In this article, Bill Gerba, of WireSpring, discusses his approach to testing digital signage content. The article is one in an on-going series of articles:
From what I've seen regarding the digital signage and displays when I'm out and about, there is a need for folks in this industry to heed Bill Gerba's advice! FYI: I've embedded a slide show at the end of the post that includes over 200 shots of digital signage and related "DOOH".
"Indeed, it turns out that a tablet needn’t do everything that a more powerful PC can, according to multiple research studies on iPad usage. Rather, the tablet’s main appeal lies in the approachable touchscreen interface that just about anybody at any age can pick up and figure out...That’s the genius of the blank slate — with nearly 400,000 apps that allow the iPad to become a toy, a TV, a medical tool for doctors, a notetaker for students and more, it caters to an extremely broad audience." -Brian X. Chen
" ...the potential of the iPad is not achieved by the iPad alone, nor by simply placing it in the hands of a child with autism. The potential of the device is realized by the way professionals like speech pathologists, educators, occupational therapists and early childhood development professionals apply their skills and knowledge to use the iPad to effectively support the development of children. The potential is realized by engaged parents working with those professionals to explore how the device best meets the individual needs of their child." -Daniel Donahoo
(I have a few thoughts about the iPad of my own that I'll share in a future post.)
Blind Squirrel Digital is a digital media company located in Newton, N.C. One of the company's services is multi-touch surface design and implementation. Below is a picture of their recently constructed multi-touch wall:
About Blind Squirrel Digital: Blind Squirrel Digital's services include iPhone and iPad application development, 3D animation/Visualization/Previz, multi-touch surface design/implementation, augmented reality design/implementation, multi-platform game development, digital signage/interactive and static content management systems, kiosk development, software and hardware design, exhibit design, simulation training application development, and real-time forensic reconstruction application development.
People behind Blind Squirrel Digital: C. Michael Neely, the founder of the company, serves as President and Creative Director of Blind Squirrel Digital. He has experience working with 3D applications and teaches digital effects, animation, and game development technology. He also has a few film credits under his belt, including "Pirates of the Caribbean III", "Spider Man III", "Fantastic Four", and "The Incredible Hulk 2". Jeremy Cooper is the Vice President and Producer at Blind Squirrel. He has experience working on multiple creative projects (Digital Juice, Ballistic Pixel, and the Digital Design Center), and has taught a number of courses in the Simulation and Game Development program at Western Piedmont Community College.
(The above information was gathered from the Blind Squirrel Digital website.)
"Liberate students from the cognitive waste going to mechanical issues which have nothing to do with effective communication. Help them to become communicators and storytellers, and let your teaching focus on construction of effective writing, and what separates "writing" from "talking" in our culture." -Ira David Socal
You don't need to be a student to appreciate this approach to writing and communication!
Ira Socal starts out his thoughtful blog post by mentioning that he dictated it using a Jawbone bluetooth headset and Windows 7 Speech Recognition, which is a free component of the operating system. He's found that this is a great approach to use with students who struggle with the writing process. He points out that there are many barriers that students face when attempting to write, especially for those who have difficulty holding a pen or using a keyboard efficiently. He also points out that "keyboards injure more people each year than any other workplace tool."
Below are two videos Ira Socal shared on his blog:
RELATED/SOMEWHAT RELATED How to set up Windows 7 Speech Recognition MIT Freedom Stick (Michigan Integrated Technologies Supports) Freedom Stick and Firefox Accessibility "The MITS Freedom Stick is designed to provide students with information and communication access on any computer using a Windows or Linux operating system. When you insert the USB Flash Drive into the computer the LearnApps software should load giving you a menu in the toolbar on the lower-right corner of the screen. Please note, however, that when using the software on some computers you may need to open the drive and click directly on the LearnApps icon to open."
