So, first of all, where can I get one of those screens, 'cuz I really don't t like what regular 16:9 screens do to Hollywood movies. This one looks like 32:9 or something, but I'm guessing is so far only sold at the Martian outlets of Best Buy.
Anyway, the stretchee screen with the happy host is part of the Website splash screen for the EyestarTV network, which appears to be operating in my relative neck of the woods and wisely going after a specific vertical to make a buck.
I really like it when a network chooses a niche industry, and really goes hard, trying to lock it up. In this case, the EyeStar people are after the eyecare professionals business, aka optometrists. It's also encouraging that the company is presenting its offer as a service and charging the offices to put the player units in and to run customized network content. I'd struggle to see this as a model that could be supported just by the Bausch and Lombs of the world doing advertising. Not enough of them.
Where I get a little jumpy, unless there is some evil design here, is the same old carved up screen designs with little, teeny headlines. Some of the sample videos have that bottom-row-of-the-eye-chart feel to them, which is either just questionable content design or a Dr. Evil at work, making sure people know they need glasses by making them squint at the little-bitty type.
The news release about the company comes via the DSE website, and originally from Navori, which is doing the software.
EyestarTV is currently installed in eyecare businesses from coast to coast throughout Canada and the U.S. According to the company, installation is straightforward. The customer receives a computer with EyestarTV already installed, and the business simply connects it to their flat screen TV and high speed Internet, after which the loop displays within a matter of minutes. EyestarTV estimates there are more than 35,000 patients viewing their material every month.
EyestarTV’s installation process is streamlined to a point where it can take between 24 to 48 hours from the time a customer signs a contract to the time the company creates a customized and branded video presentation for that specific eyecare business.
When customers express interest in EyestarTV, they are referred to an online form asking for specific information about their business and what they want to showcase on their EyestarTV presentation loop (including information about their practice, products, services, hours of operation and their choice of RSS feeds). Once that form is completed, it is immediately distributed to EyestarTV’s group of in-house designers, who then create the customized content.
This content is downloaded to the subscriber’s client computer and can be displayed in the waiting room as well as other designated areas of the office using a video splitter. Every month, EyestarTV publishes an online newsletter that encourages its subscribers to view the newly released videos and update their playlist. In this way, their content is kept fresh and their patients are viewing timely and up-to-date content every visit.
EyeStar says it has installs across Canada and into the United States, but the actual store-count is unclear.
Interactive agency Schematic, a muti-office'd part of the monster WPP media group, just shut down a really interesting multi-touch interactive wall that was put up for the big Cannes international advertising festival in France.
It is a rare sighting of something involving multi-touch that actually has some practical commercial applications, though the cost of the screen and the development time to put this together was probably staggering. I have this image in my head of the Schematic account guy bringing along a defibrillator when he went in to present the job quote.
Designed to help delegates get the most out of the event, the massive 12-foot-long by 5-foot high interactive display provides attendees with instant access to the complete festival program, 3D maps of the event and surrounding area, and information on local restaurants and bars. The Touchwall also allows delegates to schedule meetings with each other and to trade contact information over email.
The experience begins when an attendee places his or her event badge against the Touchwall. Equipped with an RFID reader, the Touchwall recognizes delegates through RFID tags embedded in the conference badges. Once the badge is authenticated, the Touchwall provides a personalized workspace on the display, from which users can then navigate the event. Multiple people can work side by side, creating a productive and fun environment for sharing information and ideas.
“The key to delivering the kind of game-changing results that clients demand lies increasingly in finding better ways to connect with consumers and to provide real value,” said Trevor Kaufman, CEO of New York-based Schematic. “With the Touchwall, we’re introducing a new platform that enables brands to create engaging digital experiences for their customers.
“These types of interactive-out-of-home installations will give advertisers new opportunities to better connect with consumers by giving the user control over the quality and duration of the interaction, while also offering a more personalized experience.”
“Cannes seemed like the idea stage to debut our new focus on the digital out-of-home space, and our intent is to raise the bar for the whole industry relative to the quality of user experiences that should and will occur on these devices,” added Matthew Coble general manager of Schematic’s Atlanta office.
Providing a fully immersive experience, the proprietary Touchwall technology was developed by Schematic from the ground up. Combining spatial navigation design, multiple database coordination, and a pristine and intuitive user interface, the Touchwall leverages Schematic’s deep expertise in software development and user interface design. Schematic hopes the unveiling of this new platform will spark discussion on how marketers can more effectively leverage the interactive out-of-home channel.
The video shows some of the application work that was put together, and while I would argue whether this is entirely intuitive, it's definitely a step up over most multi-touch, multi-user stretch-and-spin-the-photo crap I have seen on videos and in person. Unfortunately, somebody from Schematic had to utter the tired comparison to the film, Minority Report.
I also like the part when the Microsoft platform guy says, "With the wall, you just walk into it and the wall knows who you are."
Well if you somehow walk into this wall, the wall knows you are one clumsy fella, and you've just given somebody a $200,000 (guess) heart attack.
He was awkwardly talking about RFID reader work, which is indeed clever and appropriate.
I haven't figure out what the screen is. It's stitched rear-projection, I think ... with some kind of touch overlay.
As noted, Schematic says they are now active in our space. Expect more of the interactive guys to follow, and really push the envelope ... which will be welcomed.
I remember seeing some stuff on Twitter last week from Locamoda CEO Stephen Randall, saying he was at a concert by David Archuleta and Demi Lovato, and thinking a couple of things ...
Why???
And who is Demi Lovato???
Anyway, I'm pretty sure Stephen has kids so he was being a heroic Dad (and if smart, had noise-cancelling earphones), but he was also no doubt having a first-hand look at what is a very cool application by his company of digital screens in a large concert setting. Randall's Boston-area company has been leading the charge on the integration of social media and digital screens, and I think this is among the best apps I have seen to date.
There is some shaky video which sounds like Stephen has the camera.
In essence, texting crazy teens and tweens (looks like pretty much all girls) were able to send SMS messages to a pair of very large projection screens flanking the stage, presumably there for live video during the actual concert. They could also get their photos taken at a special booth in the arena corridors and, maybe, also send pics from their phones.
As Jayne Karolow's The Web Outside blog notes: Thousands of txts and photos were sent to the screen - they’re prolific, these tweens!
You could easily imagine this becoming a standard offer at a lot of concerts and public events.
A company called PowerBeam is starting to make noise about patented technology that transmit power over not-all-that short distances using optical technology, making all kinds of retail digital signage people bouncy at the prospects of getting screens in places where no power is readily available.
According to the company, based in San Jose, California, its technology is meant for the space industry, as well as consumer and commercial use. In a rare sighting, digital signage is actually cited as a good application.
PowerBeam’s patented wireless electricity system uses Powmitters™ and Powceivers™ to deliver power without wires. The optical technology turns electricity into optical power. That power is then beamed across open space into a receiver. Similar to a solar cell, the receiver turns the optical power back into electricity. Whatever device is attached to the receiver is powered without any wires.
“No matter what you do, you cannot have an outlet in every square foot within a room. With PowerBeam, you can,” Surdi said. “We have the ability to ‘beam’ power to any device anywhere within line of sight giving you the freedom to live truly wirelessly. Wireless technology is now feasible.”
This is, according to Surdi, the natural evolution and the essence of the wireless trend; the ability to control where, when and how much power is transmitted and to what it is transmitted.
PowerBeam expects to have its technology in the market within 18 months, connecting items such as digital signage displays in retail stores, small TVs, digital photo frames, home theaters and lighting fixtures.
For anyone who has been on the operational side of this business, one of the biggest roadblocks to deployments in retail is getting power to the aisles in older stores (1,000s and 1,000s of older stores) that had no reason to run electricity to the shelves. The theory here is that with transmitters safely out of line of sight of people or stuff, power could be sent at least across parts of the store without said wires.
Changing offices is hardly earth-shattering news, but it is kinda interesting with respect to Stratacache, which has emerged in the last 12-18 months as a major player in the space.
The guys have money, and a CEO who from what I can tell never sleeps and has seen every airport in North America. The company had a choice of moving to a bigger, flashier local, or staying put in Dayton, Ohio - not your typical home for a technology company.
The company sent out a note today saying it decided to stay put, but moved on up to flashy digs on the downtown Dayton waterfront. This has an urban renewal whiff to it, as the "Riverscape" riverfront area has that newly minted "your tax dollars at work" look.
Says the release:
When considering a new location for its headquarters, STRATACACHE had two clear options: remain in Dayton or move out of the region. STRATACACHE chose Dayton. With cooperation and support from the City of Dayton and State of Ohio economic development teams, STRATACACHE decided that Dayton was the right choice for its corporate headquarters. The economic, cultural, professional and quality-of-life aspects provided by the greater Dayton area and the state of Ohio are a good fit for STRATACACHE's growth plan and stood out favorably among the choices considered.
One of the mixers I went to while at InfoComm was with another company based in the rustbelt. They were also a tech firm, but staying put made sense for them because the different levels of government were giving them major, major breaks on commercial real estate (as in $2 a sq ft for office space) lowered business taxes, and access to high skill staff at lower wages,as people could buy nice houses for a fraction of what they'd pay if living near a major metro area. Not everyone wants to live in Silicon Valley, Boston, New York or Seattle (or Toronto).
It looks like the same thing happened here, and I wonder if with stimulus money we'll see more companies either moving to these sorts of areas, or starting up there. A media company with national aspirations needs to be in a major market, but technology companies and service providers can be pretty much anywhere as long as there's a regional airport in reach and there's fiber to the building. If I could get nice office space for $2 a foot, even I might be pried free from my home office.
Where I get a little jumpy, unless there is some evil design here, is the same old carved up screen designs with little, teeny headlines. Some of the sample videos have that bottom-row-of-the-eye-chart feel to them, which is either just questionable content design or a Dr. Evil at work, making sure people know they need glasses by making them squint at the little-bitty type.
PowerBeam’s patented wireless electricity system uses Powmitters™ and Powceivers™ to deliver power without wires. The optical technology turns electricity into optical power. That power is then beamed across open space into a receiver. Similar to a solar cell, the receiver turns the optical power back into electricity. Whatever device is attached to the receiver is powered without any wires. 
