How to Classify Medical Devices for FDA's UDI Mandate

Back in September, the Food and Drug Administration announced new labeling requirements for medical devices. Although many manufacturers and other businesses in the medical devices field will have some work to do in preparation of the mandates, it is thought that the inclusion of a unique device identifier (UDI) for each product will be a significant benefit in terms of improving patient safety, maintaining control of inventory and being able to respond quickly to recalls or other problems in the market.

The FDA has established classifications for approximately 1,700 different types of medical devices separated out into 16 specific categories. Further, each devices is assigned to one of three special classes as determined by critical factors including necessary safety measures, effectiveness and intended use. This class assignment determines things like the types of applications required, exemptions, fees and more.So, where does your device fit in? Here are a couple of ways you can find out:

Medical Device Product Classification Database

This is most likely going to be the quickest and easiest way to determine your product's classification. The Product Code Classification Database contains device names and unique product identifier codes assigned to generic device categories. Just enter some key information such as Device, Product Code, Regulation Number and Device Class to locate the correct product classification for your medical device.

Classify a Medical Device Manually

While it may be time consuming, it is certainly possible to manually classify a medical device. This is a much more detailed process that should leave anyone with a great deal more insight into how medical devices are classified by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration.

No matter how you decide to proceed, you'll find a great starting point at the Overview of Device Regulation. Here you'll find everything you need to become compliant with the FDA's latest regulations for the medical device industry.

IDAutomation provides a variety of barcode fonts and software solutions designed to allow barcode generation in a full range of applications and environments. Our products are fully compatible with the FDA's newest standards for medical devices.

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The Download: Moto G Gets Android 4.4.2, KitKat, in Record Time! And more.

We don’t know about you, but over the past few weeks we’ve had visions of KitKats dancing in our heads. We’re excited to tell you we’re starting to roll out Android 4.4.2, KitKat—the very latest version—TODAY on Moto G!

What better way to kick off The Download—a regular feature that gives you the scoop on the many software updates we are rapidly cranking out. In addition to the roll out of KitKat on Moto G, our software team has been busy as elves in a workshop shipping new features for you.

Here’s the latest Download, issue 1:

Android KitKat Comes to Moto G - Our KitKat family is expanding! When we launched Moto G last month, we committed to delivering Android, KitKat, to devices by early 2014. We are thrilled to start delivering on that promise early. Starting today, we are rolling out Android 4.4.2 to Moto G phones bought on Motorola.com or Amazon.com in the U.S. KitKat will come to other Moto G carriers and regions soon as well. This latest version of Android brings some cool new features, including printing emails and photos from your phone. Read our release notes for detailed information.

This update continues our effort to get our users the latest Android software as fast as humanly possible. We began by pushing KitKat out to Moto X users on Verizon, AT&T, and T-Mobile, just weeks after Google announced the new OS—and our most recent expansion over the past few weeks includes Moto X on US Cellular and Sprint and DROID ULTRA, DROID MAXX, and DROID MINI. We also started to roll out the software in Brazil for retail devices. More carriers and regions will follow very soon.

For more information on KitKat and deployment on Motorola devices, check out our software upgrades page.

Enhanced Touchless Control - With our latest update to this feature, customers who use a device PIN to lock their phone can use Touchless Control without entering the PIN first. Don’t worry—no personal information is divulged without a PIN. And, you can also use your voice to enter your PIN. Go to the Google Play Store for more information.

Spreading Holiday Cheer - We’re getting into the holiday spirit! Turn your Moto X running KitKat off and on—and experience a little cheer with our new start-up animation. For those with a Moto G, download the Motorola Boot Services application from the Google Play Store to take part in the animated holiday tidings.

More Camera Goodness for Moto G and DROID - We’re taking the latest Camera features on Moto X on KitKat and making them available for Moto G, DROID MINI, DROID MAXX, and DROID ULTRA. This brings some enhancements photographers will love—such as Drag to Focus and Expose (manual exposure and focus with just a touch), locking exposure during Panoramic shots, and additional language support. Check out the Google Play Store for more information.

Improved Active Display - We’ve squashed some bugs! Active Display—battery-friendly notifications that fade in and out when the phone display is off—is now optimized for KitKat and works better than ever. It’s all part of our mission to listen to our users and iterate quickly. Go to the Google Play Store for more information.

More Kernel Sources! - Over the last few weeks, we released the Android 4.3, Jelly Bean kernel source for Moto G, and yesterday we released Android 4.4, KitKat kernel source for Moto X. Enjoy your custom ROMs!

The Download - Yeah, that is pretty recursive if you ask me. But our last big feature is a regular software blog which provides you with the latest on all the cool, shiny, new features and upgrades that are headed your way. Subscribe in the upper right column to stay up to date on the latest.

The last few months have been quite a wild ride. We are working hard to continually improve the experience on Motorola devices and look forward to hearing from you. Your feedback will be heard and acted on. Feel free to comment here or on our profiles on Google+, Twitter, and Facebook.

Posted by Punit Soni, Product Management

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Disney Legend Glen Keane Joins Motorola’s Spotlight Stories

To animate means to bring to life.

Glen Keane’s work seems larger than life. As the creator and animator of beloved Disney characters such as Ariel from The Little Mermaid, Aladdin, Pocahontas, the Beast from Beauty and the Beast, and Tarzan, Glen has drawn more than figures on a screen. He has made the stories and characters of our childhoods. He gave us imaginary friends, admired heroines, misfits in search of understanding, and at least a Halloween costume or two.

At Motorola’s Advanced Technology and Projects group, we believe in the power of storytelling, so we’re building new stories made specifically for mobile. Not stories made for the big screen but shown on a small one. Not flat content. We’re building interactive, immersive stories made for your smartphone.

So we’re excited to announce that Glen—the artist behind so many classics—is working with us to push the future of animation with an original Spotlight Story.

Expected to release the middle of 2014, in this third Motorola Spotlight Story, Glen is going back to the drawing board. Literally. Together with the engineers who unlocked the graphics technology that made our first Spotlight Story, Windy Day, possible on the Moto X, we’re pushing new edges. The raw emotion of the hand-drawn line brought to life in our technological world. And yours.

What will happen when a master animator of the big screen jumps to an innovative, mobile canvas? We’re excited to see.

Stay up to date with Spotlight Story happenings on our Tumblr or join our Google+ community.

Posted by Baback Elmieh, Technical Program Lead, Advanced Technologies and Project (ATAP)

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A phone as unique as you: Now Featuring Bamboo for Moto X

You’re different. You go against the grain. So you need a phone that’s as unique as you are. That phone is here. Introducing Moto X with Bamboo.

We’ve always had fun experimenting with different materials in our devices. From DuPont(TM) Kevlar(R) to aircraft-grade aluminum, we love to push the envelope and bring you quality materials that have a meaningful purpose or unique sense of style. Bamboo represents new territory for the smartphone industry and expands the thousands of customization options available via Moto Maker. Since each back is made from real Bamboo, no two devices will ever be the same - it’s truly a smartphone as unique as you are. 

Starting now, the Bamboo back option is available online for January delivery. Initial quantities are limited, so order yours today. And because it’s designed by you, you still have all the great customization features offered through Moto Maker. Choose your accent and front colors, memory, even include a custom signature on your bamboo back. Then choose your carrier -- Verizon, AT&T, Sprint or T-Mobile.

Moto X with Bamboo will be available online only*, for $199 with a new two-year contract with Verizon, AT&T and Sprint, or unlocked with no contract for as little as $0 down with special financing terms.**

Moto Maker provides new and unique design opportunities that enable self-expression like never before, so stay tuned for more design options and materials in the new year.

Additional questions? Visit our FAQ.

Posted by Lior Ron, CVP Product Management


*Not available for use with Moto Maker redemption PINs purchased in-store

**$0 down and zero Interest on all purchases if paid within 6, 12, or 18 months. Interest will be charged to your account from the purchase date if the balance is not paid in full within the promotional period.

Subject to credit approval. Deferred Interest Minimum Payment Required Promotional Plan: Interest will be charged to your account (at the standard variable apr 28.99%) from the purchase date if the purchase balance is not paid in full within the promotional period or if you make a late payment. Minimum monthly payments are required for this plan during the promotional period. At no time will the minimum monthly payment be less than $25.00. Minimum Interest charged is $2.00 per credit plan. Required minimum $549 pre-tax purchase for the 18 month credit plan. Motorola Credit Accounts are offered by Comenity Capital Bank who determines qualifications for credit and promotion eligibility. US residents only. Not valid on previous purchase.

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Barcoding: To Stream or Not To Stream?

By now, business owners understand that the best way to increased revenue is to engage customers and make it as easy as possible for them to complete a purchase, stay informed or complete some other goal of value to the business. The Internet has been a phenomenal tool for businesses to connect with consumers and to make the conversion process easier, and barcode technology has certainly played a role. But how?

It goes without saying that barcodes aren't the most exciting technology in the world, but that in no way diminishes their value. Following are some of the most effective uses of barcodes on the customer landscape to date:

• Membership Reward Programs are popular ways of getting consumers to trade a little personal information for some potentially deep discounts on products or services. Traditional reward programs have offered a key chain tag or plastic card with a barcode that can connect customers to those discounts, while more recent developments technology may allow for an easy "instant membership" image that displays a barcode which can be stored on your mobile device.
• Order Confirmations are an important part of any purchase process. After all, customers need to know when their purchase is complete. A barcode representation on the invoice receipt is an excellent way to encode valuable information such as order number, product, or even shipping method so that company employees can assist quickly and be proactive in case the customer needs help with an exchange, return or something else.
• Marketing Promotions are a vital piece of any successful company. Here in the age of Social Media, you not only have to engage your customer base to convert, but you also have to motivate them to engage their social networks and spread the word about your products and services. QR Codes are particularly popular for tracking recipient behavior in marketing promotions both online and off.

There are a lot of different solutions that will allow the display of barcodes on a website or in an email which are two of the most popular methods of delivering information to consumers. One of the simplest methods is by utilizing IDAutomation's Hosted Barcode Generator Service, a cloud-based barcode generator that displays dynamic barcodes based on parameters set forth in a custom URL. This is a cutting-edge SaaS product that is light-weight and powerful enough to handle the needs of the highest order. For more information on how this service can be used, read up on this tutorial or please review the video demonstration below:

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How to Start Security Guard Company Business

With concerns about crime and terrorism on the rise, the demand for private security services is rising steadily to protect against robberies, violence and other forms of crime.

As both businesses and consumers are increasingly more aware of their need for security, knowing how to start a security company can be a viable business opportunity for entrepreneurs. However, starting a security company requires the correct training and licensing, as well as a sound understanding of business management and networking. The following steps will teach you how to start your own security
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Our 2-Day Holiday sale is almost here.

We’re eager to tell you more about our Moto Maker holiday price promotion (formerly known as Cyber Monday deal). This week we’ve put a lot of work into designing a simple sale that avoids rushed checkouts and frantic phone selection, so that you can take your time customizing your Moto X without racing against the clock.

Here’s how it will work:

At 12 pm EST Wednesday (12/4) and again at 12 pm EST next Monday (12/9), a customized Moto X will be $150 off the no-contract price. You’ll also get 30% off select accessories—including cases, headphones, and wireless products—when you use the promo code THANKS. We have bumped up the number of sale devices available. The promotion will last as long as quantities are available each day.

Here’s what you do:

• Go to motorola.com/holiday2daysale and register for the promotion starting at noon EST on the two sale days. You will know right away if quantities are still available.
• Once registered, you will be emailed a promo code within a few hours. This code is active for one week.
• Go to Moto Maker and design your phone within the one week window (take your time and have fun!).
• At checkout, enter your one-time promo code to receive $150 off the no-contract price in the shopping cart. (Your code only works once and for one phone.)
• Submit your order to get rocking with your custom Moto X in time for the holidays. Moto Maker will provide an estimated delivery date while you design your product and again at checkout. You will also receive an email when we start assembling your device as well as when it ships.*

We’re excited to share this promotion with you and can’t wait for you to get your Moto X. Visit our FAQ page if you have more questions.

Follow our Twitter, G+, and Facebook for the latest on the sale.

*Shipping times are subject to parts availability.

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FG to create 3.5m jobs through agriculture by 2015 - Jonathan

The Federal Government through President Goodluck Jonathan on Monday at an international conference on palm oil production reiterated its commitment to create 3.5 million jobs through the agricultural value chains of production, processing and marketing by 2015.

He expressed government’s determination to add 20 million metric tonnes of food to the domestic supply by 2015. “We have identified oil palm as one of the important commodities and key drivers to promote the value chain initiative. “We have also intensified efforts to provide enabling environment.”
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How Tony Elumelu Made $123 million

Tony O. Elumelu knows what’s he’s looking for.



According to Forbes, Elumelu—a Nigerian economist, banker, investor and philanthropist born in Jos, 1963 who earned his M.Sc. in Economics from the University of Lagos and later graduated from Harvard Business School’s Advanced Management Programme—made his first fortune by acquiring a small, struggling Nigerian commercial bank and building it into the United Bank of Africa Group, a leading financial
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We owe you an apology.

I want to apologize to our customers and fans for the issues we experienced on our website with our Cyber Monday promotion. I want you to understand what happened, and what we are doing to rectify the situation.

First, we misjudged the overwhelming consumer demand for Moto X, which was far greater than we expected. 

Second, our pre-sale site testing was not sufficiently extensive. Testing failed to reveal weaknesses caused by large volumes of concurrent orders flowing through the MotoMaker customization engine.

Thus, when we opened the promotion this morning, an extraordinary spike in concurrent orders caused our website to go down. We couldn’t fulfill orders. The site became unstable. While some orders were filled, many customers tried all day to place their orders, unsuccessfully. Customers were left frustrated. 

We have since found a solution that we believe addresses the concurrent order issue. Motorolans are hard at work right now, implementing that solution.

Here is what we are going to do: Starting at 12 pm EST/9 am PST this Wednesday, we will relaunch the $349 promotion. To help make up for this major inconvenience to shoppers, we will also add an additional promotional day on Monday, December 9. We will double the quantity of phones available, while supplies last, to allow as many people as possible to take advantage of the promotion. We’re also extending the 30% off offer on accessories to these two days. 

Please note that MotoMaker.com will open up for regular business tomorrow (Tuesday, December 3). We will stay the course on our regular sales as we restore our promotional prices for Wednesday and Monday.

Stay tuned to our Twitter, G+ and Facebook pages for more updates. We understand people want frequent communications from us so we will do a better job at keeping you informed.

On behalf of all Motorolans, I apologize for what occurred today. I appreciate your understanding as we get this fixed in time for Wednesday and Monday. 

Posted by Dennis Woodside, CEO

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Boost Your Business across Nigeria

Get access to over 80 million Nigerian phone users and over 60 million email subscribers.

You can boost your business this December by making use of this promo:

1. Send bulk messages to over 80 million phone subscribers in Nigeria
2. Choose which location you wish to send your message i.e. states in Nigeria or region
3. You can also let people read your products/services in Nigeria local languages e.g type your message in Yoruba language and choose the south-west states.

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