This week, Apple products iPhone and iPad feature in Media Monday; the former saved a man’s life in the Haiti earthquake while the latter generated hype even over its name. Also, a hotel chain lends the warm, human touch to improve hotel service quality.

iPhone app helps trapped man survive earthquake

An aid worker trapped in the ruins of Hotel Montana in Haiti capital Port-au-Prince survived for more than 10 days beneath the rubble, thanks to an iPhone application.

Dan Woolley, an aid worker who oversees interactive projects for Christian child advocacy organisation Compassion International in Colorado, US, followed first aid instructions from his mobile phone app as provided by the American Heart Association to treat his wounds.

Using the app, he looked up excessive bleeding, compound fracture and how to deal with shock. Following the app’s instructions, Woolley used his shirt and belt to bandage his leg, a sock to stop the bleeding from his head and his phone alarm to avoid succumbing to shock.

On Jan 12, an earthquake devastated Haiti, leaving an estimated death toll of 150,000 as of Jan 23. It was the region’s worst quake in more than 200 years.

Apple launches iPad, the tablet with the debatable name

The launch of Apple’s tablet computer, iPad, saw 177,000 tweets within the first hour alone. However, hours after the iPad announcement, “iTampon” became one of the most popular trending topics on Twitter. Besides being associated with feminine hygiene products, the name has come under fire for various reasons. For some, “iPad” sounds indistinguishable from “iPod” while two other companies – Japanese brand Fujitsu and Swiss firm STMicroelectronics – have also laid claim to the iPad trademark, having previously marketed products under that name.

Naming conflicts are far from Apples worries, as the company had encountered a similar problem with its iPhone in 2007. Jobs managed to persuade Cisco to surrender the trademark.

Measuring an inch in thickness, weighing 1.5 pounds­ with a 9.7-inch glass touch screen, the iPad is hyped by Apple to be the best device for browsing the Internet, reading e-books and watching video. The device is also seen as competition for e-book players, particularly Amazon and its Kindle e-reader.

Warming up to hotel guests, literally

Holiday Inn launched its trial “human bedwarmers” service at three of its UK-based hotels in response to parent company InterContinental Hotels Group’s call to “contemporise” by end of this year.

A Holiday Inn spokeswoman described the service -- wherein staff members in fleece jumper suits are sent upon request to warm a guest’s bed before they go to sleep -- as “a bit like having a giant hot water bottle in your bed”.

Bed warmers will have their hair covered and have a thermometer to measure the bed's required temperature of 20ºC.

A sleep expert from the Edinburgh Sleep Center accompanies promotional efforts for the bed warmer service, as part of a larger campaign to publicise the launch of more than 3,000 new Holiday Inn hotels worldwide.