My Smarter Essex follow-up questions
Thank you to everyone who made the My Smarter Essex event on 6 October 2016 such a fantastic success.
Poll results from My Smarter Essex
Photos from My Smarter Essex
The level of interest, enthusiasm and engagement from all parties (especially the student audience) was overwhelming and we now have a vast wealth of comments, questions and issues to pore over!
In the coming months we will discuss the big issues that face us as we move towards a smarter Essex. In the meantime, we'd like to answer some of the more specific questions submitted during the presentations:
- How does the heart rate monitor app (Cardio Buddy) work?
- What is the relative efficiency of the lighting technologies shown?
- What is "Bluejacking"?
- Where do I buy a Cozfest t-shirt?
Follow the links or read on for answers...
How does the heart rate monitor app (Cardio Buddy) work?
This app is an evolution of the Instant Heart Rate app by Azumio, which measures your peripheral heart pulse waveform from your finger (similar to a pulse oximeter).
As blood flows in the capillaries close to your skin, tiny colour variations (imperceptible to the eye) occur as the amount of oxygenated ("red") blood varies with each heartbeat. Cardio Buddy uses your phone camera to detect these colour variations in the skin on your face. By analysing these it can determine your heart rate.
You can download and try out the app yourself here: http://download.cnet.com/.
What is the relative efficiency of the lighting technologies shown?
Please see Lighting efficiency study.
What is "Bluejacking"?
Bluejacking, and the related (and more serious) activity of Bluesnarfing, involve hacking devices over Bluetooth.
See Wikipedia for more details:
Where do I buy a Cozfest t-shirt?
Please see What is 'Cozfest' and where do I buy the t-shirt?
Thank you to everyone who submitted questions/comments, and please do stay and/or get involved with this very exciting project. We will be setting up a portal here for people to get involved and to contribute their ideas: please keep an eye out for this. We look forward to working with you!
We'd also like to take the opportunity to repeat some kind words sent to us after the event on 6 October by Cllr John Aldridge, Chairman of Essex County Council:
"... thank you and all those others who initiated and arranged yesterday's ... event. It was a tremendous success and I was particularly struck by the innovative way in which the screens interacted with the ... people – or was it the other way round?
"There were some excellent presentations ... a smarter Essex can ... assist all ages of our residents and all the able and disabled.
"All in all a super evening ...
"I hope that we can build on this event and make it even better next year."
Our thanks to Cllr Aldridge and Essex County Council for their support and partnership.
The My Smarter Essex Team