Comments on: Jitterbug: Mobile Entertainment tech for mHealth

By: Jitterbug scoops up M-PERS start-up, MobiWatch | mobihealthnews

Jitterbug scoops up M-PERS start-up, MobiWatch | mobihealthnews — Wed, 04 Nov 2009 22:46:16 +0000

[...] Jitterbug now profitable, on Verizon Wireless network Jitterbug taps WellDoc, Meridian for mHealth Jitterbug: Mobile Entertainment tech for mHealth Sneak peek: What’s coming to Jitterbug’s “Service [...]

By: Donna Mackay

Donna Mackay — Wed, 09 Sep 2009 13:31:02 +0000

Competition for Embedded Mobile

http://www.gsmworld.com/our-work/mobile_broadband/embedded_mobile/competition.htm

By: Sneak peek: What’s coming to Jitterbug’s “Service Store” | mobihealthnews

Tue, 02 Jun 2009 22:02:22 +0000

[...] this year Jitterbug co-founder and chairwoman Arlene Harris disclosed that Jitterbug has been conducting trials for diabetes management, rheumatoid arthritis management, outpatient post-op support and [...]

By: Designing mobiles for seniors: Lessons from Doro | mobihealthnews

Designing mobiles for seniors: Lessons from Doro | mobihealthnews — Wed, 27 May 2009 19:47:06 +0000

[...] Articles: Jitterbug wins I Award from TripleTree Jitterbug taps Meridian, WellDoc for mHealth Jitterbug: Mobile entertainment should be repurposed for mHealth Jitterbug: Perfect storm for mHealth happening [...]

By: Jitterbug phone recalled for 911 failure | mobihealthnews

Jitterbug phone recalled for 911 failure | mobihealthnews — Mon, 25 May 2009 15:14:59 +0000

[...] more, Jitterbug founder and chairman Arlene Harris said that the company was not yet profitable as of February and would require more funding than she had originally expected. While the financial details of [...]

By: Triple Tree’s I3 Awards: Proteus, Jitterbug, IntelliDOT | mobihealthnews

Mon, 18 May 2009 15:27:21 +0000

[...] Articles: Jitterbug: Repurpose mobile entertainment tech for mHealth Proteus Biomedical partners with two drug companies for trials IntelliDOT CEO has worked [...]

By: M Watson

M Watson — Mon, 16 Mar 2009 20:43:03 +0000

I found this discussion by searching “Jitterbug” AND “Texting”. Schwartz & Hoffman both make good points. I’m in the Hoffman demographic and use a Samsung Blackjack. My spouse is in the Schwartz demographic and is suffering a sadly- too-early mental decline. I am waiting for the Jitterbug to offer texting as text messaging is the only media by which he and his son communicate. I don’t want to take that away in exchange for the more simple phone. To stay true to the environment of the garden, he would need to call the operator, and have the operator text the reply. In reality, today I serve as “the Operator”, as he hands me the phone and tells me what to text back. I need the phone to offer text service AND GPS locating to help me keep track of him.

By: David Hoffman

David Hoffman — Thu, 12 Feb 2009 15:25:47 +0000

Jonathon Schwartz, please let me explain in more detail. When I examined the Jitterbug I took note of the existing text messaging feature. It is the kind of walled garden Arlene speaks of. You can reply to messages by scrolling thru a list of replies programmed into your Jitterbug. I recognized that as a very good thing. What I was dissapointed with was that the feature was the only option for replying to text messages. Jitterbug had recognized the need for text messaging, but had eliminated the possibility of replying directly with a message that may not be one of the ones in the listing on the phone. They should have provided both options to the customer. You can get the list on the phone updated, but that may take a day to get accomplished. On the age issue I am looking at people in the 50-60 age group who are potential customers. Many of the people I know as they age would like to have a phone with some of the features they have on the phones they use now, but they definitely want the bigger buttons, larger screen text, and superior sound quality of the Jitterbug phone. In fact, they would buy such a phone now if the carrier they use would offer it. If I could have gotten an unlocked Jitterbug phone to use with Verizon, I would have done it.

By: Jonathon Schwartz

Jonathon Schwartz — Thu, 12 Feb 2009 00:41:45 +0000

Hoffman is off base. I am exactly in the “potential replacement customers” group, and I never use text messaging, and nobody I know (in my cohort–60 to 70) does either. I’m a computer professional–a software engineer to the initiated, or programmer, and a web site developer (see http://www.personalremedies.com); I’m no technophobe. He should try talking to people he purports to represent, instead of posting his personal biases.

By: David Hoffman

David Hoffman — Wed, 11 Feb 2009 13:03:23 +0000

Arlene Harris is going to be dissapointed in the future. I looked at her company for mobile phone service. The hardware is great. The plan costs are great. No real text messaging. Very bad. The business model will fail in the long term because the people who are used to great text messaging are just behind her targeted age group. As her targeted age group dies off, her potential replacement customers will refuse to do business with her company because the garden is way too small. She needs full capability text messaging now. This health related stuff is great but, without full capability basic text messaging she is going to have a very small cutomer base compared to what she could have.