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, […]
If you have heard any of my podcasts, or read my columns, you know that a pet peeve of mine has been the lack of contact we have with sales reps. This topic came up again a few weeks ago and sparked my interest. I have always been able to understand that I work at […]
If you have been dealing with digital signage over the past decade, you are well versed in the idea that content is king. If that is the case, then why is it so darn hard to figure out good content? These questions were circling around my mind over the past few months as I got […]
If you have been reading my blogs, my columns or my tweets you are well aware that I have been closely watching the progress and evolution of the WWE Network. You will also know that this is not about being a fan of WWE or wrestling, at all, but rather looking at viewing television in […]
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 […]
Let me tell you a story and see if it sounds familiar. I was sitting in a meeting the other day and our network administrators were going on and on about security. You can not put this on the network, you can not use your regular username and password for that. We can not […]
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 […]
Just days after I blogged about how the WWE is going to be the first 24/7 live internet only Premium Channel, an appeals court has struck down the net neutrality rules. Once again, networking, IT and AV are all intertwined. First of all, what are the net neutrality rules? If you have 10 minutes or […]
One great thing about having young children is that they keep you on top of all the latest technology trends. My son, CJ (10) became a wrestling fan last year. Every Monday and Friday night he is glued to the television watching the latest episode. And the company is truly a marketing and entertainment genius. […]
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 […]
In January of 2014, we will be hosting a grand opening of our new Digital Media Center. This is a fabulous space that includes top line editing suites, a professional studio and a Mac computer lab. It is an amazing place for our students to be creative and experience new ways to communicate. We decided […]
One year ago I wrote my first column for rAVe Publications. What a fun year it has been. I have been fortunate enough to have heard from dozens of people with feedback, comments and questions about my articles. Even my daughter got in on the fun a few months back. We had a conversation that […]
Recently, a couple of events got me thinking about some interesting and creative ways to use digital signage in our educational facilities. The first conversation was with a colleague from George Mason University. We were talking about digital signage and he was telling me that at his location the AV department has nothing to do […]
In the November edition of rAVe Ed I wrote about video over IP taking the next step. In it I wrote about Crestron’s release of their DMCO streaming cards. Rather than re-writing it all here, go take a look at the column. Oh, and leave a comment about what you think. While you are reading […]
I realize I am a little late to the party here, but I have to give credit where credit is due. I recently purchased a Logitech Harmony remote. The reason was two fold: first, I thought the Touch device seemed kind of cool and second, I was tired of always having to get the TV […]
On October 1st of this year, Crestron Electronics sent out a press release that its DMCO 7-series streaming card for DigitalMedia was now shipping. This card was not a huge surprise to the industry, as it had been rumored/discussed since InfoComm of 2012. In addition, the technology had been seen by many people in Crestron’s […]
I promise you: I do not hate the Today Show. In fact, I watch it every morning (obviously, as I am writing about it AGAIN!). This time however, it is not necessarily a complaint about the Today Show, but an observation about technology, AV in particular. This morning on the program, they were again in […]
In my last two columns for rAVe DS, I referenced a terrific column from Keith Kelsen. Both months, I have suggested you go and read his column before you read mine. I am doing the same this month, go give it a read now if you have not yet read it. This month I want […]
Several years ago I wrote a blog about class capture, and the expense of the systems that existed. I was frustrated that these systems cost so much money. I had been trying to bring class capture into my institution for a couple of years, and could not justify the cost. The systems that we looked […]
In 1989 Will Smith sang. “Parent’s Just Don’t Understand”. Certainly not a new sentiment among teenagers and parents. After all, us old (yes, I now have to put myself in this category) people simply don’t get the younger generation of today. To some degree this is true, and we just have to deal with it. […]
After my first article on relationships, I had all kinds of people offer me thoughts and feedback. It was fantastic, because I really like to see what others in the industry are thinking. It is clear to me that lots of people, including both Technology Mangers and integrators are thinking about these issues. A couple […]
In my August column for rAVe DS I referenced a terrific column from Keith Kelsen. Last month I suggested you go and read his column before you read mine. I am doing the same this month: Go give it a read now if you have not yet read it. This month I want to discuss […]
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 […]
As I sat down to write my blog today. My mind kept going a certain way. Our orientation starts on Labor Day. Which means we have entered the fray. September will go by in a flash, We have started the 50 yard dash. So here is an Ode to all my Tech Manger […]
After my August article on the possibilities that exist when Security and AV teams get together, I got a lot of feedback. Many people were really excited about the possibilities and wanted to know more. I even got a call from the people at Advance Technology (ATI), who I wrote about, and they are interested […]
In the July edition of rAVe DS, there was a fantastic article by Keith Kelsen. If you did not get the chance to read this article last month, it is worth a read now. If you did read it last month, it is worth a reread. Go ahead, do it now, I will wait. OK, […]
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 […]
A few weeks ago I had the ability to visit the Boston Museum of Science with my family. Truthfully, I was not very excited about spending a gorgeous day in Boston stuck inside. However, my opinion quickly changed. I was simply amazed at how the MOS can take difficult, hard to learn principles and make […]
