I have written before about how my kids are often embarrassed of me in public because I stop and stare at technology, or, even worse, ask questions and take pictures. So was the case recently on a trip when we stopped in the Big Apple. At the register there are now digital touch screens, with […]

At InfoComm this year, Kramer Electronics introduced some new products and upgrades to products. We have been using the VIA Connect Pro for a few months and are very excited about the possibilities. Previously, we had been using the Crestron AirMedia product for wireless display. While we were happy with the product, there were several […]

Last month, I wrote about the need to define a strategy for your digital signage applications. As the integrator, this is as important for you as it is for the business to whom you are selling. If you sell a product and a few months later the company is wondering why they bought that product, […]

We installed our first digital sign at Bates College over 12 years ago. About seven years ago we installed a server based system and the signs have continued to spring up around campus. Bates is a environmental-friendly institution and one of the questions we get asked is how much power it takes. We also often […]

As I sit down to write this column, one day past my deadline (sorry, Sara) I am in the wonderful district of Washington D.C. With the support of my institution, I have the honor and pleasure of attending the Leading Change Institute, put on by EduCause and CLIR. This institute is an application based institute […]

Last month, I was traveling through Newark and on an early morning flight. I got through the security line a little early, so I decided to sit down for a meal, rather than grab one and run. By chance, I walked into the Vanguard Kitchen. Needless to say, I was fascinated when I realized they […]

Data and privacy concerns are the topic of constant news and media coverage. Who is watching you when, who is gathering data on you and what type are questions that are always being asked. Our network security teams are very educated in these areas and work tirelessly to make sure our institutions (and therefore our […]

Every year colleges and universities spend millions of dollars on AV for their presentation spaces and their classrooms. We specify HD projectors with lumens rated from 4,000-8,000. Touch panels and control systems make the technology go, while computers, Blu-Ray players and document cameras create the content. In short, we put a lot of time, thought […]

Last summer one of the biggest stories (non-stories) was the large, vacant booth from Microsoft at InfoComm. It was almost as if they planned to release a product, but it was not ready. By the time that ISE rolled around this winter, we had already heard of the Surface Hub, but this show was their […]

The Raspberry Pi is a credit card sized computer, developed by a company in the UK. The stated goal of the company is to provide an inexpensive option for kids all over the world to learn to code. The device is amazingly inexpensive, at $25-$35 per device. The Pi runs a custom distribution of Linux, […]

Several months ago, I watched a colleague present a webinar on D-Tools, a AV integration software package. I was interested in certain aspects of the software, particularly the integration with Visio and the project quoting, and paid minimal attention to all the other features. After working with my D-Tools rep, we decided to move forward […]

As I write this column, we are on the cusp of a new year. Many times, people will write about predictions for the new year, or their resolutions. I am writing to ask you to think about your resolution and make one with me. This request comes from a couple of recent articles that I […]

I am not sure if it is the holiday season, a busy schedule or something completely different, but my mind has been very scattered over the past few weeks. As such, I thought the only way I could write a column this month is if I embraced that scattered mind, and wrote a column that […]

For years, I have been touting the advantages of getting your AV equipment on the network. I think I was one of the first people to use RoomView, certainly one of the first amongst the colleagues I regularly speak with. Yet, all this time I was missing out on a huge benefit of RoomView and […]

It’s Friday and time for the Weekly Wrap-Up. Here are some of the top stories we think deserve a second look from this week. Joel Rollins’ latest Crew Call column about opportunities to change the way large meetings work, blogger Lee Distad writes about how to talk to customers effectively, Sara Abrons published a blog […]

As I sit down to write this column for July, I expected to be overflowing with excitement and interest from InfoComm. I am on a bit of an InfoComm hiatus, having not attended for three years. Yet, I am struck that there does not seem to be any HUGE news out of the show this […]

As you are walking the cavernous hallways of the Las Vegas Convention Center this year, and you hear a voice whisper “build it and they will use it,” don’t worry, others are hearing the same voice. The amazing gadgets we see at InfoComm and other tradeshows and in publications, are so exciting, they get us […]

Hello to the rAVe World! I am told that many of the readers of this publication are manufacturers reps and integrators. That is good, because I am calling all of you out right here, right now. You may want to do some homework before reading any further. I wrote a blog about this in April, […]

In September, I wrote about the struggle I sometimes feel when thinking about whether to develop a strong relationship with a vendor/manufacturer or to play the field. I decided to revisit that topic after some recent experiences, and some recent news. One of the major reasons I questioned whether we would stay with a certain […]

The concept of “digital signage” continues to grow in exponential ways. The concept of a digital board replacing a traditional sign is almost a given. We see them everywhere, and they don’t stick out to us quite as much as they used to. Now, the buzzwords have to do with interactivity, as well as the […]

The landscape of cable television continues to change at a dizzying pace. In previous blogs, I have written about both the WWE Network and the striking down of the net neutrality rules. Since then, Comcast has purchased Time Warner Cable and, according to the New York Times, reached a deal with Netflix to deliver its […]

Several years ago, I was approached by the Dean of Faculty’s office to install a digital “poster board.” They had a little extra money in the year’s budget and wanted to use it to show off the great work of our students and faculty. They also wanted to make a bit of a splash, so […]

It has been about 18 months since the AV world was officially introduced to 4K. Many of us in the AV industry take major changes like 4K with a grain of salt. I think it tends to be because we have seen technologies (think 3D) have a groundswell, and then fall flat. So, we are […]

As we begin 2014, there is always the temptation to write about predictions for the industry. I think that has been done very well by others, so I won’t take that route. Rather, I want to take a moment and think about how we prepare for the future. While is fun to think about the […]

In July of this year, I wrote about the uses we have found at Bates College for the iPad mini as a troubleshooting tool.  In that article, I wrote mainly about using the iPad as a portable touch panel for a technician. We continue to build on that success and have found more new and […]

If anyone is a regular reader of my columns or blogs, they know that Bates College, where I work, is a Crestron house. This summer I was able to work with some products from AMX. Specifically, we had the DVX-3155HD presentation switcher, along with the Modero MXT-1000 touch panel. I was able to configure these […]

In July of this year, one of our local sales and integration firms, Advance Technology Inc. (ATI), won the Installer of the Year award from Security Sales & Integration Magazine. You can check out the news release here. What struck me about the article is that ATI is using some sophisticated tools for remote maintenance […]

I realize it is cliche to write about InfoComm in June (or May or April for that matter). Rather than a standard “what to expect,” I hope to take a slightly different approach to this column. First, I have some advice for the technology managers who are reading this column, then I have some advice […]

In 2002, under the direction of then-Governor Angus King (now a U.S. Senator), the state of Maine started a 1:1 laptop initiative with its middle school students. In a nutshell, the MLTI (Maine Learning Technology Initiative) program funded the cost of laptops for all middle school students. An RFP was created and the winning bidder was Apple. For […]

On March 25th in Alabama, a true tragedy took place. A digital sign installed in an airport came crashing down on a family. It killed a 10-year-old boy and injured his mother and two brothers. You can read about the accident on rAVe’s site here. Before I go any further, I wanted to make clear […]

Last week’s Digital Signage Expo in Las Vegas was the Expo’s 10th anniversary. It amazes me that a segment of our industry has grown to this level in just ten years. I find digital signage to be so interesting, because for what seems to be a fairly straightforward technology, there are so many applications. Digital […]

By Scott Tiner Years ago I attended a conference where the founder of this publication, Gary Kayye, spoke. During the talk he suggested that while technology offers conveniences, it also runs the risk of getting less reliable. He gave the overhead projector as an example: It was probably one of the most reliable forms of technology […]