Those who condemned the HP Touchpad for being made with too much plastic had no foresight. Researchers from Stanford University picked the Touchpad for that exact reason, to use in the strong magnetic fields produced by MRI machines.
Researcher Dr. Andrew B. Holbrook, along with Stanford 'Lucas Center' Professor Kim Pauly, took a Touchpad and stripped it of superfluous metal (Vibration motor, speakers, etc). Dr. Holbrook wrote WebOS apps that would take data from a custom PC server dealing out data from the MRI scans to Touchpads in local "MR-safe" areas. Holbrook also made an app that would control a scan room based "InSightec ExAblate Conformal Bone Systen HIFU transducer."
HIFU app (via Dr. Holbrook & HP)
Holbrook explained, "Before this we'd either have a very clunky in-room display with ten keys to control things, or one person would be in the magnet room holding the transducer in place, and another would run the test and interpret the results from afar. With this, I can connect to the transducer, prescribe the test, run it, and then view the data after it was run—all without leaving the transducer's side.”
Using WebOS's multitasking, doctors were able to monitor respiratory bellows as well as the HIFU information quickly and easily (WebOS card mode allows users to switch between open apps. Some apps will run in cards mode).
Both applications running in card-mode (via Dr. Holbrook & HP)
Dr. Holbrook also created an app for his "MRI-suite" that could control slice positions in the MRI scan. This works in conjunction with GE scanners' RTHawk real time MRI control platform.
Although it is the slowest of the WebOS phone line, the HP Pixi Plus runs the respiratory app rather well. Holbrook stated that it is the best mobile phone to use in the magnetic space of the MRI room. (My immediate reaction, can the Pixi also work well as an oscilloscope?)
Cabe
Update 1: For those who do not know, starting 12/10/2011 HP will sell refurbished Touchpad as low as $99. Happy hunting.
Update 2: WebOS will be featured on new hardware in the near future. Tablets in particular in on the horizon, smartphones are out. HP CEO Meg Whitman stated: "The answer to that is yes but what I can't tell you is whether that will be in 2012 or not. But we will use webOS in new hardware, but it's just going to take us a little longer to reorganize the team in a quite different direction than we've been taking it in the past....I do not believe we will be in the smartphone business again."
