see Press) and our next project includes compiling educational material into apps designed to increase patient outcomes for a network of hospitals and referring physicians.

It's the wild west out there and there are no borders. Good thing we're saddled up.

Major Award!!!

I am special. My work is special. My life is special. My awards are not special. People think awards are special. Awards represent an opportunitist's method of appreciating your specialness. Usually you pay for your award in the form of submission fees and/or  awards fees.

Awards can be illusory and are a temporary reflection on a job well done.

The nameplate keeps falling off of my award. I have stuck it back on numerous times and if I think back enough, I believe I even glued it at one point. My beloved award is so special to me because it reminds me of how perspectives change. I can think of a dozen different projects we have done that deserve far more credit. We have produced educational material that has informed people of new technology, treatments for diseases and marketed new devices for surgical procedures.

My father always had a "thinking man" pin that he won for some of his ideas in engineering back at Air Research. My grandfather was awarded for ideas in engineering and my great uncle even worked for NASA during the lunar landing. With a family of idea makers and engineers, I sometimes feel obligated to earn a certain amount of notoriety. The reality is however, is that today awards aren't often given for breaking new ground. They are mostly an acknowledgement of all that is "standard" and accepted by the masses as accomplished. That's not to say that they don't sometimes get it right, but I think the odds are pretty shifted in the favor of the mediocre nowadays.

I am thinking of designing my own award for employees of Imaginology. An anti-award perhaps. 

Acknowledgement is important in people's lives though. It is a raw emotional cause and effect. Acknowledgement can perpetuate growth and opportunity. I think I actually enjoy acknowledgement of others work, more than I do my own. Maybe I should create an awards program?

I would give out thinking man awards. An award of classical thought and appreciation for new accomplishments in media and design. These awards would be limited and do not necessarily have to be given on a regular basis.  Perhaps it will become important. Perhaps I will make money on it. Maybe this is special.