A new e-comic called the Invasion of the Alien Zombies launched to educate students about the immune system and the role of immunization against illness.

'Invasion of the Alien Zombies', an E-comic to Educate Kids About the Immune System

Along with Dr. Kumanan Wilson, four senior students from Algonquin College’s Health and Wellness Research Center worked on the project of the digital comic.

'Invasion of the Alien Zombies', an E-comic to Educate Kids About the Immune System

Dr. Wilson is the founder of the Ottawa Hospital mHealth Research Team and creator of CANImmunize. This is a mobile immunization tracking system that allows people across Canada track their family’s immunizations through their smart phones.

The new e-comic will be available online and through CANImmunize funded by the Public Health Agency of Canada. Almost 170,000 Canadians have already downloaded the app available on iTunes and Google Play.

The e-comic approaches in immunization education from a child’s perspective and is the best way to engage and educate students about science.

The Immunity Warriors: Invasion of the Alien Zombies is now available in English through CANImmunize on Android and iOS and the French version will be available in the coming months.

With increase in smartphone usage in the last few years, people seem to rely on mobile apps for anything from placing queries to purchasing things. However, most SMEs think of adding mobile app development as an extension to their business as a luxury, not realising the opportunities they offer.

Here are few reasons why a mobile app is a “must have” for SMEs:

Connect with your customers

SMEs are always in search of a way to develop their business and the best way to do that is through customer engagement. Increased customer engagement means growth in orders and sales. It is the digital era and most of your customers may be online. Therefore, through a mobile application, you can inform your customers about your latest business offerings. You can also combine your marketing and social marketing strategies to stay connected with your customers through mobile app development.

Improve brand recognition

A mobile app development is the best way to build brand awareness and recognition. A well- developed mobile app devoid of bugs and other defects and loaded with engaging features will surely catch the attention of customers leading to increased brand recognition.

Helps you to adapt to new trends

Mobile app builders are coming up with new trends almost every day. Therefore, if you don’t keep yourselves updated about the new app trends, you may lose customers. This in turn compels you to adapt to the new trends and build an outstanding app with the best features to attract customer’s attention.

Turn first time users to regular customers

With a mobile app it is easy to provide better customer service. If the people using your app are happy with your service, they will surely turn into your regular customers. Also, there are chances of good word-of-mouth referrals attracting more customers to your business.

Focused marketing

With mobile apps, it is easy to market and communicate to the particular group of people your business aims at. With new products, services, features and privileges available at their fingertips, customer engagement will definitely increase.

Generate new leads

A well designed mobile app can be used as a tool to develop your business and generate new leads. The aesthetically pleasing, defect-free and engaging app with offers and promotions can attract new prospective customers.

As a SME business owner, you may not have a mobile app builder in your team. If you do not plan to hire any in the near future, you can just connect with an app development company or a mobile app development agency to help you build a mobile app for your business.

Google to launch a new storytelling app called ‘Toonastic 3D‘ that will help kids create their own cartoons.

The new app allows kids draw, animate and narrate 3D cartoons which they can use to tell stories or use for school reports. Kids can make animations using a set of built-in characters or create their own, using app’s editor and camera.

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Children can choose things like ‘idea lab’ or ‘science project’ to get inspired and this can help them with their school projects.

Google compares Toonastic 3D to a ‘digital puppet theater’ for kids can get into the interactive 3D world, choose among the dozens of customizable characters available or draw their own and even set the mood with music.

Children between 8 and 10 years are considered to be apt for using this app, but, since there is no age limit on creativity, adult kids can also join and have fun.

Toontastic 3D aims to inspire kids to be improvisational and is available for both Android and iOS devices.

The researchers from Northwestern University in the United States found that 13 speedy ‘Mini-Apps’ called ‘Intellicare’ reduced depression and anxiety.

Changes were seen on those who used the apps on their smart phones up to four times a day along with psychotherapy or antidepressant medication.

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The Journal of Medical Internet Research published the study which says that the applications offer exercises for de-stress, reduce self-criticism, methods to make your life more meaningful, mantras to en-light your strengths, strategies for better sleep and more.

Smart phone Mini-Apps can help Deal with Depression, Anxiety

Around 105 participants were enrolled in the study and out of this 96 completed the study. They used the app as many as four times daily, or an average of 195 times for eight weeks.

The coaching for the use of intellicare apps held for 8 weeks included an initial phone call, 2 or more text messages for a week at the observation period. The participants use an initial time of one minute to use each app with longer time for apps with relaxation videos.

The reports show that participants experienced 50% decrease in the extremity of depressive and anxiety symptoms as digital tools are emerging as an important remedy for mental health.

The app aims to help millions of people who want support but can’t get to the therapist’s office.

The First Five Minutes App launched by the University of Wisconsin, U.S helps the emergency department physicians and paramedics save their time while resuscitating a child.

By using the app on a smart phone or tablet, emergency medical personnel can enter the child’s age or weight, then click to confirm it and immediately get an easy to read chart with correct, standardized medication dose.

If only the child’s age is known, the medical practitioner can make a small adjustment if the child is smaller or larger than the average.

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The chart in the app includes five categories of information that are key to pediatric cardiopulmonary resuscitation: CPR drugs, Dysrhythmia drugs, Neurobiological drugs, RSI drugs and Equipment sizes.

First Five Minutes App: Aids in Children's Health Emergencies

The team of pediatricians for the app included Amy Dendral, Danny Thomas, Michael Meyer and Robin Saxe. Since the app is still in a limited trial, it will be only available to public later this year through the Apple Store and Google Play Store.

The Medical College of Wisconsin owns the intellectual property of the app, and at this time the app is free though limited in availability.

First Five Minutes App: Aids in Children's Health Emergencies

Indian Railways have recently launched a new ticketing app named, ‘IRCTC Rail Connect App’ based on e-ticketing system to make booking of train tickets faster and easier.

The app was unveiled by Railway Minister Suresh Prabhu on Tuesday and the new app will replace the old existing IRCTC connect app.

IRCTC Launches Rail Connect App with Improved Security & New Features
The new app has features like 24/7 service with no time based checks, synchronisation of the mobile app with NGET(Next Generation e-Ticketing) for booking, easy user interface and supports general, ladies, Tatkal and Premium-Tatkal Quota.

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The app also supports other features like advanced security of self-assigned PIN to login without user name and password for each login. A new user registration and activation can be directly done through the IRCTC Rail Connect.

IRCTC Launches Rail Connect App with Improved Security & New Features

The IRCTC Rail Connect is also inter-connected with IRCTC AIR, Food on Track mobile apps to facilitate booking of air tickets and food through e-catering. The new application will be also integrated with IRCTC e-wallet for faster transactions.

Giving a digital push to the Haj application process, Union Minister of State for Minority Affairs, Mukhtar Abbas Naqvi in Mumbai launched a mobile application which will provide information and facilitate e-payments for the pilgrimage.

The launch of the application is considered to be a major initiative in the government’s ‘Digital India’ program.

Government Launches Mobile App for Haj Application Process

Application for Haj, news, updates and e-payment are the main features of this mobile app. Five adults and two infants can apply as a group and a PDF copy of the form will go to the applicant’s email.

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After the online application process, the printout with documents are to be sent to the state Haj Committees.

In 2016, almost 45,843 people had applied online for Haj which was about 11 percent of the total applications from across the country.

In online applications for Haj 2016, Maharashtra topped with a total of 10,960 applicants, followed by Kerala with 9,257 and Uttar Pradesh with 5,407.

Efforts are on to make the process of online application simple and easy so that more people can apply online for the next Haj pilgrimage.

To support digital economy and cashless payments, PM Modi recently launched a very new mobile app named, “BHIM APP”. This name was taken from BR Ambedkar, a great economist.

PM Modi Launched New Mobile App for Cashless Payments

Its setup is simple and very fast. First it will automatically verify the mobile number. But be sure that the transactions should be made with the same number that is registered in the app. It has a bank account menu allowing the users to change the bank account whenever required.

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PM Modi Launched New Mobile App for Cashless Payments

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With this app, users can also check the bank balance directly. In this, there is a limit of Rs. 10,000 per transaction and 24-hour limit of Rs.20,000.

Now only English and Hindi Languages are available in this app, but more languages are on the way. To use this app, Aadhaar card or Aadhaar-linked bank account is not needed.

It is simpler as compared to other wallets as the transactions take place with the bank account directly.
This app is available free on Android, OS version 2.3.3 and up.

Fooya is a nutrition based mobile app available in Android and iOS for children to choose a healthier diet in a fun way.

Friendslearn, a US based medical technology company developed Fooya, which helps children in distinguishing healthy food from junk food through a 160-level game.

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In this game, children progress from one level to the other when they choose healthy options such as fruits, dairy products, grains and vegetables. But if they choose food items like soda they tend to lose points, put on weight and find it difficult to move forward.

At the end of each level, a nutritional chart lists the contents of each item consumed during the game for children between age three and 13.

A clinical trial conducted by Baylor College of Medicine, Texas shows that children who played Fooya choose healthier options for their diet.

As obesity is becoming a serious threat, educating children about nutrition is important as they tend to grasp it quickly at this young age and probability of them exercising healthy food options is higher.

The paid mobile app, costing ?600, was launched in India two months ago and clinical trials are going on in this.

The developers of the app are in talk with Doctors, Pharmaceutical Companies, Insurance Companies, Schools and Public Health sectors for taking the application further.

The government of India is now set to launch the Aadhaar Payment app which as the name suggests helps in Aadhaar linked digital payments.

The app was launched on 25th December and uses consumer’s Aadhaar card details and linked bank account details along with their biometric scans to authenticate transactions.

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Users no more need to download wallet apps as they can make transactions and s directly using their Aadhaar card number, with the help of Unified Payment Interface(UPI).

The Aadhaar Payment app has two sides to it, one is the merchants app, and the consumer app.

The consumer app is another form of a mobile wallet, which is linked to your Aadhaar card that can be used to make quick online transactions.

In the merchants app, the consumer doesn’t need to install that app on the phone to successfully make payments, like how you need it right now in case of mobile wallets like Paytm, Mobikwik, Freecharge etc.

All that a merchant would need to do is to work on an Android smart phone and a biometric scanner.

When a consumer makes , they would just require to share their Aadhaar card detail, which would automatically list their linked bank account, and choosing the favoured bank account will process the payment from that particular bank. Further authentications are done through biometric scans.

The app aims to eliminate fee payments for service providers like card companies such as Master card or Visa. This can help people switching to digital payment, making it affordable for even merchants in remote villages.