DisplayNote Screen Sharing Software Updates October 2024

Enhanced Session Control with “Control Your Session”

The “Control Your Session” feature allows users to manage screen sharing from their personal devices, ensuring control over session flow. Integrated with Moderator Mode, it restricts screen sharing to invited participants, giving presenters the freedom to manage sessions securely and efficiently from anywhere in the room.

Related: DisplayNote and Promethean Partner to Enhance Meeting Rooms

Infrared Remote Compatibility for Broader Hardware Support

DisplayNote has expanded compatibility with infrared remote controls, making it easier for users to interact with the screen on both interactive and non-touch displays. For screen manufacturers, this means their hardware solutions can cater to a wider range of users, providing flexibility and ease of use across different environments.

Commenting on the latest updates, Luke McSorley, head of product, says, “Our ‘Control Your Session’ feature gives users unmatched flexibility, allowing them to manage screen sharing seamlessly from their personal devices. Combined with Moderator Mode, it ensures that only authorized participants can share content, giving presenters full control over their sessions. Additionally, by expanding compatibility with infrared remotes, we’re enabling easier interaction with both touch and non-touch displays, providing greater versatility for screen manufacturers and end-users alike.”

Additional Features:

• Device Discovery for a Seamless Connection Experience: Connecting to devices is now more straightforward than ever. Whether using AirPlay, Miracast, or Google Cast, the Room Name will be the consistent identifier, reducing confusions and enabling quick, hassle-free connections.
• Audio Sharing with Window Content: Expanding on the “share a window” option, users can now share audio along with their content, providing a richer, more immersive experience.
• Access to DisplayNote Academy: users have access to tutorials, guides, and support via the newly integrated DisplayNote Academy link on the join page.

Another version of this article originally appeared on our sister-site Commercial Integrator on October 23, 2024. It has since been updated for My TechDecisions’ audience.

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When recent school funding initiatives made it possible for the municipality to invest in education upgrades, Chuck Marzec, the district’s director of technology, turned to Larry Meister, president of IT solutions provider Mercury Networks. Meister, who has worked with the district for over a decade, collaborated with Marzec to determine which products and solutions would maximize learning benefits for the most students. Considering the timing, pricing, and available funding, they concluded that the LG CreateBoards could transform the experiences of every student and deliver forward-thinking classrooms that prepare students for a tech-filled world and job market.

The district last updated its projection-based classroom systems in 2012, before the explosion of new touch-sensitive smart boards that are sweeping across the education landscape. Attractive pricing helped convince the district that smart boards would be the most impactful, sustainable and widely deployable solution, offering greater capabilities than existing systems while standardizing every classroom to simplify daily management and long-term maintenance.

“LG’s easy-to-use CreateBoard interactive digital boards come at an incredible value, making them the best fit for Jamestown Public Schools. The district initially considered outfitting about half of its classrooms with a competitor product at double the price. With the CreateBoard, they’re essentially doubling their investment, creating streamlined experiences for staff and students in every room and school,” Meister explained. “The district’s previous projection systems were single-room solutions lacking significant communication options and new advances in interactivity or cloud-based learning tools. Now, with the LG CreateBoards, they have a unified 500+ display network that can be monitored, managed, and used to distribute content from a single location for morning announcements or emergencies. Additionally, the ability to set automatic on/off schedules ensures no energy is wasted, eliminating one task for today’s busy teachers.”

The district is excited about what the technology can unleash in terms of classroom participation and faculty lesson plans, including simple access to popular web-based tools such as Google Classroom. The 40-point multi-touch digital displays allow a variety of interactive lesson plans and activities that can invite multiple students to use the board at once, in addition to convenient streaming and mobile device connections for educators and students alike. For instance, teachers can quickly log in to their accounts for Google and other services by scanning an on-screen QR code with their smartphone, and then leave the room knowing that the display automatically logs out of all accounts when the wireless connection is severed.

“It’s hard to overstate the value of standardized solutions for our students, faculty and district as a whole,” Marzec says. “Running a school or district involves a lot of moving parts, and when we have teachers who may use multiple classrooms or even multiple buildings throughout a day or a week, giving them the same tools everywhere ensures there’s no time lost sorting out technical issues or troubleshooting compatibility with their prepared lessons. The same is true for today’s students who have never known a world without touchscreens. With a streamlined experience year after year, they can become fairly advanced users of the LG CreateBoard technology throughout their education, helping develop explicit technical skills alongside the school’s curriculum.”

With LG CreateBoards, teachers can easily augment lessons with presentations or videos, screen share lessons or content from their own devices and enable students to screen share projects from their devices. With the new centralized control capabilities, Jamestown Public Schools can also easily deliver video morning announcements to every room without any action required from teachers. Lessons can be saved and stored online for later viewing and study, including live annotations over text or video that enable teachers to provide context, information or discussion to delve further than standard textbook descriptions or pre-prepared content.

LG CreateBoards Enhance Teaching

According to Jason Hubbard, senior account manager for education at LG Business Solutions, implementing CreateBoards can also fundamentally change how teachers approach the classroom by freeing them to leave their desk when using digital resources.

“The two-way connection between laptops and the LG CreateBoard means that they can control and manipulate their computer or content from the CreateBoard, unlike a projection system or other non-smart solution where they have to be at the desk to exert control,” says Hubbard. “This offers educators greater freedom of movement and caters to a variety of teaching styles, which can aid engagement and attentiveness, directly affecting student and school outcomes.”

When consulting Mercury Networks, the district considered different manufacturers and options, landing on the LG CreateBoard solution based on capabilities, manufacturer support and cost. The upgrade project began with 10 initial installations at the high school, then an expansion to five schools, and then the final decision to outfit every classroom all at once ahead of the 2024-2025 school year. Each room’s audio solution is also being upgraded to provide better sound quality and ensure long-term consistency for all users.

“We are excited to see our teachers and students leverage these technologies for greater collaboration and enhanced discussions in a way that encourages participation and connects with students’ daily experiences and digital lifestyles,” Marzec adds. “Additionally, buying into LG’s ecosystem has offered us new opportunities to consider deploying connected digital signage displays in hallways, cafeterias, entrances and other public spaces to provide school messaging or community content such as student achievement reels or replays of events including sports, performances, guest speeches and extracurricular activities.”

Marzec also noted how LG’s attention to detail and willingness to provide assistance went above and beyond his expectations. In the past, technology providers had been much more hands-off, while LG acted more like a partner in terms of working to answer questions, resolve issues and ensure the district was fully satisfied with the outcome. The last installations concluded in early July 2024, with every classroom at every school ready to launch for the fall semester.

Another version of this article originally appeared on our sister-site Commercial Integrator on October 21, 2024. It has since been updated for My TechDecisions’ audience.

The post LG CreateBoards Enhance Teaching in Jamestown Schools appeared first on My TechDecisions.

Enhancing Communication within the Classroom

We are very fortunate here at Robinson ISD to have educators who share the same sentiment as I do for the future of our students. One of the biggest steps we took in helping support our staff deliver their hands-on learning experiences, is ensuring their classroom communication is always clear and high quality no matter where they are in the room. Implementing classroom audio systems such as the Lightspeed Redcat in our classrooms have helped give our teachers and students a stronger voice in the classroom. Clear and concise instruction can help students achieve higher learning outcomes because they know exactly what is expected of them. We have virtually eliminated the need for teachers to raise their voice for redirecting unwanted behavior and our classroom transitions have become more fluid through music ques delivered via the Redcat. Students hear their teacher no matter where they are sitting in the classroom, helping eliminate the need to constantly repeat instructions.

Presentation skills are a key part to our students’ success in communication. We have implemented the Lightspeed Sharemike during classroom student presentations, read-alouds and student teaching opportunities. Students can really find their voice and come alive during speaking opportunities when they have a mic. We know that these skills are vital for their future, so let’s give them the space and opportunity now where they can try, fail, learn and grow as much as they need to.

Embracing creativity and utilizing problem solving skills

One of my missions is to inspire the next generation of creators and innovators that are extremely competitive. In Robinson ISD, starting at our lower levels, we provide opportunities for students to stretch their problem solving skills through coding and engineering projects. Opportunities range from utilizing Lego Education as they construct the next generation of habitats to protect against severe weather events, to coding autonomous robots to better understand geometric figures through and programming drones to fly a planned out route of a shape that they are studying.

I am not a fan of the word “limit” and its negative and stifling connotation in education. Our students and teachers need to try new things as that is where true learning and growth starts. As you know, we need to build authentic relationships to ensure student success, allowing students to let their guards down and show their true passions. One of the best uses of technology that we use to do this is through audio and video content creation. We all see it on social media from our students’ personal lives, but we take it a step further and bring this creative expression into the classroom.

Through the use of Adobe Express and its Animate from Audio features, students utilize just their voice to tell us more about their dreams, passions and ambitions through animation. I get it, not all students are the “hey look at me” type when it comes to being on camera, but most just want to be heard. This provides a “you can hear me now” type of self-expression opportunity without the vulnerability that comes with being on camera.

Providing Opportunities for Technology Career Exploration

Growing up, I knew that creating something from nothing was a gift of mine. Storytelling and creativity was deep inside of me and I found that I could utilize these gifts through audio, video and technology applications. The one opportunity that was lacking in my life was real-world application practice.

Within Robinson ISD, I have been very fortunate to give students the opportunities that I did not have. I am able to provide students creative outlets for their digital creations with various audio/video production tools and resources. Utilizing Adobe products, our students produce graphics for our district communication such as Instagram Stories, Reels and Post to inform our community.

Our students help produce our district High School and Pre-K graduations each year using industry standard equipment like the NewTek TC1 Tricaster for live video switching. We use a show control graphics control board by Daktronics to share senior video and other audio/video assets that will be displayed on the field’s video board throughout the ceremony. This same equipment is used in most major sports arenas and collegiate production facilities around the globe. Students are receiving hands-on training with studio quality cameras and audio field recorders. These learning opportunities have been years in the making and we are growing our programs each year to give our students the best possible chance to be competitive in their future careers or fields of study.

I truly feel technology has always been a driving force in the educational world, providing learning opportunities and experiences that mimic and support building skills beyond the classroom. I feel that using it as a transformational vehicle to help personalize learning for our students, is one of its most powerful ways we can harness its potential in the classroom. It is up to us as educators to really dive in and place our students behind the wheel and in the driver’s seat.

Willie Thomas III, Director of Media Integration at Robinson ISD, works with K-12 students, educators, parents and district leaders to enhance the learning opportunities through the integration of instructional technology. Willie has a Master of Science focused in Instructional Technology.

The post How I’m Utilizing Technology to Help Transform Education at Robinson ISD appeared first on My TechDecisions.

The Tech Challenge

When COVID threw a wrench into in-person classes, we quickly recognized the need to develop hybrid learning environments that support the ongoing success of our staff and students,” said Director of User Support Services Jon Bannan. “The most critical need we identified was that any solution must be dead simple to operate, or otherwise risk introducing interruptions and frustration into educators’ daily schedules. The ClearOne COLLABORATE Versa Lite CT system stood out as a high-performing solution that’s compatible with virtually any computer, mobile device or collaboration platform, making it easy to deploy in multi-use spaces that host different educators throughout the day.”

ClearOne Solutions

Featuring the ClearOne BMA CT, a beamforming microphone solution that blends in with drop ceilings, the COLLABORATE Versa Lite CT system provides clear audio pickup and while simplifying connection of AV peripherals and computers through the ClearOne Versa USB Hub. It offers powerful features including acoustic echo cancellation and adaptive steering, which intelligently switches between the unit’s multiple directional microphones to optimize pickup based on the current location of speaker or meeting host.

To date, MTSS has installed 53 Versa Lite CT systems in small- and medium-sized classrooms in conjunction with a variety of camera solutions that offer automatic tracking to keep the presenter in frame as they move around the room. Combined with the adaptive steering capability of the BMA CT, these systems provide educators ultimate flexibility and allow them to step away from the front of the room white maintaining consistently excellent audio and video quality for remote learners. Most rooms also include a projection system, while some feature a digital display.

“Three years after we began this project, we would be hard pressed to find a student, parent or educator who expects anything less – it’s essentially a requirement now,” Bannan explained. “In the competitive college landscape, staying ahead of technology trends is vital to achieve enrollment goals and provide all students equitable access regardless of individual situations or external disruptions. Additionally, using the same solutions across campus has raised the tech confidence of staff and offers a simple, intuitive setup that even guest speakers or event hosts can operate with ease.”

After witnessing the widespread success of the Versa Lite CT solutions, MTSS turned its focus to the college’s lecture halls. In order to deliver the same simplicity and quality for its larger classes, the tech team developed a solution that combines multiple powerful BMA 360 ceiling microphones with a Converge Pro 2 DSP mixer, again in conjunction with a variety of tracking cameras.

The solution ensured the complete coverage for the larger rooms while enabling connection of up to 12 additional lavalier, lapel or other types of microphones commonly used for panel discussions and multi-speaker scenarios. The BMA 360 makes system design even easier by allowing up to three distant units to be daisy chained together using P-Link, requiring only a single home run cable to the DSP.

“As we began deploying the new audio capture solutions, we worked closely with ClearOne’s knowledgeable reps to ensure each space operates smoothly and delivers a consistent experience for staff and students,” Bannan added. “The high level of support we received from the very beginning was a determining factor in our product selection, and has provided us with assurance that any issues we encounter with installations or operations can be quickly remedied.”

Ongoing Sound Reinforcements

The deployment is ongoing, with each year’s budget providing additional funds to integrate more classrooms and spaces, including conference rooms. The first to be upgraded was the President’s conference room, which houses BMA 360 and BMA CT systems that effectively solve for the room’s challenging acoustic environment that includes many hard surfaces. This specific room also utilizes the BMA 360 Voice Lift technology that delivers equalized sound reinforcement to all areas of the room, so no attendee is left straining to hear the speaker.

“The College of New Jersey moved deftly to provide all stakeholders with the latest innovative solutions for remote learning and hybrid classrooms, and their efforts to standardize the campus’ technology are already paying dividends for staff and guests,” said ClearOne Regional Sales Director Jason DiCampello, who worked directly with Bannan. “The need for reliable, high-quality audio and video solutions in education is only going to grow, and we look forward to continuing to work with TCNJ to provide long-lasting solutions that support staff and help the college meet its goals.”

The post TCNJ Deploys ClearOne BMA Audio Solutions Across Campus to Streamline Remote Learning appeared first on My TechDecisions.

Reportedly, a single replacement part, such as a keyboard, costs nearly half the cost of a complete Chromebook. As a result, many school districts are buying extra devices to serve as spare parts.

This is just one example of the technological dilemmas facing school districts today. What’s more, limited capital prevents them from buying the newest hardware or upgrading to the latest software versions. With technology rapidly changing, how can educational institutions keep up?

For school districts, a hardware purchase will need several years to get a substantial return on investment (ROI). Unfortunately, this comes at the cost of students using older technology.

The Wave of Device-Agnostic Systems

A growing wave of educators also allow learners to use their existing smart devices when attending remote classes—a so-called Bring-Your-Own-Device (BYOD) policy. Instead of providing the required equipment or specifying specific operating systems (OS), they run systems that accommodate devices regardless of OS or hardware configurations. As long as they meet minimum requirements, any smart device will do.

While this benefits many students, some school districts may have trouble implementing this system. Even if they don’t have the funds to provide students with ideal devices, they’re also unable to maintain the necessary system that accommodates virtually all types of devices.

In addition, when class hardware requirements get more complex due to evolving software, many students become marginalized as their devices can’t keep up. As a result, schools either abide by the lowest common denominator or require students to make costly upgrades.

Unlocking the Power of DaaS: How It Can Revolutionize Education

Can school districts actually implement a digital transformation strategy that doesn’t involve hardware purchases? Yes, through a Device-as-a-Service (DaaS) approach.

Schools usually operate on the premise that students log into the system through either school-issued or personal devices. However, advancements in software development often require users to ensure their hardware keeps pace. For cost-conscious organizations such as school districts, it’s a never-ending cycle of hardware and software upgrades.

A DaaS service provider solves this problem by supplying the computing environment students need and giving customers the choice to upgrade their hardware.

Instead of getting stuck with their initial investment—even when it turns obsolete—DaaS ensures users always have the latest hardware to go with their software. In return, clients pay a fixed subscription that covers hardware and software costs and maintenance and management tasks.

Planning for Change: Steps to Develop a Digital Transformation Strategy for Schools

As you develop a digital transformation strategy, there are a few things to consider:

• The needs of your school, teachers, and students: What are your pain points, and where could you use more support?
• Your current technology: Is there anything you can keep? What gaps need to be filled?
• Key stakeholders: Your digital equipment must serve students, teachers, and IT administrators, so get buy-in from each group.
• The technology you actually need: Don’t just follow trends. Look for solutions that meet your needs now and can be scaled up or down as things change.

For school districts, enacting a digital transformation strategy means going beyond the cycle of sticking to what they can afford. School districts typically mandate their IT department to keep using existing equipment until it breaks down or becomes unusable. But the DaaS model enables schools to acquire new technology regardless of whether funding is available.

DaaS also reduces the time your IT team spends evaluating and purchasing devices, making them work together, and then keeping them in line with user needs. This frees them to look toward the future and propose systemic improvements to the learning process.

Maximizing ROI: Evaluating the Benefits and Costs of DaaS in Education

A DaaS digital transformation strategy provides many benefits. For instance, school districts won’t have to manage hardware or get stuck with old equipment until achieving an ROI. Additionally, administrators will no longer accumulate obsolete hardware in their storage areas or be tasked with disposing of old devices cheaply and ethically.

Instead, school administrators can breathe easier knowing that, regardless of how computing requirements change from year to year, their tech budget will remain fixed. In fact, they won’t have to worry about capital expenditures every time better and more powerful technology arrives. DaaS provides predictable operational expenses.

Common Challenges and Solutions in Implementing a Digital Transformation Strategy in Schools

To keep the school district’s entire device fleet synced with each other, you’ll need powerful and reliable device management software. Modern cloud technology can maintain secure, encrypted, and reduced-latency connections when monitoring or updating devices.

For this purpose, outmoded software that uses legacy protocols should give way to platforms that harness modern solutions like Amazon Web Services (AWS). This way, even the smallest IT staff can perform remote updates, fixes, and installations to a single device or the entire fleet with just a few button clicks.

The platform should be OS agnostic to easily connect to and manage all allowed devices. What’s more, the task of protecting each connected device means better management and security options. Forget device access as a yes-or-no equation; the ideal device manager should have no problem creating different user access levels that match their job descriptions.

In addition, security means having the capability to remotely disable units or erase data from compromised devices.

Prioritize DaaS Providers Using a Central Device Management Platform

A DaaS approach enables school districts to build a digital transformation strategy that maintains the most updated hardware and software while keeping costs static. Look for a partner that can help your IT team manage, maintain, and secure all subscribed devices.

When choosing the right DaaS vendor to support your digital transformation strategy, choose the one that places a premium on superior device management capabilities. A central device management platform should be easy for your team to use, OS- and device-agnostic, and built for multiple users under one account. It should also enable app and device management, remote support, monitoring and analysis, and automation.

Nadav Avni, CMO of Radix Technologies

The post Preparing for the Future: Why Schools Need a Digital Transformation Strategy With DaaS appeared first on My TechDecisions.

The Tech Challenge

One of the most impactful changes to date is the addition of a dozen new interactive display boards that greatly enhance teacher flexibility and lesson planning. While the school had implemented classroom displays years earlier, most teachers found them to be over-complicated and relented to using only basic functions. After reviewing several brands of classroom displays recommended by colleagues at other schools, none met the technology staff’s expectations. As chance would have it, the school’s Director of Educational Technology found the answer in an advertisement for a product she hadn’t seen before: LG CreateBoard, a powerful and easy-to-use multi-touch interactive display board from LG Business Solutions.

The LG CreateBoard Solution

With LG CreateBoards, teachers can easily augment lessons with presentations or videos, screen share lessons or content from their own devices, allow multiple students to write on the board simultaneously and enable students to screen share projects from their own devices. The new boards were implemented for the 2022-23 school year, replacing aging smart board solutions that no longer lived up to the school’s expectations.

“With our previous classroom smart boards having so many features and being so complicated, it felt as if the teachers were given a chef’s kitchen when they only wanted to make mac-n-cheese,” says Sara White, Indian Creek School’s director of educational technology. “Teachers weren’t cooking up sophisticated lessons because the technology required overly complicated setup, so the boards simply weren’t serving the purpose we intended. We were paying for features and software that were never used. After our staff performed hands-on evaluations of many of the most popular interactive display board products available today, we determined that the LG CreateBoard checked all our boxes, from build quality, reliability and intuitive operations to pricing and mobile use capabilities.”

The Installation

Having located a solution that’s simple to use and presents more opportunity for student engagement, the school purchased the interactive digital boards to be used on mobile carts: ten 75-inch models that rotate between classrooms, another 75-inch model that provides messaging in the cafeteria, and a massive 86-inch model that stays in the library for various uses. The school’s choice to implement LG CreateBoards also significantly reduced the required budget and enabled the purchase of a 3D printer and a professional laser cutter for a new Innovation Lab, giving students even greater access to the latest learning and creativity tools.

“Today’s students and parents who have spent their whole lives using mobile and interactive devices are increasingly weighing a school’s technology integration when choosing where to attend,” says Victoria Sanville, LG’s national sales manager for the public sector vertical. “As alternative educational funding structures spread to more districts, these prospective students may consider a potential school’s hybrid learning options, media or digital production facilities, collaborative tools and other high-tech capabilities. LG CreateBoards can form a major component of a school’s technological offerings and prove to newcomers that all students are given enhanced and individualized learning opportunities.”

LG CreateBoard Use Cases in the Classroom

Whether a language teacher shows instructional content to demonstrate mouth movements and pronunciation, or a coach plays video from yesterday’s game to improve teamwork, there are applications for virtually every discipline. Indian Creek School is also using the CreateBoard with a low-height stand to help 4-, 5- and 6-year-olds with handwriting and reading.

From sixth grade up, students at Indian Creek School are welcome to use their own personal devices for certain classroom activities, while school facilities provide access to software tools such as the Adobe Creative Cloud and 3D modeling software. Classroom activities have already included making advertising pitches, coding video games and creating a graphical thumbnail in Adobe Photoshop. These projects can then be shared wirelessly to the CreateBoards to enable student presentations.

“The LG CreateBoard provides a valuable set of presentation and collaborative tools that enhance student engagement and provide teachers much greater flexibility in arranging and managing their classrooms,” White adds. “Even seemingly simple functions, such as reliable and easy to use screen sharing, can transform a classroom, allowing teachers to move around as they show a presentation or to help individual students without losing control of video content. Our goal is to provide every student with the best possible education, and that requires giving our teachers effective technology tools like the LG CreateBoard that can be used every day without complication.”

Staff also cited unrivaled service from LG Business Solutions, noting that they had never before been provided a technician’s cell phone number to assist with early troubleshooting and setup. The school’s future plans include upgrading the library CreateBoard to an upcoming 98-inch-model and to consider additional digital signage opportunities to share school messaging.

The post LG CreateBoard Helps Improve Classroom Experience at Indian Creek School appeared first on My TechDecisions.

The Technology Challenge

The College was looking for the best possible displays capable of addressing a wide range of applications. To address the challenge, the integration firm responsible for the project deployed four MAXHUB LM150A07 Raptor series displays. Tim Philpot, an account executive at the Orlando-based integration firm, Systems Innovation, assumed an active role in system design in addition to sales.

He discussed the MAXHUB deployment at Seminole State College in Orlando. “During our discussions with college management, there was considerable emphasis placed on the desire to have large, vivid displays that could easily be moved from one location to another,” Philpot explained. “This includes not only moving the displays about campus, but also the need to move them off campus to nearby hotel ballrooms for larger events. After careful consideration, we decided the MAXHUB Raptor series displays—outfitted with their accompanying mobile stand mounting solution—made an ideal choice for addressing these requirements.”

MAXHUB Raptor Series Display Benefits

When queried about those attributes that made the MAXHUB Raptor displays a good choice for the wide range of applications they would be used for, Philpot emphasized the systems’ wireless content sharing ability.

“Depending upon the nature of the event and the venue where it’s taking place, these displays end up showing everything from spreadsheets to video, to artwork and more. The ability to wirelessly place content on the display from one’s laptop or a variety of other source devices is a huge plus, as it greatly simplifies the setup process. Similarly, the LAN screen-sharing capability for up to four windows further helps presenters convey information quickly and easily. The MAXConfig software delivers exceptional control and intuitive access to all features of the LED wall through one’s personal device.”

Streamlined 3-in-1 Design

An important factor in making the MAXHUB Raptor series displays so versatile stems from the 3-in-1 design that provides a unified, easy-to-manage package. This includes the Control Unit, which encompasses the sending card, the Android OS card, plus the video processor. The Receiving Unit houses the power supply, the receiving card, plus the hub board while the Power Unit contains the power supply, the audio amplifier, and the relay. This streamlined design makes it easy to create the perfect presentation or communication experience with minimal setup time.

While assembly and setup of the MAXHUB Raptor series displays is quite intuitive compared to other competing systems, it is not uncommon for questions to arise. Hence, responsive and capable support services are crucial. In this regard, Philpot was very complimentary of his experience with MAXHUB. “During the initial setup,” he explained, “we encountered a few challenges that we weren’t certain how to address. MAXHUB provided onsite technical support and did a great job of helping us address our questions. We were very pleased.”

A tremendous visual experience

The four MAXHUB Raptor series displays were deployed at Seminole State College of Florida in November 2022. Since that time, Philpot reports the displays are not only meeting, but exceeding expectations, “I am pleased to tell you that all four displays are being used a great deal and that our client is very pleased. Imagery is stunning and this, in turn, goes a long way toward keeping everyone engaged. The MAXHUB displays deliver a tremendous visual experience for everyone who encounters them—and you can’t ask for more than that!”

Check out MAXHUB’s latest all-in-one collaboration displays and large-format LED displays on My TechDecisions’ sister-site AV-iQ.

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The new Windows 11 education features Microsoft highlights include new IT management features, live captions, focus features to help eliminate distractions, simple sign-in and personalized desktop themes.

According to Microsoft, school IT administrators in K-12 organizations can now use Managed Installer to approve and deploy apps to Windows 11 SE devices. This is designed to help education IT professionals ensure that devices are secure, easy to deploy and manage and perform well for an entire school year.

Deployment through Microsoft Intune for Education is still required, helping IT administrators get streamlined app distribution and automation prevention of app-based malware attacks, Microsoft says in a blog.

Admins can also use the Intune for Education dashboard to monitor app-related Windows 11 device health and set and manage school security policies for devices and apps.

Another IT feature in Windows 11 that educational organizations can take advantage of is simple sign-in, which Microsoft says offers a more simple and secure sign-in experience that allows students and staff to easily sign in using existing third-party providers such as Google or Clever to access Windows 11 Pro Education, Windows Education and Windows 11 SE. In addition, they can also use QR codes to sign in.

The feature allows students to sign in using a federated identity provider via web sign-in. This allows students to use the tools they already know to access learning materials, tools and resources, and reduces disruption at the start of the class, Microsoft says.

Microsoft also details live captions, a new feature in Windows 11 and Windows 11 SE designed to make audio more accessible to students wit hearing disabilities, or English language learners. The feature instantly displays audio on a device and captures and transcribes microphone input.

Students can set up live captions once to get automatic audio transcriptions across their device’s productivity apps and enable captions to help as needed. Live captions can also transcribe audio from a website in Microsoft Edge.

In addition, new Focus features can help reduce distractions and create healthy digital habits. Students can start a Focus session from their notification center and enjoy a defined break when it ends. This silences notifications automatically and prevents apps from flashing alerts.

The post Microsoft Rolls Out New Windows 11 Education Features appeared first on My TechDecisions.

“Gemini was created to provide AV switching, USB, HDMI, DP, VGA, and USB-C extension, plus system control for meeting spaces using PC-based conferencing codecs like Teams, Zoom, Skype and Webex,” says VP of technology, Ken Eagle. “This kit offers six video inputs shared between both devices for HDMI, Display Port, VGA plus analog audio in and USB-C video signals. It’s a work horse. And when combined with our Ranger, CAM-1080PTZ, HT-SATELLITE-BT, and our cables; this becomes a total room solution ideal for classrooms and conference rooms in a variety of configurations.”

According to Hall Technologies, Gemini has six built-in USB ports. These include three on the transmitter and three on the receiver. This then allows for numerous Human Interface Devices (HID) as well as USB cameras and microphones. The kit is compatible with an UHD source up to 4K/UHD@60 Hz with 4:2:0 color subsampling. It can also carry over all audio, video, data, control, USB and Ethernet transmission between the two devices over a single, Ethernet-enabled HDBaseT link up to 100m.

The purpose of Gemini is to simplify classroom and small office system integration. It also helps in installation beneath conference tables and in lecterns, by providing localized presentation-switching support.

Another version of this article originally appeared on our sister-site Commercial Integrator on February 13, 2023. It has since been updated for My TechDecisions’ audience.

The post Hall Technologies Adds Soft CODEC Extender to Gemini Conferencing Kit appeared first on My TechDecisions.

The ScreenBeam Spring K-12 Grant Program thus provides solutions to achieve equitable hybrid and distance learning across campus. ScreenBeam says it will move teachers into the classroom with standardized wireless display and wireless connections to the in-room peripherals. By doing so, it will make it easier for teachers to connect and collaborate with their in-room and remote students.

The ScreenBeam 1100 Plus (SBWD1100P) with ScreenBeam Conference Software provides wireless display from teacher and student devices without the need for dongles or cables. ScreenBeam Conference software also enables connectivity to in-room peripherals such as cameras, microphones, and speakers. The ScreenBeam 1100 Plus is designed with a multi-network architecture providing three physical network interfaces to connect both teacher and student devices. It does so without compromising security, digital signage, instant alerts and notifications to classroom displays, HDMI input and centralized management. The solution also includes a three-year warranty without any subscription fees.

Spring K-12 Grant Details

• ScreenBeam will grant 1.06 units of SBWD1100P for every one (1) unit of SBWD1100P purchased. For example, 200 units purchased will receive 212 additional units under the grant
• Customers must purchase and take delivery of a minimum of 200 SBWD1100P units between February 1, 2023 and March 31, 2023 to receive the grant
• Maximum grant per customer is 500 units
• Product may be purchased through ScreenBeam Authorized Resellers
• Granted units will ship upon proof of purchase

How to Qualify

1. Complete and submit the grant submission form.
2. ScreenBeam will respond to legitimate requests within one business day
3. Grant offer is available until March 31, 2023 or while supply lasts
4. All grants approved will receive grant units upon completion of minimum purchase by March 31, 2023

Another version of this article originally appeared on our sister-site Commercial Integrator on February 3, 2023. It has since been updated for My TechDecisions’ audience.

The post ScreenBeam Invites K-12 Institutions to Apply for Wireless Display Grant appeared first on My TechDecisions.