Are Dedicated Computers Going Away?

I am on a mail list that has recently had a thread about whether dedicated computers are still necessary. There are several arguments for and against this, although in this particular thread most of the arguments seemed to be for removing the dedicated computers. For some background, higher education has a long history of providing […]

Are Dedicated Computers Going Away?

Standardize the User Experience

Everybody says they have standards… but what does that even mean? Are we talking about a locked bill of materials? Did you mean that certain gear is non-negotiable but other stuff you have the flexibility to substitute (you mean whatever manufacturer you have the best back-end rebates from? yeah… we know)? How tightly are those […]

Standardize the User Experience

The AV Experience

“Experience” has been the big word in the industry as of late, even beyond the big change in our trade organization’s name to “Avixa” — the Audiovisual and Integrated Experience Association. Is this a buzzword, or should this represent a change in the way we design, and even how we think? It shouldn’t, because user […]

The AV Experience

On Delightful User Experiences

Some categorize the quality of a user experience as a hierarchy, like this one: An accessible user interface does its job. You can access and interact with the interface. A usable interface is one which can be manipulated to achieve a desired result. This doesn’t mean that the result is something of particular value to […]

On Delightful User Experiences

A Funny Thing Happened on the Way to the Software Revolution

I’ve written time and again about the rise of software as opposed to dedicated hardware. About AV as a Service (AVaaS). About how all of those black and grey boxes we’ve come to know and love will soon disappear, to be replaced by services running on virtual machines. It isn’t just a rule about audiovisual, […]

A Funny Thing Happened on the Way to the Software Revolution

Designing Audio, Video and Lighting Systems for the Church User’s Experience

The reaction from the senior pastor — interrupted mid-sentence by the unmistakable, squealing shriek of audio feedback — was immediate. As he stood who staring up from the stage below to where I stood behind the audio console above, his backlash was swift and sharp. An audible sigh, amplified for all 2,000 seats to hear, […]

Designing Audio, Video and Lighting Systems for the Church User’s Experience

The User Experience

The end of the year always inspires articles focused on wrap ups and articles focused on predictions for the coming year. I always enjoy reading both, there is always much to be gained from reflection and prediction. That said I am going to leave those topics for others that have already done a great job in […]

The User Experience

User Experience Goes Well Beyond What’s on the Screen

By Michael Frendo Executive Vice President of Worldwide Engineering, Polycom One of my personal pet peeves is the way the tech industry defines “user experience.” If you listen closely, you’ll notice many identify that experience as only what is seen on screen. We often hear a device or application has a “terrible UI” or that […]

User Experience Goes Well Beyond What’s on the Screen

Hidden Opportunities in the IoT: Ambient User Experience

If you are looking for a good source of information and body of research on all things business and technology, arguably there is not a better resource than Gartner. It is definitely worth a few minutes to go to their technology page once a week and browse or even to sign up for their email alerts and […]

Hidden Opportunities in the IoT: Ambient User Experience

Bad Video Conferencing Advice

Most articles about “video conferencing best practices” are fluff pieces (yes, including several written by yours truly). There is one piece of advice, however, that is wrong. It’s bad for the user’s experience and for video conferencing in general. The most egregious error in these articles is to “look into the camera” and not at […]

Bad Video Conferencing Advice

If Only Your Gear Did This…

I imagine the engineers and R&D teams working diligently for months, years even, on new products to roll out at the next big trade show. They’ve innovated, broken through with new levels of sophistication and — best of all — it’s going to allow for increased margins! It’s a win — until… The first day […]

If Only Your Gear Did This…

InfoComm: Digital Signage Best Practices: Incorporating Interactivity

By Monica Heck Special to InfoComm International Interactivity is a human instinct. Toddlers have always explored the world using their senses but they now graduate from chewing their toys to gaming on a tablet. Society may have sought to curb those instincts in the past, but recent evolutions in technology have turned tablets and screens […]

InfoComm: Digital Signage Best Practices: Incorporating Interactivity