Disruptive Forces: The Leaders Speak — Mark Blake, Acano

This is the third blog in the series Disruptive Forces: The Leaders Speak. Profile: Dr. Mark Blake is one of the founders of Acano. Mark brings extensive technology expertise to the team and serves as its Chief Technology Officer. Mark’s backstory: Mark Blake is an expert in high performance computing and distributed media processing architectures and has created media […]

Disruptive Forces: The Leaders Speak — Mark Blake, Acano

rAVe Founder Gary Kayye Named to 1918’s List of People You Should Connect With

If you’re reading this, then you already know Gary Kayye. He’s the founder of rAVe [Publications]. He’s been in the AV industry for years. He’s won numerous accolades for his work and his AV prowess, if you will. But did you know that Gary is also an expert in branding and digital marketing? In fact, […]

rAVe Founder Gary Kayye Named to 1918’s List of People You Should Connect With

The Slow Death Of Retail

I’ve reached a stage in my life where I don’t really fit into any particular demographic group. I look at print, television, and online advertisements with a critical, professional eye and, more often than not, I think “Wow, that ad is absolutely not directed at me.” That said, beyond age, gender, and income if there’s […]

The Slow Death Of Retail

The Five Dumbest AV Products on the Market Right Now

This was hard — there are so many. But, here are the top five dumbest AV products currently for sale right now — do not buy these: Curved TVs: This has to be the worst ideas for a TV ever. Why in the world would you want a curved TV? Why would you want to […]

The Five Dumbest AV Products on the Market Right Now

Disruptive Forces: The Leaders Speak – Eric Yuan, Zoom

This is the second blog in the series Disruptive Forces: The Leaders Speak. Profile: Eric Yuan is the Founder and CEO of Zoom Video Communications. Prior to founding Zoom, Eric was Corporate Vice President of Engineering at Cisco, where he was responsible for Cisco’s collaboration software development. Eric’s backstory: As one of the founding engineers and vice […]

Disruptive Forces: The Leaders Speak – Eric Yuan, Zoom

Do You Know Who I Am?

One of the hazards of vending high end systems is dealing with clients who have a rock star attitude. I’ve mentioned before that it’s been my experience dealing with both luxury goods and high end home AV installations that the clients with the highest net worth are the ones who are the most normal, reasonable […]

Do You Know Who I Am?

The (Know-It-All, Do-It-This-Way) Consultant

OK, here goes: I think I know what I’m talking about. No, I know what I’m talking about. You don’t know what you’re talking about. Well maybe you think you know what you’re talking about. Actually, no, you really don’t know what you’re talking about. But if you knew what you were talking about, you […]

The (Know-It-All, Do-It-This-Way) Consultant

Avoiding “A Failure to Communicate” to IT

I recently read a blog in one of the other AV trade publications that left me scratching my head.  It was meant to be a primer for our industry in learning the language of our IT counterparts, and as the subject is something I think is very important for us to continue learning about, I […]

Avoiding “A Failure to Communicate” to IT

What Dell Can Teach the AVL Market

This month, I highlight one of the biggest innovators not in the A/V/L market: Dell. For reasons that will become abundantly clear, this company has figured out how to listen to customers, solicit feedback and incorporate customer service into a commoditized market — and still have steady revenue. It’s important to learn what Dell can […]

What Dell Can Teach the AVL Market

Disruptive Forces: The Leaders Speak – Mark Loney, StarLeaf

This is the first blog in the series Disruptive Forces: The Leaders Speak. Profile: Mark Loney is the driving force behind StarLeaf’s vision to deliver a global network from which to provide cloud video conferencing services and the manufacture of a new generation of collaboration solutions. He is one of those rare individuals who has […]

Disruptive Forces: The Leaders Speak – Mark Loney, StarLeaf

The State of AV/IT Convergence

Back in the spring of this year I had the idea to write a piece on AV/IT convergence, and where I felt we were at with the concept as an industry. I have seen glimpses of convergence in different segments of the AV and low voltage worlds, and it seemed like it was possible to […]

The State of AV/IT Convergence

The Return of Disruptive Forces

While I was not sure at the end of Disruptive Forces in AV/IT that there would be a return of the series, I decided about a month or so ago that I would be bringing it back — this time with a different format as I have titled it “Disruptive Forces: The Leaders Speak.” There will […]

The Return of Disruptive Forces

End of an Era: Toshiba’s Out. Who’s Next?

The big news in my world last week was Toshiba of Canada announcing that they are exiting the consumer electronics channel. Canada is one of 14 countries worldwide where Toshiba is electing to leave the CE space. According to reporting on the matter by Canadian business media, CE only represents 10% of Toshiba’s total corporate […]

End of an Era: Toshiba’s Out. Who’s Next?

The Nobel Prize Goes to …AV?

The Royal Swedish Academy of Sciences announced that this year’s Nobel Prize in Physics will go to the three inventors of the blue LED (light-emitting diode). If you work in the AV space, then you already know the importance that the LED has on display technology in general. But you may not realize how the […]

The Nobel Prize Goes to …AV?

What to Consider When Choosing an Outdoor Digital Signage Display

Folks in commercial AV integration certainly know: you can’t just take any old display, put it outside and call it a day. So, how exactly do you select a display for commercial outdoor use? Here’s some features you should be looking for in an outdoor display: Polarization One of the features that has been recently […]

What to Consider When Choosing an Outdoor Digital Signage Display

AVPhenom Introduces World’s FIRST 4k Speakers

The AV industry has been promoting 4k displays heavily, even calling screens that aren’t 4k by that moniker to capitalize on the craze.  In the wake of 4k displays, there have been a huge blast of press releases touting the first 4k multitouch screen, 4k video extenders, 4k cameras, and even cables certified to push […]

AVPhenom Introduces World’s FIRST 4k Speakers

Breaking Down Barriers

I recently wrote an article for EdTech Digest called “Keys to Engagement: Connectivity Challenges in a Technology-Rich Classroom.” In it, I outlined some challenges and solutions common to modern learning spaces, but which are often not at the top of mind when designing or installing room equipment. One of the ideas I brought up was […]

Breaking Down Barriers

My Incredible Week with the Industry’s Best and Brightest – USAV APEX

What did you do last week?  Did you take on a big and challenging project or find a new million dollar customer? I still think I can top that.  I spent my week with some of the industry’s top integration firms’ and manufacturers’ best and brightest operating executives and next generation leaders. Was there a […]

My Incredible Week with the Industry’s Best and Brightest – USAV APEX

Women in AV: The Three – Part 3: Anne Sellers, Sensory Technologies

This blog and interview were written and conducted by Penny Sitler of Draper Inc. Check them out on Twitter at @DraperInc. I’m honored to have been invited to help write this blog series on women AV entrepreneurs. Corey Moss had the idea, and I hope you’ve already read his excellent interview with Cory Schaeffer of […]

Women in AV: The Three – Part 3: Anne Sellers, Sensory Technologies

The Power of The Wall

So ya, thought ya, might like to go to the show… The year was 1979 when Pink Floyd, one of the most revolutionary bands in history, released one of the most powerful albums in history. It set records, trends — it was, and still is, unmatched by any other band in rock music. Roger Waters, […]

The Power of The Wall

Will Lifesize and Polycom be the Next Blockbuster Video?

  In 2004 Blockbuster Video had 60,000 employees, 9,000 video stores and did 6 Billion, (yes, with a “B”), dollars in revenue.  By 2010 they were bankrupt.  What happened? Netflix. The strangest part of the whole thing though is that Netflix never wanted or intended to be in the DVD business long term.  You don’t […]

Will Lifesize and Polycom be the Next Blockbuster Video?

Another 4k “Fantasy”-Why Football Won’t Help UHD

I read this article today (Sunday) on one of the nation’s other AV sites, and it’s premise was so far off the mark that I couldn’t even wait til tomorrow to write this piece. The main jest of the article is that Fantasy Football’s popularity has spurred a channel called NFL RedZone.  The channel shows […]

Another 4k “Fantasy”-Why Football Won’t Help UHD

DIY CRM

I know that I’ve made unkind comments in the past about LinkedIn’s utility as a social media platform for professionals, but lately I’ve been coming around. I’m starting to find that LinkedIn isn’t completely useless. In addition to being a networking site, it also comes in handy as a venue for collaborating. I know that […]

DIY CRM

The Cyber World — We Have Much More to Fear Than Fear Itself

They say that the ground wars are giving way to a more dangerous threat, one that has no readily visible location or target. Military aircraft are of no benefit in this battle. The military’s answer, for one, is the U.S. Army Cyber Command which plans, coordinates, integrates, synchronizes, directs and conducts network operations and defense of […]

The Cyber World — We Have Much More to Fear Than Fear Itself

Dishwashers, Refrigerators, Kitchen Tables and the Evolving Role of the AV Consultant

As some of you know, I’ve recently moved (which is why I’m not here quite as much) and am trying to take my kitchen to the modern era. When told about the kitchen project, people are invariably off all manner of advice and requests. I’ve been asked often if I’ll be putting a microwave above […]

Dishwashers, Refrigerators, Kitchen Tables and the Evolving Role of the AV Consultant

Three Things the iPhone 6 Tells Us About Future Audio Visual Systems

By Jeremy Boyd, CTS Systems Design Consultant, AVI Systems Apple is not the end-all-be-all in the electronics space, but Apple’s products are often indicators of where we are headed. The iPod was an indicator of how we would start to consume music and the iPhone was the catalyst for many of us to look at […]

Three Things the iPhone 6 Tells Us About Future Audio Visual Systems

Women in AV: The Three – Part 2: Midori Connolly, AVGirl Productions

This blog and interview were written and conducted by Kelly Perkins. Check her out on Twitter at @AVI_Kelly. Midori Connolly is the principal at AVGirl Productions and former co-owner of an audiovisual company. She is best known for producing the first set of best practices for Sustainable AV Staging. Midori provides support to meetings and […]

Women in AV: The Three – Part 2: Midori Connolly, AVGirl Productions

The Michelangelo Effect-Part B: Practical Application

If you read Part A of the Michelangelo Effect, you know it dealt with steering our AV businesses into the waters of AV/IT convergence.  The words of Michelangelo seem to extremely relevant in defining just what attitude we need to adopt in order to be successful in that endeavor.  In many ways, adopting that attitude […]

The Michelangelo Effect-Part B: Practical Application

Will Google or Amazon Buy CEDIA?

Have you heard the news? As you are well aware of by now, the hottest smart home product ever sold is the Nest HVAC controller. In fact, it was so hot that Google took note earlier this year and bought the company for a little over $3 Billion. Well yesterday, Amazon was outed for secretly […]

Will Google or Amazon Buy CEDIA?

The Michelangelo Effect — Part A: Nine Points to the New Renaissance of AV/IT and Convergence

Michelangelo di Lodovico Buonarroti Simoni, well-known as just Michelangelo, was possibly the most renowned artist of the Renaissance. Along with Leonardo and Raphael, they represented artistic pinnacles only to be imitated, but not perfected by other artists. Michelangelo’s body of work was incomparable, and all anyone else could hope to do was duplicate his greatness. […]

The Michelangelo Effect — Part A:  Nine Points to the New Renaissance of AV/IT and Convergence

con·ver·gence

Convergence, in terms of technological convergence (according to Wikipedia), is the tendency for different technological systems to evolve toward performing similar tasks. The premise of AV and IT convergence is simple, two separate realms of technology come together as a single entity to expand the industry’s capabilities to satisfy full-scale technology needs of the end user. In […]

con·ver·gence

Strange ReTales: Employees Behaving Badly Edition: Ducking The Competition

I have a competitive nature, and I make no bones about it. I like to win, and I work hard to win. When I don’t win, I go back to the drawing board, and work on what I need to do in order to win next time. It might be my bias but I think […]

Strange ReTales: Employees Behaving Badly Edition: Ducking The Competition