Google Debuts 3D Conferencing System ‘Beam,’ Formerly Project Starline

A few years ago, Google introduced Project Starline — a research initiative aimed at redefining video communication using 3D imaging. It enabled remote conversations that felt almost like being in the same room, all without the need for special glasses or headsets. I had a private demo at the time and honestly, it felt too […]

Google Debuts 3D Conferencing System ‘Beam,’ Formerly Project Starline

Behind the Stand at ISE 2025: An Interview With Google’s Quentin Esterhuizen

THIS IS A PROMOTED POST Welcome to this series highlighting some of the manufacturers and brands that will be featured on the show floor at ISE 2025. As we gear up for the event, we wanted to share a preview of what these companies are bringing to the table — from new products to insights […]

Behind the Stand at ISE 2025: An Interview With Google’s Quentin Esterhuizen

Rants & rAVes — Episode: 1387: Gary Gets the Scoop on Google’s ISE 2025 Plans!

For today’s pre-ISE 2025 videocast, I had the chance to chat with Quentin Esterhuizen, Google’s product management lead for Google Meet Hardware. Quentin shared exciting details about what Google has planned for the show — including a hint at a big surprise they’ll be demoing right on the show floor. Don’t miss it — watch […]

Rants & rAVes — Episode: 1387: Gary Gets the Scoop on Google’s ISE 2025 Plans!

Shure Bundles Its MXA902 Ceiling Array Microphone and ANIUSB-MATRIX Audio Network Interface Into Kit

Shure introduced the Shure MXA902 + ANIUSB-MATRIX Audio Conferencing Kit. The Audio Conferencing Kit comes in a single package that includes the MXA902 Ceiling Array Microphone with Built-In Loudspeaker paired and pre-routed with the ANIUSB-MATRIX Audio Network Interface. The kit is certified for Microsoft Teams Rooms and Zoom Rooms and Works with Google Meet. The […]

Shure Bundles Its MXA902 Ceiling Array Microphone and ANIUSB-MATRIX Audio Network Interface Into Kit

Google, HP and Logitech to Battle for Immersive Video Calls — Which Do You Prefer?

Earlier this year, Google announced Project Starline would become a reality in 2024 or 2025. For this project, Google is partnering with HP to make the solution commercially available starting in 2025. Yesterday, it shared a first look at the product design, built in collaboration with HP. Instead of making Project Starline into an entire meeting room, the companies have […]

Google, HP and Logitech to Battle for Immersive Video Calls — Which Do You Prefer?

HP and Google Partner to Compete with Logitech’s Project Ghost with Rebirth of 2021’s Project Starline

With more than half of meaning and intent communicated through body language versus words alone, an immersive collaboration experience plays an important role in creating authentic human connections in hybrid environments. That’s what drove Logitech to develop Project Ghost in 2023. Now, Google is back with a new iteration of its Project Starline aimed at […]

HP and Google Partner to Compete with Logitech’s Project Ghost with Rebirth of 2021’s Project Starline

PowerShades Debuts PoE Version 2.0

PowerShades PoE 2.0 is out, and as the name implies, it includes PoE (dubbed TruePoE) automated window shades. This new version of PowerShades’ PoE shades arrives with new features and benefits, including indoor shade size up to 19’, quieter motors and 13x more processing power. Benefits of the new PoE 2.0 shades include: Up to […]

PowerShades Debuts PoE Version 2.0

Rants & rAVes — Episode 1309: Here’s What Logitech Will Debut at ISE 2024. Hint: Hollywood!

Logitech will be at ISE 2024 in stand/booth 2M300, showing a plethora of UCC solutions that address every need — from the remote participants to in-person participants — equitably! To talk more about this, Logitech’s head of video collaboration alliances and go-to-market, Sudeep Trivedi, joined my latest videocast to drop some big news about something […]

Rants & rAVes — Episode 1309: Here’s What Logitech Will Debut at ISE 2024. Hint: Hollywood!

Google JamBoard: Lessons Learned

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 […]

Google JamBoard: Lessons Learned

Google Nest Hub Is America’s Most Searched For Smart Home Product

A new study has revealed that Google Nest Hubs are the most searched-for smart home product line in America, with an average of 137,520 searches per month. Home and tech experts Smarthomestarter.com used Google data to analyze searches for various smart home related keywords to determine which smart device product lines were searched for the […]

Google Nest Hub Is America’s Most Searched For Smart Home Product

Humly Solutions Becomes Google Cloud Partner

Humly Solutions just became a Google Cloud Partner, and now the Humly Room Display has been approved for the Google Certification program. This means that Humly Room Display is part of an exclusive shortlist of room booking solutions globally that have been certified and part of an even shorter list of certified solutions integrated with […]

Humly Solutions Becomes Google Cloud Partner

Poly Announces Studio X Are the First Android-Based Single-Codec Video Appliances for Google Meet

Poly announced that its Studio X video bars will be the first Android-based, single-codec video appliances for Google Meet. The Studio X Family joins Poly’s growing list of devices certified for Google Meet, Google Voice and Chrome OS, so users can look and sound their best on every call. The entire Poly Studio X family, […]

Poly Announces Studio X Are the First Android-Based Single-Codec Video Appliances for Google Meet

Allo, Google?

Google’s Duo will rebrand as Meet with the features from both apps. But Google’s Meet’s will remain Meet. Yes, there will be just two Google Meet apps: Meet (let’s call it 1.0, the Meet app to be soon phased out) and the new Meet (let’s call it “2.0,” the new Meet app that combines both […]

Allo, Google?

Google Wants Us on Its Radar

The latest human-computer interface — an interface that could dramatically impact the AV business — comes from Google’s hardware invention studio, Advanced Technology & Projects (ATAP). What if our devices (in-home, in-office building, and in-store) had social intelligence within? People and devices have their own concepts of personal space — and Google uses its research […]

Google Wants Us on Its Radar

Avocor To Exhibit Google Meet Series One Product Portfolio and More at ISE 2022

Avocor will exhibit several new innovations at ISE 2022, including the full Google Meet Series One product portfolio. ISE will be the first time, since the strategic partnership with Google was announced in August 2021, that both products will be showcased side-by-side. “ISE is the meeting place for the brightest ideas, smartest people, and most […]

Avocor To Exhibit Google Meet Series One Product Portfolio and More at ISE 2022

Elo Releases Updated I-Series System and Backpack 4, Expands Enterprise Tool Capabilities

Elo announced the enhanced I-Series 4 and Backpack 4 products. This update adds Android 10, Google Mobile Services (GMS) and a suite of enterprise tools that enhance flexibility in device management to the products. The new I-Series is a touch screen POS system with Android 10, optional Google Mobile Services (GMS) and OEMConfig. The displays come in 10-, 15- and […]

Elo Releases Updated I-Series System and Backpack 4, Expands Enterprise Tool Capabilities

Avocor’s Latest Launch Includes Stealing BenQ’s Thunder via Partnership with Google Workspace

Avocor today announced a global partnership with Google Workspace and also launched two new all-in-one videoconferencing and digital whiteboarding devices — the Google Meet Series One Desk 27 and Board 65. Both are touch-enabled video devices designed as part of the Google Meet Series One hardware portfolio (think Zoom Rooms and Microsoft Teams Rooms, but […]

Avocor’s Latest Launch Includes Stealing BenQ’s Thunder via Partnership with Google Workspace

Google Certifies QSC Q-SYS Platform for Google Meet Use

QSC announced that Google has certified the Q-SYS Platform for use with Google Meet hardware kits. This certification allows integrators and IT end users to select from any Q-SYS Core processor or USB audio bridging endpoint, regardless of processing or I/O requirements, to ensure integration with Google Meet hardware. All Q-SYS Core processors are driven […]

Google Certifies QSC Q-SYS Platform for Google Meet Use

Where the Magic Happens: Engagement and Goodwill

Working As a Team It’s down to the wire. It’s going to take all hands on deck to save this install. We have to get it done — too much is on the line. Twelve hours of work today? Could be more. This one is going to take as long as it takes. Every integrator […]

Where the Magic Happens: Engagement and Goodwill

Google’s Project Starline to Bring 3D Holographic Videoconferencing Booths to AV Market

Google announced the company has been working to perfect Project Starline — a technology project that combines hardware and software to enable friends, families and co-workers to “feel together” — for years. And, the demo was stunning. Watch this video so you’ll understand what I am writing about here: To make this experience possible, Google […]

Google’s Project Starline to Bring 3D Holographic Videoconferencing Booths to AV Market

“Alexa, Clean Out My Desk”

By Kate Couch How will smart devices be used in the corporate world in years and months to come? Last year, the corporate office took a large turn as many of us had to begin working remotely from home. This created an entirely new world for audiovisual — Zoom. Zoom, as most companies are aware, […]

“Alexa, Clean Out My Desk”

Google — Is the Future No Longer Free?

For educational institutions far and wide, public and private, kindergarten to graduate school, Google services have one thing we all love — the price was right! For many of us, that meant it was free. There have always been some premium services that you can choose to pay for if you are a Google school, […]

Google — Is the Future No Longer Free?

From Entertainment and Search, to Smart Home Control, Voice Assistant Technology Comes of Age

By Jack Wetherill Futuresource Consulting Smart speakers continue to capture the hearts and wallets of consumers, driving demand for wireless speakers and establishing a wider acceptance of voice assistants. By the end of 2019, 21 million smart speakers were in use in Western European homes, on track to exceed 32 million by the end of […]

From Entertainment and Search, to Smart Home Control, Voice Assistant Technology Comes of Age

A Recap of LAVNCH EMEA’s Collaboration Session

What better LAVNCH EMEA session to recap on UCC Collaborative Day than the one titled “Collaboration Session?” I’m not being facetious; I was really excited to hear what this one had in store. And I was excited for the familiar faces in it: Jane Hammersley of Collabtech, Lieven Bertier of Barco, Nia Celestin of DTEN, […]

A Recap of LAVNCH EMEA’s Collaboration Session

Elo Says It Has World’s First Interactive Display Line Certified by Google

Elo today announced upgrades to its Android-based I-Series, PayPoint, PayPoint Plus and Backpack products, with the availability of Google Play Services across its full line of 10- to 70-inch interactive solutions. Elo’s new third generation series of Android products enable access to the latest Google Mobile Services apps, including Google Chrome, YouTube, Play Store access […]

Elo Says It Has World’s First Interactive Display Line Certified by Google

Philips Professional Display Releases MediaSuite Pro TV Across EMEA

Philips Professional Display Solutions (Philips PDS) has announced its complete range of new, Google-certified, Android-powered MediaSuite Pro TVs is now available to all customers across EMEA. Unveiled during ISE 2019 in Amsterdam, the new Philips PDS MediaSuite range has been designed to help revolutionise the way businesses and end-users can access and broadcast digital content, […]

Philips Professional Display Releases MediaSuite Pro TV Across EMEA

Avaya Deepens Integration With Google Cloud, Adds AI

Avaya Holdings today announced further integration with Google Cloud Contact Center AI to provide better experiences. This includes embedding Google’s machine learning within Avaya conversation services powering the contact center, enabling easy integration of AI capabilities regardless of channel, promoting a consistent and intelligent experience for customers and delivering true omni-channel experiences with AI. Avaya […]

Avaya Deepens Integration With Google Cloud, Adds AI

Home Technology’s Rise of the Smart Displays

Digital assistants are all the rage these days and they seem to live in so many places like your car radio, watches, smart phones, tablet, computers and the very popular “smart speaker” category. The smart speaker category has grown rapidly and has seen adoption from major brand names in the audio and tech industries — […]

Home Technology’s Rise of the Smart Displays

SYNNEX Continues to Invest in Google Ecosystem to Offer Cloud Services for Recurring Revenue

THIS IS A PROMOTED POST FROM SYNNEX   Everyone in nearly every industry is talking about the cloud. And, you likely already use it — whether you realize it or not. If you have your smartphone backing up your photos online, that’s the cloud. If you collaborate on documents with others, that’s the cloud. If […]

SYNNEX Continues to Invest in Google Ecosystem to Offer Cloud Services for Recurring Revenue

Savant Adds Google Home

Savant has announced compatibility between Savant’s smart home ecosystem and the Google Home Assistant speech-recognition engine. Savant pioneered the use of voice control as part of the connected home by introducing the Savant Pro Remote, enabling homeowners to activate a Savant Scene, choose a favorite channel or select a source within their entertainment system. With […]

Savant Adds Google Home

Chromecast Now Supported in Roon — a New Hi-Fi Experience Awaits

Good news, everyone! Roon now streams to any Chromecast device, Google Home smart speakers, Chromecast Audio and Chromecast audio receivers, as well as a ton of third party devices. Roon announced it on their blog earlier this month (07/06/18) and you can read the full announcement here. “In addition to Chromecast streaming, today’s release includes […]

Chromecast Now Supported in Roon — a New Hi-Fi Experience Awaits

Videxio Announces Interoperability for Hangouts Meet by G Suite

Videxio has announced that it has signed an agreement with Google Cloud in partnership with Pexip and will be one of the first to offer video conferencing interoperability for Hangouts Meet. The new Hangouts Meet interoperability service means that users will be able to join Hangouts Meet using their existing video communication solution, whether that […]

Videxio Announces Interoperability for Hangouts Meet by G Suite