Digital Dream City

The Case For Simplicity in Digital Signage Content

DigitalDreamCity — Thu, 11 Mar 2010 01:58:08 +0000

The next time that you’re in a grocery store, waiting room, or any venue that has a digital signage network, take the time to study the content. While you’re doing that, look at the people walking – or sitting – nearby. Are they paying attention to the screens? Do they have the look of somebody who is interested enough to respond? Chances are, the answer is no. And if the marketing collateral that is being displayed doesn’t get a person’s attention, it is not doing its job.
In most of the signage content I’ve observed, the sales message is completely buried. This is true whether it’s a 3-minute segment at my local grocery store or a 20-minute segment at my dentist’s office. The problem is the level of complexity within the message. In today’s article, I’m going to make the case for simplicity in your signage content. The factors that influence your viewers – for example, color and motion – should be consistent with a simple message.
Less Is More
Here’s what we know about most people who view a sales messages: they’re impatient, often lack focus, and don’t like to think about what they’re watching. That might sound harsh, but understanding your viewers’ perspective will help you craft content for your signage network that compels action. The segments that you – or your creative agency – design must not overwhelm people with too much information. While they’re watching, they’re not thinking. Providing too much information makes them less willing to continue watching.
Throughout any segment, there’s also an ever-present possibility that your viewer won’t understand what he or she is watching. If the marketing collateral that you’re displaying is not completely intuitive, it will raise a question mark in their mind. Each question mark represents a moment of disconnect. If your viewer disconnects too many times, you will lose their attention.
This is the reason why your signage collateral must deliver its message in a tight package. Less is more. That doesn’t mean that every piece that you create for your network should be short. Rather, it means that every piece should be designed to cater to an impatient, unfocused, and unthinking viewership.
Getting Attention Quickly… And Keeping It
The best way to capture the attention of passersby is to begin each of your signage segments with a fast jolt of intriguing content. By “intriguing,” I’m not necessarily referring to full-motion video or other eye-catching collateral. It could be as simple as displaying the three most powerful benefits of a product in an easy-to-read font. The reason for the initial jolt is because those first few seconds are when a person is deciding whether to continue watching or to keep walking.
Once you have their attention, your segment must continue to hold it. This is a fine line. As I noted above, less is more. However, if you don’t continue to tantalize your viewers throughout the segment, you’ll lose their interest. On the other hand, if you give them to much, too soon, you’ll confuse them. And once they’re confused (even slightly), their ability to comprehend what they’re seeing begins to decline. That’s why you need to walk a fine line between providing too little and too much information throughout an entire segment.
Creating Simple Content
Think of each screen within your signage network as a billboard. And think of every piece of digital signage content as a request for your viewer’s attention. As they’re speeding by, you have mere seconds with which to capture them. If your content does its job, they’ll not only notice it, but they’ll pull over to the side of the road and continue consuming it. And while they do, you’ll be communicating the benefits of your product in a way that compels them to take action.

Effects of Colors in Digital Signage Content

DigitalDreamCity — Wed, 10 Mar 2010 22:32:28 +0000

For years, researchers have known that certain colors can evoke specific emotional responses. What’s more, various hues have cultural connotations that can elicit different reactions or inferences based upon heritage and ethnicity. The question is whether these elements can be used in the content that you develop for your digital signage network to arouse a response.
In this article, we’ll approach the topic of color usage in digital content by exploring customer preferences and the effects of specific tones. I’ll explain the emotions that are commonly induced by red, blue, and other hues as well as the differences in cultural perceptions. Finally, I’ll describe their true impact on generating a response.
Customer Preferences
Color is deeply ingrained within most people. Here in the U.S., it’s a larger part of our culture than most people realize. For example, blue is often cited as the most popular while red evokes the most intense emotions (we’ll talk about emotional responses below). The American flag, arguably one of the most widely-recognized and emotion-inciting emblems, is comprised of red, white, and blue; each is powerful on its own accord.
Customers have color preferences. They can influence moods, purchase decisions, and behaviors. But, the extent to which this influence can be leveraged through digital signage content is still unknown. Most customers have limited exposure to digital signs. That’s why effective content that motivates action must be delivered in short spurts. Signage exists in an environment where much of its effect occurs within the first minute. That’s usually not enough time to accurately measure the emotional impact of different tones.
Reds, Blues, And Other Hues
Even though the impact is undetermined, it’s still worth noting how various hues affect people. Research has shown that red can increase a person’s heart rate and stimulates faster, shorter breathing patterns. As I mentioned above, red evokes the most intense emotions. By contrast, blue has a calming effect on most people. It suggests dependability and resiliency.
Green, like blue, also has a calming effect; darker shades imply a conservative nature. Yellow is often misunderstood and as a result, misused in signage content. While it suggests optimism, it also increases frustration levels. While network operators might think yellow will attract the eyes, the effect on response can actually be damaging.
Noting Cultural Differences
Today, any business or high-traffic public area will attract members from several ethnic groups. While the cultural diversity in customer bases implies new marketing opportunities, it also makes it more difficult to use color in signage content. Cultures perceive colors differently. For example, red implies excitement for those in the west, while it has traditionally represented purity in India. Further, red indicates good fortune in China while signifying a time of mourning in South Africa.
Evoking An Emotional Response
All digital signage content should be developed to evoke an emotional response. That is the core of effective copywriting. While color can be used to enhance specific aspects of the content, it cannot be relied upon to persuade viewers to take a desired action. For example, consider a shoe store that is using digital signs in order to increase sales for a given pair of shoes. The content should be written carefully to persuade store visitors to make a buying decision. Various colors can be used to support that message based upon what we know about their psychological effect, but their impact is largely unknown.
This is the reason why digital signage content – and all marketing collateral – should focus on the core principles of copywriting. Those include attracting attention, building interest and desire, and designing a clear call to action.

A Digital Water Flow Meter

DigitalDreamCity — Wed, 10 Mar 2010 20:56:21 +0000

The digital water flow meter consists of a turbo prop sensor which is attached to a handle that is expandable and has a digital readout display. The Global Water Flow Probe is a very accurate water flow instrument that measures the flow in open channels as well as in partially filled pipes.
The digital water flow meter has true velocity averaging and can measure flows in a very accurate manner and is used for measuring flows in rivers and streams as well as monitoring velocity in ditches as well as canals. The digital flow meter also has many features to it including easy flow monitoring, digital display in ft/second or meters per second, does not weigh much and is reliable as well as rugged and is used by water professionals all across the world.
Debris Shedding Turbo-Props and Telescoping Handle
This digital water flow meter also has debris shedding turbo-prop and a telescoping handle with staff gauge and can display instantaneously true average velocity and also has a rain-proof digital computer read out. It is most useful for measuring flows in streams, rivers, canals, storm waters, wastewaters and industrial process waters.
To operate this digital flow meter, its flow probe incorporates the unique turbo-prop propeller sensor which makes it possible for positive displacement techniques to sense velocity and is designed to shed debris and has ample protection inside the two inch diameter housing. One can place the probe housing directly on the bottom of the pipes or streambeds in order to measure low flows down to two inch depths and the flow motor propeller turns feely on the shaft without mechanical interconnections and so has almost no friction.
In addition, the flow probe handle is able to telescope from three feet to six feet in height or five feet to fifteen feet and is made of anodized aluminum for its low weight as well as durability and can be extended up to twenty-five feet in length with the help of PVC pipe and extension cables, which allow sewer flow measurements from the level of the street and measuring of stream flows from the bridge. Attached to the lower section of the digital water flow meter is a three feet Mylar coated staff gauge which is graduated in hundredths of a foot and centimeters and this helps in instant water depth measurements as well as accurate positioning of the propeller.

Digital Camera Review

DigitalDreamCity — Wed, 10 Mar 2010 13:58:34 +0000

There are so many models of digital cameras available in today’s market, that it becomes a rather difficult task to pick the best buy among so many options. Perhaps a few steps should be taken into consideration when choosing the right camera. Will the camera be for daily use, or just for special occasions like birthdays, family reunions, etc. Will the price of the camera make much difference on the pocket?

Assuming that price is not an issue, one should choose a well known major brand camera and if possible, go for the latest model and with the highest number of mega pixels available. The higher the mega pixels, the better the picture will be specially if there is an intention of having photo enlargements quite often. A good quality optical zoom lens will also make a big difference. Choose a camera which comes with a battery that holds a good charge, this way you can enjoy lots of picture taking without having to be worried when the battery charge will come down.

The range of features available make a digital camera very cost effective and more than likely you will be able to find the right camera suited to satisfy your needs.

If you enjoy printing enlargements of your photographs, you may want to pay close attention to the printing size and what is required in mega pixels for you to have good quality results. For you to have an idea of the amount of mega pixels required for most commonly used size of prints, refer to the chart below:

For photos 2×6 inches – 2 mega pixels

For photos 5×7 inches – 3 mega pixels

For photos 8×10 inches -7 mega pixels

For photos 11×14 inches – 14 mega pixels

For photos 16×28 inches – 28 mega pixels

For photos 20×30 inches – 54 megapixels

The handling and design also matters and the lightweight ones are much nicer to carry around. Choose a camera that is user-friendly and make sure that you have a good local technical assistance in case you may run into problems with it.

There are several advantages of having a digital camera instead of the old traditional film camera. First of all, there are no films to be purchased ever. You make take dozens, perhaps hundreds of photos and instantly delete the ones you don’t like, or that did not came well into focus and just keep the best ones. You may load them into your computer album, record them and you may view your favorite photos from you camera or from your television set. Some digital cameras also come with a recording device that allows you to record special events and replay them immediately after recording

Digital cameras take pictures that are stored in digital media. It is possible to select, save or delete photos without any cost whatsoever. The photos are usually stored in media cards into the hundreds, meaning that you can take as many pictures as you like before you run out of space. Also in most digital cameras, the user can view the pictures on the LCD screen, which will allow him to pick the best ones.

No wonder that digital cameras became so popular and accessible item to almost everyone. It became a must to have one nowadays and even cell phone cameras are getting better everyday with noticeable improvements in quality of picture taken. The earlier models of cell phone cameras were somewhat limited as far as picture quality is concerned comparing to the ones we find on today’s market. The mega pixels are increasing constantly and so the quality of the cameras. If a person needs to carry both at the same time, maybe a cell phone with a digital camera built in will be an interesting option to consider

If you have not bought yet a digital camera, maybe this the right time to do so, considering the manufactures are offering so many new models with new features at bargain prices. It is wise to compare the several models among different manufacturers and also the prices from traditional and online stores. Make sure you do your research right, and most likely you will find the digital camera you are looking for.

Picjet Studio – Enhance your Digital Photos by Simply Dragging and Dropping

DigitalDreamCity — Wed, 10 Mar 2010 10:28:42 +0000

Drag-and-Drop Picture Enhancement
Resize a bunch of digital pictures or convert them into a different format. Create a great-looking photo collage and imprint the date completely automatically. No learning curve involved, just drag and drop your selection onto an icon!

Processing your own film allowed for a high degree of freedom and creativity back in the film age. Digital photo processing opens a whole new world of opportunities for the creative mind. But do you have the time to process your digital pictures one by one? Do you have the desire to learn, and do you have the money to buy the required image processing tools? If you don’t want to spend days and weeks learning how to do this, and wish to get results right away and without breaking the bank, read on!

What do you do most often with your digital photos? If you’re like most of us, you probably resize them to fit into a Web browser and convert pictures from one format into another, making them load faster in a Web browser. PicJet Studio (http://www.picjetstudio.com/) offers you a new, exciting and free way to perform just that by simply selecting the photos and dragging and dropping them onto a PicJet icon!

Resize a bunch of digital pictures to fit any size completely automatically and without any hassle. There’s no learning curve involved, just drag and drop a single photo or a selection of multiple photos onto the Resize icon!

Are you concerned with load times when you upload a photo album on the Web? Not sure if a Web browser can show the images as produced by your digital camera? Remove any guessing and drop your digital pictures onto the Converter icon! PicJet Studio will carefully convert the images into a chosen compatible format, ensuring that they never exceed the file size you specify. No learning required, just drag and drop!

Feeling creative? Design a cool-looking collage of your favorite photographs! Learning curve? What learning curve? Just select your favorite pictures and drop them onto the Collage icon!

Do you remember having a film camera with that cool imprinting feature that stamped the date you took a picture onto each photograph? They don’t often include this in digital cameras anymore. But all is not lost in this department, as you can easily stamp dates onto digital pictures in a much simpler way than you would do it with film! PicJet Studio imprints the date you’ve taken the picture on a single photo or on a bunch of photographs quickly and easily. Learning curve? What learning curve! Just learn how to drag and drop the pictures onto the Stamp icon, and you’re all set! Unlike the film ages, you can now select your own font and color to make the date look exactly as you had hoped.

Four functions in one little program. Not yet convinced? PicJet Studio is completely free of charge! You don’t pay now, you don’t pay later. Download your own free copy now: http://www.picjetstudio.com/

Reading the Large Print: Bigger is Better in the Digital-age

DigitalDreamCity — Wed, 10 Mar 2010 08:57:16 +0000

It’s now over 500 years since German goldsmith Johannes Gutenberg invented the first printing press, enabling the mass-production of literature and other texts through the medium of print.

Indeed, such was the influence of Gutenberg’s design, that in 1997 it was voted the most important creation of the last 1000 years by Time-Life magazine, which is no mean feat, considering the wealth of other contraptions and devices that have contributed to the technological revolution.

As with any invention, however, although the same basic concept has remained the same over the years, the methods and technology used to achieve the outcomes have changed greatly. In an age where everything from telephones to televisions are becoming digitalised, the world of printing, too, is moving into the digital realm, and for good reason.

Firstly, there is the issue of time and money. With digital print, what once took days can now be achieved in hours, and there are no traditional printing plate charges to pay for, which is of particular benefit for short-runs in large format digital printing. With large format digital printing, it is common for organisations to do shorter print-runs than they would maybe do with, say, an A4-sized flyer.

Roller banners, for example, are commonly used by companies at information stalls at events or to greet visitors in reception areas. They are a very effective, eye-catching means of gaining exposure, as people can see instantly who the company is and what they stand for. Many organisations will need no more than a few of these banners and will benefit greatly from the reduced cost of large format digital printing.

Furthermore, digital printing in general provides the customer with far greater versatility over traditional printing methods. It’s not uncommon for companies’ needs to change over time; whilst a print-run of only a few might be fine at first, there may be a need for more at a later date. ‘On-demand’ digital printing also allows the customer to ‘test’ the market place and then adjust the company message at a later date, without costing the earth to do so.

Large format digital printing is also suitable for more ambitious marketing or branding projects. Mesh PVC banners, for example, are proven to be an effective means of advertising and can be used to adorn scaffoldings and building wraps, and can also be displayed in public buildings such as concert and exhibition halls.

So, although the basic premise of producing literature and other texts ‘en-masse’ has largely remained the same since Gutenberg’s revolutionary 15th century invention, the methods have changed significantly over the years. The digital revolution has led to improved versatility and speed and also reduced costs, making large format digital printing more feasible than ever before. It would seem that bigger is, indeed, better.

There Are Many Benefits To Your Digital Cordless Phone

DigitalDreamCity — Wed, 10 Mar 2010 02:00:36 +0000

Have you ever been concerned that your neighbor might be listening in on your most private telephone conversations? Are you worried about placing orders over your cordless phone system for fear of revealing your sensitive data to others? If these are your concerns, then a digital cordless phone may be for you.
Digital signal encryption secures your conversations and telephone credit card transactions from eavesdropping by all but the most high-tech scanners. They not only provide much needed security features; they also give you advanced features and functions that give the knock-out blow to analog phones.
A digital cordless phone is a technological leap from analog days. Digital technology converts your voice to a series of ones and zeros; otherwise known as binary code, the language of computers.
The transmitted code is sent on your phone’s designated frequency between the handset and base, then decoded back to the original signal that you and the other party understand. This encryption gives you the privacy and security you thought you already had.
Stronger, clearer frequencies mean less interference and better voice quality, and wide bandwidths mean you can be as far as a mile from the base unit. While manufacturers are reluctant to specify exact ranges, they claim that digital cordless phones have a range four to seven times greater than the 300-to-500-foot range of standard analog cordless phones.
Panasonic and Casio say their models provide a range of up to 4,000 feet under optimum conditions. Although variables such as metal buildings can affect reception, the 900 MHz frequency is not affected by computers, microwaves or other electronic equipment.
Some of the fun features of these phones include built-in answering machines with remote message pickup from the handset, call waiting, caller ID and two-way paging, and speaker phones built into the base that allow users to send and receive calls if the handset is elsewhere. Options like distinctive ring tones, a dual battery system, keypad on the handset and the base unit, two-way paging, improved life of cordless phone batteries, and walkie talkie functionality are so useful; you may not know what you did without them. You can even sync bluetooth phones with your digital phone through wireless broadband data transfers.
Who knew that a by-product of avoiding unwanted eavesdropping and security breaches could lead you to fun and useful digital cordless phone features you might not have known were available? Great voice quality, minimal interference, and increased distance from the base unit also add to the overall positive experience of switching from an analog to a digital, cordless telephone.

Polaroid Company and Their Digital Technology

DigitalDreamCity — Tue, 09 Mar 2010 22:28:32 +0000

The epoch let out Polaroid society conditions and account materials for the sake of instant reception of photos with the use of chemical processes, and has succeeded in it. The concept of Polaroid pictures became standard and did not demand further explanations. However the competition of the digital technologies in the end has compelled the company to refuse the archaic “chemistry” and to offer buyers more modern decisions.
However, the idea of “an instant photo” has not disappeared, and today Polaroid has suggested taking for these purposes the easy mobile printer PoGo, which is quite corresponding to the spirit of modern technologies. The principle of reception of images is rather original – performance contains neither ink, nor painting materials. The essence of the focus consists in the firm photographic paper ZINK, which contains layers with crystals of primary colours.
Some manufacturers among whom are Agfa, Epson and Polaroid, for increases of the target sanction apply technologies of image improvement. In Polaroid PDC-3000 for its matrix with one million elements the technology of expansion of the target image is also applied though at the disconnected function of expansion it is possible to receive only 800×600 pixels.
The nearest purpose of Polaroid Company is creation of technology of an instant press of digital photos. Soon Polaroid plans to present two platforms of a digital press; now they are designated by code names Onyx and Opal. Management of Polaroid hopes, that it will help to correct the parameters, which have worsened recently of sales and to provide the companies leading positions in a developing market of processing digital images.
Opal and Onyx technologies should raise quality and reduce the cost of an instant press of digital images. Opal tools are intended for reception of colour prints, and Onyx technology is focused on processing of monochrome and black-and-white images. Both systems provide application of a paper with a special covering and use of special thermal process. Unlike the traditional Polaroid instant photos, to the prints made by Onyx and Opal technology, it is not required even a little additional time for development.
Activation of or crystals occurs following the account of heating of a material in the printer. The company approves, that pictures received as a result do not fade in a course of a long time, are not smeared and are not afraid of casual drops of water. However, we can assume that the difference of heat is not an advantage for the pictures.
Polaroid traditionally does not indulge the users with the size of instant pictures – the photographic paper for the sake of PoGo has a size of 5 ı 7,6 cm. Press of one picture borrows about 60 seconds. The sources of images are mobile cameras, digital cameras the use of interfaces Bluetooth or USB (PictBridge).
Polaroid has declared the start of new electronic XSJ-00750M, 7 inches digital photo frame with a unique feature – increase in ability that allows users to look through and increase the photos without the use of a computer. In opinion of the company, it has allowed a zoom-digital camera frame to include functions of a slide show from 5 stages adjustable terms: from 3 till 60 seconds. This latest digital product from Polaroid also features an interchangeable frame, brightness, and ratio of 400:1 resistance and USB 2.0 connectivity, along with an integrated multi-card reader to handle wide variety of memory card formats.

Capture Unforgettable Moments Of Your Life With Cheap Digital Cameras

DigitalDreamCity — Tue, 09 Mar 2010 20:56:40 +0000

Some times ago, images captured by the film cameras were considered to be the only way to record unforgotten moment of life. However, there are some factors on which a traditional camera does not stand up to the expectations. The factors such as difficult-to-use, poor image quality, special picture effects, display screen and worse light conditions are the prominent ones where traditional film camera proved to be completely sub-standard.With the invention of new technology, manufactures have added various dimensions to their products. Some of leading manufactures such as Kodak, Canon, Sony, Fuji and HP offer cheap digital cameras for the consumers. These devices generally have few advanced features such as high resolution settings, auto focus, automatic exposures, optical and digital zoom lens, high capacity memory cards, changeable lenses and waterproofing. Image quality is related to megapixel rating directly and the handling of white balance by the camera. If one wants to send images on the web, email or store them on hard disk drives, digital cameras with a 2.0 to 3.2 mega pixels rating are more than satisfactory. If one wants to have still pictures of portrait quality, then one has to look for cameras whose resolution is above 3.2 mega pixels.Due to the megapixel rating, most of the cameras are much expensive. The higher megapixel are able to produce larger photographs without grains. However, cheap digital cameras do not come with a high megapixel ratings. The Samsung Digimax A502 is a 5 mega pixels high-resolution digital camera, which comes with 5 x digital zoom that can be used for a wide range of photographic purposes. Its compact-sized design makes it easy-to-carry.A digital camera can display images on its screen as soon as they are captured. It also allows you to edit and customize them as per your choice. Most popular format in which images are stored in these devices is JPEG. Most of the modern handsets come fitted with them. They also have zoom function through which you can capture clear images of distant objects also.With heightened video recording capability, the Samsung Digimax A502 supports video recording in VGA format and that too at the speed of 24/15 frames per second. The users can record a video clip in VGA format and then play it on their TV or computer without any loss of quality. Its four different scene modes of Night Scene, Portrait, Landscape and Fireworks provide clear pictures to its owner. It allows you to display a desired picture on its vivacious LCD screen after adjusting its size. It has a vibrant 1.8 inches TFT screen and an easy-to-use menu system,. The Digimax A502 is a user-friendly and feature-rich digital camera that can be used by anyone without troubles.There are so many cheap digital cameras available in the global market that come with many futuristic functionality, user-friendly interface and provide high quality still pictures. With the help of Internet, one can purchase digital camera by sitting in her / his home.

Digital Hearing Aids

DigitalDreamCity — Tue, 09 Mar 2010 13:58:38 +0000

Digital hearing aids

There are a lot of digital hearing aids on the market and it can be confusing for new or even existing buyers to know which hearing aid manufacturer is best. Now that older analogue hearing aids have been replaced by digital hearing aids the performance, style and functionality has improved markedly. First time hearing aid users can now be reassured to know that the latest digital hearing aids are small, lightweight and almost invisible hearing aids. There are so many different hearing aid styles to choose from in the ear which places the entire hearing aid into the ear canal and is fitted to the exact contours of the ear. BTE or behind the ear hearing aids are more traditional in design but can offer exceptional performance for more severe hearing loss. RITE receiver in the ear or open ear hearing aids are the latest in digital hearing aid technology that helps with a more comfortable hearing aid fit and great performance for mild to moderate hearing losses and perfect for the first time wearer. Oticon Dual, Oticon Epoq, Phonak Audeo Yes, Resound Dot are all examples of digital hearing aids that use receiver in the ear or open ear technology.

Digital hearing aids have developed so much in the last few years with many having the ability to communicate wirelessly with mobile phones, TV’s and computers as well as each other. Oticon hearing aids and Phonak hearing aids are considers leaders in the area of hearing aid binaural processing and hearing aid connectivity. Oticon produces a wide range of hearing aids that now employ Bluetooth connectivity to enable the hearing aids such as Oticon Epoq and Oticon Dual to connect with each other, mbile phones and personal communication assistants. Phonak Exelia, Phonak Versata, Certena and Audeo Yes are part of a growing family of Phonak hearing aids that utilize Bluetooth technology to help the hearing aids communicate with mobile phones and other electronic devices.

It is always best to seek professional independent hearing care advice when considering a new digital hearing aid. First see your GP but then look for an independent hearing care retailer who can offer impartial advice on all the latest digital hearing aids from manufacturers such as Phonak hearing aids, Oticon hearing aids, Resound hearing aids. Your GP may be able to refer you to the audiology department of your local hospital and put you on the waiting list for a hearing aid. The hearing aids available from the NHS are only BTE or behind the ear styles and will not offer the same level of technology as those that are available from private hearing aid dispensers but they will be free. There is a lot of information about digital hearing aids available from the RNID.

Always check to see if the hearing care professional can offer a free hearing test and free hearing aid demonstration.