SMART Technologies has three special offers as part of a widespread media campaign to K-12 education administrators:

• Purchase 10 SMART Board™ interactive whiteboards and receive a 32-remote Senteo™ interactive response system at no cost
• Purchase 25 SMART Board interactive whiteboards and receive three 32-remote Senteo interactive response systems and training at no cost
• Purchase 50 SMART Board interactive whiteboards and receive eight 32-remote Senteo interactive response systems and training at no cost

These offers are valid until April 30, 2008, and are available in Canada from Advanced Presentation Products.

Why not take advantage of this promotion  for an affordable way to equip your classrooms with SMART products?

NEC have announced the release of four high performance models to its award-winning line of projectors. These portable, mobile and professional integration projectors, which deliver bright, high-contrast images are sure to keep the attention of your audience during a presentation.

NEC VT800

A portable premium projector with high resolution images and superior brightness:

• XGA 1024×768 native resolution
• High brightness with 2700 ANSI lumens
• Remote diagnostics for remote adjustments
• Silicon OPtix HQV™ technology produces superior video processing
• Built-in closed captioning
• Flexible video/data connections, including HDMI with HDCP
• 2 year parts and labor warranty with 1 year lamp warranty

NEC NP100/200

Unrivaled affordability, compact and lightweight for bright, high-contrast presentations:

• DLP technology provides high-contrast images
• Brightness up to 2100 ANSI lumens
• Flexible input panel connects with computer, composite video, S-video and component video
• Compact size and lightweight design simplify transport
• 10-step magnification with location control allows you to zoom in on key information
• ECO Mode™ technology helps extend lamp life up to 4000 hours

NEC NP3151W

A high performance widescreen model, the NEC3151W delivers bright, high-contrast images, ideal for corporate boardrooms, training facilities and education:

• Silicon OPtix HQV technology brings home theater video processing to the corporate and education environments
• 400 ANSI lumens brightness
• Increases desktop workspace 30% over traditional XGA projectors
• Remote dekstop connection allows the projector to connect to a networked computer
• Complete line of optional bayonet lenses allow for quick and easy lens change
• Powerful integrated networking and asset management
• Lamp saveer technologies protect the projector from overheating

The new range of NEC projector products are available in Canada from Advanced Presentation Products.

Core Learning has announced the availability of over 1.5 GB of new online math and language arts learning resources for access by teachers worldwide.

The content can be accessed and subscribed to through Globalgridforlearning.com, their web portal managed by the Global Grid for Learning, a Cambridge University Press company.

This new website gives teachers and schools access to full lessons and other instructional materials and practice sheets on fundamental math and language arts topics as more and more education facilities in Canada turn to online resources. Core Learning’s President and CEO, Doug Hatch, explains:

Core Learning is delighted to be one of the first North American publishers to participate in this significant global offering of educational resources for teachers. This is a great step forward in our mission to provide effective learning of core skills, especially in the areas of math and English language literacy.

The placement of these important math and literacy resources in the Global Grid for Learning web portal allows access for any teacher at a very modest cost. The Global Grid for Learning is part of Cambridge University Press, the most venerable and trusted educational publisher, and we are proud to be working with them.

Access is provided by subscription and is based on the amount of digital content downloaded from the web site and through a marketing arrangement between Global Grid for Learning and SMART Technologies, the market leader in interactive whiteboards for the education market, many of the resources supplied to the Global Grid for Learning are also available by subscription to the SMART Learning Marketplace web service.

Hatch went on to explain the partnership with SMART:

SMART Technologies is a leader in innovative technologies for use in classroom instruction. Our resources operate very effectively with the display and interactivity features of SMARTBoards.

SMART Whiteboards

Advanced supply and install quality solutions using SMART technology in the education sector. See how we are using their technology to create a more interactive Canadian classroom experience. SMART intereactive.

Ref. Business Wire

Videoconferencing technology has been with us for years, but it never really took off mainly because of the poor image quality and the prohibitive per-minute cost of ISDN. Custom-installed ISDN lines, which had to be strung together in parallel to communicate the necessary data, were the only way to use the technology.

Now, videoconferencing vendors sell products designed to operate over standard broadband Internet connections. They also offer products with high-definition video, making images crisper and enabling a more intuitive conversation for both parties.

U.S.-based LifeSize Communications believes it has cracked the price problem with LifeSize Express, a relatively low-cost product with high-definition Inter-net-based video communications. With 30 frames per second (the same as standard video), at a resolution of 1280 x 720 pixels, it offers real-time video indications at Internet speeds as low as 128 kb per second. (To get the full video quality, however, you will need 1Mb per second.)

While still priced in the thousands, LifeSize Express is useful to companies with a need for regular long-distance communication between the same people. With gas prices escalating, and tighter security making it troublesome to take even short trips, companies that need something better than a PC-to-PC video link, with a product such as Skype, might opt for LifeSize Express.

For more information about LifeSize Express contact Advanced Presentation Products at 905-502-1110 or email sales@advanced-inc.com

 -as published in the Financial Post, Monday, December 10, 2007

ViewSonic® Corp. today fueled its projector market share momentum with five new DLP projectors that meet the diverse presentation and entertainment needs of classrooms, boardrooms and road warriors. This launch comes on the heels of tremendous growth for the company, as ViewSonic became the fastest growing projector brand in the market in the first half of 2007[1].

The new, affordable projectors - the PJ557D, PJ559D, PJ560D, PJ551D and PJ260D - all include Texas Instruments’ BrilliantColor™ Technology, giving users the best display performance available to the mainstream market. BrilliantColor™ Technology provides richer, more lifelike images by using a wider range of the color spectrum, making presentations brighter and more dynamic than ever before.

“Extending beyond the desktop, ViewSonic understands that educators and busy professionals require easy-to-use projectors with outstanding image quality that fit within their budget,” said Jeff Volpe , vice president of marketing, ViewSonic Americas. “These new feature-rich projectors demonstrate how ViewSonic is leveraging its leadership in desktop displays to deliver a complete portfolio of products with superior visual performance and quality that surpass customer expectations.” (more…)

This week, Panasonic announced the debut of its newest LCD home theater projector with 1080p (1,920 x 1,080 pixel) native resolution: the PT-AE2000E. Designed for savvy home theater enthusiasts and audio video professionals who desire an immersive home entertainment viewing experience, the new projector delivers 1080p images with a carefully-tuned lens system to reproduce remarkable detail and clarity with 1,500 lumen brightness and 16,000:1 contrast ratio.

The new PT-AE2000E model is the next evolution of its predecessor, the PT-AE1000E, which has been widely accepted and used to display professional movies. The new projector reproduces the original picture quality intended by Hollywood movie and television directors - all within the comfort of consumers’ home theaters.

Beautiful Picture Quality with Improved Clarity

The PT-AE2000E model comes equipped with Panasonic’s new optical system that’s designed to display beautifully detailed images with a captivating brightness of 1,500 lumens. Careful craftsmanship is incorporated into each individual optical system by highly skilled technicians to fully optimize the image for full high definition (HD) resolution. The projector’s new Detail Clarity Processor analyzes frequency characteristics of each frame in three dimensions (horizontal, vertical, and along the time axis) and applies necessary sharpness at varying degrees to create natural, life-like images with exceptional clarity.

The PT-AE2000E projector reproduces Hollywood movies, independent films and other entertainment with exceptional color accuracy. Its enhanced unique Pure Color Filter Pro uses optical adjustment to achieve a higher purity level of the three primary colors; it also helps displays deeper, purer blacks. The color space has been extended even more to match the approximate level specified in the digital cinema industry.

For the full specification, and more information about the Panasonic PT-AE2000E, read here.

Toshiba’s Digital Products Division, a division of Toshiba America Information Systems, Inc., today announced the release of the TLP-XC2000U LCD projector with integrated, advanced CMOS (complementary metal oxide semiconductor) document camera. The projector’s high-quality document camera features a 3-mega pixel resolution, 16X zoom and built-in LED light for capturing 3D images, fine text and microscopic details for big-screen display for a value-price of $1,099 (ESUP)1.

“The Toshiba TLP-XC2000U projector with advanced, integrated document camera will capture any audience’s attention and give presenters and educators the ability to show the latest products, archeological samples or a page from a textbook instantly,” said Sam Malik, director of projector sales and marketing, Toshiba Digital Products Division. “The TLP-XC2000U projector is another example of Toshiba’s dedication to creating the best quality presentation solutions at unbeatable pricing for educators, small-to-medium businesses and corporate trainers.”

Featuring Toshiba’s Natural Color Enhancer3 (NCE3), users can project images with exceptionally sharp and brilliant clarity. At just 8.8 pounds, the TLP-XC2000U projector sports an impressive 2,000 ANSI lumens, XGA 1024 x 768 native resolution and 400:1 contrast ratio to deliver bright, captivating images. The projector is HDTV/DTV compatible and the lamp life can be extended up to 3,000 hours in Eco-Mode for energy and cost savings.

The projector is designed with a sophisticated approach to security, a removable palm-sized control panel. When the security panel is removed, the projector is no longer operable unless the password is entered on the remote control or when the removable panel is replaced.

The TLP-XC2000U projector also includes the following leading-edge features:

• One-touch auto setup on a fully-loaded presentation remote to ensure worry-free, professional presentations even in the most unforgiving environments;
• Instant power shut down capability that enables the projector to power off instantly once disconnected from the power outlet with no cool-down time required;
• Digital zoom function on the remote control allowing the presenter to zoom in on a specific image presentation element such as spreadsheet numbers or other important details;
• A variety of connectivity options, such as composite video and S-video inputs, audio in and variable audio output capabilities;
• Special monitor-out capabilities that allow users to display and view images on a monitor and screen simultaneously, allowing the presenter to face their audience directly rather than turning around to read slides;
• Automatic vertical keystone correction (plus or minus 30 degrees) that instantly projects a square image even when the projector is set up at a steep offset angle to the screen;
• Quiet operation of only 31 decibels (dB) (in low mode) - quieter than a soft conversation.

The TLP-XC2000U is currently available through Toshiba’s authorized distributors, VARs, mail-order outlets and www.ToshibaDirect.com.

(Reference PR web)

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!