Texting could be :-) for ur health.

A UC Davis study has found sending texts reminding people to put on sunscreen actually works.

The success of the simple method shows the potential behind texting as a health tool, something few health care providers have tapped into.

Published this month in the Archives of Dermatology, the study found that people who received daily reminder text messages on their mobile phones were nearly twice as likely to use sunscreen as those who did not.

"People carry their cell phones with them at all times," said Dr. April Armstrong, the study's lead author and an assistant professor of dermatology. "So texting is an effective way for delivering messages, be it applying sunscreen or taking medications on time."

Pointing out that texting is cheap and ubiquitous, BJ Fogg, director of Stanford's persuasive technology lab, added, "It's a mystery why people aren't using texting to provide health support."

He said texting has proved effective on a variety of health fronts: from appointment reminders to general texts extolling the virtues of exercise.

At least one local provider is catching on: Kaiser Permanente Northern California will roll out an appointment reminder texting service early next year, a spokesman said.

In the UC Davis texting and sunscreen study, 70 participants received a bottle of sunscreen equipped with an electronic sensor so researchers could track when it was opened. They were told to use it every day for six weeks, and half received daily text messages. The messages changed every day, with the first line a weather forecast and the second a reminder to put on sunscreen. Those receiving the texts put on sunscreen on average 56 percent of the time, compared with 30 percent in the group that did not receive texts.

"A lot of people say they forget to put on sunscreen. So we really targeted the forgetfulness part and used texting to develop healthy habits," Armstrong said. She said only about 20 percent of American adults regularly use sunscreen.

Similarly, an October study in the Pediatrics journal showed text reminders effective in helping young liver transplant patients to remember to take their anti-rejection medication. Patients had to text back within an hour confirming they had taken their pills. Twelve of the 41 patients had rejection episodes before the study; during the yearlong study, only two did.

Field Cut in Half at World Ten Ball Championship Jerry Forsyth, WPA Press Officer After three hard days of play the final field of 64 has now been determined. Thirty-two of these players are thus far undefeated and will be seeded into the final brackets according to their performance up to this point. The other 32 players [...]

Day Two at the World Ten Ball Championships Jerry Forsyth, WPA Press Officer This was the first day that any players could be eliminated from competition by going two and out. Perhaps the biggest surprise was the early exit by American player Shane Van Boening. Van Boeing lost today to young Russian superstar Konsatntin Stepanov 9-6. [...]

Commuters head north through Sacramento on Interstate 5. As Californians gear up for Thanksgiving weekend, entrepreneurs are pushing new technology for drivers.

As lawmakers sound the alarm about dangers of distracted driving from cell phones and other gadgets, cutting-edge entrepreneurs are already a step ahead this holiday season – producing a new generation of tools they claim will help you drive more safely.

Call it nanny software, designed to save technology-addicted drivers from their worst impulses, notably chatting on handheld cell phones and sending text messages, both illegal in California.

One new application, DriveSafe.ly, reads incoming text messages aloud, allowing the driver to keep eyes on the road.

It automatically sends a pre-recorded message of the driver's choice back, such as: "Hey, I'm driving, txt u later."

"People (now) have an insatiable need to be connected," and that's not going to go away, DriveSafe.ly creator Heath Ahrens said. "We are trying to do it in a responsible way."

Another application turns your dash-mounted smart phone into a speed monitor, displaying both the speed limit and how fast you're going. Surpass the limit, and the display colors change from green to red. ASafeDrive is advertised as available in Los Angeles, with expansion promised soon to other cities.

Yet another program, PhantomALERT, issues a voice warning for you to slow down when it determines you are approaching an intersection with a red-light camera, speed traps, a school zone or a railroad crossing.

Some road safety officials say the innovations look like just a new set of somewhat safer toys for drivers to play with instead of simply turning their cell phones off and focusing on the road.

But advocates say they will help drivers stay legal, stay in touch, and drive more sanely than we've seen on the roads lately.

"We're mobile-device addicted," said software entrepreneur Matt Howard of Virginia, who created the ZoomSafer smart-phone program. "Every one of us thinks we are a fighter pilot and we can multi-task zooming around town."

Howard's ZoomSafer screens incoming text messages, allowing in only selected calls.

It also issues a message when you start your car. Howard recorded his daughter's voice: "Hi, Daddy. It's me, Grace. I love you and wanted to remind you to drive safe."

Business executive Jack Martin of Boston downloaded ZoomSafer last month after a driver killed a pedestrian near his home. Both were rumored to be texting at the time.

"When you hear stuff like that, it has gotten to the point where something has to change," Martin said.

He's not going cold turkey, though. It blocks most calls, but rings through for five people: his wife, his son and three business associates.

Using the program has improved his driving, he said. "It makes you more conscious of your own behavior."

California drivers would be allowed to take those calls only if they use a hands-free phone.

Advocates say such devices encourage a safer mindset but keep communication possible with friends, family and associates.

The new technology joins innovations in voice communication already under way for several years. Auto manufacturers have begun adding voice-activated Bluetooth technology for hands-free phone use.

The turn toward safer telecommunications is spurred in part by recent efforts to crack down on distracted driving.

Text messaging is the safety issue now most under the regulatory microscope.

Unheard of just a few years ago, texting is now pervasive. More than 1 trillion texts were transmitted over U.S. networks in the last year, and the traffic continues to rise, according to CTIA – The Wireless Association, which represents Verizon, T-Mobile, AT&T and other companies.

Nineteen states now ban texting while driving. Seven ban driver use of handheld phones, according to the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety.

U.S. Transportation Secretary Ray LaHood called a national summit on distracted driving in October, making it one of his key safety issues.

"Too many people are being injured or killed by something that is completely within our own ability to stop," LaHood said.

It has been, however, a game of constant catch-up for lawmakers.

In California, legislators didn't anticipate texting when they wrote a landmark handheld phone ban three years ago. They had to hurry a second law soon afterward for texting. Now there's talk of stricter enforcement next year.

Wireless industry officials say they support text bans, but they caution against rushing laws that may accidentally foreclose future technology that can help drivers.

"We only ask that legislators be aware of alternatives available, rather than restricting possible solutions," said wireless industry spokesman John Walls.

Some safety experts said it's uncertain how much safer the latest devices will prove to be.

Anne McCartt of the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety said studies show drivers can be distracted by a variety of types of communication, not just holding a phone.

"It is not just an issue of eyes on the road and hands to the wheel," McCartt said. "It is keeping your mind on the road."

Peter DeMarco of Allstate Insurance said safe driving is about common sense and doing the right thing.

"There is no phone application that can guarantee you will be a safe driver," DeMarco said. "At the end of the day, the best practice for all motorists is to be alert and aware of your surroundings."

Day One of the World 10-Ball Championships by Jerry Forsyth, WPA Press Officer Some big names have hit the bricks at the World Pool-Billiard Association (WPA) World 10-Ball Championships in Manila. Ralf Souquet of Germany is now on the one-loss side after dropping his first match 9-6 to Thomasz Kaplan of Poland. He is joined there by [...]

Predator’s 2nd Stop for the 10 Ball World Tour in Lloret de Mar, Spain With much success at the first stop of the Predator World Tour in Anadia, Portugal in September, Predator will be hosting their second stop of the tour in Lloret de Mar, Spain on January 6-9 and it promises to be the first [...]

Carter Wins Again on BCW Tour Billiard Congress of Wisconsin Tour / Sturtevant, WI by Jonathan Demet Nineteen players showed up for the Billiard Congress of Wisconsin Tour’s November 22 event, with Jeff Carter becoming a repeat champion on the tour. The event was hosted by Boomers Billiards in Sturtevant, WI, and boasted a $600-added prize purse. In the [...]