The Fish for Your Health mobile apps and wallet cards let women look up information while they are shopping at the grocery store or eating at a restaurant.

“We’re motivated to assure that babies are healthy, so our goal is to make sure that women eat fish and that they also make the best decisions to obtain the proper nutrients,” said Charles Santerre, a professor of food toxicology in the Department of Foods and Nutrition.

“Safe seafood consumption can be confusing when trying to remember which fish are safe to consume and at what frequency. Thanks to these electronic outlets as well as the traditional wallet card, women can look up information while they are shopping at the grocery store or eating at a restaurant. Women that make good decisions will reduce their baby’s risk from pollutants while optimizing the benefits from omega-3 fatty acids.”

Omega-3 fatty acids are essential to brain and eye development, and consuming mercury at high levels can lead to neurological problems. Recreationally-caught fish and fish that is bought in grocery stores or selected in restaurants can contain mercury and PCBs, polychlorinated biphenyls, which are pollutants that can harm the developing brain.

Salmon contains high amounts of omega-3 fatty acids, while catfish, tilapia and canned light tuna contain low amounts of the healthy fats. Marlin, shark and swordfish are some of the fish that contain mercury or PCBs at levels that exceed safety standards for sensitive populations, such as pregnant or nursing women, women that will become pregnant, and young children.

Information about what fish to avoid, fish that are low in pollutants and fish that are high in omega-3 fatty acids is available at the “Fish for Your Health” site at http://www.fish4health.net. Information about the iPhone applications and how to use the mobile Web site features are available at the site.

The “Fish for Your Health” site has recently been expanded to include information specific to individual states, such as advisories about eating fish from the local waters. The Indiana link also includes information specific to each county and information in Spanish. Details about how much fish to eat as well as how to clean and prepare fish also are available on the site.

“Our preliminary data suggests that our wallet card encourages women to eat more seafood in part by alleviating their fears of contaminants but also by providing credible information,” Santerre said.

The Web site also features a video of Carl A. Behnke, chef and clinical professor instructor in the Department of Hospitality and Tourism Management, demonstrating how to clean and safely prepare fish. The site also includes a video introduction.

More than 330,000 versions of the first wallet card have been distributed since 2006. The updated wallet card is currently being distributed in Sea Grants programs, an aquarium in California, as well as in maternity wards, state health departments and Cooperative Extension offices in Florida, Texas, Illinois, Indiana, Massachusetts, California and Rhode Island.

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Purdue faculty and staff can now connect to Purdue Exchange servers with their iPhone 3Gs.

Once version 2.0 software is installed and properly configured on an iPhone, there is some specific information needed to successfully connect to the Exchange server. In addition to providing manual configurations for PAL 2.0 and Exchange, Desktop Computing Services will provide some automatic iPhone configurations for PAL 2.0, the Cisco VPN, and Exchange. Details are linked from the Desktop Computing Services Web page: http://www.itap.purdue.edu/help/support/desktop/iPhone.cfm. Desktop Computing Services also will provide support and troubleshooting for any devices covered by a service agreement.

Users of the new iPhone 3G will be able to download and connect to the Internet at a faster rate than with previous models.

“3G service is currently not available from AT&T in the Lafayette area, so the faster cellular data connection speed will really not be seen immediately,” says Scott Ksander, executive director for networks and security at ITaP. “However, AT&T has informed Purdue that the 3G service will be available in this area starting in September.”

The iPhone 3G works as a phone, as an audio player, and as a connection to the Internet and e-mail. Gary Rantz, director of Desktop Computing Services, says, “Some features of the iPhone 3G might not be reimbursed by Purdue, depending on the needs of departments.” Users can check with department administrators to find out whether text messaging or video streaming features are eligible expenses.

Purdue faculty and staff can get 20 percent off AT&T service plans for iPhone 3G devices. They can register for the discount on iPhone 3G wireless services when purchasing the device at AT&T retail stores. The iPhone 3G went on sale July 11. To find a local, authorized AT&T store, go to http://www.wireless.att.com/find-a-store/. Details are provided at the ITaP Shopping Web page, http://www.itap.purdue.edu/shopping/ATT.

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Discounts for the new iPhone 3G are now included in the AT&T service plans for Purdue University staff, employees and students.

AT&T began offering a 20 percent discount on June 1 on regular basic plans for cellular phones and personal digital assistants including Blackberries. The offer also will include the monthly voice and data plans for the iPhone 3G as of Friday, July 11. The university discount will not apply to equipment purchases of either the 8 GB or 16 GB iPhone 3G devices.

Users of the new iPhone 3G will be able to download and connect to the Internet at a faster rate than with previous models.

The discounts are available to those at the West Lafayette campus and Purdue’s Calumet, Fort Wayne and North Central campuses. The discounts do not apply to equipment upgrades and cannot be used with other offers, but Purdue students and employees with existing AT&T plans may be eligible.

“We realize how important it is – especially for students – to be connected and save money at the same time,” said Gerry McCartney, Purdue’s vice president for information technology and chief information officer.

Purdue students and employees can register for the discount on iPhone 3G wireless services when purchasing the device at AT&T retail stores. The iPhone 3G goes on sale Friday (July 11). To find a local, authorized AT&T store, go to http://www.wireless.att.com/find-a-store/. Purdue students and employees can register for the AT&T discount on other wireless services through the ITaP Shopping Web page, http://www.itap.purdue.edu/shopping/ATT. Those receiving an AT&T discount must have a valid Purdue e-mail address and the appropriate Foundation Account Number. For students, that is 2523574. For employees, it is 2016767.

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