Flatvision Industry News

The British Army is currently considering a vehicle known as the Ranger, which could provide soldiers with an as yet unseen level of protection against roadside bomb blasts compared with current vehicles.

British Army leaders have recently come under attack after senior officials suggested that forces operating in Afghanistan do not have sufficiently protected vehicles to guard against improvised explosive devices (IED), by far the most dangerous weapon in the insurgency arsenal.

The new Ranger vehicle, produced by Universal Engineering is valued at £1m and contains a specially built interior capsule, supported from the ceiling to cushion soldiers against bomb blasts.

Alongside the cushioned interior, the vehicle also makes use of tunable armour, which can be changed to precisely match specific threats. The design of the vehicle uses the effective boat-shaped hull, armoured belly plates and a floating floor to protect against IED attack.

The vehicle carries a 6t payload and is available in 6X6 and 8X8 variants. Weapons options include a 30mm cannon and remote weapons stations.

Universal Engineering is currently undertaking validation trials on the vehicle in Dorset, UK.

(See article – http://www.army-technology.com)

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While the focus of many tradeshows is the expo floor itself, some of the most interesting and worthwhile events at Digital Signage Expo 2009 will take place before the floor even opens.

Before the doors open, this show – the largest DSE to date – will host four educational sessions focused on interactive technology, self-service and digital signage devices. The sessions are set for Tuesday, Feb. 24.

“We wanted to offer more pre-show tracks this year and really give attendees a choice of where to go on Tuesday before the show,” said Chris Gibbs, executive vice president of Exponation, host of DSE. “The education component of our event is definitely stepping up to the next level, and I think it’s our duty to do so.”

For interactive tech enthusiasts, that choice may be hard to make. Three of the four tracks are day-long events that include breakfast, lunch and a day’s worth of expert advice.

Running all day Tuesday will be a mobile and gesture-based digital signage summit, formally titled “Revolutionizing Interactive Marketing in Public Places: The Mobile and Gestural Imperative.” Experts will look at successful case studies involving some big brands, and discuss ideas for new ways to engage customers.

“Interactive technology dramatically changes the context of digital signage from a passive, more one-dimensional medium to a multidimensional medium that more fully engages users, significantly expands the audience,” said Michael Mascioni, program director for the Mobile and Gestural Digital Signage Day.

Beyond interactive technology

Other topics for the day include building brand power, social networking and designing content for interactive screens.

“I think interactivity and experiential technology is really going to be where a lot of these companies see the effects of what these signs can do to enhance the experience for the customer and the consumer,” Gibbs said. “It is really going to create a lot of ‘a-ha’ moments for a lot of people. Hopefully they’ll say ‘Yes, this is exactly what we need in our museum or in our hotel.’”

For the first time ever, DSE will host the Digital Signage Certified Expert program, put on by the Digital Signage Experts Group and Brawn Consulting. Attendees to the day-long program will be educated on topics such as digital signage hardware, networking, ROI, content and selling digital signage. Those who pass a test at the end of the day will earn the certification.

“Most of the thought leaders in this space gather at DSE every year and we want to take advantage of that and get them to share their experiences and knowledge so the industry can continue to grow,” Gibbs said.

There are also two areas on the floor where presentations will be held throughout the Expo. One is in the new Content Pavilion, surrounded by companies that create or repurpose content specific to digital signage. There will be a small stage where companies in the pavilion can showcase their content in brief 20-minute presentations.

(See article – http://www.digitalsignagecentral.com)

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Digital Signage Expo (DSE) has announced the availability of select past digital signage conference seminars online.

Each year the show has expanded its conference program, but more options mean scheduling conflicts for attendees. DSE said in a release that it is now providing “distance-learning so attendees will have the ability both to revisit those sessions they attended for clarification, and pick up information they may have missed or weren’t ready to address.”

“While virtual sessions can never replace the interactive experience of being at the conference first-hand, participating in Q&A and networking with experts, we are pleased to give attendees this educational option that they can use all year long,” said Chris Gibbs, president of ExpoNation, LLC.

More than 20 seminars have uploaded to the DSE site and are presently available to watch.

The next Digital Signage Expo will be held at the Las Vegas Convention Center in Las Vegas from Feb. 23-25, 2010.

(See article – http://www.digitalsignagetoday.com)

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In an attempt to reduce the amount of child abuse and neglect in the UK, the British Government will soon allow 24 hour CCTV surveillance in thousands of homes that are considered to be the ‘worst’ in the country, according to the Children’s Ministry.

Currently, there are 2000 families in the monitoring program with an expected enrolment of 20,000 over the next two years costing the Government about £400 million.

Labour claimed that the monitoring devices place Britain in the list of countries who spy too much on their own citizens, but the Labour government still felt the additional monitoring of families was necessary to address problems such as malnutrition, truancy, and alcohol abuse.

Families that are monitored will be carefully watched to ensure that children are fed proper meals, have a reasonable bed time, and make it to school on a regular basis.

Ed Balls, the Children’s Secretary, said that this is a tough way to get families back where they need to be.

He also stated that the surveillance program, known as a family intervention project, should be available in all local areas to help support families that need it.

These projects are currently in existence in about half of the country’s councils, despite debate that the Government is using CCTV in too many locations, with the last uproar concerning CCTV cameras in the classroom.

Britain has about 4.2 million CCTV cameras which is about 20% of all CCTV cameras worldwide that are said to be used for safety reasons.

(See article – http://www.cctvcore.co.uk)

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Drones may be the answer to gang crime, if the new Unmanned Aerial Vehicles that are being utilised by some police forces work the way they were intended.

The drones operate with four carbon-fibre rotor blades which hold a camera that sends CCTV images back to the control unit, so that police can see what is happening at a scene where they are not physically present.

Each unit measures about three feet and can carry video, night vision pictures, still images, and thermal images.

Merseyside Police was the first unit to try out the drones, using them to fight gang crime and guns.

In the past they have also been used at festivals to detect crimes.

The little helicopter cameras are useful because they allow authorities to collect evidence on video that can be used to sort through varied versions of different events.

Derbyshire Police plan to use them at the Red White and Blue Festival to detect situations of disorderly conduct.

(See article – http://www.cctvcore.co.uk)

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Home Bargains is attacking the amount of in-store thefts that occur by starting an online campaign that will ask people to identify suspects who are wanted in connection with shoplifting.

Additionally, the store will begin to put up posters of shoplifters in stores much like a wanted poster.

The retail outlet has about 190 stores across the UK and speculates that shoplifting costs the chain about six million pounds a year prompting the need to attack shoplifters.

Throughout Britain shoplifting is thought to have cost retailers over £4.5 billion just last year alone.

Currently, by heading to the website of Home Bargains you can view six shoplifters from June and July.

Tjmorris.co.uk, which owns Home Bargains, also has added the same type of viewing system on its webpage, including CCTV images of shoplifters along with the location and date of the supposed crime.

In order to motivate people to report shoplifters, Home Bargains is offering rewards up to £500 for information that leads to the arrest of a shoplifter.

The program was started last month after the retail managers met with police to discuss the best way to prosecute and catch shoplifters without putting innocent people at stake.

(See article – http://www.cctvcore.co.uk)

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The French government is planning is triple its CCTV network over the next two years as part of the fight against terrorism and street crime.

By 2009, it is estimated that Paris will have 6,500 CCTV cameras on the public transport systems alone.

It is also proposed to introduce flying spy drones as a crime prevention measure. The flying drones, which are four feet long and powered by two electric motors, will carry day- and night-vision cameras.

They will be used to track rioters and fight crime. Gang violence is a growing problem in Paris, which has seen repeated clashes between rival gangs in recent months.

The security initiative in France was stepped up after the 2005 attacks in London’s transport system, which killed 52 people. It is considered that the video surveillance system in London is ten times more developed than that presently deployed in Paris.

(See article – http://www.cctvcore.co.uk)

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The beauty of our Digital Signage displays are highlighted by the wide variety of applications in which they can be incorporated. Applications such as product promotion, brand awareness, POS and Customer Information displays are just a few examples of where these displays really excel.

All of our Digital Signage LCD Solutions utilise the latest TFT LCD technology coupled with high quality integrated media players that can utilise the latest CF, SD, MS, MMC card types. All displays come metal-cased as standard and typically powder coated in silver or black.

We also have a range of ” Network Digital Signage LCD Monitors” where content can be managed and updated over the Internet.

If you need help defining what solution would best suit your application give our sales team a call on: (01782) 567979 or send us an email: sales@flatvision.co.uk

For more information on what Flat Vision Products can offer you, check out our website: www.flatvision.co.uk

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Our range of RackVision LCD Monitors are rugged & durable, constructed from mild steel making them a durable solution for most applications.

All RackVision monitors come with a choice of inputs from PC (analogue VGA) as standard to optional DVI-D, Composite Video (PAL & NTSC), S-Video. They also have the additional option of resistive touch screens.

As you will see the RackVision range is available in sizes ranging from 10.4″ up to 19″ with the options of front & rear mounted OSD controls, rack handles and 12vDC input.

So if you have an application requiring a rack mountable display solution, then get in touch.

Call us on: (01782) 567979
Check out our website: Flat Vision Products Ltd

For further information on Flat Vision’s Products: http://twitter.com/flatvision

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Singapore’s MediaCorp is using digital out-of-home as its stepping stone into the outdoor market, via a contract to sell advertising on screens in the city state’s new ION Orchard mall.

The state-owned group – which began life nearly half a century ago as Singapore’s first radio station, and now has significant interests in TV, radio, print and online – will sell airtime on ION Orchard’s large LED screen and more than 100 smaller displays.

It will also provide content including current affairs from its NewsAsia channel and lifestyle segments for the mall, which opened last month.

(See article – http://www.screens.tv)

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