Apple’s New iPhone: Medical Imaging Opportunities
By now you've heard the hype surrounding the unveiling of Apple's new iPhone. While it won't be available until June, there is plenty of media coverage to make you salivate over this phone. Take a look at the video highlighting the many capabilities of the iPhone.Here's the quick synopsis from apple.com.
iPhone combines three products—a revolutionary mobile phone, a widescreen iPod with touch controls, and a breakthrough Internet communications device with desktop-class email, web browsing, maps, and searching—into one small and lightweight handheld device.iPhone also introduces an entirely new user interface based on a large multi-touch display and pioneering new software, letting you control everything with just your fingers.So it ushers in an era of software power and sophistication never before seen in a mobile device, completely redefining what you can do on a mobile phone.
It's no wonder Cingular Wireless made a deal with Apple two years ago without even seeing a prototype of the iPhone. With Apple's reputation who wouldn't trust them to design such a revolutionary phone?With Apple's successful breakthrough and dominance of the mobile music world, their step into the science and research realm, their popularity in the design world, and now their attempt at revolutionizing the mobile phone industry, it begs the question; where else can Apple go? How about a smart Apple iRefrigerator, iStove, or iCar? Don't scoff, it could happen.In my previous post on OsiriX, I spoke about how medical images are being transported and viewed on iPods. The iPhone, with its mini version of Mac OS X and its high-resolution 3.5in screen seems perfectly suited for viewing medical images. Imagine the benefit for medical professionals. Instead of carrying around two devices, their iPod and cell phone, they can simply have once device capable of handling all of their needs.While Apple CEO Steve Jobs stated that the iPhone will not be open to outside developers, I think that will change in the future. The potential in this phone is just too great.