Tag: technology mobile

Mobile technology and PCs can take a decade off mental age

| September 8, 2015

Senior citizens who use these devices regularly can delay what could otherwise be cognitive decline.

Among the greatest fears that people face when it comes to aging is that their mental abilities will decline, but if the findings of a recent study are true, then it could be that the regular use of PCs and mobile technology could help to slow that process in a highly meaningful way.

Cognitive and mental decline were found to have been delayed in users of smartphones and computers.

The study was published in the respected medical journal, Intelligence, in which it was described that the use of computers and mobile technology could help to explain why today’s seniors seem to be four to eight years younger (on a cognitive level) than people of the same age a decade ago. The study showed that the positive impact of these computing devices held up, even when controlling for certain factors such as health, gender, and education.

The mobile technology study was conducted on participants in the U.K. and Germany who were 50 years and older.

Mobile Technology - SeniorsThere were about 2,000 participants in the study who were tested back in 2006. Then another group of 3,000 were tested in 2012. The conclusions were drawn by Valeria Bordone and her team at the International Institute for Applied Systems analysis.

According to Bordone, “We know that IQ (intelligence quotient) has been increasing for many decades.” The trend of continual increases in IQ is known as the Flynn effect, and it has been observed since the 1930s. The way in which it has been explained is that throughout this period of time, there has been a worldwide improvement to access to nutrition, healthcare, and education for the population as a whole. Despite the fact that these improvements have been subtle from one year to the next, they have given people the ability to access more mentally stimulating activities and to better their cognitive abilities. The outcome has been higher IQ test scores.

That said, Bordone explained that IQ is considered to be a very limited way of measuring cognitive skills, so this study involved a broader range of testing, to achieve greater accuracy. The link between the use of computers and mobile technology and the slowing in cognitive decline among seniors was shown by correlation in Bordone’s study, as opposed to being directly demonstrated.

Mobile technology will play a central role in digital factories of tomorrow

| February 19, 2015

This will be combined with the use of robotics as well as big data in the future of this industry.

According to the results of recent research that has now been published, 36 percent of companies within the manufacturing industry expect mobile technology and apps to play an important role in improving their financial performance both today and into the future.

Moreover, 47 percent of those companies think that big data analytics will be a defining factor in their future.

Another 49 percent said that they felt that advanced analytics would be an important part of the reduction of the cost of operations and to be able to most efficiently use their assets. This was the result of the SCM World report that was entitled “The Digital Factory: Game-Changing Technologies That Will Transform Manufacturing Industry.” It was a collaborative effort between that organization and MESA International that provided data based on a survey that was conducted to better understand the impact of various types of manufacturing tech, including mobile technology, data, and analysis tools in terms of timeline and investment priority.

Online surveys were completed online in order to express opinions regarding mobile technology, big data, and more.

Mobile Technology - FutureParticipants were MESA International and SCM World corporate members. The respondents were excluded from the analysis when they were collected from the software and professional services sectors.

The participants were made up of 22 percent manufacturing and production, 21 percent IT technology, 14 percent operations and engineering, and 8 percent general management. Geographically, 40 percent of the respondents were from Europe, the Middle East, and Africa, 38 percent were from North and South America, and 22 percent were from Asia and Australia.

The three most disruptive forms of tech that manufacturers currently see in to the industry were mobile technology and applications (75 percent), big data analytics (68 percent), and advanced robotics (64 percent). SCM World specifically pointed out that mobile tech and apps were seeing notable and growing adoption across the plant floor. It pointed out that this trend was having a considerable impact on the measure, control, and supervision of manufacturing operations.