Smartphone apps are now used in many industries to help professionals perform their daily tasks more efficiently.

However, farming has thus far been rather overlooked.  ”I think the farming sector is one that high-tech organisations probably haven’t spent as much time on as they could,” admitted Martin Stiven, vice-president for business at UK mobile network T-Mobile.

This could be because of the isolated location of many farms – meaning poor broadband access. Yet, with the ever-increasing population and urbanisation causing farming land to shrink, farmers have a bigger challenge than ever ahead.

Which is why it’s great that the next explosion of apps seems set to be in the farming sector.

Farmers across the board have been passing on their ideas for useful apps to the people with the technology and know-how to make their visions a reality.

One farmer suggested an app to detect stock units in each field and alert you if there is a sudden drop in these numbers.

This process shows the use of new technology at its most advantageous.

It is also a great example of companies building relationships with their potential consumers, listening to their customers’ needs and acting upon them.

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/business-15882852

In their newest change to profile displays, Facebook is now going to display information as a ‘timeline’ – photographs, events, conversation and more, from your past present and future, will all be shown simultaneously. In other words, not just the present tense is the focus anymore.

With the price of advertising on Facebook increasing 74%, according to the financial times, it seems that this forum is in high demand.

This interesting article by Geoff Gower considers the impact of the Facebook timeline.

http://dmblogged.brandrepublic.com/2011/10/03/facebook-just-buried-the-present-tense/

Each fortnightly issue includes a small reproduction of one of the cars, as well as a jam packed magazine and full-colour pull-out poster. The Ferrari magazine, previously released in Germany and the UK, will now also be released in Russia, and the Supercars magazine in Japan.

The attention to detail on the shoot was amazing, from the perfectly positioned, polished miniature cars to the beautifully buffed fingers of our hand model!

Photographs can not capture the time, expertise, scrutiny and amount of equipment required for a 30 second ad – but the results, we think, were more than worth the effort.

However we are particularly impressed with their ‘Big Knit’ campaign, which, unsurprisingly, has enjoyed long term success.  It encourages people from all walks of life to knit a small hat, to fit on a bottle top. When one of these behatted bottles is purchased, 25p goes to charity.

Not only is it amusing and appealing in terms of package design, the warm little hats cleverly help persuade people that smoothies, often more appealing in the summer, are also a good choice for a winter drink.

Celebrities involved this year include Betty Jackson, Heston Blumenthal, Sienna Miller, Sophie Ellis Bextor and Savannah Mille.

Furthermore, as of this year, “the Big Knit” campaign is expected to have earned a total of over £1 million for Age UK.

http://www.innocentdrinks.co.uk/bigknit/

Many believe that patients are responsible for their own adherence.

When prescribing new or different medication regimens, physicians spend most of the time explaining the purpose, side-effects, and how to take the medication — the ‘important stuff’. Little or no time is spent on consequences of non-adherence, potential interactions, and refills.

And what does it matter anyway? A patient forgets, on average, about half the information provided 15 minutes after meeting with a doctor. They remember the first third of the discussion best and remember more about diagnosis than about the details of treatment.

But consider this: as a result of this lack of communication about medications, patients are not being treated properly and the health industry is losing hundreds of millions in revenue. Adherence does matter, and it needs to matter more.

Boehringer Ingelheim has enrolled the first patient in TOviTO Phase III clinical trial programme.  It will investigate tiotropium plus olodaterol in a once-daily fixed-dose combination for the treatment of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease

The medicine itself is a promising development. Furthermore, the fact that it is to be taken as a once daily combined dose will surely be a great step towards ensuring patient adherence, especially in elderly patients who may be on several medications at once.

http://www.worldpharmanews.com/boehringer-ingelheim/1803-boehringer-ingelheim-enrols-first-patient-in-tovito-phase-iii-clinical-trial-program

So this article from Netdoctor, revealing how pets are good for your health, really caught our eye.

It’s not just what you might think, and goes beyond the obvious benefits, such as walks with your four legged friends.

Pets, and in particular dogs, can improve children’s immune systems, help patients recover faster from operations and boost your social life.

There have even been reports of dogs being able to smell cancer in humans.

All further evidence that everyone should have a canine companion!

http://www.netdoctor.co.uk/interactive/gallery/main.php?g2_itemId=2400&g2_tab_id=112&g2_GALLERYSID=TMP_SESSION_ID_DI_NOISSES_PMT

Our first port of call for celebration was with an office chocolate run!

Whilst happily munching on our sugar fixes, we got to thinking about our favourite chocolate ad campaigns.  There are so many great ones it was hard to narrow it down – this delicious substance obviously gets the creative juices flowing!

Our final shortlist had to include the Cadburys Dairy Milk ‘glass and a half of happiness’ productions. From a gorilla drumming to Phil Collins to poker faced children dancing with their eyebrows, this clever campaign evokes a feeling to associate with the chocolate, rather than directly showing us the product.

Have a break… you immediately think have a Kit Kat, right? No surprise there – Kit Kat, incredibly, have been incorporating the word ‘break’ in their ad campaigns since 1937!

And what about the characters? Most memorably the Milky Bar kid (you know the song!) and, that Jessica Rabbit of the chocolate world, the Caramel Bunny.

Crunchie’s ‘Friday Feeling’ certainly springs to mind today too!

We could go on. Go on to YouTube. Search for chocolate ads. But be warned. This could take up hours of your life!

To start off, check out this original and hilarious ad for Carre de Chocolat …

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=a34QTcpnKww

He captured the imagination and affection of so many, despite the fact he wasn’t royalty, an actor or a singer; he didn’t seek ‘fans’. The media and the internet have been flooded with quotes from Steve Jobs. Why are his words so universally powerful?

Steve Jobs spoke openly about death, yet his words were not deep, morbid or overemotional. Nor were they lighthearted, diminutive or empty. He put death intelligently in to perspective.

Most importantly, as seemed to be his way in every walk of life, he saw death for its potential – for what it could give us, if we thought about it in the right way. In his eyes, knowing we’re going to die should free our minds to be as imaginative, daring and original as we wish and to value and work to improve each day of our lives.

And he led by example. He was a man of truly inspirational innovation and courage, both of which were reflected through his work and attitude in the face of a terminal illness.

Furthermore he was undoubtedly one of the greatest entrepreneurs of our time and will always be remembered for ‘being brave enough to think differently, bold enough to believe he could change the world, and talented enough to do it” (Obama).

We can also be thankful for the impact that his work and inventions had on the healthcare sector, which now uses his technology to help patients with a wide range of diseases (see the article link below).

Inspired by this and similar ventures, Wizzard are working on a diary app for our most recent patient support programme (for patients with ulcerative colitis). The wide reaching influence of Steve Jobs means we are not unique in having him to thank for our idea. But this once, we are happy to be unoriginal.

 http://www.guardian.co.uk/government-computing-network/2011/aug/22/andrew-lansley-healthcare-apps-dh 

Most people are aware of Mary Shelley’s chilling novel, and the many film adaptations of it. Victor Frankentein creates a monster who, though repulsive and terrifying, is in essence human.

Creating human organs would not sound out of place in such a tale of horror.

However, the reality is quite the opposite. If scientist really could succeed in creating organs it would be a marvelous step forward for people needing transplants.

And they’re getting closer.

Specifically, a 3D printer is used in the hugely challenging task of replicating artificial blood vessels, together with technique called multiphoton polymerization (which, as far as we understand it, is a process that merges particles together.)

More than 10, 000 people in the UK currently need a transplant. If this process is successful, it could alleviate waiting times and save lives.

The findings of this exciting research will be shown at the Biotechnica Fair in Germany this October.

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/technology-14946808