Latest Computers Articles

Hotel Lobby Digital Signage

Mon, 06 Sep 2010 09:53:58 -0500

On a recent visit to the Marriott hotel chain, we where met at the reception with a digital advertising screen that had a built in motion sensor.

This gave us some basic information for the hotel, such as what leisure facility opening hours are, what was on the menu in the main restaurant and in the bar and information about Internet access.

This bought time as the desk clerk was busy dealing with another customer who was checking in, and by the time the ads had looped completely we where being tended too.

This is the most basic use of digital signage, however a more sophisticated digital signage solution is deployed at the Hyatt chain of hotels, here they have an interactive check in and an express check out. Also in their car park they utilise outdoor digital signage to advertise their chain of hotels in various destinations throughout the world, this type of solution is common in hotels and this is how they achieve it.

Check in desk digital signage.
Here numerous large flat panel screens are deployed above the desk and are viewed by guests as they check in. The media is stored on a local networked media player just behind the wall, sort of a back office application; this is then connected to the large screens using Category 5e network cables, this enables the content to be uploaded from a local computer connected to the media player.

Express check in and check out.
This application uses a floor standing kiosk that is interactive so guests can input their data, i.e. reservation number. This is can either be on a secured wireless network that is also used by the handheld terminals used by staff to take card payments, or alternatively they can be wired to the main computer network or be a standalone solution with the media player built in.

Advantages of wireless interactive kiosks – is there are no unsightly cables running across the floor or from the ceiling, also the kiosks can be located any where in the foyer of the hotel lobby and can be moved to another location with very little disruption.

Disadvantages of wireless interactive kiosks – these can be expensive.

Advantages of hard wired interactive kiosks – deployment costs are lower than the wireless kind as the hardware is more expensive.

Disadvantages of hard wired interactive kiosks – due to the nature of the deployment, the location is really restricted to either the perimeter of a room of near a pillar to conceal the cables. Moving the kiosk to a new location is costly as engineers have to be called in to re-cable to the new location.

Advantages of an interactive digital kiosk - these are very cost effective, due to the media player being built in and can even run Flash content. Moving to another site is easy, just move the kiosk with no purchasing any wireless adapters or having to pay for engineers to come to site.

Conclusion.
If you are going to deploying digital signage in a hotel lobby, you need to consider how to connect it, bearing in mind if it is likely you be moved during any event, such as a wedding - the bride does not want to be upstaged by the digital signage hardware.

Dave owns the worlds leading manufacturer of LCD enclosures these are installed throughout the world and they have now developed a unique LCD enclosure specifically designed for mental health units.

Factory Information Systems Need an LCD monitor enclosure for protection

Sun, 05 Sep 2010 02:27:33 -0500

Factories that offer a manufacturing service need to monitor their production carefully, an LCD enclosure makes this possible to discover why.

It is essential for any production or manufacturing facility to monitor and track the progress of it's customer orders, some organisations are investing in Accu-Dart, this is one of the most forward thinking tracking solutions for the manufacturing sector. This solution using bar codes allows the correct inventory to be known almost throughout the day, every day, so there is no possibility of over manufacturing a product.

More and more technology is being installed on to production areas, staff are being trained but this is cutting down on production time, so some organisations are looking at remote or interactive distance learning (IDL), what happens here is a group of 10 people gather 15 minutes before they are due to start work, grab a coffee and watch a training video that is displayed throughout the company at pre determined points on the production line, these factory information points also demonstrate the brand of the company, the company news and can be used to wishing staff Happy Birthday.

Interactive distance learning is not new, however the technology is, it uses similar technology to the conference call, using large LCD displays, some up to 60; in size, but one issue with this is the protection needed from air borne hazards, such as dust, carbon, cutting compounds and the like and the companies are now deploying LCD enclosures to the production area to assist in protecting the displays form these hazards.

You could image the hassle and inconvenience if the system went down due to a failed monitor, never mind the costs involved replacing the equipment, this is why manufacturers such as Boeing and BAE Systems use these rugged LCD enclosures because of them having a special filtered cooling system, so no harmful particles enter the enclosure, only clean cool air, replacing the previous warm air.

There are a number of manufacturers out there supplying these factory information point enclosures, so the best units to look for are the ones that are ideal for dusty environments being IP56, these protect from fluid splashes and dust particles, whilst IP66 protects from being washed down, for example in a food process environment.

Normally when the rugged LCD enclosure is in a dusty area, it is manufactured from mild steel and powder coated, but when the units are in a food process area, they have to be manufactured from food quality stainless steel grade 316, 316L is occasionally used when low carbon is required.

Overview

By 2012, market experts predict that digital signage will be utilized in almost 90 percent of the world’s retail space. Within the consumer world, movie theatres have been an appropriate medium for digital signage. These solutions capture the attention of movie-goers in lobbies, as they manoeuvre around the site to and from theaters and their amenities. A world away from the more traditional static print advertising, a single digital POS (point of sale) display can easily and quickly provide a range of advertisers with striking and animated imagery.

An experienced visual technology solutions integrator provides a unique consultative approach to this market. They will address every aspect of a signage solution - from engineering and manufacturing components to installing and maintaining them. In effect, choosing one who is more nimble than another, digital signage companies will be capable of delivering a tailored system.

Dave owns the leading manufacturer of LCD enclosure used by outdoor digital signage integrators. These integrators are the top tier suppliers of lcd enclosures in countries such as America, Australia, Europe and Asia.

Enhancing the Benefits of Digital Signage

Sat, 04 Sep 2010 03:23:24 -0500

By 2012, market experts predict that digital signage will be utilized in almost 90 percent of the world’s retail space. Within the consumer world, movie theatres have been an appropriate medium for digital signage. These solutions capture the attention of movie-goers in lobbies, as they manoeuvre around the site to and from theaters and their amenities. A world away from the more traditional static print advertising, a single digital POS (point of sale) display can easily and quickly provide a range of advertisers with striking and animated imagery.

An experienced visual technology solutions integrator provides a unique consultative approach to this market. They will address every aspect of a signage solution – from engineering and manufacturing components to installing and maintaining them. In effect, choosing one who is more nimble than another, digital signage companies will be capable of delivering a tailored system.

The Digital Cinema Scene Solution

Cinema marketers and promoters cater for movie studios and corporate brands. In theatre lobbies they positions brands in front of targeted consumers by running commercial spots on digital signage stands and also deliver comprehensive concession, box office and on-screen program management and planning. It uses new media technology, such as digital media and mobile marketing to promote brands and theater amenities.

For cinema marketing kiosk products, digital signage companies provided custom backend hardware, imaging, staging, installation and technical services to fulfil the project and its rollout requirements, offering comprehensive service and support. This effectively deploys large screen custom kiosks in a movie theatre environment which traditionally caters to the demographics of children and young adults.

Everything Needed For An Al Fresco Movie In The Comfort Of Your Garden

As a rule of thumb to the size of kit you should be looking for, may I recommend the following:-

A 3.65 meter inflatable display, 2200 ANSI lumens projector, add a pair speakers, connected to 500 watt surround sound speaker system, played through a HD, Blu-ray DVD player, all linked via quality, gold plated, cables.

Thinking about the audio, maybe you want the Wow Factor, but want to be more subtle than having an unattractive speaker system. Alternatives may be to use fake rock speakers which have an impressive clarity of stereo surround sound, but are disguised to blend in with the background, so being unobtrusive in your back yard. This could be 3 speakers and a subwoofer, whilst a rear speaker is flush-mounted on a rear wall, behind the audience.

It is possible to use an external wall as your viewing screen, providing it is a smooth rendered surface, on which to project the image, with no pealing paint, or bumps to cause shadows. As an alternative, a white cotton cloth can be hung, to produce the wide screen effect, although it may need to be fixed along the top, using a pole, and at the four corners - depending on the wind conditions. If you calculate a 12m throw from the projector, the picture would be a massive 4x2.5m coverage.

Careful arrangement of seating, with lower seats or cushions nearer the front, rising to garden furniture chairs and benches towards the rear, will provide ample seating for your audience. Low walls (with cushions) and even blow up chairs can provide any additional seating.

Wow, what an outdoor home cinema movie showing that would be! Have the beers on ice, fresh pop corn in a bucket and invite the neighbours (particularly those either side of you, so there’ll be no complaints about the noise!).

Digital Menu Boards to Digital Posters - Everything for the Indoor Digital Signage Integrator.

Thu, 02 Sep 2010 03:22:49 -0500

Digital signage is one of the fastest growing business sectors currently, this is fantastic as most IT companies are now branching out into digital media and providing dynamic advertising solutions.

But knowing the differences between products is fundamental in providing a solution that works and is at an affordable price, we will try to explain the most cost effective solutions for indoor digital signage applications.

Indoor Digital Signage.
As the name suggests this is for indoor use in areas such as business receptions, dentist waiting rooms, doctors surgeries, hotels, colleges and Universities.

Now there are two options:

Firstly digital posters as below come complete with a built in media player that play the content you wish to provide, this is drag and dropped onto a memory card and a play list is created using Microsoft Notepad, with the order of the images, video and audio you wish to display – pretty straight forward.

These range from 17” unit and go up to 80” in screen size, they come with a rear mounting plate for bolting to the wall or the smaller units can be hung as you would a picture frame. Can be used in either portrait or landscape position.

Secondly, digital menu boards, these are large screens with a media player attached to them either wired into the computer infrastructure or wireless, so that content can be updated remotely, now this is where the cross over can take place as a digital poster can do the same job as a menu board but they are easier and quicker to deploy as there is no data cabling needed or a wireless point fitted.

So if you want to update the content every day or week, the best option is a digital menu board set up, otherwise a digital poster is the answer, as you can update the content using a USB flash drive and the USB port on the media player.

This covers the indoor digital signage for outdoor digital signage, you should consider an LCD enclosure that offers protection from vandals as well as the weather.

LCD Enclosure Global – anything else is a compromise.
Indoor Digital Signage.
As the name states this is for inside use in areas such as company receptions, waiting rooms at dentists, hotels, Universities and hair salons.

Now there are two options:

Firstly digital posters as below comprise with a integral media player that plays the content you wish to provide, this is drag and dropped onto a memory card and a play list is created using Microsoft Notepad, with the order of the images, video and audio you wish to display – pretty straight forward isn't it.

These range from 17” unit and go up to 80” in screen size, they come with a rear mounting plate for bolting to the wall or the smaller units can be hung as you would a picture frame. Can be used in either portrait or horizontal position.

Secondly, dynamic menu boards, these are large screens with a media player attached to them either connected into the computer infrastructure or WIFI, so that media can be updated remotely, now this is where the cross over can take place as a digital poster can do the same job as a menu board but they are easier and quicker to deploy as there is no data cabling required or a wireless point fitted.

Dave owns the worlds leading manufacturer of LCD enclosures these are installed throughout the world and they have now developed a unique LCD enclosure specifically designed for mental health units.

Adobe Certification: Train for Success

Sat, 21 Aug 2010 12:42:10 -0500

Adobe training is quickly becoming a must have for all those involved in the computer industry, from freelance programmers to the leads of major corporations. The reason for this is simple: Adobe is virtually everywhere. Over the next few decades, its prevalence is geared to become even greater. People won't just benefit from knowing Adobe: they'll have to know it.

Many different types of Adobe certifications and training are available to the novice, the expert, the freelance web developer, the business owner, or members of a web development company. With a wide range of choices and opportunities, this type of software training is fairly simply to obtain.

There are a variety of Adobe products often featured during software development training. Some of the more common ones are Flex, ColdFusion, and AIR.

These programs are often viewed as the most adaptable and most versatile. Employers and companies are continually seeking those with developer training in these areas.

Adobe certification in these programs can go a long way in obtaining a job or seeking a promotion. If you are a freelancer, it can go a long way in landing clients.

With Flex training, students are introduced to the many faces of Flex. You may learn about animations, interactive websites, Rich Internet Applications, and other multimedia aspects. Despite what some people believe, this software training is not limited only to those who know Flash. Flex can be taught without understanding the intricacies of Flash.

With ColdFusion training, students are introduced to what ColdFusion can do. Generally, this software development training offers developers the opportunity to build and design interactive websites. Some understanding of web basics, such as SQL and HTML, is often recommended before beginning this type of developer training.

With AIR training, students are often taught how to design, build, and maintain rich internet applications that can be used on desktops. This type of training typically covers everything from the basics of the main applications, to the details of the more intricate applications.

Whether you decide to become certified in one Adobe product or several, Adobe certification allows you to learn and even master some of the newest, most exciting, and most effective programs on the market today. Certification helps you keep abreast of changing trends, and an edge on the competition. For the developer or programmer, certification is a smart, and often rewarding, step in the right direction.

Wayne Hemrick writes about--Software Development Training and Adobe certification

Source: http://www.articletrader.com