Issue link: http://osercommunicationsgroup.uberflip.com/i/1134004
EdTech Show Daily 1 9 Wednesday, June 26, 2019 becoming more of a struggle for students. The ability to focus is a key to education- al success. When a teacher's voice is amplified 5 to 15 decibels above basic "ambient noise," speech and articulation are significantly improved. With this amplification, instruction can better cap- ture the student's attention and enhance focus. Therefore, classroom audio can improve a student's focus and increase interaction and coordination as a whole. Sound amplification systems such as Anchor Audio's AN-30 powered speaker monitor provide a solution to the sound challenge in educational spaces such as classrooms. Anchor Audio systems are optimized for crystal clear voice amplification, allowing stu- dents to more easily comprehend what the teacher or fellow students are say- ing, directly resulting in a higher reten- tion rate. Teachers who use classroom audio amplification report repeating themselves less and find their students are learning more. Humans rely on hearing and sight more than all other senses. This holds true in a classroom and other educational Classroom Amplification (Cont'd. from p. 1) facilities. Most students are linguistic learners; they learn the best from hearing or seeing words. Not only is hearing important, but students often rely on visual cues or materials to assist in learn- ing. Versatile solutions are important, and the AN-30 makes lessons and activities more efficient by incorporating multime- dia sources such as movies, videos, music, audio books and more. Anchor Audio's AN-30 powered speaker monitor can be used for a vari- ety of applications. The AN-30 now offers the ability to use up to two wire- less microphones allowing for an inter- active and amplified experience between the instructor and students. Because of its light weight and small size, it is the ideal solution to be installed and mounted on a wall, ceiling, stand, desk or even on an AV cart. Despite its small profile, the AN-30 eas- ily fills a large conference room or classroom with ease – reaching crowds of 100-plus. All you have to do is com- bine the AN-30 system with a projector or smart board for the perfect modern audiovisual solution in any classroom. For more information, visit booth #730. MackinVIA has been recognized by Tech & Learning as a 2015, 2016 and 2017 ISTE Conference Best in Show Winner and is a 2015, 2016 and 2017 recipient of its Award of Excellence as an outstanding technolo- gy education product. In 2017, MackinVIA won a Platinum Award from Modern Library Awards and Product of the Year in 2018. These achievements are validation of the effort Mackin has put into making a superior product for users in education. We also have a free funding source for schools and libraries called MackinFunds. Hundreds of schools uti- lize this free program because it is a has- sle-free, online donation program that allows schools to collect donations and spend 100 percent of the proceeds on any print or digital resource Mackin sells. ESD: What trends are you seeing in the library anad classroom market? RH: Today's school library market is presently enduring the largest paradigm shift it has experienced since the intro- duction of the stand-alone online auto- mated catalog. K–12 school libraries are being challenged to remain relevant in a world that is quickly transforming into a digital platform and I believe that this is the very biggest opportunity ever for school libraries and professional school librarians to showcase their importance and relevancy within the educational process. Teacher-Librarians must seize the moment and take the lead as purvey- ors of knowledge and vital information sources and resources that will serve to accelerate and increase the ability of Mackin (Cont'd. from p. 1) every classroom teacher and administra- tor to improve and enhance learning. ESD: How do you view your role as an educational resource vendor in today's market? RH: Our role is more crucial than ever as we provide schools and libraries with the most economical and versatile resources they need. Mackin has taken that involvement a step further with the for- mation of the Transform Your School Library (TYSL) Movement. We have assembled an accomplished board of pro- fessionals who are fully engaged in pro- viding support to librarians focused on transitioning their library to meet the educational challenges of today and the future. Librarians looking for support and information can learn more at www.mackintysl.com. ESD: In addition to visiting the Mackin booth, how can people learn more about your company? RH: People can visit our website at www.mackin.com for information about Mackin and all of our amazing divisions, or contact us online to start a live chat. We can also be found on Twitter, @MackinLibrary and @MackinVIA, Instagram @MackinLibrary and on Facebook (Mackin Educational Resources). For additional questions, email us at mackin@mackin.com, or call us at 800.245.9540. Every phone call is always answered in person – 24 hours a day, every day – and we pride ourselves on the fact that here, true customer serv- ice still exists. For more information, stop by booth #1222 or go to www.mackin.com. Save Power and Money with ReLamp LEDs The ReLamp LEDs are available in sizes for most common fresnels. In some fix- tures, the reflector should be unscrewed to make room for the LED. The ReLamp LEDs work on the same AC dimmers as halogen. The light looks just like tungsten halogen, but without the heat. It is also available in daylight. Both have very high quality color rendering. Regardless of how it is measured, the color looks right on all faces, makeup, wardrobe – just like the tried and true halogen. For a list price under $700, the ReLamp 1K is what most have been waiting for. It's certainly more than a halogen globe, but given the estimated 50,000 hour lifetime, one ReLamp LED compares to about $5,000 worth of halogen bulbs that would have to be purchased over that same 50,000 hours. A newsroom can now upgrade to LED with no downtime. The process of installing the ReLamp LEDs is only a few minutes per fixture. The look is seamless. It is easy to replace a few fixtures or all of them, and preserve the look the halogen was providing. The focus and barn door cuts are equivalent. Best of all, it will save enough in power in the first year to pay for the upgrade. Learn more at www.visionsmith.com and www.bulbtronics.com. LoveHandle Wins Phone Grip Challenge We've all seen the huge variety of smart- phone grips, knobs and rings parading on the backs of smartphones and cases these days, but which one is the best all-around consumer choice? A recent survey asked users to try each one and rank their favorite based on overall functionality. Here are the results: 1. LoveHandle – The clear winner for function and comfort, LoveHandle passed the pocket-friendly test as the lowest-profile grip in the group. The thin profile also allowed it to operate with wireless charging, unlike some of its thicker and all metal competition. Reviewers liked its use of a softer elastic grip surface instead of hard plastic or metal, but promptly commented on how comfortable it is to securely hold the phone with just a fingertip. 2. Metal Rings – Coming in second place in the survey were the variety of swiveling metal rings that boast grip and stand functionality. While these rigid ver- sions did offer a reliable grip when worn as a ring on the user's finger, they did not score well in the comfort category. Some reviewers commented that the ring was somewhat uncomfortable and was not really a one-size-fits-all product. 3. Expanding Circles – These round expandable knobs are a current pop culture fad among young teens and middle-school lunch- rooms. However, reviewers said they lack the basic utility of offering a reliable and com- fortable grip for the phone. Large and bulky, many survey respondents complained that the knob would get hung on their pocket or purse when put- ting their phone away. On the comfort rankings, the popping circles scored low as well due to the way it is held precari- ously between your fingers and constant- ly requires an active grip to prevent phone drops. Young reviewers still gave high marks for the addictive fidget-like qualities of popping and collapsing these expanding grips just for fun, though. It doesn't seem like the smartphone is going anywhere in the near future, so all of these grip accessories will have a piece of a grow- ing market. However, its quite likely that fads will give way to func- tion as mature consumers have the oppor- tunity to try each of the current available solutions and decide which one works best for their needs. For more information, visit www .lovehandle.com or email sales@ lovehandle.com. Exactly what displays on the Android device (videos, photos, applications, home screen, etc.) displays on the Kenwood receiver, all wirelessly! Just imagine tailgating before the big game – you can see and hear the pre-game show from your Kenwood touchscreen and vehicle sound system – bringing the experience to life, not to mention being the envy of all those in sight! So how does this all work, and is your phone compatible? Compatible Android phones must feature Miracast technology (most Android devices run- ning Android OS 4.2 or higher have this) and the connection method varies by phone/device model. Phone manufactur- ers vary in how they list this support, of Kenwood (Cont'd. from p. 11) which the most popular connecting terms include: screen mirroring, smart view, multi-screen, wireless display, WiFi dis- play and media output. After you have followed your specific phone's instruc- tions to connect, simply select the "wire- less mirroring" source on the receiver to enjoy true screen mirroring. The wireless mirroring source icon can easily be cus- tomized to display on the receiver's home screen for ease of access. With driver safety in mind, display of the mirrored device's content is enabled on the screen only when the vehicle is parked with the parking brake engaged. Supported receivers include the Kenwood eXcelon DNX996XR, DDX9906XR, DDX8906S, DMX906S (mechless), as well as the Kenwood DDX8706S and DMX9706S (mechless).