In May 2024, a news scandal hit higher ed. University of North Carolina administrators had secretly recorded a professor. Admins used the classroom recording system in order to do this. There are a number of stories in the press about this, including this one in “Inside Higher Ed” and this follow up from the same publication. There is much […]

I was absolutely thrilled to see that Steph Beckett from rAVe and several other well-known AV companies were represented at Microsoft Ignite 2024. I don’t think this type of AV representation would have existed even five years ago at a conference such as Ignite. After all, back then, Microsoft was an IT company, and we […]

At this year’s Ignite, Microsoft introduced the Windows 365 Link, which I believe has potential to change classrooms and presentation spaces across campuses. It offers a potential step forward in efficiency and cost-effectiveness, offering colleges a streamlined approach to supporting computing in the classroom. Instead of equipping each space with a full-fledged computer, institutions can […]

The July 2024 CrowdStrike incident that caused global computer disruptions reminded the world of how dependent we are on technology and, even more so, the people who manage that technology. While much has been written about testing processes before releasing updates, one key takeaway is the importance of change management in production environments. Although ITIL […]

If you attended, followed up on, and/or heard anything about Zoomtopia, you are aware that their big push is all about AI. No surprise here, as every company is currently doing an AI push. For me, this landed in my feed at the same time as the Harvard Meta AI study. All I could think […]

If you have not been paying attention to advances in the “foldable” screen space, now may be the time to start. Foldable smartphones have been around for a while but Google’s Pixel 9 Pro Fold seems to usher in the potential for new interest. I believe it may be a sign of the future where […]

Recently on AVNation’s EdTech Podcast, we had a discussion about standards for classrooms. After the discussion, I began to wonder more and more about standards, and how the concept and purpose has evolved over the years. Many of us developed standards to make financial arguments to add technology to our classrooms. This is going back […]

Within a few weeks, or perhaps a few days, our campuses will once again be flooded with students. For me, it is a welcome sight. Our campus, our town really, does not feel the same when the students are not around. Sure I like the breaks, but there is nothing that can match the energy […]

Mark Coxon recently wrote a blog with his reflection of InfoComm 2024. In it, he questions where the innovation in AV has gone. To him, InfoComm looked like a bunch of companies all trying to one up each other by adding minor features to products everyone is selling. Take a moment and read the blog […]

June was Pride Month, and many of our audiovisual companies and organizations showed support for the LGBTQ+ community during this month. Yet, since we are in such a polarized world, there is often a blowback to doing something as simple as flying a flag to show support for fellow human beings. I flew the rainbow […]

Technical Debt has been the topic of several of my blogs recently, and I was able to speak about it during LAVNCH WEEK 9, a weeklong virtual event put on by rAVe. A critical aspect of being able to manage technical debt, and keep your systems running well, is being able to tell a solid […]

We are on the eve of InfoComm, and one of my big questions is this: Will AI be a star of the show, ignored during the show or will it be an imposter? I have been, and continue to be, bullish on the power that AI can have on our industry. It is only limited […]

Last month, I wrote about the Apple Vision Pro and the particular market segment Apple was targeting with the product. The Vision Pro would most accurately be called an entertainment device at this point in its evolution. It is not a device that someone would wear all day — or out in public — for […]

A few months ago, I wrote a piece on technical debt and how understanding the concept and using the language may be helpful in communicating your needs to the decision-makers on your campus. In late March, I was able to join in a LAVNCH session to discuss technical debt in more detail. It was a […]

When I first heard of the Apple Vision Pro, I did not pay much attention. I have tried out a few different AR/VR headsets, and while they are very cool, I have never had a desire to purchase one for my own use. However, as I have done more reading and research, I am beginning […]

In higher ed, we see fads in technology and pedagogical methods on a regular basis. These may last for a few years and then adapt, or wear off completely. During the pandemic, we certainly saw our fair share of changes in order to accommodate for the craziness going on in the world. A few years […]

It does not take much time browsing the internet recently to find an instance of a cyber breach, data theft, invasion of privacy, or to read the expectations of an impending threat. Just Google what the FBI director told Congress recently about the threat that China poses to our critical infrastructure. I often find that […]

As a techy person, I have always been intrigued by the Consumer Electronics Show. It has always been a mix of amazing new technology and useless new technology. I am surprised, though, that the show does not get much coverage in our industry, particularly in the education sector. I think there are a couple of […]

In late 2022, ChatGPT was released and the expectations were sky high. The technology was amazing. You could ask it to write a paper on Shakespeare in the language of a pirate and ten seconds later it pops out. You could ask it to program a Crestron control system with an Epson projector, and again, […]

I am a native Mainer. I was born in Lewiston, attended school, got married, had children, work and live in the city. For me, there is no other place that I will ever be able to call home like Lewiston, Maine. Infamously, the country got to know the name of Lewiston on Oct. 25 as […]

In September, AMX announced a new line of controllers. The most interesting thing about these controllers is, per AMX’s press release, the ability to “simultaneously process a virtually unlimited number of scripts written in JavaScript, Python or Groovy and natively support Low-Code development with Node-RED.” I have written before on the problems with walled gardens, […]

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 […]

A recent discussion on social media centered around relationship selling, what it was and the value of it for all the parties involved. It was a great topic, but on a social media platform, there is very limited time and space to discuss something so important, so I am expanding on my thinking here. Relationship […]

Google has recently announced that it is winding down the JamBoard product, and it will no longer be available after December 2024. Along with no longer selling the hardware, the software is also being discontinued. In a little over one year, the product will be completely useless. Google has said that it will work with […]

Companies often focus on things that are unique to them, or that they do very well. A company may have new, cutting-edge technology that makes them stand out, or it may have amazing logistics that allow them to have lower prices. The one thing that every company needs to have, regardless of its strategy and […]

In the past year, there has seemed to be a growing number of companies who are looking to provide financial services to colleges and universities. They reach out to purchasing agents in the school and tell them all the benefits of leasing, and how they are making a big mistake if they are not leasing. […]

I was visiting a co-worker’s office recently and was surprised by their technology setup. They had a single monitor as an external display for their laptop. They used the mic, speakers and camera on their laptop (which is off to the side) for Zoom calls. I began to wonder how this person could possibly be […]

Over the past several years, software has become a significant source of revenue in the AV industry. The approach to providing software can vary widely amongst different vendors. Some “give” their software away since it only works with their equipment. Of course, we all know we are paying for that software when we buy the […]

Late August to early September is the time when students flood back onto college campuses, many of them bringing with them their shiny new sneakers and their brand-new backpacks. They have had a summer filled with fun (hopefully) and are ready to dive into another year of learning. For the tech managers in higher education, […]

In the IT world the phrase “technical debt” is a well-known phrase and it is used effectively to describe problems and why they are so difficult (expensive) to fix. The term first came about in 1992 and was coined by Ward Cunningham. Cunningham was particularly referring to software coding, and that is a common way […]

On July 4, The Sphere lit up on the Vegas Strip for the first time, and the buzz about it went viral. I doubt there is a single person in the AV/IT industry who has not seen or heard about the Sphere, but even if you have it is worth taking a few minutes and […]

AI is one of the most consequential and fast-moving technologies we have seen in years. The speed of change and drastic impact of that change will cause people to react quickly, go with the crowd and make poor decisions about how the technologies will be used in their businesses. No one, not even higher ed […]