Posts Tagged ‘Baltimore’
Wednesday, January 18th, 2012
 Listen up, pedestrians wearing headphones. Can you hear the trains or cars around you? Many probably can’t, especially young adult males.
Serious injuries to pedestrians listening to headphones have more than tripled in six years, according to new research from the University of Maryland School of Medicine and the University of Maryland Medical Center in Baltimore.
In many cases, the cars or trains are sounding horns that the pedestrians cannot hear, leading to fatalities in nearly three-quarters of cases.
“Everybody is aware of the risk of cell phones and texting in automobiles, but I see more and more teens distracted with the latest devices and headphones in their ears,” says lead author Richard Lichenstein, M.D., associate professor of pediatrics at the University of Maryland School of Medicine and director of pediatric emergency medicine research at the University of Maryland Medical Center.
“Unfortunately as we make more and more enticing devices, the risk of injury from distraction and blocking out other sounds increases.”
We certainly see more people using headphones with a variety of devices. More than once we thought someone was talking to us only to discover they were talking on a cellphone with a headset. More often, we see walkers, runners, even shoppers wearing headphones connected to smartphones, MP3 players, tablets, and iPods.
Dr. Lichenstein and his colleagues studied retrospective case reports from the National Electronic Injury Surveillance System, the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission, Google News Archives, and Westlaw Campus Research databases for reports published between 2004 and 2011 of pedestrian injuries or fatalities from crashes involving trains or motor vehicles.
A troubling problem
Cases involving headphone use were extracted and summarized. The research is published online today in the journal Injury Prevention.
Researchers reviewed 116 accident cases from 2004 to 2011 in which injured pedestrians were documented to be using headphones. Seventy percent of the 116 accidents resulted in death to the pedestrian. More than two-thirds of victims were male (68 percent) and under the age of 30 (67 percent).
More than half of the moving vehicles involved in the accidents were trains (55 percent), and nearly a third (29 percent) of the vehicles reported sounding some type of warning horn prior to the crash. The increased incidence of accidents over the years closely corresponds to documented rising popularity of auditory technologies with headphones.
“This research is a wonderful example of taking what our physicians see every day in the hospital and applying a broader scientific view to uncover a troubling societal problem that needs greater awareness,” says E. Albert Reece, M.D., Ph.D., M.B.A., vice president for medical affairs at the University of Maryland and John Z. and Akiko K. Bowers Distinguished Professor and dean of the University of Maryland School of Medicine.
“I hope that these results will help to significantly reduce incidence of injuries and lead us to a better understanding of how such injuries occur and how we can prevent them.”
Dr. Lichenstein and his colleagues noted two likely phenomena associated with these injuries and deaths: distraction and sensory deprivation. The distraction caused by the use of electronic devices has been coined “inattentional blindness,” in which multiple stimuli divide the brain’s mental resource allocation. In cases of headphone-wearing pedestrian collisions with vehicles, the distraction is intensified by sensory deprivation, in which the pedestrian’s ability to hear a train or car warning signal is masked by the sounds produced by the portable electronic device and headphones.
Dr. Lichenstein says the study was initiated after reviewing a tragic pediatric death where a local teen died crossing railroad tracks. The teen was noted to be wearing headphones and did not avoid the oncoming train despite auditory alarms. Further review revealed other cases not only in Maryland but in other states too.
“As a pediatric emergency physician and someone interested in safety and prevention I saw this as an opportunity to — at minimum — alert parents of teens and young adults of the potential risk of wearing headphones where moving vehicles are present,” he says.
Tags: Baltimore, headphones pose pedestrian danger, Richard Lichensein, University of Maryland Medical Center
Posted in Hardware, Tech Culture, TechLife, University Tech | Comments Off
Monday, November 28th, 2011
 What are the best cities for technology jobs now? You can probably guess that Seattle, would be high on the list, and it indeed came in at number one on a list compiled by newgeography.com. But if you guessed the Silicon Valley, you would be wrong.
The Valley, despite a concentration of tech jobs- six times the national average – it came in at 17 on the site’s list of the top 51 cities for tech jobs. It points out that the Valley was one of the biggest tech job losers over the last decade, dropping 80,000 positions, despite the more recent dot-com funding craze.
San Francisco itself is way down at number 29.
Newgeography used high-tech employment data from EMSI, an economic modeling firm. It then charted those areas that have gained the most high-tech manufacturing, software and services jobs over the past 10 years.
The top ten, newgeography says, are:
Seattle, Baltimore, Columbus, Raleigh, Salt Lake City, Jacksonville, Washington, DC, New Orleans, Riverside/San Bernardino, and San Diego.
The next batch inlcudes more surprises: Indianapolis is 11, Buffalo 12, San Antonio 13, and Charlotte 14. Boston is way down at 22.
Factors affecting high-tech job creation, the site says, include the presence of a major research university – although that wasn’t of much help to Boston, which lost 45,000 tech jobs (18 percent) in the last decade.
Business costs are another factor. They’re high in the Valley, Boston, and the Bay area, less so in many of top ten cities. Even low business costs are not a sure path to tech job creation though. Texas has good business metrics, but nevertheless experienced losses in tech jobs, primarily due to cutbacks in telecom, electronics, and communications equipment manufacturing.
Personally, we think a careful look at the results of this study suggest something we’ve said all along: big manufacturing operations are not the be all and end all of job creation. Placing an emphasis on creating a welcoming atmosphere for startup tech companies is a better way to go, and some areas, including Durham in the Research Triangle of North Carolina, are taking that route.
Newgeography suggests that two up and comers in this decade might be Detroit, which it says “has some real high-tech mojo,” and New Orleans, which has expanded its tech workforce by about 10 percent since 2009.
Tags: Baltimore, best cities for tech jobs, Charlotte, Columbus, DC, Detroit, Durham NC, eattle, Jacksonville, New Orleans, newgeography.com, Raleigh, Riverside/San Bernardino, Salt Lake City, San Diego, Texas, top tech growth cities, Washington
Posted in Hardware, Internet/New Media, IT, Studies, surveys, reports, TechJobs, TechLife, Telecommunications | Comments Off
Wednesday, September 28th, 2011
 The combination of consumers’ unquenched demand for new technology and businesses’ application of new technologies, such as cloud computing, to gain efficiencies has given the high tech industry a job growth rate nearly four times faster than the national average since the employment trough was reached inFebruary 2010 (5.1 percent vs. 1.4 percent).
Additionally, rising venture capital and initial public offering (IPO) activity is fueling key rapid evolution and growth segments of the high-tech industry.
The services sector, which excludes manufacturing components of the high-tech industry, has the greatest direct impact on office space demand and is growing even faster at 5.9 percent, according to Jones Lang LaSalle’s high tech report that tracks 18 U.S. markets and provides an overview of the impact high-tech growth is having on office space supply, demand and pricing conditions.
High-Tech Report Highlights
- The high-tech growth cycle appears to be in the early stages with plenty of running room ahead for more hiring. Data indicates that this cycle is markedly different from the tech boom of the late 1990s.
- Of the more than 500,000 office-using jobs created nationally since February 2010, 127,000 jobs or 25 percent were in high-tech services illustrating the high-tech sector’s rapid growth rate.
- High-tech has accounted for 50 percent of total venture capital funding over the past four quarters. Biotechnology and medical devices combined comprise 25 percent.
- A national office market recovery is underway with established high-tech clusters substantially outperforming other areas of the office sector by recording strong rent growth, the highest net absorption levels and diminished space availabilities.
“Consumer demand for gadgets, apps and new forms of media, coupled with businesses’ technological needs, are what’s driving high-tech employment,” said Colin Yasukochi, San Francisco-based Director of Research for Jones Lang LaSalle’s Northwest Region.
“Employment in the high-tech sector is a bright spot in an otherwise gray economic picture. While not strong enough to uplift the entire national economy, high-tech strength is impacting office markets across the country with San Francisco, Silicon Valley and Baltimore experiencing the strongest growth.”
Rising venture capital
High-tech has accounted for 50 percent of total venture capital funding over the past four quarters with biotechnology and medical devices combined comprising 25 percent. Of the high-tech funding, Silicon Valley (San Francisco Bay Area total) dominated venture capital funding at nearly 40 percent with New England taking 12 percent and New York nearly 9 percent.
Silicon Valley’s market share over the same four quarters in 2000 – the funding peak – grew by almost 8 percentage points, while most other areas remained stable or shrank.
The high-tech growth cycle is in the early stages and differs greatly from the boom of the 1990s. This time around, venture capitalists are much more cautious, funding has been more contained and the types of companies receiving funding are more viable.
Additionally, a gauge of high-tech industry strength is near its past highs, but stock valuations have declined and remain near past lows. This suggests earnings are supporting business operations and stock prices are not overvalued.
“Because venture capitalists are putting a dominant amount of money into the mobile, search, social media and cloud computing sectors of the high-tech industry we are naturally going to see increased job creation in these sectors and in the geographies where these firms reside,” said Yasukochi.
High-tech employment vs. office-using employment
Office-using employment sectors comprise 20.9 percent of total employment in the U.S., while high-tech services makes up just 1.7 percent. Nonetheless, high-tech services jobs increased by 5.9 percent from the trough, while office-using sectors increased by 1.9 percent. Though traditional office users are greater in number, high-tech office users are increasing at three times the pace, and this growth is more concentrated in specific markets thus driving office demand to a greater degree in those places.
High-tech, healthcare services and energy-related employment are the strongest sectors in the U.S. economy, which overall has struggled to regain momentum especially in recent months.
Unemployment remains high at 9.1 percent nationally as of August; however, there are bright spots in the overall employment landscape with all three of the aforementioned sectors surpassing their peak employment levels reached prior to the start of the recession, and are still adding jobs.
These three sectors account for nearly 650,000 or 35 percent of the 1.8 million jobs added since the employment trough in February 2010. High-tech employment has surged growing its job base by 5.1 percent (5.9 percent for services and 3.6 percent for manufacturing), surpassing growth of any other sector on a percentage basis.
High-tech geographic clusters benefit
Geographies with clusters of high-tech growth are experiencing dramatic impacts on office space demand and local market conditions. The national office market recovery is underway with established high-tech clusters largely outperforming other clusters and recording strong rent growth, high net absorption and diminished space availabilities.
Strongest markets nationally
San Francisco, Silicon Valley, Seattle, New York and Baltimore are the strongest markets on Jones Lang LaSalle’s high-tech industry economic cycle clock. San Francisco, San Francisco Peninsula, New York, Pittsburgh and Austin are achieving the top rent growth nationwide.
Markets with growing high-tech cluster strength and that are positioned for rising rents and demand over the next 12 months include Boston, Seattle, Portland, Raleigh-Durham and San Diego. Many of these markets are becoming landlord-favorable with more moving in that direction.
“High-tech innovations and a shift in workforce dynamics are changing the way companies view and use office space,” saidPeter Miscovich, Managing Director in Jones Lang LaSalle’s Corporate Solutions group. ”As these trends become more impactful, property owners will need to employ their own forward-looking strategies to remain relevant.”
High-tech tenants such as Facebook, Google and Zynga typically seek creative space with open work spaces, exposed ceilings and brick surfaces. Landlords are increasingly adapting and reconfiguring office space to meet these demands.
“The old rule for planning corporate real estate was that 80 percent of the space was allotted to individuals who worked in their assigned offices and 20 percent of space was collaborative, but high-tech firms were the first to pioneer the concept of more open space,” said Miscovich. “Today, 60 to 80 percent is collaborative and interactive space, and 20 to 40 percent is individual, but not territorial.”
As a result, the average amount of space allotted per employee has dropped from about 400 square feet in 1985 to 250 today. Another 100 square feet per employee is expected to drop away in the near future.
Tags: an Francisco, Austin, Baltimore, high tech job growth, Jones Lang LaSalle high tech report, New York, Pittsburgh, San Francisco Peninsula, Seattle, Silicon Valley
Posted in Studies, surveys, reports, TechJobs | Comments Off
Tuesday, September 20th, 2011
 WASHINGTON, DC – Consumers in the Baltimore and Washington, DC areas are using daily deal websites such as Groupon and Living Social and engaging with user-generated product and service review sites like Yelp in ways that impact their purchasing decisions.
The Capitol Communicator/WB&A Market Research Poll, a study sponsored by branding and marketing communications agency ZilYen, queries consumers on their behavior across a range of online activities from exploring daily deal websites to following companies on Facebook and Twitter to scanning QR codes with smartphones for product and service information.
If you’re looking for insight into the Digital Media world in the Potomac region, you might want to check out TechMedia’s Digital East Conference next week (Sept. 28-29) at Tysons Corner, VA. And now, back to our regular program:
According to the July/August study of 836 households, about a quarter of respondents said they purchased online coupons through a daily deal website in the past two months (Baltimore 24%, Washington 30%).
One-third using social media
Slightly more Washington, DC area residents bought a daily deal coupon for a merchant they had not tried before (25%), than for merchants they had made a previous purchase from (21%), whereas a similar proportion of Baltimore area residents purchased these daily deal coupons both for merchants they are trying for the first time and for merchants they had experience with in the past (17% vs. 16%).
Baltimore and Washington, DC area residents are also using the growing reach of Social Media to follow and gain information on companies through Facebook and Twitter. In fact, about a third of residents in both areas “friend” or “like” companies on Facebook (Baltimore 34%, Washington, DC 32%), while almost one in ten “follow” or “tag” companies on Twitter (Baltimore 7%, Washington, DC 9%).
“There is so much online data available that consumers can quickly get information overload when researching a purchase,” says Steve Markenson, president of WB&A Market Research, “so our study provides some insights to help marketers and communicators develop the most effective strategies.”
Other findings from the study available at www.WBandA.com are:
More than half of residents said that user-generated online reviews have impacted a purchasing decision in the past 6 months (Baltimore 57%, Washington, DC 59%). However, a smaller proportion of residents are actually posting reviews themselves (Baltimore 42%, Washington, DC 33%).
There is higher overall smartphone ownership in Washington than Baltimore (58% vs. 42%), with more Washingtonians scanning a QR code for additional information or discounts on products/services (23% vs. 17%).
More Baltimore area residents (59%) would be impacted by an online tax as compared to half of Washington, DC area residents (50%).
“With this snapshot of consumer behavior in Baltimore and Washington we are helping marketers and communicators find the hot buttons of their audiences and ways to reach them,” says Paul Duning, co-founder of Capitol Communicator. “It will be interesting to see how this data changes over time.”
Tags: Baltimore, Capitol Communicator WB&A Market Research Poll, consumers using daily deal sites and social media to make buying decisions, daily deal sites, DC, social media, survey
Posted in Internet/New Media, Marketing, social media, Studies, surveys, reports | Comments Off
Tuesday, July 12th, 2011
 Elettrica, an electric car with lithium ion battery tech Simply “plugging in” one million electric cars could add $750 million in annual wholesale energy costs unless “smart charging” is adopted, according to a joint study conducted by PJM and Better Place, released by Better Place today.
Similarly, consumers who choose to leverage time-of-use pricing can see some price relief – less than 10 percent annually – however; the wholesale energy business would still feel the impact of ad hoc charging.
Conversely, “smart charging” one million electric cars via a central network operator can cut in half the increase in wholesale energy costs compared to simply plugging in or time-of-use pricing while reducing driving costs by one-fifth.
The joint study conducted by PJM and Better Place analyzed the impact of one million electric cars on the MidAtlantic States’ grid. The study modelled the market and pricing impact of one million electric cars and related charging infrastructure.
The greater Washington – Baltimore area was selected for modelling because it already experiences transmission congestion issues and is a targeted area for electric vehicle adoption.
“Because of the ad hoc nature and unpredictability of when each electric car would be plugged in, the extra $750 million in annual costs would be borne unequally by market participants and consumers,” said Hugh McDermott, Vice President of Utility and Smart Grid Alliances for Better Place.
“With smart charging, a central network operator is able to leverage dynamic wholesale energy prices to optimize the entire fleet’s charging at the lowest possible cost and impact to the grid and the consumer. Our customers and utility partners around the world stand to benefit from smart charging.”
Smart-charging possible via centrally dispatched grid
“Smart charging is possible when there’s real-time coordination through a centrally dispatched grid, which will facilitate prioritization and varying charging rates,” said Chantal Hendrzak, PJM’s General Manager Applied Solutions. “Flexible load benefits of EV charging are captured more easily by RTO, ISO and Utility operations through integration more directly into existing operations and practices.”
Sam Jaffe, Research Manager at IDC Energy Insights, commented: “Most electric vehicle drivers will want to be able to plug in according to their own needs, but unmanaged charging on a large scale will be costly for everyone—the driver, the utility and the grid operator. A centrally managed model can result in significant cost savings and improved grid stability, without impairing the fueling needs of the EV owners.”
“While many of the advantages of electrification of transport are well known, such as the diversity of domestically available fuels, price stability and spare capacity, the Better Place – PJM study reveals that managed charging can optimize the relationship between EVs and the grid, minimizing capital expenses and maximizing grid reliability,” said Robbie Diamond, President and CEO of the Electrification Coalition (EC). “The US should work to maximize these benefits to make EVs a true asset to our economic and national security.”
Full study
Tags: Baltimore, Better Place, DC, electric cars, energy costs, energy grid, IDC Energy Insights, PJM, Sam Jaffe, smart charging, study, wholesale energy costs
Posted in Energy, Maryland, Potomac, Studies, surveys, reports, Washington, DC | 2 Comments »
Friday, June 24th, 2011
 Moodlerooms Inc., a Baltimore-based e-learning software company, has raised $2.99 million of a targeted $3.39 million offering, according to a filing with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission.
Moodlerooms was a presenting company at TechMedia’s 2011 Southeast Venture Conference in Atlanta in February.
Moodlerooms was founded in 2005 by former teachers Tom Murdock, Sheila Gatling and Gina Russell-Stevens. Its course management system, is based on the open source Moodle system, a free Web application that teachers use to create online learning sites.
Investors include Longworth Venture Partners, Kaplan Ventures, Frank A. Bonsal III, and New Markets Growth Fund.
See also: Moodlerooms chalks up $7.15M
Tags: Baltimore, e-learning software, financing, Frank A. Bonal III, Kaplan Ventures, Longworth Venture Partners, New Markets Growht Fund, SEC filings, SEVC, Southeast Venture Conference, TechMedia
Posted in Internet/New Media, IT, Maryland, Money, Potomac | Comments Off
Tuesday, June 7th, 2011
 Appia is one of the top 100 mobile focused private companies selected by AlwaysOn Alwayson, a mobile focused publication, has named 100 emerging mobile companies it says “are transforming big industry and creating viable business models for the mobile marketplace.” While the list is heavily weighted toward West Coast firms, four we’ve covered, Durham, NC-based Appia, the mobile apps store headed by Jud Bowman, and Georgia’s Snapfinger, and Columbia, MD-based BoxtTone, and Baltimore-based Millennial Media, made the list.
Morgan Stanley, DCM, KPMG, Hewlett-Packard, Blackstone Group, Bridge Bank, Norwest Venture Partners, Fenwick & West, Silicon Valley Bank and AlwaysOn editors selected the companies. They identified the top 100 private companies that are pushing aggressively into the mobile space and turning the old smartphone into a must-have connected device.
Companies were selected based on five criteria: innovation, market potential, commercialization, stakeholder value, and media buzz.
The overall winner? Palo Alto, CA-based Flipboard, in the social and consumer networking category. Founded in 2010, the 30 employee company’s venture backers include: Kleiner Perkins Caufield & Byers, Index Ventures, The Chernin Group, and SV Angel.
The list includes firms in the categories of Advertising, Cloud Services, Commerce, Consumer and Social Networking, Devices and Enabling Technologies.
While you’ll find many names you know on the list (Foursquare, Evernote, and BOKU, for instance, you may also encounter a few you haven’t heard of yet. It’s worth a look.
Top 100 emerging mobile companies list
Tags: AlwaysOn, Appia, Baltimore, BoxTone, Columbia, Durham, Georgia, Maryland, Millennial Media, Mobile 100, mobile advertising companies, mobile device makers, mobile enablers, mobile social networking, NC, Snapfinger, top 100 mobile private companies
Posted in Carolinas, Georgia, Maryland, Mobile, North Carolina, Potomac, smartphones, social media, Studies, surveys, reports, Telecommunications | Comments Off
Thursday, May 26th, 2011
 BALTIMORE, MD – Startup City, an accelerator founded by Mike Subelsky and Monica Beeman, says it is delaying its launch.
In a post on the Startup City Website, the founders write:
“We’re sorry to inform you that we are delaying the launch of Startup City. While we received significant angel investor support, we don’t want to launch without full funding from the right investors. We view this as a temporary setback: rest assured we will be retooling the Startup City concept using feedback we received during the fundraising process as we continue to seek investors.”
The founders previously said Startup City would run a 12-week startup company accelerator and incubator program based in Baltimore.
It planned to bring ten companies will come to Baltimore July 1st.
It said each startup would receive:
- $15,000 in seed capital
- Weekly progress consultations with an experienced business mentor
- Free, beautiful office space collocated with the other participating companies
- Legal, accounting, marketing, and technical assistance from Baltimore’s Emerging Technology Center
- Introductions to potential customers and investors
- Weekly master classes and workshops
- Vigorous coverage of their stories in our blog via video and written profiles
- Exposure to investors, journalists, and business leaders at a Demo Day occurring at the end of the 12 weeks
Tags: Baltimore, MD, Mike Subelsky, Monica Beeman, startup accelerator/incubator, Startup City delays launch
Posted in Economic Development, IT, Maryland, Potomac | Comments Off
Monday, May 23rd, 2011
 BALTIMORE, MD – Bambeco, an online seller of “eco friendly” products such as bamboo and others made from materials that are all-natural, biodegradable, nontoxic, organic, recycled, recyclable, repurposed or renewable, has raised just over $932,000 in an equity raise targeted at $1.5 million, according to a regulatory filing.
The company sells products in a variety of areas, including home decor, kitchen and bath, outdoor, pet, and seasonal items.
The company disclosed the raise in a filing with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission. It cites Richard Faint, a company director from Baltimore’s Exceptional Software Strategies, Susan Alpin, CEO, Carylyn Wapnick, CTO, and Sandra Huffer, a director, as principals.
Tags: Baltimore, Bambeco, Economic Development, financing, online seller
Posted in Internet/New Media, Maryland, Money, Potomac | Comments Off
Tuesday, April 5th, 2011
 SAN DIEGO–Want to live a longer life? Move to Salt Lake City, the DC-Balitmore area, Raleigh-Durham-Chapel Hill, San Francisco, or Austin. On the other hand, Knoxville and Nashville, TN, Greensboro/Winston-Salem, and Tampa and Jacksonville, FL, may make you old before your time. So says and new report by RealAge.
Southeast and western cities are among the top ten on RealAge’s list of the “youngest” cities in America—metropolitan areas with such healthy lifestyles that on average their residents are physically at least two years younger than their chronological age, and many are years younger than that. RealAge analyzed data from the largest 50 metropolitan areas to compile the rankings.
A passion for fitness and a loathing for smoking are key factors in Salt Lake City’s number one ranking. At the other extreme, residents of Knoxville, Greensboro/Winston-Salem, and Nashville are aging faster than they should. (Get an infographic of the 10 youngest and oldest cities here.)
What are the 10 metro areas where you have the best odds of staying young?
1. Salt Lake City, Utah
2. San Francisco/Oakland/San Jose, Calif.
3. Austin, Texas
4. Denver, Colo.
5. Boston, Mass.
6. Washington, DC/Baltimore, Md.
7. San Diego, Calif.
8. Raleigh-Durham/Chapel Hill, N.C.
9. Minneapolis/St. Paul, Minn.
10. Seattle/Tacoma/Bremerton, Wash.
Which metro areas are likely to make you old before your time?
1. Knoxville, Tenn.
2. Greensboro/Winston-Salem/High Point, N.C.
3. Nashville, Tenn.
4. Saginaw/Bay City/Midland, Mich.
5. Cincinnati, Ohio
6. Tampa/St. Petersburg, Fla.
7. Oklahoma City, Okla.
8. Las Vegas, Nev.
9. Jacksonville, Fla.
10. Tulsa, Okla.
“Each city’s ranking is more than just a number,” says Keith Roach, MD, Chief Medical Officer of RealAge and a co-creator of its test. “It’s a unique assessment of the healthy lifestyles, or lack of them, in each metro area—of how people live there, what they’re doing right and what they need to change. If you live in one of the 10 oldest cities, take this as the alarm on your body’s aging clock going off! It’s never too late for a fresh start.”
Note that half of the 10 youngest cities are in the Western U.S., from Denver to Seattle.
“Maybe it’s the weather, maybe it’s the mountains, but Western cities have adopted active lifestyles that can slow down the aging process,” says Dr. Roach.
Behind the Rankings
To compile the rankings, RealAge analyzed data for America’s 50 largest metropolitan areas generated by its landmark online assessment, the RealAge Test, taken by over 27 million people. This is the first time the company has analyzed aggregated results on a city-by-city basis.
A random sample of 1,000 RealAge members was drawn from each city. The sample data was adjusted for age differences, so a metropolitan area that’s a magnet for retirees wasn’t penalized, and a city jammed with university students didn’t benefit.
The Test uses a powerful algorithm that combines the latest scientific studies with lifestyle, genetics, and medical history to calculate your RealAge—how old your body thinks you are.
What Makes a City Younger or Older
While multiple lifestyle factors are involved, here are four big ones that help people in Boston (the 5th youngest city), for example, stay younger and healthier than those in Cincinnati (the 5th oldest):
| |
|
|
| 1. |
|
Getting the right amount of sleep. Six of the 10 youngest cities are among those with stellar sleep habits. And (surprise) New York isn’t the city that never sleeps—the Big Apple ranks second in ZZZ’s; Austin is first. Sleeping six to nine hours a night can make your RealAge as much as 3 years younger. |
| 2. |
|
Stubbing out cigarettes for good. Four of the five fastest-aging cities have the highest percentage of smokers. |
| 3. |
|
Not sitting around. Six of the 10 youngest cities are among the most physically active in the country. A daily 30-minute walk can make your RealAge up to 3.5 years younger. |
| 4. |
|
Controlling your blood pressure. Five of the 10 fastest-aging cities—Knoxville, Cincinnati, Oklahoma City, Jacksonville, and Tulsa—are among the worst for high blood pressure. Nothing ages you faster. Who has the lowest BP? Residents of Minneapolis-St. Paul, the 9th youngest city. |
TechJournal South is a TechMedia company. TechMedia presents the annual conferences:
SoutheastVentureConference: www.seventure.org
Internet Summit: www.internetsummit.com
Digital East: www.digitaleast.com
Digital Summit: www.digitalsummit.com
Tags: Austin TX, Baltimore, Cincinnati, CO, DC, Denver, FL, Greensboro, High Point, Jacksonville, Knoxville, Las Vegas, MD, Nashville, NV, OH, OK, Oklahoma City, Raleigh-Durham-Chapel Hill, Realage.com, San Diego, San Fransciso, Seattle, St. Petersburg, Tampa, TN, Tulsa, Winston Salem
Posted in Carolinas, Florida, Maryland, North Carolina, Other SE, Potomac, Studies, surveys, reports, Tennessee, Washington, DC | Comments Off
|
|
|
