SAN DIEGO, Oct. 7 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ — The West Wireless
Health Institute (WWHI) today awarded its $10,000 developer
challenge to Alan Viars, of Videntity, at the Health 2.0
Conference. Viars’ winning submission integrates consumer
devices and open source platforms to enable people to share
real-time health data securely over their social networks as they
work towards achieving health and fitness goals.
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The Institute called on developers to design a low-cost, secure
mechanism for incorporating real-time health data derived from
wireless sensors, such as those found in a Wii balance board, into
an established social network interface. Developers were
challenged to create applications, for example, that allow users to
“gift” normal glucose levels to family members, share weight loss
data within a diet group, and challenge friends to compare and
track indicators such as blood pressure.
“I wanted to design a platform that would allow users to
customize, personalize and easily manage their personal health data
in a fun, interactive way,” explained Viars. “I also knew that I
wanted to build an open source solution that enables innovators to
easily build interesting health applications such as games and
challenges. I envisioned a solution where consumers have the choice
of how they want to engage, whether it is through a medical device,
a mobile phone, or a social network. Being able to manage weight,
activity level, and blood pressure from anywhere, and then share
that data across social platforms, motivates people to modify their
behavior through networks that they are already using.”
Videntity’s solution uses a simple, open language to standardize
health information from multiple sources and a development approach
that makes it easy for other innovators to build their own
applications o
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