As has become tradition over the past decade, I devote the December edition of In Contact to a range of eye related websites and other assorted items of relevance and irreverence. In Contact is now arguably the oldest of its type on the web and may well be the longest running eye related column around. It first saw the light of day in 1985 in the South African Optometrist journal. Apart from a break during my relocation to NZ it’s been published monthly ever since; in print since ‘94 and online since ‘98. There are not many other eye related columns that match this record but online & email ‘newsletters’ are now de rigueur. A few have pooped up in NZ in the past year with numerous others around the world.
This is now the ninth annual ‘Best of the Web’ feature. Please refer to my previous versions as they have around one thousand useful links which I try not to repeat from one year to the next. Surf to the archives for the best of 2008, 2007, 2006, 2005, 2004, 2003, 2002 and 2001.
Of course the print version is best surfed online at www.nzoptics.co.nz/incontact.htm
I generally start off with a review of the current state of the art of computers, networks, browsers and communications in general. 2009 has seen a number of significant shifts in this arena. Apple shares have rocketed on the back of strong sales of in particular iPhones. Not a bad result in a recession. On the back of Microsoft’s lousy VISTA operating system a number of people have also switched to Apple’s OS X Snow Leopard on various Macs. Microsoft has in turn released Windows 7 OS but have lost plenty of punters to Mac (and others), many of who may never go back. Which is best?
Parallels software allows one to run Apple, Windows or other operating systems concurrently. Apparently the biggest growth area of people buying Macs are fifty to seventy year olds who recently purchased iPhones….
Cloud Computing seems to be the wave of future. Apple, Google & Office Live, have offerings, as do others. Social networking sites continue to flourish but which will last? I’ll keep you posted on my transition to Apple and the cloud in the months ahead.
Apps are the in thing for iPhone freaks. Some are free, some not. Traditional game console makers are also worried as iPhone is also an effective gaming platform.
Here are some useful eye-related and medical apps for iPhone aficionados or as some would say, wankers. (There are some better links but be warned they are rude.)
Eye2Phone is useful and also rates as one of the more popular downloads. I’ve used it to diagnose macula pathology in the legendary JZ Club in Shanghai. (Be aware that many of the tests in these apps may not be calibrated properly for size or colour but they are great for screening and aid diagnosis.) There are dozens of other medical apps. Some cost quite a bit but would be worth buying to fill a need. iChart2000 is one. Optics Clinical Calculator another. One of the very best is a fully functional app that emulates the legendary HP41C on iPhone. Amazing. Get the optometry module. One can programme in an induced cylinder toric CL calculator too.
That’s the old style. Now you just install an app.
One can sometimes get a less functional trial, free, or lite version. The WebMD app is good as is their website. You can now do voice searches directly into Google mobile. Others can do speech to speech translation that talk back in another language, such as this one.
Why didn’t they have stuff like this when I was in Kurdistan in 1984?
XE is great for forex. F1 App here.
Shazam will listen to a song and tell you what it is and more.
You can use an Aussie built app to book appointments and view financials in SUNIX VISION via NewVision To Go for iPhone. They also do a glaucoma and contact lens calculator.
Pubmed will suit research junkies on the go.
If you have an iPhone or iTunes you’ll be able to access the app store. They’ve already done around two billion downloads which doubled in just five months. Serious numbers! Serious dollars. No doubt it helps the stock price…
Enough already.
With over 100,000 apps available one has to stop somewhere. (In July 2008 there were only 500 apps.)
Search for stuff that interests you by category or use various options like ‘featured’ or ‘Top 25’ with options to search for new or free versions.
CCR3 is for the future while CR-3 is here now. Attend a conference at the home of CXL. A good KC review by Christine Kenney and more useful links from the NKCF. Etiology, Diagnosis, and Management of Keratoconus: New Thoughts and New Understandings is useful. Wink & Blink to counter CVS?. Deposits remain an issue in CL practice. Silicone hydrogel lenses dominated the past decade but as I’ve stated for some time we need something better. Will a novel PEG containing material offer better biocompatibility and reduce complications while providing suitable daily wear Dk?
Will the International Stem Cell Corporation help save Rabbits or provide virgin corneas for grafting? Myopia control will also be a big issue in the future. Will sites like this be happy? This will be of interest too. Generation specs: Stopping the short-sight epidemic.
Translating specs? How about virtual heads-up contact lenses?
Gen Xers and Baby Boomers are now presbyopes. Gen Y are where?
GONE is a great glaucoma project – Check it out.
Attend the World Congress On Refractive Error in South Africa in September 2010. You could tag it on the end of the soccer world cup and have a good two month tour of Southern Africa in between? ARVO is always leading edge. This ASCRS Ophthalmology podcast vault has some interesting stuff. Check out the IOL detectives in this video podcast. (it takes a while to download)
The past year has seen the passing of some eyecare greats, locally and internationally. These sad loses include most recently Norman Bier, N Rex Ghormley, Rob Breece, Pat Cummings, Jeffery Gilbard & Eric Sellers
These days there’s scant regard for copyright and intellectual property: Get those references right. That’s what I like about links and the way I use them – I give you direct access to the source so I don’t clog up the text and ending with dozens of references. I quote sources and acknowledge images etc. when necessary. Looks like local writer Witi Ihimaera didn’t remember to quote all his sources. Check out kiwiblog on ‘Honkey’ Harawira. More on lies, dammed lies and statistics. Check out the worst record keeping ever! Beware of litigation.
While on this topic some leading journals are now providing a lot more content, online downloads and better access to graphs, tables and images via HTML, PDF or PPT and other formats, with PAP for new work.
There’s even an Armed Forces Optometric Society
The History of the New Zealand Contact Lens Society is available online as is the history of the AAO section on Cornea, Contact Lenses and Refractive Technologies while the BCLA honours the Pioneers. The British College of Optometry also has a great history section. Dig deep. The NZ Wine Society may interest some too. If you’re into vaccines this site may push your buttons. Paranoid about Anthrax or Swine Flu? If they don’t get you Escherichia coli O157:H7 may! Check out Food Inc. Watch out for ESBL
A guide to the Hippocratic Oath is worth a read. The Vatican has some ideas about Internet ethics.
The Church of the SubGenius seems to be on a different track to the Vatican..
As always NASA have great stuff. More from the Mars rover. Check out ASTER. The Centre for Adaptive Optics is worth a look as are some of their images. Carl Sagan remains one of the late greats. Images from exotic places. More great shots. Abandoned towns. Get a Holga and get into Lomography.
The Visual Dictionary is an interesting project. The Planetary society may be part of your future as may SETI. Back to the future the AAO even does Facebook as do a few others. You can even learn to take IOPs by FB.
TFOS may bring a tear to one’s eye. Eyerounds has some good images as does eyeatlas. Video and more at EyeSpaceMD. Watch out for unilateral prism ballast torics and imbalance. Will the LHC get replaced by a Mini Me DAS? I tend to agree with some assessments of FB and other social networking sites although LinkedIn and Plaxo seem to be more professional in nature and a good way to network? Looking for Antique Books? The Phoenix Foundation is helping promote Virtual Medicine. Rent or buy?
Medical Marijuana is a big thing in California now and effectively legal. It’s back to the sixties but with a semi-approved system of dispensaries for anyone who can prove a medical need by Rx. Seems like there are suddenly a lot of newly sick people in California. Will we see a reduction in glaucoma and bar fights? There’s even Pot-TV.
Revoptom has had a rev up. It needed a new look. Check out their Blogs
One mistake a lot of websites make when they redesign is to delete old links which is a real pity. They should simply archive and ‘hide’ old pages so we can still access them from old links.
Here’s a useful article on Designing GPs from Corneal Topography from two respected colleagues.
I’ve always reckoned Mercedes are the best cars on the road. In fact the only two cars I have ever owned that I haven’t been able to break were Mercs.
Fantastic news then to see Mercedes-Benz has bought the major share of Brawn GP who in their rookie year helped Button take his first F1 world championship. At last a decent team with a great engine. Go Mercedes GP!
WolframAplha seems interesting. GlobalRPH is pretty impressive. Cash in on the international narcotics trade? Are you Nettwerked?
Hacker Quarterly. Get rid of Stains. For those that made derogatory comments about Francois, check out this Steyn. Suffering from an inferiority complex? Blatantly Saffer
Check out what to do in big cities from Time. Shanghai
NZ Rocks in more ways than one.
125 Places to Drink Beer Before You Die: I’ve managed a few of the top ten.
On that festive note.
Have a good one!
