All That Is Gold Does Not Glitter

Things to keep in mind when establishing the reputation of your company. By: Tony Sprando and Kate Couch Most people fall under the assumption that reputation can only be built over time. The mom-and-pop shop that’s been around since the ‘50s doing things the good old-fashioned way. Or the tried-and-true Google ratings. Though these things […]

All That Is Gold Does Not Glitter

Kayye’s Krystal Ball: 2021 Edition

Welcome to my 21st annual Kayye’s Krystal Ball! I love writing this annual predictions article — it’s both humbling and rewarding. It requires me to stop and research anything new, evaluate the potential impact it will have and then articulate it in a way that matters to readers. If you’re a regular reader of my […]

Kayye’s Krystal Ball: 2021 Edition

Collaboration — Is It What You Think It Is?

Collaboration. It’s not what you think it is … Whenever I hear someone in the AV industry mention collaboration, I am reminded of the words of the legendary Inigo Montoya in my favorite movie. “You keep using that word. I do not think it means what you think it means.” I was looking at job […]

Collaboration — Is It What You Think It Is?

Zooming Right Along

Skype, FaceTime and now Zoom. Each of the past several iterations of videoconferencing have a few things in common. First, they became part of the consumer lexicon, becoming verbs, in fact. Second, they became popular because of their use by, and availability to the general consumer. Only Zoom, however, grew at what can be described […]

Zooming Right Along

I Got the Pfizer Vaccine in September; Here’s What You Should Know

Some of my closest #AVtweeps know that back last summer, I volunteered to be one of the 43,448 people within the global trial to get injected with the Pfizer COVID-19 vaccine (aka: BNT162b2 0.3 ml). Yes, I received the actual vaccine rather than the placebo (21,720 people in the study received BNT162b2 and 21,728 received […]

I Got the Pfizer Vaccine in September; Here’s What You Should Know

What Is Smart? 

Defining the word that has had so many meanings over the past one hundred years. By: Kate Couch Audio Visual Bend “Okay, Einstien.” “That was smart!” “Your baby is so smart.” These are all common sayings we’ve heard that center around the idea of smart or intelligence. But what is smart? As we progressed further […]

What Is Smart? 

Administrative Tools Are the New K-12 Ed Tech Battleground

By Chris Pennell Futuresource Consulting As the number of electronic devices in use across North American schools continues to proliferate, K-12 curriculum leaders and IT decision makers are turning to administrative tools to manage data assets, track progress and provide support. A new end user study from Futuresource Consulting explores the impact of these tools, […]

Administrative Tools Are the New K-12 Ed Tech Battleground

DIY Music and Workout Studio

Earlier this year I found myself in predicament. Late at night, I would like to lift weights, work out, and do a bit of overtime, all while blasting music to keep the energy up. This quickly caused a problem as the rest of the household didn’t appreciate the concerts I held in the middle of […]

DIY Music and Workout Studio

The Top 10 Stories of 2020

2020 sucked! So, now that we got that out of the way, let’s review the top 10 AV, UCC and Digital Signage stories, according to data, in 2020! The top story of 2020 was the the acquisition of Whitlock by AVI-SPL. Marketed as a merger, this didn’t appear to be one in hindsight. Whitlock is now […]

The Top 10 Stories of 2020

The Movie Theater Is Now Dead, Plus a Prediction: Apple Will Buy Sony

As much as I hated writing that headline, it’s true. And, despite years of warnings that the future of the cineplex was nothing but apocalyptic, Hollywood wasn’t prepared. Let’s back-up. Back in the late ’90s, companies started building DVD servers for home theaters. The idea was that a homeowner could buy a cache of DVDs […]

The Movie Theater Is Now Dead, Plus a Prediction: Apple Will Buy Sony

Back to Work May Not Mean High Tech Workspaces

Over the past several months, authors on rAVe [PUBS], such as David Danto, have written about the future of the office. This has also been the speculation of newspapers and magazines as of late. In fact, the most recent edition of the Harvard Business Review has a cover story on the Work from Anywhere Future. […]

Back to Work May Not Mean High Tech Workspaces

Are We Gonna Talk About Zoom ‘Being on Probation’ for 20 Years by the FTC, or Nah?

So…are we gonna talk about Zoom “being on probation” for 20 years by the FTC, or nah? — Erica Williams (@haircutfw) November 13, 2020 On Nov. 9, 2020, the United States Federal Trade Commission announced a pending settlement with Zoom Video Communications, Inc. According to FTC Matter/File Number: 192 3167, “Zoom Video Communications, Inc. will […]

Are We Gonna Talk About Zoom ‘Being on Probation’ for 20 Years by the FTC, or Nah?

Here’s How the Corona Tag Can Get Us Back to Work Safely

THIS IS A PROMOTED POST This year has forced innovation globally. Throughout 2020, much of the creativity has appeared in problem-solving and in the interest of human interactions returning to “normal.” For example, a handful of companies are rapidly developing one of the world’s first totally synthetic vaccines to fight COVID-19. But, the innovation didn’t […]

Here’s How the Corona Tag Can Get Us Back to Work Safely

The Impact of AV in Motorsports

This year, traditional working environments changed overnight as everyone shifted from an office to their homes. However, my household has always been far from a traditional work environment. My husband, Cameron, is a professional race car driver. He’s had a pretty successful career over the last ten years. He’s won the Rolex 24 Hours of […]

The Impact of AV in Motorsports

Updated: Barco ‘Freezes’ Overture Control System Development

Updated Nov. 16, 2020: I reached out to both Kevin Morrison, CEO and Frank Pellkofer, president, Utelogy Corporation for their thoughts and, interestingly enough, they praised Barco and the Overture system with this quote: “Barco is a fantastic company that make world class products. These are extraordinary times and companies across all industries including AV […]

Updated: Barco ‘Freezes’ Overture Control System Development

App-less Shrugged

Given today’s environment and my role with a workplace technology company, I have been exploring a LOT of different collaboration tools as of late. Collaboration devices have officially gone well beyond wireless screen-sharing at this point. In fact, with Zoom, Teams, etc. offering screen-share as part of their software platforms over the Wi-Fi connection, I’d […]

App-less Shrugged

When are We Going to Start to Pay More Attention to Nvidia? Probably Now.

This month, Nvidia announces an open beta for Omniverse, a 3D simulation and collaboration platform — and Maxine, a cloud-native streaming video AI platform. It’s now a phygital world — and as the physical and digital worlds fuse to simulate reality in real time and with pixel perfect detail, the company that AV should pay […]

When are We Going to Start to Pay More Attention to Nvidia? Probably Now.

DSF AND AVIXA Just Made Sure Digital Signage Will Be Fastest Growing Segment of AV in 2021

AVIXA has partnered with the Digital Signage Federation (DSF) to bring digital signage education content to the association’s trade shows and events. AVIXA will announce details later this month on events where DSF will bring its content. The Digital Signage Federation is a not-for-profit organization that supports digital signage professionals through education, certification, networking and […]

DSF AND AVIXA Just Made Sure Digital Signage Will Be Fastest Growing Segment of AV in 2021

The Touch-Free Future of Interactivity in Retail

What’s old is new again, at least as it relates to interactive digital signage at retail. Years ago, when touch screen interactivity approached mainstream adoption in retail, customers were adapting to a new workflow. The progression of customers understanding, trusting and ultimately using touch-interactive signage took time. After all, retailers were resetting shopping behavior that […]

The Touch-Free Future of Interactivity in Retail

Dear Zoom: Love Letter or Dear John Letter?

Dear Zoom, We began using Zoom three years ago as a corporate replacement for Skype. The technical staff and our faculty and staff absolutely loved it. Slowly, we acquired more and more licenses. Then in March of 2020, COVID hit, and Zoom went from an essential tool to a business-critical application. And that is when […]

Dear Zoom: Love Letter or Dear John Letter?

Hybrid Learning: A Key Investment for Universities in Response to COVID-19

By Michael Boreham Futuresource Consulting Make no mistake: COVID-19 has caused incredible disruption to higher education. As campus living is stripped from the usual buzz of freshers’ week, students are understandably concerned about how university is set to become a not-so-memorable experience. With physical lectures restricted, a 10 p.m. curfew on nightlife, and all sporting […]

Hybrid Learning: A Key Investment for Universities in Response to COVID-19

Amish, Luddites and the March of Technology

Let’s start off with the Amish. Yes, you’re in the right place, and yes, this is the opening to a technology column. Theirs is a community about which I’ve been thinking, both since a recent vacation to Lancaster, Pennsylvania, and, more recently, after a discussion about so-called digital natives and acceptance of new technologies. I’ll […]

Amish, Luddites and the March of Technology

Microsoft Teams Playing Catch-Up With Zoom; Adds Nifty Custom Layouts, Better Breakout Rooms and Killer Meeting Recap Features

There’s no doubt that Microsoft Teams has been playing catch-up with Zoom for months; some would argue years. But, this week, Microsoft upped its game by adding a host of features that even Zoom power-users will love. Here’s a summary look at each one: Together Mode:  Together mode re-imagines meeting experiences to help participants feel […]

Microsoft Teams Playing Catch-Up With Zoom; Adds Nifty Custom Layouts, Better Breakout Rooms and Killer Meeting Recap Features

Part 4: What an AV-Driven Interpretation of ITIL/ITSM Will Bring Us

How an “AVSM” mindset can supercharge growth in the AV industry. In the last few articles, I talked (ranted) about the gap between the AV world and our customers. This gap has been the source of misunderstanding, poor experiences and lack of relevance at the big kids’ table. I recently saw an article discussing how […]

Part 4: What an AV-Driven Interpretation of ITIL/ITSM Will Bring Us

Simple Can Be Elegant

As technology people, we in the AV world are not immune to being drawn to new, fancy, shiny objects. We know we need to ask the right questions, make sure it fits our needs (or our customers’ needs), but wow, that new tech can be exciting. On occasion, we are also drawn in the opposite […]

Simple Can Be Elegant

Thoughtful Deployment of Temperature Screening During COVID-19

Throughout the world, organizations of all sorts are grappling with the challenge of safely operating against the backdrop of COVID-19. Retail establishments, restaurants, professional offices, public spaces – they’re all looking for ways to resume operations while mitigating pathogen spread. A basic but all-important precaution of doing so is to screen temperatures upon entry. It’s […]

Thoughtful Deployment of Temperature Screening During COVID-19

A Secret Productivity Killer Called “Double Join” Haunts Most of Our Meetings – And We Deserve Better

I’d never heard the term “double join” until a few months ago on a call with one of our board members, John Case, who is a great resource to talk with if you’re researching the world of video conferencing. John spent a long time at Microsoft building the Office 365 product family and now puts […]

A Secret Productivity Killer Called “Double Join” Haunts Most of Our Meetings – And We Deserve Better

Recharge Centers: Technology’s Influence on Our Moods and Emotions

According to Kenny Chesney, “We all have a song that somehow stamped our lives, takes us to another place and time,” I know that I certainly do. But can technology do that too? Here are the facts: We know that numerous studies have shown the effect of technology on teenagers, along with the results of […]

Recharge Centers: Technology’s Influence on Our Moods and Emotions

Lessons Learned by a Digital Signage Manufacturer During COVID-19

By Chloe Weaver Allsee Technologies To say that the coronavirus pandemic has caused problems for the digital signage industry would be an understatement. As a digital signage manufacturer, these past few months have been some of the hardest in the company’s history. But this extreme situation has also taught us a lot about how we […]

Lessons Learned by a Digital Signage Manufacturer During COVID-19

Remote Support Suddenly Sounds Like a Much Better Idea

Back in the late fall of 2019, I first heard of Teleportivity. It was in a demo video that Gary Kayye posted right here on rAVe [PUBS]. My initial thought was that the idea was great, but I wondered about the product’s efficacy at smaller institutions like mine, or even mid-size colleges and universities. My […]

Remote Support Suddenly Sounds Like a Much Better Idea

Hybrid Working and the Next Normal: My Thoughts on Poly’s New Study

I received an email last week telling me about Poly’s (formerly Plantronics and Polycom) latest virtual event, introducing its study on the market. The report, dubbed “Hybrid Working: Creating the ‘Next Normal’ in Work Practices, Spaces and Culture,” was made to “highlight the shift in focus from place of work to purpose of work as […]

Hybrid Working and the Next Normal: My Thoughts on Poly’s New Study

Making Virtual and Distance Learning an Easier Reality

By Rob Voorhees, Business Development Manager Almo Professional A/V We find ourselves smack in the middle of July — when days are getting hotter — and, in years past, we might find ourselves looking forward to August vacations or days by the pool. However, 2020 has continuously thrown curveball after curveball, and we continue to […]

Making Virtual and Distance Learning an Easier Reality