As you get ready to Celebrate Thanksgiving and spend the day watching Football on your flat screen display, remember some important tips!
The wrong cleaner can damage the surface of your display. We recommend using a soft, lint-free cloth and a special LCD cleaner, like Peerless-AV Screen Cleaning Gel.
DO NOT USE cleaners that contain any of the following agents: Acetone, Ethyl alcohol, Ethyl acid, Ammonia, Methyl chloride! Important: Do not spray any liquids directly on the LCD screen. Always apply the solution to your cloth first, not directly to the parts you are cleaning. Always use a soft cotton cloth. Some materials, such as paper towels or old rags can cause scratches and damage the LCD screen.
Peerless-AV recommends that televisions be mounted to the wall in homes with young children.
TV tip-overs: Advocates call for the use of straps to prevent child deaths and injuries
2 Chicago-area children in 3 weeks have been killed by televisions
By Duaa Eldeib, Chicago Tribune reporter
November 15, 2011
When parents buy a new TV, they’re unlikely to find in the box a simple tool that could save their child’s life — safety straps or anchors to keep the television from tipping over — because manufacturers aren’t required to include them.
And parents who look to purchase the straps after the fact may have to hunt them down because a number of stores that sell TVs don’t offer the straps.
Safety experts are calling for the inclusion of such devices in light of disquieting statistics: More kids were killed in accidents involving falling TVs from 2000 to 2010 than by all other unstable furniture or appliances combined, according to a September report released by the Consumer Product Safety Commission.
Not included in those figures are two Chicago-area children killed within the last three weeks when TVs crashed down on them. The most recent — a 3-year-old Chicago girl who had been playing with her brother and cousin when a TV tipped over — died Nov. 8. On Oct. 30, a TV fell on an Arlington Heights boy, 6, who police believe had been reaching for something on top of the screen. They found a juice box on the floor near his body.
“It’s a very serious problem that is not going away,” said Scott Wolfson, spokesman for the safety commission. “These are young children taken too soon.”
Nearly 70 percent of fatal tip-overs from 2000 to 2010 involved TVs, accounting for the deaths of 169 children, the commission reports. TVs are also the chief culprit in tip-over-related emergency room visits, with an annual average of 13,700 injuries, the report states.
The responsibility is a joint one, shared by parents, the safety commission and those who make and sell TVs, Wolfson said.
“We want the industry to get engaged in this process,” he said. “We want companies to be as active as we are. If the manufacturer doesn’t provide (straps), we want the retailers to sell (them) and to do so in a prominent place that’s easily accessible to parents.”
Northbrook-based Underwriters Laboratories, which tests the majority of TVs on the market, sets voluntary safety standards for TVs and stands. Raising awareness on the perils of falling TVs has been a priority, said UL’s consumer safety director, John Drengenberg.
Among the UL’s current safety standards — last revised in 2004 — is that a TV can withstand a 10-degree tilt and a force of 20 pounds or 20 percent of its weight without tipping over.
Some safety advocates, researchers and parents say that’s not enough. They want consumers to be able to leave a store with safety straps in hand when they purchase a TV. Some advocates have also urged modifications in TV designs to make them more tip-over resistant and a warning label informing consumers of the tip-over risk.
“I don’t even want to speculate what the mortality rates would be if the UL standards weren’t there,” said Drengenberg, noting that often the problem comes when a TV is placed on furniture that’s rickety or otherwise not intended to hold a large appliance.
Even if companies were required to include safety straps, there’s nothing to ensure consumers would use them, Drengenberg added.
But Rachel Weintraub, director of product safety and senior counsel for the Consumer Federation of America, a coalition of nonprofit consumer groups, said she believes more parents would use safety straps if they were readily available.
“I think if consumers know that it could potentially save the life of someone in their homes, I think they’re going to be more likely to do it,” she said.
Sylvia Santiago wishes she had known about the straps in 2008, when her 2-year-old daughter was killed by a TV that fell.
Like many parents, Santiago was alerted by a loud crash and rushed to her child. It was early on a July morning, and the last thing her daughter said the night before, Santiago recalled, was, “Mommy, I love you. I’m going night-night now.”
“At first I didn’t know she was underneath, then I saw her legs,” said Santiago, of West Haven, Conn. “She just whimpered. Her (pacifier) fell out of her mouth. I kept telling her, ‘Stay with me, baby. Stay with me.’”
In the few days her daughter spent in the hospital before her death, Santiago felt compelled to walk up to strangers, ask if they had small children and warn them about how something as ubiquitous and seemingly innocuous as a TV could kill.
Santiago has since made it her mission to educate people on the hazards of TV tip-overs and is working to make safety straps a staple in homes. The straps aren’t easy to find, Santiago said, so she makes a habit of giving them as gifts at every child birthday party or baby shower she attends.
“Companies need to provide safety straps at point-of-sale, and people, especially with all the big flat-screens out there, need to know this can happen,” she said.
Arvey Levinsohn, who owns the Chicago-area business A & H Childproofers, said he often advises parents to use nylon straps to secure TVs to a wall. Since the first of the two recent TV tip-over deaths in the Chicago area, Levinsohn said, he’s received 15 to 20 calls from customers seeking help to secure their TVs.
“I go in and advise. I show them what’s dangerous and explain to them why. They don’t always believe me,” Levinsohn said. “Then when something like this happens, they call me and they say, ‘You’re right.’”
At Abt Electronics and Appliances in Glenview, customers perusing the TV selection don’t often bring up safety.
“I’ve been doing this 15 years, and that’s a question that has never come up,” said general manager Steve Shapiro, who added that, to his knowledge, none of the TVs Abt sells comes with safety straps. “There are no straps made from the manufacturer or even anyone else.”
A spokeswoman for the Consumer Electronics Association said some TV manufacturers include safety straps with their sets but did not provide specific examples.
Even so, employees at some electronics retailers are versed on tips to offer customers to prevent accidents involving TVs. Abt recommends bolting flat-screen TVs to the wall for optimal safety. Barring that, customers are encouraged to buy stands that are compatible with the size of the TV, not just the space in the room.
Russell Griffin, an epidemiologist with the Center for Injury Sciences at the University of Alabama at Birmingham, co-authored a 2009 study looking at the onset of flat-panel TVs and increased injury rates among children.
Because the available data on TV tip-over deaths and injuries do not indicate whether the TV was a flat-panel or of the older, bulkier variety, there is no way to discern if one poses more risk than the other, he said.
Tube TVs are heavier and have a center of gravity in the front, meaning even a small amount of force can cause them to tip over. Yet flat-panel TVs aren’t necessarily safer, Griffin said, noting that their lightness and thinness make them easier for children to grasp and potentially tip over.
Many of the older-model TVs make their way into children’s rooms or basements — and often onto makeshift or unstable stands — when families replace them with flat-panel TVs, Griffin said.
That’s one reason why it’s crucial to anchor the TVs and their stands, said Dr. Gary Smith, director of the Center for Injury Research and Policy at Nationwide Children’s Hospital in Columbus, Ohio. Stands should be low and wide, he said, and parents should avoid placing remote controls or other objects on top of or near TVs so children aren’t encouraged to climb on to stands.
“We need to educate, but they also need to make (TVs) more stable so they don’t tip over in the first place,” Smith said.
Consumers should be aware of what they can do, whether that means buying straps, mounting a TV or ensuring the TV rests on a proper stand, said Megan Pollock, spokeswoman for the Consumer Electronics Association, which represents manufacturers and retailers.
“Our stance on this has always been a pure stance of education,” she said. “It’s not a factor of the TV sort of flying out of place, but that people aren’t educated on the proper placement.”
The association has fliers online that discuss the dangers of tip-overs for both older and flat-screen TVs and outline tips and proper installation methods.
As for stores that sell TVs, big-box retailer Best Buy does not carry the straps, a company spokeswoman confirmed. Representatives for Wal-Mart and Sears did not respond to inquiries. A Target representative said the store does sell the straps. And though they’re not in the TV business, some hardware and baby stores have safety straps in stock.
“If every television came with a tip restraint, even attached to it, so that all that a consumer would have to do is to attach it to the wall, I would feel much more comfortable,” said Don Mays, product safety director at Consumers Union, which publishes Consumer Reports. “It’s going to cost manufacturers only a few extra cents.”
Tribune reporter Vikki Ortiz Healy contributed.
Copyright © 2011, Chicago Tribune
Digital Signage Federation Announces Jeff Blankensop of Peerless-AV to Chair Legislative Committee
October 19, 2011
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE – The Digital Signage Federation® Announces Jeff Blankensop of Peerless-AV to Chair Legislative Committee
Warrenton, VA – The Digital Signage Federation (DSF), the independent not-for-profit trade organization serving the digital signage industry, today announced that Jeff Blankensop, Director Business Development of Peerless-AV, has agreed to chair its Legislative Committee.
Blankensop said, “Our committee’s mission is first and foremost to advise and advocate on pieces of legislation that could potentially affect the digital signage industry and impact our members’ businesses.” Citing privacy rights and signage laws as a topical example, Blankensop added, “Our legislative efforts will also focus on ensuring that our members are kept informed of any pending issues that could threaten their livelihood or increase their costs of doing business.”
Bob Stowe, DSF Chairman said, “Jeff has a passion for our industry and the necessary expertise to understand how potential threats could ripple through and affect the many segments that comprise our industry.” He added, “As a young industry, we are very lucky to have someone like Jeff embrace this challenge on our mutual behalf.”
About the Digital Signage Federation
DSF’s Mission is to support and promote the common business interests of the world-wide digital signage, interactive technologies and the digital out-of-home network industries. The DSF is a not-for-profit independent voice of the digital signage industry reflecting the diversity of its membership. It promotes professional recognition through certifications, continuing education, conferences, publications, and presentations offered by the DSF and affiliate groups. It provides government lobbying to leverage the collective strength of members and represent their interests at the higher levels of government and the community. The DSF provides leadership and networking opportunities focused on building a strong foundation for the advancement of the digital signage industry. For more information, visit www.digitalsignagefederation.org.
###
For more information, contact:
Brian Gorg
Executive Director
bgorg@digitalsignagefederation.org
Doc can I have a RX for an iPhone?
Smartphones, medical apps used by 80 percent of docs
ALPHARETTA, GA – Four out of five practicing physicians use smartphones, computer tablets, various mobile devices and numerous apps in their medical practice, according to a new report from Jackson & Coker.
“Tech-savvy physicians, especially recent graduates, increasingly rely on digital and Internet-based tools to communicate with patients and improve the medical outcomes of the care they provide,” said Sandra Garrett, president of Jackson & Coker.
[See also: Smartphones gain appeal with more docs]
The report, titled “Apps, Doctors and Digital Devices,” presented the results of several recent studies that investigated the use of smartphones, mobile computing devices and a wide variety of software apps by physicians in different specialties.
Here is the study’s breakdown of physician specialists’ usage of digital technology in medical practice:
- Emergency Room physicians – 40 percent
- Cardiologists – 33 percent
- Urologists – 31 percent
- Nephrologists – 31 percent
- Dermatologists – 30 percent
- Gastroenterologists – 30 percent
- Psychiatrists – 28 percent
- Radiologists – 24 percent
- Rheumatologists – 22 percent
- Endocrinologists – 21 percent
- Oncologists – 20 percent
- Clinical Pathologists –16 percent
The report cites recent studies that pointed out the practical value of integrating the latest digital hardware and software into healthcare delivery. It’s not surprising that so many practitioners are relying on iPhones, iPads and other computer tablets – as well as downloading a myriad of apps – given the growing movement toward “digitizing as much of the health care process as possible,” the report notes.
[See also: Smartphone apps make healthcare splash]
The study also addresses security and privacy concerns associated with honoring HITECH and HIPAA protocols. As a crucial preventative measure, some hospitals require medical staff to limit software use to read-only access to patient information while prohibiting storing such information.
As digital devices put more critical information in the hands of physicians, “the potential applications are virtually limitless,” it concludes.
The report can be accessed here.
Courtesy of Healthcare IT News - in partnership with HIMSS
Digital Signage Systems Prove Effective in Reaching the Elusive, Younger Consumer
LONDON, Sep 28, 2011 (BUSINESS WIRE)
The world market for digital signage systems is expected to achieve a value of nearly $14 billion by 2017, driven by retailer advertising to encourage consumers back into shops post-recession. According to a new report available on companiesandmarkets.com, the decline of printed advertisements has come from increased investment in new, interactive marketing technologies which are proving effective at influencing younger buyers.
Digital Signage Systems: A Global Strategic Business Report http://www.companiesandmarkets.com/Market-Report/digital-signage-systems-a-global-strategic-business-report-693048.asp?prk=7c4ed5b510c1ffe12b50d9829eddaba2
The global advertising and marketing industries have seen significant changes over the last few years, moving away from traditional print-based advertising methods and into the realms of digital marketing technologies such as digital signage systems.
Retailers are the primary end-users of digital signage systems, although the advertising medium is increasingly being adopted by non-traditional sectors, e.g., the transport, hospitality and financial services markets.
For the foreseeable future the advertising budgets of retailers will be under serious pressure; therefore rapid rates of ROI are essential factors in the procurement process. The declining prices of equipment and software, combined with high viewer message recall and retention figures are proving compelling arguments for the deployment of digital signage systems.
It is anticipated that the digital signage software segment will grow rapidly, at around 25% CAGR to 2017. Digital signage displays are the largest segment, and indoor digital signage is also expected to see growth over the forecast period, as retailers and other end-users seek novel methods to ways to win over increasingly elusive consumers.
The largest digital signage systems market is the US, although the expanding marketing industry in Asia-Pacific is provoking a rapid growth forecast of over 22% CAGR to 2017.
The 715 page August 2011 report thoroughly examines the global digital signage systems market, referencing historical and forecast data between 2003 and 2017. Profiles of over 120 industry participants are included within the digital signage systems research report, including: BrightSign LLC, Daktronics Inc., LG Corporation, NEC Corporation, Samsung Electronics, Sharp Corporation, Sony Corporation, Dynasign, Extron Electronics, Nanonation Inc., Scala Inc and X2O Media Inc.
Report Details: http://www.companiesandmarkets.com/Market-Report/digital-signage-systems-a-global-strategic-business-report-693048.asp?prk=7c4ed5b510c1ffe12b50d9829eddaba2
SOURCE: Companies & Markets
DSE Fall Forum
Peerless-AV’s photostream on Flickr.
Peerless-AV is a proud sponsor of last weeks DSE Fall Forum held at the Hyatt Regency Mission Bay Spa and Marina in San Diego, California
We had a great time meeting with all of our friends. If you missed it, please take a look at this collection.
Digital signage adoption skyrockets in higher education
Industry report says digital signs becoming commonplace on campuses; experts don’t see higher-ed market for video analytics
By Dennis Carter, Assistant Editor eCampus News
Digital signage is moving from commerce to education.
Paper flyers are out. Digital signage is in. College students have sent the message loud and clear to their campus IT officials: They want information broadcast on-screen—and recent statistics say decision makers are listening.
Digital signs—usually large, flat-screen TVs—were once used exclusively in common campus areas like the student union.
Today, even small colleges are installing digital signs in buildings across campus, and instead of controlling the messages scrolling across these signs from a central location, IT leaders are giving control to department chiefs who can customize each sign with announcements and news items.
And recent research shows that 2011 could be the year digital signs become a staple in higher education. More than 2,200 academic sites will add digital signage to their campuses this year, according to Northern Sky Research, a market research and consulting firm based in Massachusetts.
About 1,500 campuses added digital signage in 2010, and more than 8,400 digital signage screens were installed on North American educational sites last year. That number is expected to grow beyond 13,000 screens in 2011, according to Northern Sky Research.
Higher-education officials could have even more insight into campus use of digital signage networks this fall, when the Platt Retail Institute (PRI)—a leading researcher of digital communication tools—will study digital signage on up to 20 campuses nationwide after the company’s research showed that 97 percent of college students prefer digital communication to the traditional paper or static signs.
A handful of prominent schools already have announced their participation in the project, including Santa Clara University, the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, and the University of Denver.
In a June report sponsored by NEC Display Solutions, PRI highlighted strategies for funding, building, and maintaining digital signs.
Santa Clara, a university with 9,000 students, has 40 digital displays in eight campus buildings, and while some displays are used as welcome signs to visitors or to recognize the campus’s most generous donors, student leaders acknowledge the technology’s communication potential, said Ron Danielson, Santa Clara’s CIO.
“The student government has asked for its own screens, and students seem to see the value of the network versus paper flyers and other forms of notification that have been used in the past,” he said.Avoiding hefty printing costs that have long been a part of university-wide announcements about upcoming events or campus deadlines could be the driving reason digital signage catches on in higher education, according to the report.
The PRI report said “access to students [via digital signage] gives universities the unique ability to develop content with a ‘for us, by us’ mentality, and reduces production costs.”
Travis Ballstadt, digital media coordinator at Iowa State University (ISU), who programs the school’s digital signage displays, said the digital screens aren’t yet considered one-stop shopping for all student announcement needs, but he’s noticed more students and faculty taking a quick look at the screens on their way to class.
“It’s not enormously popular yet, but students are noticing them,” he said. “Our numbers are more on the small side, but they’re going up.”
Signage hasn’t been on campus long enough for students to incorporate the screens as part of their daily routines, Ballstadt said.
“I don’t think it’s become much of a routine for students to look at signage,” he said, adding the technology is much more popular on campus tours. “We find it to be more popular among prospective students … because we’ve placed our screens in tour stop areas, where people gather to wait for the start of a tour group. For that purpose, I think it’s a very valuable tool.”
Digital signage as a campus marketing tool?
The proliferation of digital signage in the commercial sector has proven that a high-quality digital screen can grab the attention of any passerby, higher-education officials said. But college IT leaders hesitate to use the technology for pushing brand names, unless it’s their own campus brand.
Western Kentucky University (WKU) uses its signage in 17 buildings to “promote the WKU brand,” Kelly Scott, the university’s digital design web developer for IT, said in the PRI report. Scott added that the technology is ideal for campus calendars, emergency messages, and class schedules, but the school would shy away from on-screen commercial ads.
“When visitors and students walk across campus, they will be provided with relevant information instead of a bombardment of advertisements,” he said.
Some digital signage displays are armed with video analytics programs that use camera-captured images to determine a passerby’s gender, race, and age. The sign, once this information is processed, customizes its on-screen message to appeal to the person.
A middle-aged man, for example, might see a shaving cream ad appear on screen.
Steven Platt, founder of PRI, said while video analytics will help campus IT chiefs better understand how many students and faculty are watching the signage—and for how long—retail will remain the domain of analytics.
“We’re really not finding anyone talking about selling ads” on campus-based signage, Platt said. “For [educators], video analytics is all about testing. … For companies, it’s important to understand message targeting, and if you’re not selling advertising on campus, the value just isn’t there. I don’t see video analytics as having any role today in higher education.”
Ballstadt said ISU technology staffers create the campus’s digital signage content, and talks of expanding digital displays to more buildings haven’t included discussions about the value of video analytics.
“I don’t see it as being something that we’re really willing to invest in,” he said. “It probably isn’t an expense that we’d consider.”
Read more about digital signage in higher education…
Texas college teams up with digital signage industry
Peerless-AV is proud to be sponsoring this weekends Fall Forum
Peerless-AV is proud to be sponsoring this weekends @DSE Fall Industry Forum 2011 in San Diego http://ow.ly/6snpp
