Audio Visual Bend Blog

Helping a Technophobe

May 24th, 2018

Most of your AV customers feel fearful and anxious with tech. In fact, they may even be technophobes and they need our help. Read on!

Technophobia refers to the feelings of fear and anxiety related to technology.  Many of our AV customers would describe themselves with this term.  Due to the nature our industry, AV professional are not in this category.  Because of our comfort levels, we can easily be unaware of these issues with our clients.  To our detriment, we can also be unsensitive and cause further anxiety during our consultations. In this post, we challenge our AV colleagues to learn more about technophobia and how to increase comfort levels and trust. Read more »

Buying and Selling the Best Tech

May 8th, 2018

If you’ve decided to buy some new tech, here is a guide to help you have the best tech buying experience.

 

So, you’ve decided you need a new widget.  For a variety of really good reasons, your widget is now inferior.  However, you now face the daunting task of entering into the sales cycle.  You will become a buyer.  You will interact with a sales team, either online or in-person.  You will try to avoid common pitfalls.  Here is a potential guide: Read more »

Dark Horse and Underrated Tech

May 1st, 2018

Every month, if not every week, tech companies race to create and release newer, faster, sleeker, sexier gadgets. Sometimes the newest is the greatest. But sometimes, the less obscure, maybe even the older models, may be a better business investment. Read on!

We live in society where newer equals better.  Every month, if not every week, tech companies race to create and release newer, faster, sleeker, sexier gadgets.  And while some of them really are worth their weight in gold, most are flash-in-the-pan trends. So, as AV experts looking to guide our customers to not just a better fit but the BEST fit, should we automatically gravitate towards the latest and greatest?  Or should we take a closer look at Dark Horse tech and over-looked and underrated tech? Read more »

Techlash vs Technological Advancements

April 30th, 2018

In the States, we’re seeing some significant push-back against the American tech giants,
but globally, tech advancements keep marching forward.
Read on to learn more.

Media headlines have been screaming about Facebook’s Mark Zuckerberg’s appearance and testimony before Senate committees this past month. Headlines like: Read more »

Technology – Stone Age through the Glass Age

April 20th, 2018

Photo by Juhasz Imre from Pexels

We’ve certainly come a long way in our “tool usage.”  Not so long ago, our ancestors trudged their way through the human timeline discovering and inventing new forms of tools and weapons.  Archaeologists have labeled three distinct periods in history identified by the way people made tools and weapons.   They are the Stone Age, the Bronze Age, and the Iron Age and it is clear that different people groups developed at different rates and speeds through these ages. This concept remains true today, except now we are replacing the terms “tools and weapons” with the term “technology.” Read more »

Trends in Audio Marketing

April 11th, 2018

Audio marketing is “seeing” a resurgence!

Audio marketing is “seeing” a resurgence.  While audio content strategies, like radio advertising, have been around for decades, there are new trends in audio marketing that are taking the industry to a new level.  Producing audio content for consumer interaction is the overarching trend for 2018.  However, there are several trends that are truly blog-worthy.  Here are few from our research: Read more »

Assistive Technologies Create Connection for Disabled Populations

April 4th, 2018

Photo by: Jessica Lewis

Nearly a quarter of the US population has some form of communication disability that hinders human interaction.  And we know that human connection is one of our basic needs.  And even though belonging is desired by all, the inability to communicate effectively has a negative effect on relationships and quality of life.  An article in the Winter 2018 issue of Speech Technology shares examples of assistive technologies, their purpose and applications, and how vendors are overcoming concerns and challenges.  The following is a summary of those points from the article, “Assistive Technologies – Helping the Disabled Join the Technological Revolution” (p. 40 – 41) by Leonard Klie. Read more »

Mobile Learning = Learner Engagement

December 8th, 2017

Mobile learning – personal, convenient, connected, bite-sized, and relevant.

“Anyone who stops learning is old, whether at twenty or eighty.  Anyone who keeps learning stays young.” Henry Ford

There was an era when a person could expect a job to last a lifetime.  But this era is now long past and long over.  Today, the average worker changes jobs ten to fifteen times during the span of his or her career. And while there are many reasons for these frequent changes, there is one common denominator required – the desire to learn.  And in this modern era of technology, current and future employees have a wide range of learning content and platforms to choose from. Read more »

Is Digital Wayfinding Right for You?

November 21st, 2017

Consider helping your customers find their way around your campus by looking into a digital wayfinding solution.

The Dilemma – You are Lost

When you visit a large school campus, or a hospital, or a large corporate center for the first time you do your best to find the main entrance. Sometimes it is easy to spot, but other times you end up in the wrong place or across the campus from where you are supposed to be.  Now, try to find someone to ask for directions.  There is a good chance you may not find someone, or if you do, just hope they give you good enough directions. Maybe I am alone in this, but this has happened a lot to me. Read more »

Should AV Be Seen?

November 13th, 2017

Stealthy AV equipment is readily available and can make for a very sleek and highly functional project.

In the AV industry, for as long as I can remember, the idea of being able to have an AV system of some kind and making it as invisible as possible has been a request of clients.  At the end of the day, can you ever really hide all of the equipment in a system?  Obviously, this depends entirely on the installation and equipment being used. Read more »