This week, I went to the happiest place on earth, Disney World! As an AV geek, I’m always on the lookout for unique ways technology is integrated and certainly nearly anyone’s who’s in AV and has been to a Disney park can attest to their mind-blowing creativity. As you move from land-to-land, inside the Magic Kingdom, Animal Kingdom or even Hollywood Studios, it’s amazing how both your sightlines and hearing are eased into a perfect transition without noticing most of the time. And one of the best has to be as you enter the new Star Wars-themed Galaxy’s Edge. You don’t even notice that everything from the trees to the sounds move from a studio’ish tone to one of being on a Star Wars planet, until you notice. It’s a perfect transition.
But you have to wonder if everyone is equally served in a place like that. For example, if you’re hard-of-hearing, do the transitions become more linear or extreme? And, do you enjoy it as much if you struggle to hear the messaging that engulfs your senses?
Yesterday, I was in New Jersey for the 10th year of the
Almo E4 Experience. I delivered the keynote address (on AV-over-IP) and then was asked to lead a show floor tour. The tour had well over 25 “tourists” and they were treated to a perfect audio experience a la the
Listen Technologies ListenTALK tour guide system. It’s a two-way tour guide system. But their best new product is called the
Listen EVERYWHERE and it’s an assistive listening system that uses your mobile phone as a receiver! No need for a clunky receiver that, many times, ends broken or unusable at the wrong moment as someone forgot to charge it.
I wonder if Disney knows about this product?
If you’re in Atlanta, I’ll be doing the keynote and tour for Almo Pro A/V on October 15th, which
you can register for here.
