SMART Technologies has announced that it has won the prestigious Leadership Award in the industry subcategory of hardware in the 2007 Deloitte Technology Fast 50 Awards. The program is celebrating its tenth anniversary as the preeminent technology awards program in Canada. SMART was recognized as the leading Canadian-based company for hardware product development and received the award for its ability to create a distinct competitive advantage in a high-growth market. The Leadership Awards celebrate the outstanding accomplishments of elite companies in the Canadian technology sector within the categories of emerging technologies, hardware, software and telecommunications.

SMART’s innovation and product development history spans over 20 years, beginning with the introduction of the world’s first interactive white board in 1991. Since then, more than 650,000 SMART Board™ interactive whiteboards have been installed in classrooms, meeting rooms and training rooms around the world. SMART has built a leadership position globally in providing products that encourage and support collaboration, with sales in over 100 countries worldwide. In 2006, the company surpassed CDN$1 billion in cumulative sales. SMART continues to create new products and find new ways to enhance its current product offerings for a growing global market. SMART has also been presented with the Lifetime Achievement Canada Export Award from the Canadian government’s Department of Foreign Affairs and International Trade, and has qualified for the country’s most prestigious national business award, Canada’s 50 Best Managed Companies, for eight consecutive years.

For more information, please visit the SMART Website.

Here, you can see the Aquivo weather resistant LCD screen take on a fireman’s hose…and survive it!

According to IT Portal, Sharp Corporation and Sharp Laboratories of Europe Ltd have developed a new LCD, which can simultaneously display different information and image content in right and left views in a single unit by directionally controlling the viewing angle of the LCD. This feature makes it possible to provide information and content tailored to specific users depending on the angle at which they view the screen, there is also a video available here.

The website also states that increasingly wider viewing angles in LCD screens have made possible clear, highly readable displays without loss of image quality no matter what direction the display is viewed from, and mean that several users can view an LCD simultaneously.

IT Portal also highlights the “Envisioned application scenarios”:

“LCD multimedia monitor” — Display a TV broadcast on the right screen, while displaying an Internet browser screen on the left screen.

“In-vehicle display”— Driver’s side shows a map display, while the passenger side shows a movie on DVD.
“Professional monitor” — Display sales offer information to clients on one side while revealing internal data to sales personnel on the other.

“Advertisement monitor” — A passerby who comes from right direction can see advertisement [A], and a passerby who comes from left direction can see advertisement [B]. The LCD enables the simultaneous display of two different advertisements and makes more effective use of LCD placements.

With summer well underway and people spending much more of their time outdoors, the timing of a new innovative technology launch at Advanced will be a hit with any business looking to push the boundaries of where it displays its media and entertainment.

Don’t let the environment constrain your displays

In the past, video displays have largely been confined to dry, indoor areas due to problems with ambient light and fears that inclement weather or dust build-up could damage the equipment.

HD picture quality outdoors, even in the rain

AQUiVO is a revolutionary new range of weather resistant LCD screens, specifically designed for use outdoors and in wet, humid or dusty environments. These unique screens offer the latest HD picture quality, with an IP56 all-weather protection rating for use in beer gardens, bathrooms, spa areas, hospitality areas and terraces.

Defense against water, dust, humidity and contact

IP stands for Ingress Protection, the level of rating given to a screen in its defense against water, dust and humidity and suitability for use outside. Dust is prevented from entering in any amount that is harmful to the working of the screen, and the screen is completely protected against contact. AQUiVO screens are protected against water from heavy seas or projected in powerful jets, and these will not enter the enclosure in harmful quantities.

Crystal clear images even in bright sunlight

Every screen in the range has a fully sealed, lightweight aluminum frame and a toughened glass front, finished with an anti reflective coating which means they can display excellent quality pictures even in bright sunlight.

Limitless display solutions

Come rain or shine, humidity or dust, the state of the art LCD panels ensure superb brightness, contrast and colour quality. This makes these screens the first LCDs suitable for use on patios, for sporting events, in spas, theme parks, on public transport and at golf courses, to name but a few.

The largest screen of its kind

The screens are currently available in 3 sizes including 55″, the largest screen of its type on the market, with either HD Ready or Full HD technology resolution.

For more information on the groundbreaking range of AQUiVO screens, contact us at 905-502-1110 or visit http://www.apgdisplays.com/products/aquivo/.

Q: We’ve noticed that some new projector models have an RJ45 input on them. Can you clarify what exactly this feature allows us to do and what the real life application would be?

A. You are correct that RJ45 jacks are now being introduced on mid range XGA projector models from the leading manufacturers. This feature does truly make your projector a networkable device and offers some impressive benefits with very little added cost.

The units we’ve tested come with software that once loaded on your pc, allows you to view the status of the projector from wherever you are as long as you are on the corporate network.

A great example is the new Hitachi CPX268 model. You can use this model in a LAN environment for centralized monitoring of such things as power, inputs and lamp hours. With the free network software that comes with the unit, more than 500 projectors can be monitored from a single PC. It is also possible to actually control the power and other functions of any of these projectors connected via LAN. In fact, the software is so powerful it can be configured using Simple Mail Transfer Protocol (SMTP) to send a warning message via email to up to five designated email addresses when certain issues arise.

From an asset management perspective this is a great feature as you can ensure the projectors are being turned off when not in use, which reduces lamp hours and overall cost of ownership. For a help desk perspective this can be very useful as you’ll know when a problem is occurring often before the actual user even does!

64 plasma units. 8 legs. 17’ high. 335 square feet of display. 7500+ pounds that needs to be free standing. These were only a few of the challenges Advanced Products Group (APG) had to face recently when building an 8×8 plasma wall for a private event.

The creation of the unique 24’ plasma wall

APG was contacted in September 2006 with a request for a large display wall for a private event to be held in May 2007. This was to be the largest plasma wall ever to be built in Canada.

The 8×8 wall required custom manufactured legs to hold a frame 13.75 feet high x 24.33 feet wide, 42” off of the floor with a total weight including all plasmas of more than 7500 lbs. A mechanical engineer and a custom metal shop were hired exclusively for this job. In the meantime, APG’s engineers and sales team were discussing all the details of the event— how the testing was going to be done, how the various inputs would be displayed on the wall, and how to control and pull everything together.

Putting it all together

To leave nothing to chance, a complete dummy build and comprehensive test was undertaken before the event; structural build, safety testing, cabling, pre-colour balancing, matrixing and control programming were all checked exhaustively.

Technical Ingenuity

During the event, the screens were controlled and remotely managed using the Crestron MP2E controller with a TPS4500 touch panel. The multiple sources were sent to the plasma wall using an Extron 8×8 matrix switcher and 8 Extron distribution amplifiers. The inputs used for the wall included 4 DVD players, 4 cameras and a media server all set to the same resolution and frequency.

APG’s programmers worked hard to make this touch panel solution extremely simple for the show operator. In the end, the operator simply needed to touch the “desired look” he wanted on the 8×8 and the input source would appear in each magnification.

The BIG day

Once everything was in place, the event was ready to start. And that’s when the plasma wall received the spotlight. Guests were amazed by the power of the screens, generating a wow factor never experienced before to every single person in that room. APG had just created the largest plasma wall in Canada, and did so to perfection. It was a flawless execution to a tight deadline.

For more information on rental of the Infinite Plasma, contact Advanced Products Group at 905-502-1110 or visit www.apgdisplays.com/products/infinite-plasma.

There are several options available when replacing the lamp in your projector. Some are safer and more reliable than others.

The dangers of re-bulbing

Advanced’s new projector lamp division, Projector Lamp Experts, recommends that only brand new lamps made by reputable manufacturers are purchased for replacement. We have taken the decision to exclude any type of lamp refurbishment/re-bulbing from the services we offer to our customers.

Mercury Hazard

We have concerns over the safety and quality of lamps that have been re-bulbed and feel it would be unprofessional to put the safety of our customers and their equipment at risk. The deposition of poisonous mercury on the lamp’s casing, and the fact that replacing just the bulb means that other parts subjected to heat damage during the lamp’s operation (like the reflectors and connectors) remain unchanged, are the principle reasons behind our decision.

APO – the cost effective way

For those seeking a more cost-effective way to replace their projector’s lamp, we offer APO branded compatible lamps where these are available. APO is a high-quality ISO9001 rated manufacturer of compatible lamps that tests each lamp for beam performance, lamp life, connections and appearance, so you can trust them to work flawlessly in your projector. APO lamps are typically up to 30% less expensive than the alternative made by the original projector manufacturer, and so present a high-quality yet cost effective way to replace your lamps. APO lamps are supplied with a double warranty covering both the lamp and your projector against premature lamp failure.

For more information on replacement lamps, including our new APO range, contact a Projector Lamp Expert at 1-866-773-7770 or visit http://www.projectorlampexperts.com.

HSBC in July 2007, Google by 2008… even the Vatican; all organizations that have declared themselves carbon neutral. Concern about the environment is mounting. Corporations and individuals are seeking ways to make a difference by investing in socially responsible initiatives that protect the environment.

Travel: Effects on the environment

Air travel is increasingly identified as a major contributor to climate change, with environmental campaigners calculating that the world’s 16,000 commercial jets generate more than 600 million tonnes of carbon dioxide annually. Lower profile but actually more damaging are our motor vehicles. A regular 644km round trip via car for monthly meetings will generate 1.38 tonnes of carbon per year.

An alternate way to meet

High definition video communication is finally good enough as an alternative to being there in person. It’s highly reliable, cost effective and absolutely simple to use. At Advanced, we recommend LifeSize as our preferred HD video communication solution.

By incorporating the LifeSize high definition video conferencing system into your business, it enables you to facilitate collaboration between parties in an easier, cost effective and above all, environmentally friendly manner.

LifeSize HD video conferencing technology is extremely reliable and can operate at any bandwidth level for any meeting. Compared with traditional video conferencing that involves massive infrastructure, LifeSize HD video conferencing is easy to set up and implement in your organization.

LifeSize Room

The LifeSize Room consists of the HD codec, HD camera with wide angle zoom lens, HD audio conference phone and a wireless remote. By utilizing these four components, your organization can eliminate the costs and the environmental consequences associated with traveling from each location.

For more information on how Advanced Presentation Solutions can integrate a clear, simple, intuitive and environmentally conscious solution for your video conferencing needs contact us at 905-502-1110 or info@advanced-inc.com.

ADVANCED announces a SMART new product launch—the Senteo interactive response system

Advanced is now carrying the new Senteo™ interactive response system by SMART Technologies Inc. From Radio Frequency (RF) technology and large LCD screen (3 lines of text), to ergonomic design and extended battery life, SMART has bundled an impressive set of features in the Senteo interactive response system. SMART reports that the Senteo interactive response system, which was launched June 1, has already garnered highly positive feedback.

Meet Senteo

The Senteo interactive response system is a handheld assessment tool designed to enhance learning. Combined with a USB receiver and a set of radio frequency handsets, the system enables educators and presenters to quiz, poll, assess and gauge audience understanding, all within SMART’s Notebook software. The Senteo interactive response system can be used along side the SMART Board interactive whiteboard, or with a projector, PC and white screen.

Formative and summative assessment

You can use the Senteo interactive response system in a classroom or training environment. A moderator can pose a question and within seconds the respondents’ answers are anonymously logged on a laptop at the front of the room. With the system, trainers can get instant feedback by posing questions before, during or after a lesson to find out if students are on track. When employers need to confidentially acquire employees’ opinions, the Senteo interactive response system can be used for polling. The Senteo response system eases fears of giving a wrong answer in front of peers, or of expressing unpopular opinions. In all cases, immediate feedback is received which can be later used to help shape the rest of the lessons or future organizational changes. By providing instant feedback, the system increases the vital one-to-one interaction between parties.

SMART features

This highly intuitive system includes remotes, a central receiver and powerful software that allows you to quiz, survey and assess. The Senteo also works seamlessly with Notebook™ software and Microsoft® Word, Power- Point® and Excel® software.

For a Senteo or SMART board Interactive whiteboard demonstration, contact us at 905-502-1110 or email us at sales@advanced-inc.com.

So, what is a visualizer? Visualizers or document cameras are electronic imaging tools for displaying 3-D objects, artwork, printed material or live subjects. They provide the means for large or small audiences to see details which would be impossible to see either due to the limitation of the human eye, subject size, the surroundings or remoteness of the subject being viewed.

They facilitate collaboration between colleagues, either remotely or locally and are extremely effective in helping people absorb and retain information through display technology.

Forget Overhead Projectors

Unlike overhead projectors, specially-prepared slides, transparencies or vu-foils are not required. Visualizers can show documents, books - and many other objects - directly. Entire pages can be shown or minute details zoomed into. Many original OHP transparencies or vu-foils, can still be used and presented using Visualizers.

Ceiling Mounted Visualizers

Certainly impressive in specification and use is the ceiling mounted visualizer where the basic idea is to keep the speaker’s table or lectern free, so that nothing disturbs the view between the speaker and audience. In various situations, it would be impossible to place everything the audience is supposed to see on a working surface of a “Desktop Visualizer”. A Ceiling Visualizer is the ideal solution for such applications and in addition, the visualizer can be completely hidden in a suspended ceiling. There are no cables from the table to the ceiling and objects to be imaged can be even larger.

Numerous Applications

Today we see visualizers interacting with computers, interactive hardware and video conferencing, enabling communicators to deliver their subject matter with greater impact. They facilitate collaboration on a local or global scale enabling efficient and extremely timely decision making.

Some of the most common application for visualizers are:

• Legal/Law enforcement
• Corporate/Business Industry
• Education
• Medical

At Advanced, we carry visualizers from: Elmo, Wolfvision and Toshiba

Whatever the application you are looking for, Advanced can assist you in selecting the ideal visualizer for your industry. For more information on visualizers, go to www.visualizerexperts.com .