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News Archive |
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Tuesday, 20 April 2010
SKANEATELES FALLS, N.Y. · Hand Held Products Inc. announced the latest addition to its Image Kiosk 8570 line of self-service mini-kiosks.
Powered by Adaptus Imaging Technology 5.0 and based on the Windows CE 5.0 operating system, the IK8570 enables retailers to assist customers by providing a range of self-service functions, including price checking, product look-up, and frequent shopper or loyalty-program administration.
Features of the IK8570 include omni-directional scanning of barcodes, the integration of a magnetic-stripe-card reader, non-payment transactions, LCD touchscreen, and a USB port for peripheral connectivity.
The IK8570's WebScan software enables integration of barcode-scanning functionality with existing Web-based applications. It also comes equipped with an Intel Xscale 200 MHz processor, and 64MB of Flash and SDRAM.
Thursday, 17 December 2009
The University of Kentucky College of Nursing has announced the launch of an interactive health information kiosk at the Erlanger, Ky., branch of Northern Kentucky's Kenton County Public Library.
The touchscreen kiosk, called "The Well," is a feature of the UK College of Nursing's Clean Indoor Air Partnership with St. Elizabeth Healthcare and the Northern Kentucky Health Department and will provide information on heart health, smoking cessation, secondhand smoke and radon. It will allow users to take interactive quizzes about these topics and also features a body mass index (BMI) calculator and a scale.
Sue Banks, branch manager for the Erlanger library, says the kiosk is part of a large-scale initiative to educate residents of Northern Kentucky about their health:
Several years ago, we began to realize how important the library was as a resource for people in regard to healthcare, wellness and fitness. We are thrilled that the library can now offer this health kiosk because of our partnership with the University of Kentucky College of Nursing, St. Elizabeth's and the Northern Kentucky Health Department.
The kiosk's official launch is Friday, Dec. 18, and the public is invited to attend the free event.
Thursday, 10 December 2009
Protouch, a maker of touchscreen kiosk and digital signage solutions based in the United Kingdom, has unveiled its new Web site, Protouch.co.uk. According to a news release from the company, the new site covers touchscreens and interactive kiosks in greater depth than before and focuses particularly on Protouch's Xen line of multifunctional kiosks.
The company says the new Web site features additional tools for potential kiosk customers:
Visitors can access videos demonstrating the key functions, features and benefits of touchscreen kiosks and experiment with the configuration tool, which allows users to personally customize and design their own kiosk online.
Also featuring on the new-look website is a bustling blog containing a mix of quirky and informational articles, plus two revamped news sections; one for Protouch and the other for the touchscreen industry as a whole.
Wednesday, 09 December 2009
Zytronic today announced that its ZYBRID touch sensors, equipped with projected capacitive technology (PCT), have been integrated with Taiwan-based Sunvision Technology's ViViMirror interactive self-service display.
According to a news release from Zytronic, the ViViMirror combines an embedded PC, LCD display and the ZYBRID touch technology to create a user interface that is transparent while the PC is operating but presents a highly reflective surface, similar to a traditional mirror, when not in use.
The company says the ZYBRID technology enables Sunvision to localize touch capabilities on the display without requiring the bezel structure usually necessary with other touchscreen technologies. Zytronic says the ViViMirror is ideal for use in hotels and retail, as it supports access to Web applications and personal networks, adjustment of heating/ventilation settings, control of intruder alarm systems and product information applications at the point of sale or in fitting rooms.
Morgan Wen, COO for Sunvision, says the ZYBRID technology was essential to the ViViMirror's functionality:
PCT's unique ability to function through an overlay material, in this case mirrored glass, coupled with ZYBRID's customization capability and drift-free performance, together with excellent local project support, have been central to enabling us to deliver this significant innovation. ViViMirror allows customers to stylishly conceal a full-function touch display until the moment it is required and is already generating high levels of interest from the home appliance and retail markets. The product can be customized depending upon the application and additional functionality including RFID, and fingerprint recognition can even be incorporated into the system.
Friday, 04 December 2009
Motorola Inc. has announced that its venture capital arm, Motorola Ventures, has invested in Paris-based Sensitive Object, a provider of multitouch platforms and natural user interfaces (NUIs) that is a spin-off of the French Science National Research Centre (CNRS).
According to a news release from Motorola, Sensitive Object was founded in 2003, and its Anywhere MultiTouch platform can "tactilize" any surface by leveraging acoustics to analyze sound waves departing from the point of a touch. Motorola says the technology is able to cost-effectively transform any product into a touch device and will set a new standard for full 3-D device interaction.
Reese Schroeder, managing director of Motorola Ventures, says Sensitive Object's technology underscores an emerging trend in touch technology:
Natural user interface, and in particular interacting with a device through touch, is an area of rapid development and great excitement. Sensitive Object provides an innovative and unique approach, allowing new ways of interaction. We're most excited to be involved in their growth and success.
Monday, 30 November 2009
TIO Networks Corp., a provider of billpay kiosks and bill payment processing services, has announced financial results for the fiscal 2009 fourth quarter, ended July 31. The company's revenue increased to $5.4 million from $4 million in Q4 2008, representing a 34 percent increase. Year-to-date revenue is $21.5 million, a 50 percent increase compared with $14.2 million in 2008.
Hamed Shahbazi, TIO's chairman and CEO, says high demand for last-minute billpay options in a tough economy has helped the company grow:
We had a strong year of growth, having achieved substantial improvements on both the top and bottom line of the company. Most importantly, we found a way to grow the company’s revenue while reducing capital expenditures to record lows, demonstrating a substantial strengthening of our business model. Although we continue to operate in a difficult economic climate, TIO’s last-minute bill payment processing services continue to be in high demand. The company expects to continue to grow revenues and is working hard to accelerate its growth with a very strong line-up of opportunities and initiatives.
Also today, TIO announced it will work with utility provider Georgia Power to deploy self-service billpay kiosks in select Atlanta-area retail locations. TIO says the touchscreen kiosks are expected to be fully operational this winter.
Thursday, 22 October 2009
Ticketmaster has announced a multiyear extension of its partnership with Honolulu's Neal S. Blaisdell complex that will involve the installation of several touchscreen ticketing kiosks. The Neal S. Blaisdell complex includes venues such as Blaisdell Arena, Blaisdell Concert Hall and the Waikiki Shell.
Ticketmaster says its touchscreen kiosks enable users to securely purchase event tickets 24 hours a day and pick up tickets already purchased online or by telephone. The company says the kiosks have an average transaction time of less than three minutes.
Shirley Alexander, general manager of Ticketmaster Hawaii, says the partnership established the company's dedication to tourism in the Hawaiian Islands:
We are pleased to extend our longstanding partnership with the city and county of Honolulu's premier venues in order to promote live entertainment in Honolulu, as well as tourism on the islands in general. While expanding this alliance, we intend to broaden Ticketmaster's reach even further by building upon our partnerships with the Hawaii Visitors Bureau and others so that, in the long run, we will all benefit from this relationship.
Monday, 19 October 2009
Konvergence and MuchMore Media, based in Italy, have launched an interactive touchscreen digital media network in more than 70 hotel lobbies across Northern Italy's Riviera Romagnola.
The units are a content-on-demand service that show tourist info to hotel guests, and in turn generate additional income for hotel owners.
Leaflet dispensers at hotels have traditionally offered guests information on local points of interest, attractions, brands, restaurants and retail businesses. Having recognized that digital media could enhance the traditional leaflet display model and make it easier for guests to find information of interest, MuchMore worked with Konvergence, a specialist in digital out-of-home solutions, to design an integrated leaflet and interactive digital signage unit that could offer current customers the opportunity to feature their businesses on the screens as part of a value-added marketing program.
Patrizia Cicognani, marketing and sales manager, Konvergence, said:
For as long as most of us can remember, when we visit a new destination the primary source for local information has always included a hotel's leaflet dispenser. Working with MuchMore, we looked at the model and recognized there were many ways to offer better user choice and operational and commercial benefits.
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A Scala-driven kiosk, part of the hotel interactive touchscreen network.
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Content is stored locally on a PC installed within each freestanding unit. The system pulls live information from the Internet for content, including local news and weather, event guides and, if applicable, updated pricing information. All 70 locations can be controlled, adjusted and monitored in real-time from a network operations center run and managed by Konvergence.
In order to deliver this solution, Konvergence worked with Scala to design the multilanguage, interactive graphic user interface, manage play-out schedules and the content assets (text, video files, RSS feeds and live Web-based content) and provide a mechanism for hoteliers to change or update promotional content or pricing.
Lorenzo Spadini, owner of the four-star Corallo Hotel in Riccione, Italy, said:
Our guests are savvy users of technology and want to be able to access the information they are interested in when they want it. This helps our business look better to our customers and, by virtue of the commercial opportunity, it will help us generate additional revenue.
In the future, the network may allow for hotel operators to extend information to other screens on site, including in-room televisions.
Friday, 16 October 2009
OnSite Media, a maker of interactive technology for the travel vertical, and Showcase Technology, a hospitality technology provider, have announced a partnership to provide interactive kiosks for more than 20,000 hotel locations.
According to a news release from the two companies, the new kiosk application will combine OnSite's Concierge "automated travel assistant" and Showcase's NetStop software system. The kiosks will feature a 24-hour digital concierge and special offers, discounts and incentives from advertisers.
Pual Rajewski, CEO of Showcase Technology, says the partnership represents a milestone for the OnSite Concierge application:
The new software package that bundles OnSite Concierge with NetStop enhances our capabilities to better serve the needs of our customers, such as hotels and airport business centers. It is also the first time that OnSite Concierge has been available in Europe and Asia.
The partnership is a three-year agreement, according to the release, and all existing NetStop customers will be offered the OnSite concierge as a free upgrade to their current services.
The two companies also will exhibit the new product at next week's Best Western North American Convention in Phoenix.
Tuesday, 29 September 2009
Meridian Kiosks was recently featured in a cover story in Business Solutions magazine.
Company CEO Chris Gilder is pictured on the cover and interviewed in the story "Turn Touch Screens Into Kiosk Sales," which touches on how the company expects to exceed 100 percent revenue growth in 2009.
"The first thing VARs should be asking clients is if they're looking at deploying self-service solutions," Gilder says in the article. "Then ask if they've looked at the benefits. Many times, the potential client for self-service doesn't understand the benefits of enhancing the customer experience through self-service devices."
Read the entire article.
Friday, 18 September 2009
TouchSystems, an Austin, Texas-based provider of touch-enabled solutions, has introduced its rugged Industrial Chassis Design, or ICD, Panel PC.
According to a news release from TouchSystems, the ICD Panel PC is available with several screen sizes and can be customized to individual kiosks' application requirements. The company says the interactive PC is resistant to chemicals, dirt, liquids and other contaminants and is ideal for rugged or industrial deployments.
Carol Nordin, senior vice president of TouchSystems, says the company developed the product to meet a growing demand for rugged, flexible solutions:
We've built our reputation on our drive to consistently deliver the most reliable, cost-effective touch solutions to our customers. We saw a demand for an extremely rugged, high-performance interactive solution with market versatility and flexible design options. The new ICD line delivers all of these features without the hefty price tag.
Thursday, 27 August 2009
SeePoint Technology has announced the New Mexico Department of Motor Vehicles has deployed more than 170 of SeePoint's touchscreen self-service terminals throughout the state. The kiosks administer driving tests and accept payments for vehicle registration and driver's license renewals.
In a news release, SeePoint says the New Mexico DMV chose its solution because it could be quickly deployed and would integrate easily with the department's own application software:
SeePoint was able to rapidly prototype a computer system with all the special devices, including magnetic stripe and check readers, necessary for the self-service testing and payment terminals. Additionally, the quality, reliability and durability of the SeePoin terminals will provide long-term, uninterrupted service to the millions of drivers in New Mexico who will access the systems. Moreover, the Intel-based architecture of the system made it easy to develop the testing and payment software, which was designed by the state. By simply loading the software on the SeePoint systems, the state's automated DMV systems were ready to go.
Tuesday, 18 August 2009
A Maryland library has joined the third "green" U.S. McDonald's in deploying Quality Automation Graphics' Energy Efficiency Education Dashboard, or EEED. The product is a touchscreen self-service solution that library-goers can use to learn about the Carroll County Public Library's green features, including a geothermal heat pump, storm water management, solar hot water, and recyclable materials. The technology also displays the building's resource use in real time.
Scott Reinhart, assistant director of the Carroll County Public Library, says the touchscreen is a popular educational tool for children:
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We're delighted with the product, both technically and artistically. It's so gratifying to see kids interacting with the dashboard and learning how we are helping our environment.
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Quality Automation Graphics worked with Johnson Controls to integrate the solution with the library's existing control system and says using the EEED can help a building earn an Innovation in Design LEED certification credit from the U.S. Green Building Council.
Thursday, 06 August 2009
U.K.-based Zytronic, a display technology manufacturer, has announced its selection by digital media company Yeahpoint for an interactive project with Singapore-based telecom operator SingTel.
According to a news release from Zytronic, SingTel will use Zytronic's ZYBRIB touchsensor technology in interactive touchscreen terminals that will feature information about SingTel's full range of products and services.
Zytronic says the project also will include touch-enabled interactive tables with 42-inch ZYBRID touchsensors tied to rugged glass overlays that allow customers to download items from an extensive library of music, games and videos. Zytronic says the tables also provide the SingTel staff with a customer-validation and queue-management system.
Matt Cudworth, chief technology officer for Yeahpoint, says the rugged and flexible design of Zytronic's technology is well-suited for a retail environment:
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ZYBRID is a much more rugged and versatile touchscreen solution compared with those offered by alternative technologies, and it can deal with the often harsh treatment that has to be expected in a store environment. The countertops and tables are particularly susceptible to everyday wear and tear – visitors to the store may drop heavy shopping bags on them, spill drinks or accidentally scratch the surface with jewelry, for example. If another touch technology had been deployed, there would have been the risk of damage to the touchscreen by such occurrences, leading to downtime and ultimately a poor customer experience. Furthermore, the design flexibility that ZYBRID offers meant that we could specify different size formats to suit the window and counter display requirements. |
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Wednesday, 29 July 2009
U.K.-based Zytronic has announced the incorporation of its Projected Capacitive Technology for touchscreens in an innovative new marketing scheme from Australia-based bCODE.
According to a news release from Zytronic, bCODE has created a concept that allows marketers to interact with customers via SMS messaging and an integrated MediaPlane self-service kiosk:
"The bCODE concept allows marketers to communicate with customers via their mobile phones by sending a unique encrypted code (or bCODE) via the normal short message service (SMS). This enables owners of standard handsets to access services that would usually require a Smart Card, RFID, or near-field communication device. The compact MediaPlane terminal, which incorporates the bCODE scanner, a printer and a touchscreen interface based around a 10.4-inch ZYPOS PCT sensor, is deployed either in-store or on-location. Customers who have received a bCOEDE on their phone can instantly access the service provided by placing the phone's display in front of the optical reader and making selections using the stylish touch-enabled display."
The companies say the system also provides valuable marketing data by feeding information on consumer choices (e.g., a free download or printed discount voucher) to the service provider.
Michael, Mack, bCODE's CEO, says the flexibility of Zytronic's ZYPOS product helped close the deal:
"MediaPlane is designed for use in public spaces, and we needed a cost-effective touch-interactive display that not only offered our industrial designers unlimited styling flexibility, but also the high level of durability necessary for deployment of the terminals — in frequently unsupervised areas — with total confidence. The ability of ZYPOS to operate through our purposely designed protected printed-cover glass, coupled with drift-free operation, contributes significantly to bCODE's customer return on investment. Using ZYPOS has also allowed to write our own customer touchscreen driver software. This compelling combination has enabled us to meet all our performance and functionality goals for MediaPlane."
Thursday, 18 June 2009
PLEASANTON, Calif. — NextWindow, maker of optical touchscreens for all-in-one PCs and large-format displays, has been awarded two key technology patents, one in the U.S. and another in China. The newly granted patents, which refer to optical touchsystems incorporating light emitters, reflectors and detection methods, help cement NextWindow’s leadership positions in the Chinese manufacturing and U.S. sales markets.
According to a news release, the U.S. patent (No. 7,538,759) is titled, “Touch Panel Display System with Illumination and Detection Provided from a Single Edge.” NextWindow previously was granted this patent in Australia, and requests for patents are pending in Canada, Europe, Hong Kong and Japan.
The Chinese patent (No. 200480009926) is titled, “Touch Panel and Method of Optically Detecting the Presence of an Object in relation to the Touch Screen.” A request for this patent also has been filed in Australia, the United States, Europe, Japan and Korea.
“NextWindow has invested significant research and development resources in the optical touchscreen space, and these patents represent the latest additions to our growing IP portfolio extending around the world,” said Al Monro, chief executive NextWindow. “That the patents were granted in critical international markets where a number of our customers and partners are based also is significant, given the importance of gaining competitive advantage at this very dynamic time in the rapidly growing touchscreen market. Likewise, the new patents demonstrate NextWindow’s ongoing commitment to innovation, dating back nearly 10 years.”
NextWindow has been growing its patent portfolio since 2000. The company previously was granted patents for its optical touchscreen technology in the United States and Australia, and several other patents relating to its optical touchscreen technology are pending throughout the world.
Wednesday, 17 June 2009
TROY, Mich. — NEXTEP SYSTEMS, a leading provider of automated deli ordering solutions, recently announced release 4.0 of its Deli 1-2-3 self-order product suite. The product incorporates significant new features, including support for handheld line-busting tablets, repeat orders on the kiosks and online ordering, interface to Invatron PLUM scale system and interface to ScaleVision scale system.
Customers who prefer touchscreen kiosk ordering now can look up and quickly repeat previous orders using either their loyalty card or mobile phone number. With Repeat Orders, ordering from the deli takes shoppers less than 30 seconds. The Invatron PLUM and ScaleVision interfaces provide synchronized product pricing and inventory management through Deli 1-2-3. When a retailer updates pricing and availability in its point-of-sale and scale systems, it is immediately reflected on the kiosks, tablets and online ordering interfaces.
Thursday, 11 June 2009
BEIJING — NCR Corp. today announced a deal with China Southern Airlines to deploy 30 NCR TouchPort kiosks at the airline’s big-city hubs of Guangzhou, Shenzhen, Changchun and Zhengzhou in China. This is the first deployment of airline kiosks in China for NCR, a leading global provider of self-service solutions.
According to a news release, NCR TouchPort kiosks utilize Common Use Self Service, or CUSS, technology, which allows different airline applications to run concurrently on a single self-service device. These are the first CUSS-compliant kiosks deployed by China Southern. NCR also will provide maintenance services for China Southern to provide optimum performance and availability for passengers.
“The deployment of self-check-in kiosks from NCR is an essential prerequisite for our partnerships with other airlines and offers the potential to provide travelers with additional services from a single location in the future, such as car rental and hotel check-in transactions,” said Huang Wenqiang, vice president of the IT department for China Southern.
Once installed, the NCR TouchPort kiosk will offer passengers the opportunity to check in, view seat assignments, make seat changes, review itineraries and print boarding passes. Additionally, for passengers who have already completed check-in via the Internet, the kiosk may be used to access the reservation and make changes if desired. The NCR TouchPort kiosk also is equipped with an integrated barcode imager to facilitate customer identification and an integrated passport reader to cater to international travelers.
China has become the world’s second largest airline market, behind the United States. With the surge in the number of travelers, airports and airlines are looking to deliver greater efficiency and convenience through self-service. A 2009 consumer self-service survey conducted by Buzzback Market Research for NCR reveals a clear connection between self-service and passenger preference worldwide, particularly in China, with 92 percent of Chinese respondents indicating they are more likely to choose a travel company that allows them to interact easily via kiosk, online and mobile self-service channels.
Wednesday, 10 June 2009
BLAYDON ON TYNE, England — Display technology designer Zytronic has applied its in-house glass processing capabilities and ZYBRID PCT-based touch sensors to enable ACE Interactive, a subsidiary of Aristocrat Leisure Ltd, to create the Indago video lottery kiosk for increased interactivity and excitement in lottery and casino games.
In addition to the Zytronic technology, Aristocrat’s Gen7 platform is a key component in the Indago solution. The Gen7’s advanced game engine features an Intel Embedded processor, which provides the power to drive richer game content with outstanding new features, while providing a perfect host for ongoing developments in server-based gaming.
Indago uses a dual 22-inch widescreen display to enhance the appearance and increase the playing features of modern game terminals. The upper screen captures attention and shows the state of play with stunning visual effects, while the lower touch-enabled screen allows each player to select and play a variety of games. The front panel is designed and manufactured as a complete unit for easy integration with the TruServ system.
By working closely with the Indago design team from the outset, Zytronic has created a stylish pure glass front panel with touch-sensor functionality embedded only in the lower display area, using its proprietary projected capacitive technology (PCT)-based touch sensing. Utilizing ZYBRID’s customization options, ACE Interactive was able to design a unique, bezel-free user interface, with discreet touch-sensitive and non-touch zones. The unparalleled level of durability offered by PCT, in comparison with other available touch-sensing technologies, allowed ACE Interactive to confidently offer customers a low-maintenance, reliable, touch-controlled unit for use in a wide variety of public areas.
“Zytronic has fulfilled our entire requirement for the Indago front panel, as a one-stop solution comprising many highly advanced concepts,” said Michael Koch, CEO of ACE Interactive. “Its overall quality also helped us to meet important acceptance criteria, such as EU emissions, immunity and safety standards.”
ZYBRID is drift-free product, which means that recalibration should not be required during the display lifetime. Its pure glass-fronted design provides a high resistance to damage and chemicals and, coupled with a zero-bezel design, easily can be wiped clean.
Unlike other touch technologies, a PCT touch sensor has no front-face-active elements, instead using an array of microfine capacitors — each one a fraction of the diameter of a human hair — laminated behind a protective front surface. This provides an extremely high light transmission and a strong, sealable and damage-resistant glass touch surface.
The Indago front panel uses Zytronic’s patented 64-channel touchscreen controller, which is designed for large format and widescreen displays. By providing inputs for 64 individual sensing elements, the new controller maximizes touch resolution throughout the entire area of Indago’s lower 22-inch screen.
“At ACE Interactive, we are committed to utilizing the most advanced technologies to enhance experiences for the gaming community,” Koch said. “Zytronic, with its outstanding knowledge and capabilities, is a perfect fit with our approach, and has played a major role in helping to develop Indago as a highly innovative product delivering unprecedented value for our customers.”
ACE Interactive has supplied Norsk Tipping AS — the Norwegian national lottery company — with TruServ, the company’s server-based gaming solution, which includes an exciting portfolio of ACE Interactive and Aristocrat games and the Indago kiosk. Norsk Tipping plans to roll out 6,500 Indagos between August 2008 and 2010.
Friday, 05 June 2009
HARRISBURG, Pa. — Tyco Electronics’ Elo TouchSystems exhibited a range of new touch technologies at this week’s Society for Information Display International Symposium, Seminar and Exhibition in San Antionio.
Elo’s latest innovations include IntelliTouch surface acoustic wave and CarrollTouch infrared technologies, as well as acoustic pulse recognition, or APR, technology that allows the touch performance to be easily defined.
"Elo invented touch technology over 35 years ago, and we've never stopped innovating,” said Mark Mendenhall, vice president of Tyco Electronics and general manager of Elo TouchSystems. “These new touch technologies join the extensive portfolio of Elo products developed to meet the changing needs and demands of our customers."
IntelliTouch and infrared multitouch
Elo product manager Abraham Shen says the multitouch IntelliTouch solution utilizes Elo’s surface acoustic wave technology for a precise, two-finger touch experience.
"Simply stated, the pure-glass construction of the new Elo multitouch IntelliTouch technology delivers an excellent image and high light transmission just like the single-touch IntelliTouch technology customers have trusted for years.” Shen said. “With stable, drift-free operation, these new IntelliTouch touchscreens will accurately recognize two-finger simultaneous touches.”
In addition to the IntelliTouch solution, Elo’s CarrollTouch IR technology allows users to interact with a computer's software. At the Wall Street Journal’s 2008 "D6: All Things Digital" conference, Elo's IR 19-inch multitouch monitor was featured in a brief demonstration by Julie Larson-Green, corporate vice president of program management for the Windows Experience at Microsoft Corp.
"The IR multitouch product has been modeled after the Elo CarrollTouch IR component line with the tested reliability of millions of screens in active use,” said Steve Haungs, product manager for Elo. “It provides a true two-coordinate report set with more to come in the future."
Both of these new technologies will be available for purchase on the 19-inch and 22-inch open-frame touchmonitors or as components later this year and for Windows 7.
APR ‘now even better’
Elo’s APR capability combines the optical quality, durability and stability of surface acoustic wave and infrared with the dragging properties of surface capacitive technology, and it features the advantages of resistive technology and the ability to work with water and other contaminants on the screen. The solution can be scaled from a 3.5-inch screen size to a 42-inch display.
Elo’s APR technology allows for fine-tuning using pre-defined usage models:
- “Point of Sale” is optimized for fast data entry.
- “Signature Capture” facilitates an enhanced drag.
- “General and Gaming” have parameter sets defined to maximize additional touch performance needs.
Friday, 29 May 2009
SUNNYVALE, Calif. — Fujitsu Components America Inc. has announced the release of self-wetting adhesive protector sheets that reduce surface damage to touchscreens and flat-panel displays in use or during shipping, while preserving the optical quality and extending the life of the touch device. Because they are repositionable, the protector sheets reduce waste and materials costs.
The RoHS-compliant protector sheets feature a 3H surface hardness that is scratch- and chemical-resistant, yet offers excellent stylus registration for touch applications. The sheets are suitable for high-use, rugged and harsh applications, such as POS terminals, self-service kiosks, manufacturing and warehouse equipment and mobile field sales and service devices. They also offer protection for product shipping and testing.
The patented, self-wetting adhesive virtually self-applies by spontaneously wetting out on smooth surfaces with no or very low finger pressure to adhere to a display or touchscreen, yet it provides high shear resistance to prevent sheet displacement. The sheet can be repositioned during installation as necessary without affecting performance. The end user can remove the sheet by hand, even after an extended time, without leaving any residue or creating static electricity. Application of a new sheet can then be accomplished, also without generating static electricity, thus avoiding the attraction of undesirable dust particles.
The protector sheets are available in anti-glare (matte) and clear hardcoat, and an anti-reflective coated version of the clear option also is available. They are a maximum of 0.007 inches thick, depending on the type, and have an operating temperature range of -22 to 158 degrees Fahrenheit (-30 to +70 degrees Celsius). The typical optical properties of a clear protector sheet are 91 percent transmissivity with one percent haze, and the anti-glare protectors are 90 percent transmissivity with eight percent haze.
The protector sheets are custom die-cut to fit the specified display’s surface dimensions and come in a variety of packaging options. Pricing varies by protector sheet size, packaging and quantity, starting at less than $1.
Friday, 29 May 2009
British Journal of Heathcare Computing and Information Management: New sexual-health advice and dispensing kiosks targeting teenagers are being installed by primary care trusts, or PCTs, and local authorities in the U.K.
Developed and made by Engage Now, the secure, touchscreen Medi+Vend kiosks are designed for installation in medical and youth centers, schools and colleges, as well as other locations such as homeless shelters.
The interactive devices allow patients to obtain free condoms, kits to test for sexually transmitted diseases, health advice and information on local sexual health services.
So far, more than 80 Medi+Vend kiosks have been sold to PCTs and similar organizations across the U.K.
Click to continue
Thursday, 28 May 2009
SUNNYVALE, Calif. — Fujitsu Components America Inc. today announced it is adding a new line of RoHS-compliant, 5-wire resistive touchpanels to its product offering. The panels feature a new design construction that improves linearity and allows OEMs to maximize the active touch input area, especially in large-size and wide-aspect ratio displays.
The Film-Glass touchpanels use a proprietary, patent-pending detection method that enables narrow frame borders in large touchpanels (e.g.: nine mm for 15-inch size) with an edge-area linearity performance of +/- two percent. This allows more of the active display area to be used for touch input functionality. Target applications include POS systems and kiosks for the retail, restaurant and hospitality markets.
Other panel specifications include a minimum operating life of 35 million touches, 80 to 85 percent transmissivity, an operating environment of -4 to 140 degrees Fahrenheit (-20C to +60 Celsius) and 20 to 90 percent relative humidity. A USB controller, cables and driver software also are available.
Fujitsu’s initial 5-wire release is a 15-inch panel for 4:3 displays. The addition of the 5-wire series complements Fujitsu’s current 4-wire and 7-wire resistive touchpanel offering.
Available this summer, the 15-inch touchpanel and controller combination will be priced competitively.
Thursday, 28 May 2009
CAMBERLEY, Surrey — Cineworld, the second-largest multiplex cinema chain in the U.K., has installed Protouch’s Xen X5 and X4 self-service kiosks into a number of its U.K. cinemas.
The kiosks are to be used for both Cineworld’s “Unlimited” film program and for ticket collection.
Cineworld installed the Xen X5 self-service kiosks into five of its cinema sites, including Glasgow, West India Queys and Cheltenham in late 2008. They are used in the cinema’s main foyer to sell the company’s Unlimited film program, which entitles visitors to watch any film, any day, anytime and at any Cineworld Cinema for just £13.50 a month.
Cinema visitors simply sign up to the program by entering personal information into the kiosk. From this, an A4 receipt with a photo of the member is then printed and can be used as identification until a membership card arrives in the mail.
In the six months that the kiosks have been operating, they have shown impressive results, increasing membership by 100 new members per week. Due to the success, Cineworld plans to install the Xen X5 kiosk into all of its cinemas to continue selling the Unlimited program.
“The Unlimited program is a large and important part of Cineworld’s business and distinguishes them from every other cinema company in the U.K., and Protouch’s X5 kiosk is helping advance the program,” said John Anderson, Cineworld’s marketing coordinator.
On the back of the success of the X5s, Cineworld has greatly expanded its kiosk operations and is now rolling out 34 of Protouch's new Xen X4 kiosks in 13 of its U.K. cinema sites.
The X4s will be used for ticket purchase and collection and will run either as wall- or floor-mounted kiosks, using the latest Chasis printer technology for receipts.
Wednesday, 27 May 2009
NEW YORK — Zinio, a global provider of digital and interactive publishing products and services, today announced a global partnership with Starwood Hotels & Resorts Worldwide Inc. to provide guests at its portfolio of specialty select hotels with access to a branded digital newsstand offering downloadable magazines. The hotel-branded digital newsstands will be powered by Zinio and will feature select single issues for guests to enjoy during their stay at all Element and Aloft properties and participating Four Points by Sheraton properties.
"We are excited to align ourselves with Starwood to enhance its current guest amenity offering with Zinio's digital-reading experience, driving mutual brand awareness and cultivating consumer adoption," said Rich Maggiotto, president and chief executive of Zinio. "Leveraging Zinio's desire to offer on-the-go readers their favorite magazines anytime and anywhere is a logical fit for Starwood's specialty select properties."
The digital newsstand, which will be accessible in Starwood's guest rooms and at lobby kiosks, will offer participating titles including: Caribbean Travel & Life, Destination Weddings & Honeymoons, Field & Stream, Golf Fitness Magazine, Kiteboarding, Macworld, mental_floss, Outside, Outside's GO, PC World, Saveur, Ski Magazine, Skiing, Spa Magazine, U.S. News & World Report, Wakeboarding and Working Mother. Also, Starwood will be the first hotel company to offer VIVmag, the first interactive digital women's luxury lifestyle magazine, conceived and designed exclusively to be read digitally.
Additionally, the newsstand will offer a range of international titles from Argentina, China, France, Italy, Mexico, New Zealand, Spain, Taiwan and the United Kingdom.
"At all our specialty select properties, we aim to provide guests with unique experiences that help make life on the road convenient and easy," said Brian McGuinness, Senior Vice President of Starwood's Specialty Select Brands. "Partnering with Zinio enables us to extend another unique branded offering to our guests who want to keep current while traveling, without being burdened with heavy hard copies of magazines."
Guests will enjoy immediate access to the world's most popular digital publications, for free, with Starwood introducing the digital newsstands through on-property marketing and online marketing efforts.
The Element North American rollout will be in this month, followed immediately by the global rollouts at Aloft and Four Points by Sheraton. Within the first year, the expected audience reach for the Zinio partnership will range between three and five million impressions.
Monday, 18 May 2009
CHICAGO — Givex, a global provider of closed-loop card technologies including gift, loyalty and other stored-value programs, has announced the launch of its latest product, a standalone touchscreen terminal. The announcement occurred at the National Restaurant Association Show, which runs through Wednesday.
According to a news release, the kiosks feature real-time capabilities such as point balance inquiries and transaction history viewing, allowing customers of Givex Loyalty Programs clients to manage their accounts from the merchant’s brick-and-mortar locations.
Wednesday, 06 May 2009
Gulf Times: The first "virtual police station" will come into being in Kerala by next month, officials said yesterday. An initiative of the Kochi city police, the virtual police station will essentially be a touchscreen kiosk for providing all information needed by the public. It will handle services including informing people of the status of a complaint lodged with the police and details of the progress of a police inquiry for purposes like issuing passports.
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Thursday, 30 April 2009
ITWeb: Cape Town, South Africa-based Breadbin Interactive has sold 72 of its Freedom Toaster kiosks and says it has received an order for 40 more. The mobile Freedom Toaster kiosks, built with a touchscreen interface, allow users to burn information, music, video, documents and software tools onto CD or flash drive, giving people access to a wealth of free information they did not have in the past.
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Monday, 20 April 2009
CSP Daily News: 3M Touch Systems Inc. has teamed with Pump Media Inc. to provide a touchscreen kiosk located on top of a gasoline dispenser. The kiosk combines the best assets of digital signage with the functionality of the Internet, the companies said. Motorists receive television ads while they pump fuel and are invited to interact with the touchscreen to access live directions, traffic, news, lottery winning numbers and special offers and coupons from local businesses.
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Friday, 10 April 2009
TORONTO — VirtuPlay Corp., a developer and manufacturer of coin-operated Internet and entertainment kiosks, has released its INTEVO countertop kiosk.
According to a release, the kiosk features a touchscreen; integrated, tamper-proof keyboard and trackball; and full Internet capabilities and touchscreen games.
Users can access e-mail, send postcards or video e-mail, and visit various news and social networking sites such as Facebook and Twitter, as well as sign in to IM accounts.
The INTEVO’s guided user interface self-upgrades at no cost to the deployer. Other features include a 500-note bill acceptor, electronic multiple coin accepter, and accented lights that are easy on the user’s eyes.
Thursday, 02 April 2009
CHICAGO — Wow Bao, a Lettuce Entertain You Enterprises restaurant concept, has selected NEXTEP Systems to provide touchscreen ordering kiosks for its State and Lake location in Chicago. Two self-order kiosks will offer order and payment options at the restaurant. Wow Bao menu offerings include Asian-influenced steamed buns, broths, salads and specialty sodas and teas.
"We're fortunate to be working with the most popular, busiest and (most) innovative top brand," said Tommy Woycik, president of NEXTEP, in a news release. "Wow Bao's self-order kiosk implementation demonstrates their commitment to providing excellent customer service using 21st-century technology."
Tuesday, 31 March 2009
The Chicago Tribune: Fifty new tourism kiosks will be installed throughout O'Hare International Airport, Mayor Richard Daley announced Monday. Travelers at the airport will be able to use the touchscreen kiosks to access the city's 2-month-old tourism site, explorechicago.org. The kiosks, which provide information in several languages, will provide many functions once performed by the red-jacketed greeters the Daley administration recently laid off to help address the city's budget deficit.
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Friday, 20 March 2009
NASHVILLE, Tenn. -- Websults LLC, a Nashville, Tenn.-based Web site strategy consulting firm, has announced that it is now offering self-service touchscreen kiosks as a solution for its clients.
According to a news release, the company started developing kiosks in 2008 as part of a larger project for museum exhibit company Eureka Exhibits and their traveling exhibit, Be the Dinosaur.
Two separate kiosk applications were developed for the exhibit.
"The kiosks build upon our vast experience designing and developing Web site applications," said Jonathan Weindruch, principal of Websults. "Their primary advantage is location, which means organizations can interact with customers and partners without requiring them to turn on their computer, connect to the Internet and visit a certain Web site. The touch screen applications are ideal for physicians and healthcare providers who want to improve the speed of their patient registration process or any organization that wants to leverage locations with existing foot traffic."
Applications developed for the Be the Dinosaur exhibit were recently featured at the Louisville Science Museum. Because the touchscreen kiosks require no keyboard or mouse, they are easy to use for children as well as seniors.
Friday, 20 March 2009
MENLO PARK, Calif. — Elo TouchSystems has released its 15D1 All-in-One Touchcomputer, designed for point-of-sale applications, with the ability to accept peripherals for additional uses.
The 15D1, which can be set up to face customers as well as employees, offers a slim, vertical design with a footprint sized to match standard cash drawers. Its motherboard, hard drive and power supply are field-replaceable, enabling rapid replacement and upgrading, to significantly reduce downtime. For customers who require more storage capabilities, a second, 80GB hard drive can easily be added.
Deployers may choose from Windows Embedded for POS (WEPOS), Windows XP or Windows Vista operating systems. True-Flat AccuTouch, IntelliTouch surface acoustic wave and zero-bezel acoustic pulse recognition touch technologies are offered as touchscreen options. The zero-bezel APR, which removes the frame of standard monitors to create a seamless glass surface, allows a virtually 100-percent useable surface area.
Numerous POS peripherals are available to customise the 15D1, such as a perpendicular MSR card reader for easy reach in small spaces, a hand-held bar code scanner, a fingerprint reader, and a customer-facing display. Furthermore, it comes with a range of input/output port connection options to support virtually any POS configuration, and supports third-party peripherals such as cash drawers or printers.
"We actively designed the 15D1 with the end customer in mind," said Elo spokesperson Nadia Vandeweyer in a release. "We’re confident the Elo 15D1 POS All-in-One will bring performance, versatility, and functionality to even the most exacting POS applications."
Monday, 16 March 2009
ROYAL OAK, Mich. — Two Michigan-based cancer centers operated by Beaumont Hospital will deploy touchscreen kiosks to disseminate information about cancer and related hospital services, according to a news release.
Visitors of the centers, which are located in the cities of Royal Oak and Troy, will also be able to use the kiosks during regular business hours to schedule appointments with doctors. If requests for appointments are made at the kiosk after business hours, the kiosk will add the user's name and contact information to a log so a Beaumont representative can call them.
"If there's one thing I've learned from my patients through the years, it's that they crave information," said Frank Vincini, M.D., chief of Oncology Services for Beaumont Hospitals. "This is a well-researched, credible source for that information."
The American Cancer Society provides much of the regularly updated kiosk content, which includes information about 40 kinds of cancer in both English and Spanish. Recently, 23 short video segments co-produced with Discovery Health Channel were added to the kiosk.
The kiosk can also refer users to the Beaumont hospital Web site, where they can review information on topics such as the Comprehensive Breast Care centers, radiation oncology, cancer genetics, clinical trials and support groups.
The kiosks are part of a joint venture between the American Cancer Society and St. Andrew Development Inc. They're funded by the Freeman Wilner Foundation
Monday, 09 March 2009
SANTA ANA, Calif. -- Ingram Micro Inc., a technology distributor, has announced that it has added POS touchscreens manufactured by Elo TouchSystems, a member of the Self-Service & Kiosk Association, to its product offerings in North America.
Under the terms of the new distribution agreement, the Ingram Micro Data Capture/POS Division will support, market and resell the complete line of Elo TouchSystems touch monitor products including LCD touchmonitors, touchcomputers and custom solutions to channel partners throughout North America. Elo TouchSystems and Ingram Micro have maintained a successful relationship in Europe for the past six years, and in Mexico for the past year, according to a news release.
"Touchscreen technology brings to life a high-value business solution that can be sold in many key market verticals including retail, government, education and health care," said John Soumbasakis, senior vice president and general manager of Strategic Divisions, Ingram Micro North America. "We're pleased to be Elo's first broadline, value-added distributor and will leverage our vertical expertise to generate demand for Elo's portfolio and enable our solution provider partners to identify, market and sell touchscreen solutions more effectively in today's economy."
Both DisplaySearch and iSuppli report that the touchscreen market is forecasted for double-digit growth over the next three years, according to the release. DisplaySearch's May 2008 report forecasts growth between 2008 and 2015 at a 12 percent increase in unit sales and a 20 percent increase in revenue. iSuppli's May 2008 report forecasts growth between 2008 and 2012 at a 25 percent increase in units and a 17 percent increase when it comes to revenue. Primary market drivers accelerating this growth include reduction of labor costs through customer self-service and the availability of new user interfaces that utilize touch technology.
Wednesday, 04 March 2009
(Santa Barbara, Calif.) KEYT-TV, Channel 3: The Pacific View Mall in Ventura County, Calif., has a new venue for job seekers to learn about recent openings. A new self-service touchscreen kiosk provides free access to Ventura County job listings, including openings at the mall's retailers. The Workforce Investment Board of Ventura County is responsible for the deployoment of the "JobLink" kiosk.
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Monday, 02 March 2009
MediaPost News: New kiosks will empower girls in their tweens to design their own clothing. Deployed by Fashionology, a retail store which opened in Beverly Hills, Calif. in 2008, the computer kiosks are equipped with 42-inch touchscreens. Youngster can use the kiosks to create clothing with a variety of themes, including pop, rock, Malibu, juku and peace. These themes are used to decorate shirts, t-shirts or hoodies. The same application is available online at the store's Web site.
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Friday, 20 February 2009
PEMBROKE, Bermuda -- Tyco Electronics' Elo TouchSystems, a provider of touchscreen technology and a member of the Self-Service & Kiosk Association, has announced the unveiling of the Elo TouchSystems 2240L wide-aspect, high-resolution LCD touchmonitor, according to a news release.
The company introduced the new touchmonitor at the annual International Gaming Expo in London.
Designed for use in high-traffic casino gaming, video game entertainment and self-service kiosk environments, the 2240L offers a wide viewing angle and delivers clear, bright and long-lasting performance, according to the release.
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The Elo TouchSystems 2240L Touchmonitor.
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"The 2240L truly represents a breakthrough in terms of design and performance in touchscreen technology," said Kristof Heyndrickx, product manager for Elo TouchSystems. "The 2240L offers exceptional visual performance in a wide variety of lighting environments, fully meeting the elevated consumer expectations in the age of high-definition television."
The innovative design of the open-frame 2240L provides a fit for gaming applications and can be deployed in both landscape and portrait orientations. With a front-facing, metal hardened anodised bezel and L-mounting brackets and slim dimensional profile (500 mm x 332 mm x 80 mm), the 2240L offers installation flexibility in a variety of entertainment and retail environments. In addition, the integrated on-screen display control, as well as remote OSD, allow for simplified management of the 2240L, according to the release.
The 2240L is the latest addition to Elo's existing portfolio of open-frame touchmonitors, now available in 20, 22, 26 and 32 inch screen sizes. At launch, the 2240L is available with industry-leading touch technologies including IntelliTouch surface acoustic wave, and capacitive, as well as no-touch version. The pure-glass and sealed-screen used with IntelliTouch technology helps prevent damage from spills, smoke and other potential hazards, while Elo's next generation surface capacitive touchscreen controller offers provides performance and accuracy. The 2240L features acoustic pulse recognition (APR) technology that senses touch by recognizing unique patterns of acoustic waves. It is scheduled for release in early 2009.
Thursday, 19 February 2009
Condé Nast Traveler: NYC & Company, the official marketing and tourism organization for New York City, has redesigned its visitor information center, replacing brochure racks with digital touchscreen kiosks. Visitors can move a "puck" across a map displayed on the touchscreen and be presented with a list of nearby attractions. The self-service tech is a significant improvement over the racks of print, less-eco-friendly brochures, according to Liz Granger of Condé Nast Traveler.
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Thursday, 19 February 2009
JOHANNESBURG, South Africa -- Tactile Technologies, a member of the Self-Service & Kiosk Association, is showcasing its digital touchscreen kiosks at The Foschini Group Store of the Near Future.
The three-day event is held by the Foschini Group, an investment holding group comprised of 13 retail and financial services companies that trade in 1,200 stores throughout South Africa. The purpose of the event is to display the readily available IT solutions in the retail industry to the Foschini Group's board and trading managers in its various divisions.
"The group is evaluating implementing Tactile Technologies' touchscreen kiosks that will serve as virtual interactive sales associates or as self-service accouunt information kiosks," said Mauro Mercuri, managing director at Tactile Technologies. "This forms part of TFG's decision to use technology to grow turnover, increase customer satisfaction and curtail operating expenses."
Mercuri says Datacentrix will coordinate the installation, support and maintenance for all kiosks and touchscreens that are deployed countrywide.
Wednesday, 21 January 2009
BERKSHIRE, England -- Black Cat Displays, an England-based manufacturer of information kiosks and customized digital displays, has developed and supplied customized, portable, twin-headed kiosks for the National Galleries of Scotland in Edinburgh, Scotland. Dubbed Gemini, the touchscreen kiosks provide gallery visitors with up-to-date information about the exhibits.
The kiosks were developed and supplied in less than eight weeks, according to a news release.
"The touchscreen terminals exceed our high expectations in design, manufacture and implementation," said Tessa Quinn, head of new media for the gallery. "They have proved easy to maintain for staff, easy to use for visitors and [they have] given the IT Gallery software that they host a new lease of life."
According to the release, the twin-headed displays provide visitors with an ergonomic and comfortable operating position from standing to sitting. Additionally, the gallery is able to relocate the kiosks with minimum hassle by simply wheeling the units to the next available power point in any of the rooms.
The Gemini kiosks are equipped with a pair of 20.1 inch color TFT displays mounted on a pedestal with a customized finish and silk screening to match the environment. Besides the standard sound from the integrated speakers, there are optical illuminated bezels, hearing loop amplifier capability, keyboards, trackerballs, telephone handsets and cameras. The PC comes with network support and a complete system power supply.
Friday, 02 January 2009
ExpressIndia.com: A new kiosk created by IBM is making it possible for residents in the Indian state of Uttar Pradesh to view their land records. The first such touchscreen kiosk has been installed of the Lucknow district, with all of the districts expected to receive similar kiosks by mid-2009. Set up by the Board of Revenue, the software for the IBM kiosk has been custom designed in Hindi to suit the local requirements.
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Monday, 22 December 2008
LONDON — The Barclays branch at Picaddilly Circus is reportedly the first bank to incorporate Microsoft Surface technology.
The Surface program allows users to "grab" digital content with their hands and navigate information about Barclays’ Premier banking offering with simple gestures and touches.
According to a news release, the branch will have a large self-service area that includes a foreign ATM dispensing dollars and euros, and deposit machines for cash, checks and coins.
Thursday, 04 December 2008
SAN LEANDRO, Calif. — Opinionmeter International Ltd., developer of survey and user feedback systems, has signed with Elo Systems for Elo's line of touchcomputers, which will be used by Opinionmeter to capture real-time, in-store customer feedback.
According to a news release, the company's devices use Elo TouchSystems touchcomputers and touchmonitors to deliver state-of-the-art electronic customer satisfaction feedback surveys.
Opinionmeter is transforming traditional market research methods with interactive, Web-enabled survey devices called Opinionmeters that capture customer feedback at the "point of experience." Traditional methods for collecting this data have included using interviews, focus groups, paper-based surveys and mystery shoppers, all of which can be cost-prohibitive for companies and time-intensive for customers.
"We get the pulse of the customer before they leave the store, the clinic or the museum," explained Morgan Strickland, chief executive of Opinionmeter. "Our solution delivers fresh, real-time feedback to organizations, allowing them to improve their customers' experiences, sometimes immediately. We are thrilled to be working with Elo TouchSystems on improving the product experience for our customers."
Elo's touchcomputers and touchmonitors can be mounted in numerous ways and now constitute all of Opinionmeter's tabletop, wall-mounted and kiosk solutions. Many currently use IntelliTouch surface-wave technology, although Opinionmeter is migrating to acoustic pulse recognition technology to take advantage of the ability to detect stylus and finger touches.
"What I value most is Elo TouchSystems' rock-solid products," said Strickland. "They're intuitive, durable and reliable. Elo is a great fit for our business model because it is a watertight solution. We haven't had a single touchmonitor or touch technology issue. That frees us to focus on our core competency, which is delivering great customer feedback technology tools."
The devices have many practical features, including ports that are hidden from public view, adjustable-height stands and lockable controls to prevent unit tampering. When the systems are not in use, digital signage displays, including multimedia presentations, are often used to catch the public's eye and to provide an additional marketing venue.
Monday, 01 December 2008
Retail Solutions Online: The release of the new Elo TouchSystems 2240L wide-aspect, high-resolution LCD touchmonitor is the latest addition to Tyco Electronics' Elo TouchSystems portfolio of open-frame touchmonitor solutions. The company unveiled the new touchmonitor Nov. 18 to 20, during the annual Global Gaming Expo in Las Vegas. Designed for use in high-traffic casino gaming, video-game entertainment and self-service kiosk environments, the 2240L claims to offer the widest viewing angle of any 22-inch touchmonitor, without sacrificing color and graphic clarity.
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Tuesday, 18 November 2008
Windows for Devices: Via announced a fanless panel PC that runs Windows XP Embedded or CE and resists both liquids and dust. The VIPRO VP7710 includes Via's Eden or C7 processors, a 10.4-inch touchscreen display, gigabit Ethernet, three serial ports and two USB 2.0 ports, the company says.
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Tuesday, 18 November 2008
DAYTON, Ohio — NCR Corporation and Toronto-based Autologic Innovations have partnered to offer the automotive dealership industry in Canada an innovative self-service solution to provide easier and faster tracking of vehicle inventory and free up more time for customer service.
The new self-service tool provides dealerships with on-demand vehicle location and status — whether for inventory management or for customer test driving — and helps them improve operational efficiency while simplifying the customer test-drive process.
Autologic Innovations is an independent software developer and integrator of turnkey, real-time vehicle inventory management solutions. The company's Track-A-Lot software application integrates RFID, Wi-Fi and other wired/wireless technology, and the Internet. The latest enhancement to its Track-A-Lot system leverages the NCR EasyPoint Advantage kiosk.
All vehicles on a dealership lot are equipped with semi-active RFID tags. Staffers then use the NCR kiosk to read, record and track the tags associated with each vehicle. This allows dealers to not only improve vehicle monitoring and inventory management, but also enhance their theft prevention processes and eliminate the need to have staff manually count vehicles located in on- and off-site lots.
When a customer wishes to take a test drive, the salesperson simply waves the vehicle key fob (which contains the vehicle information number) at an RFID reader on the NCR kiosk, and the information is recorded in the Track-A-Lot system. The employee then uses the kiosk touchscreen to input the customer's name and driver's license number to complete the transaction.
"Automating this process through self-service can help dealerships transform their business — improving staff efficiency and reducing paper as employees no longer need to make a hard copy record of each driver's license prior to the test drive," said Paul Gautier, national director of Retail Channels for NCR in Canada. "More importantly, employees spend less time searching for vehicles and more time with customers, which can ultimately help increase sales."
Tuesday, 18 November 2008
PHILADELPHIA — GestureTek Inc., patent-holder in camera-enabled gesture control user interfaces for interactive displays, announced it will showcase its latest innovations in touch-free "edutainment" for science centers on October 18 and 19th in Booth 254 at the ASTC Show at the Pennsylvania Convention Centre.
Among the featured interactive display products is GestureTek's award-winning Illuminate Multi-Touch surface computing table, most recently installed for NASA's Marshall Space Center as part of a traveling interactive attraction.
For a NASA mobile exhibit, GestureTek and Los Angeles-based interactive agency Inhance Digital Corporation provided a multi-user game that teaches players about one of the exciting Lunar Outpost projects being developed at NASA. The multi-touch table game has four separate starting points, to accommodate multiple users. In each section, viewers have access to different parts of the Lunar Outpost, which they can rotate or zoom into to get more information. Each user has the ability to drag and drop a piece of the station into the center of the table. Together, multiple users assemble their pieces to collaboratively build the Lunar Outpost. After the users have worked together to build the Outpost, a short informative video plays that gives them more insight into the work being done at NASA.
Friday, 14 November 2008
The Salt Lake (City) Tribune: Although Salt Lake City motorists can easily miss the subtle "Wine Store" lettering on the front of the new state store, shoppers are anxious for the store to open. The new store boasts an inventory of more than 5,000 wines in a 12,000-square-foot location that doubles the size of the state's only other major wine outlet. And the new store offers a state first: a kiosk equipped with computers programmed to help shoppers choose the right wines.
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Monday, 10 November 2008
MALVERN, Pa. — USA Technologies Inc., and Merit Entertainment announced an agreement where Merit will install USA Technologies' ePort software in thousands of its new Megatouch touchscreen entertainment systems.
Merit, provider of Megatouch countertop entertainment systems for 30 years, selected the ePort software and ePort Connect Services to help give Megatouch players the ability to pay with their debit or credit cards. Merit will install the ePort cashless transaction software in all new domestic Megatouch products manufactured over the next three years. USA Technologies will act as the exclusive provider to Merit of card processing and credit/debit card data services.
"Our mission is to give customers the most enjoyable playing experience by delivering the best games, software, hardware, service and support," said Colin Higbie, director of marketing for Merit Entertainment. "With ePort Connect, Merit will give players the added ease and convenience of being able to use their credit or debit card to purchase credits on the Megatouch. For operators, the ePort Connect cashless payment system means greater efficiency, improved reliability over coin and bill-only systems, and the preferred means of payment among our younger generation of consumers, all of which work together to increase revenue, lower service costs and increase overall ROI."
Merit is the first company to bring the ePort cashless payment solution to the multi-billion dollar countertop touchscreen entertainment market. Merit has the lion's share of the touchscreen amusement market, with an estimated 250,000 Megatouch games in use, delivering more than four billion game play experiences for customers a year.
Wednesday, 05 November 2008
(San Jose, Calif.) Business Journal: Atari Corp. founder and Silicon Valley legend Nolan Bushnell has launched a venture that's like a Chuck E. Cheese restaurant for grown-ups. UWink Inc. has three restaurants with self-service ordering at the tabletop and games that encourage social interaction. According to the National Restaurant Association, 44 percent of consumers say they would be likely to use an electronic ordering system at their table if offered, while 53 percent would utilize electronic payment systems at the table. Those trends are expected to increase in popularity.
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Wednesday, 22 October 2008
(United Arab Emirates) itp.net: Total IT Solutions, based in the United Arab Emirates, is actively marketing its suite of touchscreen-equipped, custom-built kiosks for both indoor and outdoor use and other interactive software products for various industry segments at GITEX Technology Week this year. The company developed a new type of kiosk for extreme weather conditions about three months ago, and although tight delivery schedules have meant that no model is available for viewing at GITEX, Saleem Fancy, chief executive of Total IT Solutions, is looking forward to demonstrating one in the UAE in the near future.
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Tuesday, 21 October 2008
ADDISON, Texas — MEDHOST, provider of the Emergency Department Information System (EDIS), announced that it has extended its product offering to include a patient self-check-in kiosk called Emergency Department Patient Access Self Service (ED PASS).
Upon arrival, patients can check in with the easy-to-use touchscreen kiosk. After patients check in, their information instantly becomes visible in the MEDHOST EDIS which gives clinicians a real-time view of the waiting room and immediately alerts them to any high-risk patients.
Northridge Hospital Medical Center, MEDHOST's first ED PASS customer and Catholic Healthcare West's flagship hospital located in Northridge, Calif., is implementing three ED PASS kiosks to speed patient check in, assist nurses in managing triage and streamline patient registration.
"The MEDHOST EDIS has greatly benefited our ED, and we're excited that those benefits will now impact our waiting room," said Dr. Stephen Jones, medical director of emergency services at Northridge Hospital Medical Center. "ED PASS fits into our workflow perfectly. Data can be entered by the patient as they arrive, which speeds processes, keeps nurses focused on caring for patients and gives us rich information about which patients might have ailments that require immediate attention."
Like MEDHOST EDIS, ED PASS features a touchscreen interface for simple data entry. With the swipe of a driver's license, patient demographics are immediately captured, and details such as reason for visit, location and intensity of pain or injury, and complaint-specific risk factors empower clinicians with rich information about patient background and acuity. Intuitive desktop alerts notify clinicians when a high-risk patient checks in so care can begin without delay.
MEDHOST currently serves more than 160 facilities, including the Baylor Healthcare System in Texas, Catholic Healthcare West in California, Catholic Health System in New York and Tenet Healthcare Corporation.
Friday, 10 October 2008
USA TODAY: NEXTEP Systems' self-order dining kiosks are getting recognition from a leading mainstream newspaper. An article in USA Today highlights the efforts JFK airport is making to improve the traveling experience, including adding "civilized dining" services. To help facilitate the dining experience, the airport has deployed NEXTEP's self-order touchscreens, allowing travelers to order their food quickly and easily.
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Friday, 26 September 2008
BERWYN, Pa. — Tyco Electronics' Elo TouchSystems has extended the range of all-in-one touchcomputers designed for public environments. Ideal for use in retail and hospitality applications, the fanfree and silent Elo touchcomputers integrate powerful computing capabilities with full connectivity in the footprint of a monitor that can fit virtually anywhere. The new 17A2 17 inch and 15A2 15 inch models have a compact, flexible design, a comprehensive range of field-installable peripherals and a host of additional features to help customers gain an even firmer foothold in the point-of-service marketplace.
Many diverse applications can benefit from the capabilities of these all-in-one touchcomputers including point-of-sale, loyalty systems, kiosk information systems, domestic control, casino management and Internet access points such as those for Web surfing and hotel reservations.
The touchcomputers with dual-video display capability includes a choice of the industry-leading Elo TouchSystems touch technologies: AccuTouch Five Wire Resistive, IntelliTouch Surface Wave, CarrollTouch Infrared and the company's innovative Acoustic Pulse Recognition (APR) that blends the benefits of all three. Elo's touch technologies provide stable, durable touch options that are resistant to scratches and liquids and can be activated in a variety of ways.
The space saving, compact design of the 17A2 and 15A2 touchcomputers offer increased flexibility for easy integration of a variety of optional field-replaceable peripherals including three-track magnetic stripe reader (MSR) for credit, ID and loyalty card transactions; customer-facing display to verify those transactions; biometric fingerprint recognition for increased security; 3W speaker bar with optional single line or omni-directional barcode scanner; and DVD drive. Elo's unique cable management design conceals cables from view providing additional security from tampering and robust tie downs for strain relief. The multi-adjustable stand offers flexibility to accommodate a variety of installation configurations and the base is easily removed for secure mounting to countertops and walls. Serviceability is enhanced with easy access to the hard drive and compact flash through a slide out drawer.
Enhanced System Performance
In order to provide the higher computing power necessary for today's point-of-service applications, Elo placed a 1GHz Intel Celeron M processor at the heart of the new range of all-in-one touchcomputers. DDR2 system memory capacity can be expanded to 2GB and an integrated mini PCI slot enables optional high speed wireless LAN connectivity via 802.11g standards. Two serial, four USB 2.0 and one Ethernet port provide ample expansion capability to accommodate both legacy and future peripheral add ons. Elo has also added a cash drawer port, powered USB and VGA out ports and support for Windows Embedded for Point of Service and Windows XP Professional.
Ready for Public Access
"The 17A2 and 15A2 are designed for touch from the ground up and include all of the functionality expected from an Elo public access product, with features such as reliable, silent, fanless operation and cables hidden from the user's view," said Elo TouchSystems' product manager Kristof Heyndrickx. Heyndrickx confirms that the optional peripherals are seamlessly integrated into the touchcomputer's compact design and the all-in-ones offer a new adjustable base that can function as a tall or short stand. "The controls, placed on the side and not on the front, include a lockout function and multilingual on-screen display. We not only manufacture the 17A2 and 15A2 touchcomputers but also provide a single point of contact for service and support."
"After all," Heyndrickx said, "Elo invented touch technology over 35 years ago and we’ve been consistently innovating and improving our designs ever since."
The silent, fanless, spill and tamper-resistant design of the 17A2 and 15A2 touchcomputers and their compact, integrated peripherals makes them the ideal choice in a wide range of applications including point-of-sale, point-of-service, loyalty systems, kiosk information systems, medical and light industrial, airport security, domestic control and public Internet access points.
Wednesday, 03 September 2008
(Orlando, Fla.) WFTV-TV, Channel 9: The 72,264-square-foot Parrish Healthcare Center at Port St. John, a service of Parrish Medical Center in Florida, introduces a new interactive kiosk called the Green Touchscreen designed by Quality Attributes Software. The Green Touchscreen kiosk shows viewers the buildings' energy systems through creative animations, gauges and graphs that teach how the systems work and how they lower electricity and water usage.
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Thursday, 28 August 2008
WCBS (New York City): If you're on the outside looking in at Manhattan's Ralph Lauren Rugby Store not only can you find out how much the new fall looks cost but now you can buy them all without ever stepping foot inside the store. WCBS highlights this popular digital merchandising project in this video segment.
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Friday, 22 August 2008
Eastbourne Herald Gazette: Hailsham, England, now has an improved tourist information service. An electronic touchscreen kiosk, incorporating the latest technological features, allows residents and visitors to access a wealth of tourist and community information, health advice and local education and employment opportunities. Other features include the ability to print digital photographs and an e-mail service for those with or without an e-mail address.
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Friday, 22 August 2008
TechCrunch.com: There are plenty of self-service applications for Microsoft Surface. Among them is software created by VectorForm for BMW. The consumer can place a small model of the car he wants to learn more about on top of the Surface. The display then brings up an interactive brochure, and the consumer can change the color of the vehicle by placing different colored tiles on the table.
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Wednesday, 13 August 2008
Boston Business Journal: The Sheraton Boston Hotel is one of five U.S. Sheratons on Wednesday that has launched a "virtual concierge." The display, on a table, consists of a 30-inch surface computer designed to allow multiple guests to seek self-service concierge services at the same time. Customers will be able to access tourist information, details about other Sheraton properties and on-demand music selections. The technology represents the debut of Microsoft Surface, from Redmond, Wash.-based Microsoft Corp.
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Tuesday, 22 July 2008
The Newham (London) Recorder: Three futuristic kiosks that will help people get health information at the touch of a button have been launched in Newham. The free-to-use Wellpoint kiosks, which have been installed in three community centers around the borough, are interactive and use touchscreen technology to provide a personal reading of height, weight, body mass index, body fat percentage, heart rate and blood pressure.
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Monday, 14 July 2008
The Times Of India: In an effort to make the city of Jaipur, India, more tourist friendly, the government is setting up touchscreen kiosks at tourist hotspots. The kiosks will initially be installed at 15 important locations that also are Wi-Fi-enabled. Eventually kiosks are expected to be deployed throughout the state. The kiosks will contain comprehensive details with inbuilt GIS location maps, as well as online information about hotels, important routes in the cities, tourist vehicles and normal tariffs.
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Thursday, 22 May 2008
CHICAGO — FansEdge, a provider of licensed sports products, has announced the opening of a new store in Aurora, Ill. that will use multiple marketing channels, including kiosks and other interactive technology, to tout its products.
The store, which is 2,500 square feet, includes licensed apparel, memorabilia, collectibles and hard goods such as blankets, tailgating items, etc. In addition to its wide product selection, the store also includes interactive kiosks for ordering products.
Customers may order items for various sports teams in different colors, sizes and styles, by simply using the kiosk. The kiosk then transmits a purchase order, and depending on the item, it will be delivered to the store within 24 hours or, at the customer’s request, to their doorstep if they live in the Chicago area.
FansEdge stores also include a touchscreen interactive window display. Through this display, mall patrons can utilize the façade of the store to browse the complete FansEdge inventory, as if they were in the store.
Tuesday, 20 May 2008
Adweek: Microsoft's Surface interface was unveiled a year ago, around the same time that Apple launched the iPhone, which uses a similar "natural-user" interface on a simpler, smaller scale. But it's only now that consumers are getting their first glimpse of its potential. "With Surface, Microsoft is pushing the digital world to a new level with cool technology, but they need to convince other companies who develop applications to come on board," says David Daoud, an analyst with IDC. "The problem is, developing more applications will be challenging."
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Monday, 19 May 2008
e-Health Insider: A new touchscreen kiosk is to be launched in Europe by self-service specialist NCR, designed to simplify the checking in and out procedures for patients. MediKiosk, a self-service machine which interfaces with hospital information systems and collects clinical information from patients prior to an appointment, is to be piloted by an NHS foundation trust, and one practice in England later this year.
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Friday, 16 May 2008
AUSTIN, Texas — 3M Touch Systems Inc., a provider of capacitive touch technology, announced the MicroTouch CT150 15-inch Touch Monitor, designed for integration into kiosks, industrial enclosures and other installations where compact, touch-integrated displays are preferred. The high-performance display delivers images with a 500:1 contrast ratio on the LCD panel. In addition, the module can be print-color matched, ideal for photo kiosks.
Integration capabilities of the MicroTouch CT150 include a variety of mounting options, such as the 75 mm VESA pattern on the back of the steel case allowing for mounting on an array of arms and stands for stand-alone applications. The three bezel choices offered enable design flexibility, while the remote on-screen display module connects to the monitor and allows image adjustment on the installed monitor.
The metal enclosure on the MicroTouch CT150 is VESA compatible, providing mounting stability and protection from the LCD display. The CT150 includes 3M’s proven MicroTouch ClearTek II capacitive touchscreen technology.
The MicroTouch CT150 is FCC-B, CE, UL/cUL certified and fully complies to the European Union Directive on Restrictions on Hazardous Substances.
Friday, 16 May 2008
SUNNYVALE, Calif. — Citing a market growth of wide-aspect ratio LCDs, Fujitsu Components America Inc. announced an expanded line-up of standard, wide-aspect ratio, 4-wire resistive touch panels. The devices fit available wide-aspect ratio LCDs to eliminate custom development costs for OEMs and shorten their product time-to-market.
Touch panels in Fujitsu’s expanded line have 16:9 and 16:10 aspect ratios and come in the following diagonal-inch sizes: 6.5, 7.0, 8.0, 8.9, 9.0, 10.2, 12.1, 13.3 and 15.3. Options for palm rejection and light force touch activation are also available.
Demand for wide-aspect ratio, touch-enabled displays is increasing in many consumer, industrial, and medical applications due to the increasing use of high-resolution graphics and video content, which has a landscape orientation in a 16:9 aspect ratio, said Bruce DeVisser, Fujitsu Components’ touch panel product marketing manager. In addition, using a touch panel instead of a keyboard allows more product area to be devoted to a wider/larger display.
Thursday, 15 May 2008
EMERYVILLE, Calif. — NextWindow, a designer and manufacturer of optical touch technology, announced the introduction of its new 2150 Optical Touchscreen for large-format LCDs and plasma displays. The 2150 Optical Touchscreen will debut at the upcoming SID Display Week 2008 May 18 in Los Angeles.
The Optical Touchscreen utilizes clear tempered glass for maximum image clarity and accurate touch sensitivity. The screens are activated by a light touch with any touch method (finger, gloved hand, or pointer), and require only a one-time, four-point calibration. Now even easier to integrate, the sensor does not require any special gaskets or grounding considerations, and there are no compression issues. The 2150, which is designed for display integrators and manufacturers developing custom display enclosures, is perfect for interactive kiosks, digital signage, education, training and collaboration.
Tuesday, 29 April 2008
MEQUON, Wis. — D2 Sales LLC has announced in a news release that Vanderbilt University Medical Center of Nashville, Tenn., has chosen the My Patient Passport Express kiosk for its patient check-in program.
The My Patient Passport Express kiosk allows patients to check-in, make future appointments, and update their medical history, all using a user-friendly touchscreen kiosk with HIPPA-compliant custom privacy overlay. Patients can use their credit card to make co-pay payments, and sign documents using the integrated electronic signature pad.
“The kiosk allows our clients to provide outstanding patient care and service, while at the same time improving efficiency for the medical facility,” said Sandra Nix, D2’s CEO.
The D2 My Patient Passport Express kiosk provides patients with the convenience of easy check-in, records updating, co-pay payment acceptance and wayfinding and mapping features.
Monday, 14 April 2008
BURNABY, British Columbia — TIO Networks Corp., an automated, non-bank, financial services network, and Cash AdvantEdge, the financial services business unit of Rent-A-Center, announced an agreement to test-market TIO's bill payment products and services in 18 Cash AdvantEdge stores in the United States.
Cash AdvantEdge will test TIO's touchscreen, cash-accepting kiosk terminals. Cash-preferred customers can use these terminals to securely pay their wireless, utility and cable bills as well as to purchase prepaid products and reload stored value cards. The terminals will be deployed to Cash AdvantEdge stores in Denver, Colo., and Memphis, Tenn.
Thursday, 03 April 2008
Seattle Post-Intelligencer: AT&T says it will start using Microsoft Surface computers in selected retail stores later this month, becoming the first to roll out the interactive digital screens. AT&T said its retail customers will be able to place specific mobile phones on Surface's 30-inch screen to learn about features, accessories and rate plans. They also will be able to compare two phones at a time, and use their hands to navigate a high-tech wireless coverage map.
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Wednesday, 19 March 2008
ORLANDO, Fla. — SeePoint Technology, a provider of interactive self-service solutions and touchscreen systems, debuted its KioHealth health-care solutions at the HIMSS health-care technology show in Orlando, Feb. 24-28. SeePoint’s KioHealth Division was created a few years ago to meet the needs of the health-care industry, seeking to contain costs while maintaining and improving operations and patient satisfaction.
The KioHealth solutions include touchscreen kiosks with HIPAA privacy screen filters to protect patient information, and antimicrobial treatment to protect patients from cross contamination of a wide variety of bacteria and fungi. In addition, KioHealth solutions include software applications that facilitate patient self check-in, facility wayfinding, patient surveys/testing, emergency room triage and many other h
ORLANDO, Fla. — SeePoint Technology, a provider of interactive self-service solutions and touchscreen systems, debuted its KioHealth health-care solutions at the HIMSS health-care technology show in Orlando, Feb. 24-28. SeePoint’s KioHealth Division was created a few years ago to meet the needs of the health-care industry, seeking to contain costs while maintaining and improving operations and patient satisfaction.
The KioHealth solutions include touchscreen kiosks with HIPAA privacy screen filters to protect patient information, and antimicrobial treatment to protect patients from cross contamination of a wide variety of bacteria and fungi. In addition, KioHealth solutions include software applications that facilitate patient self check-in, facility wayfinding, patient surveys/testing, emergency room triage and many other healthcare-specific functions.
ealthcare-specific functions.
Wednesday, 19 March 2008
Thaindian News: City-based Technology Frontiers has announced it is targeting growing malls and retail chains for its digital kiosks. The touchscreen digital kiosk allows users to book airline and cinema tickets and also does online banking, mobile phone recharge and gaming.
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Thursday, 28 February 2008
The Palm Beach (Fla.) Post: This time, Smithsonian curators and eBay bidders weren't interested in Palm Beach County's election artifacts. Instead, most of the county's controversial paperless electronic touchscreen voting machines will be hauled away next week by a Tampa recycling firm to be stripped for parts. Florida Secretary of State Kurt Browning announced the ignominious end for the 6-year-old voting devices recently in Tallahassee. Gov. Charlie Crist and state lawmakers agreed last year to ban paperless voting in Florida and require that most votes be cast on paper ballots that can be read by optical scanners. The paper-ballot law takes effect this fall.
Tuesday, 15 January 2008
NEW YORK — Elo TouchSystems has announced its new 17-inch integrated, multifunction touchscreen with a a fully functioning all-in-one touchcomputer. The new 17A2 retains both the compact footprint of the 1729L and its comprehensive range of options, but also adds a host of new features to help customers gain an even firmer foothold in the point-of-service marketplace.
The new device was displayed at the National Retail Federation’s annual Show & Expo Monday and Tuesday.
Many applications take advantage of the new device including loyalty systems, kiosk information systems, home control, casino management, POS systems and Internet access points such as those for Web surfing and hotel reservations.
Thursday, 10 January 2008
PC Magazine: During his keynote speech at CES 2008 on Sunday, Bill Gates touched on Microsoft’s upcoming Surface Computing platform. Since then, the company has announced more details on its touch-enabled table-top digital screen. By adding Windows Live support, Microsoft plans to use Surface not just as a novel way of interacting with digital content, but as a way for consumers to create a persistent digital identity.
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Thursday, 13 December 2007
CHICAGO - As Americans become increasingly aware about the importance of being "green" to protect the environment, businesses strive to communicate their green message. NextWindow, a company that designs and manufactures optical touchscreen overlays and OEM touch components, together with Quality Automation Graphics, a provider of control systems graphic design for the building automation industry, are helping building controls companies and building owners convey their "green" message through the use of interactive touchscreen kiosks that display building energy efficiency data to the public.
Displaying energy efficiency information on an interactive display also helps a building owner to earn credit towards the U.S. Green Building Council's Innovation in Design Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) system, which recognizes companies for innovative strategies that demonstrate quantifiable environmental benefits.
"There's a growing trend towards building owners using large-format monitors to display all kinds of critical building data for a variety of uses," said Anthony Uhrick, NextWindow VP of Sales, North America. "Using NextWindow and Quality Automation's interactive touchscreens, a building owner can educate the public on the viability of green buildings while making the content interactive."
One of the largest building controls companies in the world is incorporating Energy Star-rated 46-inch LCD's using NextWindow Touchscreen Overlays on the LCD. This provides a solution for the building owner to display energy efficiencies about LEED certified solutions used in the building.
"Providing the connectivity into internal building control systems using out-of-the-box software and 3D photo realistic graphics to display to the public allows end-users a cost effective way to display information," said Dan McCarty, president of Quality Automation Graphics.
Monday, 10 December 2007
LAS VEGAS - Partywirks has announced its self-service party-booking kiosk, the PartyPoint.
The kiosk lets consumers browse and book parties and group events while in high-traffic areas such as lobbies, waiting areas, etc. PartyPoint runs the Partywirks Online Reservation System, designed specifically to let consumers book parties and events. At that same time, consumers can purchase additional party add-ons, and the kiosk system can accept credit/debit card payment information.
The PartyPoint system includes SeePoint VantagePoint Light kiosk system. The ADA compliant free-standing hardware includes a touchscreen and kiosk keyboard. The PartyPoint solution also is available with the SeePoint CounterPoint desktop kiosk unit.
"The benefits of the new PartyPoint solution are to save consumers' time by offering a 24/7 self-serve option, and to expand business operators' competitive advantage by saving on the cost of labor normally directed at booking events manually," said Paul Kriete, Partywirks' director of marketing.
Wednesday, 28 November 2007
American Enterprise Institute: One of the issues left hanging as Congress is off on recess is the Holt bill to require voter-verifiable paper trails on all voting machines. The bill remains mired in controversy, in part because of the opposition of sizable numbers of election officials who, after having sunk a bundle of money into touchscreen machines after the passage of the Help America Vote Act, are not inclined to change (and are also worried about deadlines and technical glitches). What to do? Frankly, we can't count on Congress to solve the problems, at least in the foreseeable future. We need a patriotic intervention by Steve Jobs and his talented team at Apple, the geniuses who created intuitive, user-friendly, reliable and elegant successes like the iMac, the iPod and the iPhone, or by Eric Schmidt and his brilliant team at Google.
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Tuesday, 27 November 2007
icSouthLondon.co.uk: The Camberwell Sexual Health Center at King's College Hospital is a pilot project, aimed at making the treatment of sexually transmitted infections easier for patients. The center hopes to banish long queues because people will decide for themselves whether they need a formal consultation, guided by touchscreen information points. There also will be a self-service kiosk where people can get free condoms, pregnancy testing and sexual health screening kits without the need to see a healthcare professional.
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Wednesday, 21 November 2007
ST. PAUL, Minn. · 3M Touch Systems Inc. has announced that its MicroTouch DST touchscreens will be available Jan. 1, 2008. MicroTouch DST touchscreens will be offered for select authorized NEC Integrators in North America in 32-, 40- and 46-inch screen sizes.
Based on 3M's patented Dispersive Signal Technology, MicroTouch DST touchscreens offer display integrators that are an ideal solution for large-format interactive applications that require fast, accurate, reliable touch response. Other features include operation unaffected by surface contaminants and "dynamic touch," which ignores static objects on the screen and allows for multi-user touch capabilities.
"DST touchscreens offer important ease-of-integration features not available from comparable touch technologies, such as no front surface components to impede bezel integration, easily sealable, and chemically-strengthened glass," said Chris Tsourides, 3M Touch Systems' business manager.
Dispersive Signal Technology recognizes touch by interpreting bending waves within the glass substrate created by the contact of a finger or stylus on the glass. Since bending waves are unaffected by on-screen contaminants and moderate surface damage, DST touchscreens work reliably for most public environments and applications, such as interactive digital signage, public way finders, point-of-information stations, corporate directories, retail product selectors, as well as conference room and education presentation systems.
Friday, 16 November 2007
BEAVERTON, Ore. -- Planar Systems Inc., provider of specialty display systems, recorded sales of $53.3 million and GAAP income, before cumulative effect of accounting change, per diluted share of $0.09, in the fourth quarter ended September 29, 2006. On a Non-GAAP basis, income per diluted share was $0.14 in the fourth quarter of 2006. For fiscal year 2006 GAAP income per diluted share was $0.42 compared with a loss per share of $2.37 in fiscal 2005. Non-GAAP income per diluted share was $0.63 in fiscal 2006 compared with $0.21 in fiscal 2005.
"I am very pleased with our financial performance in the fourth quarter, as well as our improvement in fiscal 2006 gross margins and earnings compared with fiscal 2005," said Gerry Perkel, Planar's president and chief executive officer. "In addition, we were able to close the acquisition of Clarity Visual Systems prior to the end of the fourth quarter. We continue to be optimistic about our opportunities going forward related to the two new specialty display markets gained by the acquisition, command and control room and digital signage."
Industrial segment sales in the fourth fiscal quarter were $16.9 million, up 23 percent sequentially and up 43 percent compared with the fourth quarter of fiscal 2005. Industrial segment sales in the fourth quarter of 2006 include $4.7 million in sales from the Clarity business subsequent to the closing of the Clarity transaction on September 12, 2006.
Excluding the impact of Clarity, Industrial segment sales were down 11 percent sequentially and increased 4 percent compared with the fourth quarter of 2005. The company has added sales and marketing resources in its Industrial business segment during fiscal 2006 in an effort to drive sales growth moving forward. "Based on early reviews of the sales opportunity funnel being created by our expanded sales efforts, we are cautiously optimistic about the opportunity for future growth in this highly profitable specialty display business by the second half of 2007," continued Perkel.
The Medical segment of the company recorded fourth quarter sales of $16.5 million, down 5 percent sequentially and down 8 percent compared with the fourth quarter a year ago. The company has been re-focusing the sales efforts in its Medical segment on Digital Imaging display products over the past year, and expects to see return from this investment in the form of revenue growth in Digital Imaging products in fiscal 2007 compared with 2006.
Sales in the company's Commercial segment were $20.0 million, up 9 percent sequentially and down 19 percent versus the fourth quarter a year ago. Pricing for desktop monitors continued to be challenging during the fourth quarter, however, the company was able to manage through this difficult environment with an ever increasing focus on higher margin products, more focus on favorable vendor terms, and continued emphasis on managing this business segment for profitability and reduced volatility on a quarterly basis.
The company ended the fourth quarter with cash and short term investments of $48.3 million, down $27.9 million compared with the end of the third quarter. As previously noted, the company closed the acquisition of Clarity in the fourth quarter resulting in a payment to Clarity shareholders of $21.9 million in cash and 1.8 million shares of Planar stock. In addition, the acquisition resulted in a further reduction in cash of $9.3 million relating to the payoff of the net debt position of Clarity at the closing date. At the end of the fourth quarter, the Company continues to have no debt.
Monday, 12 November 2007
Star and Stripes: Some registered Florida voters will be able to forgo the difficulty of voting overseas with the introduction of voting kiosks at three Air Force bases in Europe and Asia. Voters registered in Okaloosa County, Fla., will be able to use the kiosks to vote via a secure Internet connection. The kiosks will be largely aesthetic, mimicking that back-home experience.
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Monday, 05 November 2007
Time: It is hard to believe now what a darling touchscreen voting was seven years ago. After the Florida presidential vote recount debacle, electronic voting was embraced as the way back from America's electoral humiliation. Some 50,000 touchscreen machines were bought in 37 states at a cost of almost a quarter of a billion dollars. The reversal since then couldn't be more stunning · as indicated by a bill in Congress introduced recently by Florida Senator Bill Nelson and Rhode Island Senator Sheldon Whitehouse, which would ban touchscreen voting in federal elections starting in 2012.
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Monday, 05 November 2007
Detroit Free Press: Hotels nationwide have been slow to adopt technology, compared with the people who stay in them. But they're making up for lost time, experimenting with dozens of new high-tech ways to attract and keep customers, cut costs and stand out among the competition for where you'll spend the night. At some hotels, you can order room service from a phone touchscreen, or adjust your room temperature, or summon housekeeping. You can see area restaurants on the screen, check out their menus and push a button to contact the restaurant and make reservations.
Thursday, 18 October 2007
LONDON · 3M will announce an extended temperature specification for its ClearTek II Capacitive Touch Screens at KioskCom Europe, in an effort to strengthen its appeal for outdoor applications. The company will be showing its complete portfolio of innovative touchscreen and touchmonitor products for the self-service kiosk and ATM markets at the show, including the vandal-resistant MicroTouch ToughTouch II Capacitive Touch Screens, EX II capacitive electronics, the M170 17-inch LCD Touch Monitor and the CT150 15-inch LCD Touch Monitor.
Following testing, 3M Touch Systems is now able to assure ClearTek II Capacitive Touch Screens for operation from +70-degrees C to -40-degrees C, a strong advantage for operators of outdoor kiosks and ATMs in colder climates.
Key features of ClearTek II include at least five times more wear-resistance and durability over competitive solutions, accurate touch performance and the highest levels of light transmission in the marketplace today. The screens are available in sizes from 6.4-inch to 32-inch diagonal.
Thursday, 11 October 2007
PORTSMOUTH, RI · Thule Inc., a Swedish car rack manufacturer, chose Self-Service Networks, a provider of turnkey self-service solutions, to create TIPP, a touchscreen kiosk that empowers consumers to quickly match the appropriate Thule rack system to their vehicle and gear carrying needs.
Self-Service Networks designed TIPP as a stand-alone kiosk or as an upgrade to Thule's Rack Patrol point-of-purchase display. Along with rack-vehicle matching tools, the TIPP system features product information and video demonstrations. After selecting a rack system, the selected components can be printed as a shopping list for an efficient sales process.
Sales associates also can use TIPP as a Thule product training tool while better serving customers. Additionally, TIPP gathers usage statistics that can improve other aspects of the Thule shopping experience.
Monday, 08 October 2007
NewsOK.com: Over the past year, Star Chasers Oklahoma, the statewide local franchiser of Carl's Jr., has installed touchscreen kiosks in 31 of its 39 restaurants in Oklahoma and Wichita Falls, Texas, making it one of the few quick-service restaurant chains in the country to use the self-service model at a franchisee or corporate level.
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Thursday, 04 October 2007
HARRISBURG, Pa. - The new Elo TouchSystems 1729L 17"? LCD integrated multifunction touchscreen from Tyco Electronics offers more field-installable options than previous members of its family. The 1729L was developed to provide a versatile interface for applications in retail POS markets such as department stores, convenience stores, hospitality and fast food service.
Following on the success of the 1229L 12"? and 1529L 15"? LCD multifunction touchscreens, the new 1729L 17" can be configured by the customer in the field to include three options from a choice of: Magnetic Stripe Reader; vacuum fluorescent, rear-facing LED customer display; biometric fingerprint recognition device; and speaker bar with/without a built-in single or omni-directional barcode scanner.
The 1729L is currently available with a choice of Elo touch technologies: AccuTouch five-wire resistive technology can be activated with fingernails, gloves, credit cards or any stylus; IntelliTouch surface wave technology is a pure glass touchscreen to provide the ultimate in optics and can be activated with fingers or gloves.
Wednesday, 12 September 2007
San Diego Union Tribune: Amid the ongoing controversy about the security of electronic voting machines, the vast majority of California voters have some degree of confidence that their votes are being counted accurately, according to a new Field Poll. In August, Secretary of State Debra Bowen banned most touchscreen voting machines in California "to begin rebuilding the voter confidence in the systems we use to conduct elections."� The Field Poll indicates that voter confidence already is fairly high among likely voters.
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Wednesday, 05 September 2007
Associated Press: A group of taxi drivers launched a two-day strike Wednesday, right in the middle of the New York Fashion Week and the U.S. Open tennis tournament, to protest a city plan to require GPS tracking in cabs. The New York Taxi Workers Alliance called the strike in the nation's largest city to protest new rules requiring all cabs to have global positioning systems and touchscreen monitors that will let passengers pay by credit card. Some cabbies fear the GPS systems could be used to track their movements and that they could get stuck paying hefty fees for credit card processing.
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Learn more about the strike and the drivers' concerns
Friday, 24 August 2007
HD NET: Dan Rather Reports presents conclusive evidence of the failure of touchscreen voting machines across the country. The episode, "The Trouble with Touch Screens," is an hour devoted to new information about e-voting. From scientists involved in testing the equipment, to manufacturers in third-world countries that have shipped defective voting machines to the United States, the program shows how defective machines may have altered the outcome of multiple elections.
To watch the video click here.
Tuesday, 07 August 2007
MONTREAL · iGotcha Media, providers of turn-key interactive digital signage solutions, announced the launch of an interactive window display at Garage's flagship Montreal store, located at the corner of Peel and St-Catherine streets. Garage is a shopping destination for fashion-savvy girls.
The Garage interactive display consists of a 60-inch image that is projected onto an interactive touch-foil affixed to the inside of the window. This advanced foil provides a touchscreen interface and makes the application responsive to touch from the outside.
Upon touching the window, a menu of interactive options allows the user to access detailed product information, log onto the Garage Web site and contribute to message board discussion groups. When not in use, promotional videos and fashion photos are displayed.
"We are delighted to be showcasing iGotcha's interactive touch screen at our flagship Montreal store," said Anna Martini, president, Groupe Dynamite. "As a retailer catering to teenagers and young women, we believe that this state of the art medium is ideally suited to our market. Our clientele is incredibly active online and we believe that they will respond very favorably to this innovative campaign because it is informative, technologically sophisticated and a lot of fun."
Wednesday, 01 August 2007
ATLANTA · Radiant Systems Inc. and High's of Baltimore Inc. have announced plans to deploy multiple self-service kiosks in more than 50 High's Dairy Stores.
Customers can use the touchscreen kiosks to purchase menu offerings such as breakfast, subs, wraps, soups, salads and hand-dipped ice cream.
According to a news release, Radiant has deployed more than 5,000 self-service ordering kiosks with many convenience retailers in the country, enabling made-to-order sandwich programs, specialty coffee offerings and a variety of menus.
Friday, 20 July 2007
Computerworld Malaysia: The Sakae Sushi chain of restaurants in Kuala Lumpur has installed IBM touchscreen kiosks to replace the chain's older interactive menu systems. Patrons can now place orders directly with the kitchen at the kiosks.
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Thursday, 19 July 2007
MINNEAPOLIS · Customer-Facing Media has introduced a new in-store network for retail environments. Consumers interact with the network through a kiosk that offers content such as meal-planning ideas, recipes, shopping lists and coupons.
According to a news release, CFM has signed agreements to roll out its Touch ‘n Save network to 543 retail grocery stores this summer in Indiana, Ohio, Pennsylvania, Missouri, Virginia and Washington D.C. The company expects to have kiosks in more than 2,000 stores by the end of 2008.
Friday, 13 July 2007
FREMONT, Calif. · Belview Technologies released a special edition PROMAC PP6500 All-In-One Touch computer. Their new edition features compact flash card solution and Microsoft WEPOS (Windows Embedded for Point Of Service) operating system, which is specifically designed for vertical markets.
The touchscreen computer is designed for a full line of point-of-service systems, including self-checkout counters, information kiosks, POS systems and food ordering kiosks.
Wednesday, 11 July 2007
PARIS · Sensitive Object and Tyco Electronics' Elo TouchSystems have announced a cross-license agreement to further the development of their technologies and expand their respective product offerings.
Sensitive Object owns technology based on the recognition of sound waves in solid objects called ReverSysTM. According to a news release, ReverSysTM can be used in everything from home—automation applications and control panels to touchscreens and intelligent-communicating objects. With ReverSysTM, touching an object on a particular spot generates a vibration with an acoustic signature unique to that spot.
According to the terms of the deal, Sensitive Object and Tyco Electronics will have access to each other's IP portfolio covering acoustic technologies.
Friday, 22 June 2007
USA Today: The rear-projection touchscreen designed for Polo Ralph Lauren has been deployed at the company's flagship London store. Boris Becker, Ralph Lauren's brand ambassador and Wimbledon tennis champion, demonstrated the window-shopping screen, which guides shoppers through the brand's Wimbledon line and shows video tennis clips.
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Friday, 22 June 2007
Yahoo! News: Touchscreens featured on the iPhone and LG Prada use "projected capacitive" technology which features a mesh of metal wires between two layers of glass that registers a touch when the electrical field is broken.
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Wednesday, 20 June 2007
Cellular News: The impending release of iPhone has put touchscreens into the spotlight, but the demand for this technology was already growing rapidly even before Apple joined the party, according to iSuppli. Global shipment revenue for the leading touchscreen technologies will rise to $4.4 billion by 2012, up from $2.4 billion in 2006, iSuppli predicts.
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Monday, 18 June 2007
Time.com: Lev Grossman, a columnist for Time magazine, describes his experiences with demos of the latest touch technology: the Apple iPhone and Microsoft Surface. Both utilize new versions of touch technology that handle multiple touches, filter inadvertent touches and can anticipate gestures.
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Tuesday, 12 June 2007
Mediaweek: ABC's New York flagship WABC-TV, along with partner VeriFone Transportation Systems, is the first vendor to get the green light by the New York City Taxi and Limousine Commission to sell backseat touchscreen monitors to cab owners. Tested by WABC-TV and VeriFone for more than a year, TAXI-TV features advertiser-supported content from WABC's Eyewitness News, the WABC Web site, AccuWeather, ESPN; and restaurant, nightlife, shopping and hotel information from the Zagat Survey.
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Wednesday, 30 May 2007
Yahoo! News: Microsoft Corp. has taken the wraps off Surface, a coffee-table shaped computer that responds to touch and to special bar codes attached to everyday objects.
Surface is a Windows Vista PC tucked inside a shiny black table base, topped with a 30-inch touchscreen in a clear acrylic frame. Five cameras that can sense nearby objects are mounted beneath the screen. Users can interact with the machine by touching or dragging their fingertips and objects such as paintbrushes across the screen, or by setting real-world items tagged with special bar-code labels on top of it.
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Friday, 25 May 2007
GeneralTouch Technology Co. Ltd. has released the RTL series rear-mount LCD touch monitors.
The monitors focus on a wide variety of markets including kiosk, retail, self-services, hospitality, industrial, gaming/entertainment and light office automation. They are available in display sizes from 15-inch to 19-inch and include both serial and USB interfaces.
In accordance with the strict requirement of the UL 60950 ball-drop test, the RTL series products with SafeTouch touchscreens are suited for applications with high threat potentials, such as kiosks and ticketing machines. With high clarity and transparency, the screens react to touches from fingers, even gloved, and any other soft stylus.
Multiple mounting options, narrow borders and slim profile also are features of the series.
Thursday, 10 May 2007
SKANEATELES FALLS, N.Y. · Auto-Star Compusystems and Hand Held Products have partnered to develop a kiosk that uses Auto-Star's Star-Plus point-of-sale and retail-management software and Hand Held's Image Kiosk 8560.
According to a news release, the kiosk solution's primary functions are price-checking and loyalty-status confirmation.
Hand-Held's Image Kiosk 8560, powered by Adaptus Imaging Technology 5.0, features touchscreen navigation and omni-directional barcode readers.
Wednesday, 09 May 2007
METHUEN, Mass. · 3M Touch Systems Inc. has released MicroTouch ToughTouch II capacitive touchscreens for rugged kiosk and ATM applications.
According to a news release, the touchscreens are specifically designed for environments where impact-strength, shatter-resistance, superior surface- wear, brightness and viewer privacy are necessities.
ToughTouch II succeeds the MicroTouch ToughTouch product, which has been field-tested in vandal-prone environments for more than a decade.
ToughTouch II is said to be 3M's most rugged touch product; its construction combines a MicroTouch ClearTek II capacitive touchscreen with a 4-milimeter glass layer optically laminated to the back.
"The ToughTouch II touch screen is 3M's most recent enhancement to the MicroTouch capacitive product line, which continues a development effort started over 20 years ago, when 3M/MicroTouch commercialized surface capacitive technology," said Ty Silberhorn, 3M's general manager.
MicroTouch ToughTouch II touchscreens are available in 12.1-inch, 15-inch, 17-inch and 19-inch standard sizes and are integrated with a viewer privacy feature that comes in 12.1-inch, 15-inch and 17-inch standard sizes. ToughTouch II also can be provided in a custom size.
Monday, 30 April 2007
Nj.com: For Deb Johnson, waiting in line to pay for something is so 1999. The 24-year-old Grand Rapids, Mich., resident is all about helping herself, which makes her a big fan of self-serve, touchscreen machines. Devices that let you help yourself are spreading, from movie theaters and airports to government agencies.
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Wednesday, 25 April 2007
LAS VEGAS · Pay By Touch announced the immediate availability of its Reward and Gift Card Kiosk. The new self-service kiosks enable retail customers to design, print and purchase personalized gift cards and obtain loyalty-program cards, without merchant personnel assistance.
The Internet-enabled retail kiosk lets shoppers create customized store-branded and third-party gift cards with personalized "to" and "from" names and single or multiple design full-color graphics. Gift cards can be purchased and dispensed directly from the self-serve kiosk, eliminating the current requirement of purchasing gift cards at the check-out lane or customer service counter.
The kiosks store an unlimited number of graphics, so multiple merchants or brands can be supported on a single kiosk.
Wednesday, 25 April 2007
AMES, Ia. · Iowa State University's historical Morrill Hall held its rededication ceremony Friday, April 20th. Featured in the newly renovated building is a GreenTouchscreen kiosk recognizing the donors of the renovation and educating visitors about its rich history and many environmentally friendly aspects.
 Morrill Hall is one of the oldest buildings on campus, built in 1891. Rather than demolishing the building, which closed in 1998 due to deterioration, the university began fundraising for the restoration in 2001. With funding from over 3,000 individuals, the restoration was complete just in time for the university's 2007 VEISHEA celebration.
In order to share the abundant history and many unique features of the building, Morrill Hall displays a GreenTouchscreen kiosk developed by Quality Attributes Software. Many pages, enriched with historical facts and pictures, renew the culture and spirit of the university. A building directory allows users to easily locate specific rooms and view donor descriptions. Donors can be searched by room, name or donor classification.
Tuesday, 03 April 2007
ESSEN, Germany · 3M will show its touchscreen and touch monitor products for the self-service kiosk and ATM markets at Kiosk Europe Expo 2007, being held in Essen, Germany from May 8-10. The event will see the European launch of the highly rugged MicroTouch ToughTouch II Capacitive touchscreens from 3M. Other highlights include a 32-inch MicroTouch ClearTek II capacitive touchscreen, EX II capacitive electronics, an M170 17-inch LCD touch monitor and a CT150 15-inch LCD touch monitor.
The latest generation MicroTouch ToughTouch capacitive touchscreens will be showcased. They are designed to meet the stringent requirements of unsupervised, high-threat environments, such as ATMs.
ToughTouch II touchscreens offer wear resistance and added impact resistance, exceeding UL 60950 impact test standards.
They also feature enhanced light transmission at 86.5 percent average and world-class storage temperature ranging from -50 to +80 Celsius.
The new ToughTouch II, with optional privacy film for on-screen data protection in ATM and ticketing applications, will also be displayed.
Alongside ToughTouch II, 3M will demonstrate a 32-inch MicroTouch ClearTek II Capacitive Touchscreen designed to meet the physical and functional requirements of new large format opportunities in hospitality applications, for interactive signage and point-of-information, and in gaming applications, for emerging slot machine designs.
Key features of ClearTek II include five times more wear-resistance and durability over competitive solutions, accurate touch performance and the highest levels of light transmission in the market place.
MicroTouch EX II Controllers for ToughTouch II and ClearTek II will also be shown.
EX II controllers are based on the innovative EX II ASIC, designed to provide higher resolution touch coordinates, on-chip RAM and a wider operating temperature range.
They support serial and USB, offer expanded regulatory approvals, improved power modes and enhanced ESD and EMI protection.
In addition, 3M will demonstrate its MicroTouch M170 and CT150 LCD-touch monitors that incorporate durable ClearTek II capacitive touch technology for robust, accurate and reliable touch display solutions.
The M170 LCD touch monitor features maximum touch stability as well as a peripheral attachment system, locking mechanism, adjustable display angle and various mounting options.
The CT150 LCD touch monitor for self-service kiosks offers a 500:1 contrast ratio, three bezel options, an array of designer-flexible mounting methods, a remote control on-screen display adjustment module and internal power cable, eliminating the need for external power adapters.
Monday, 12 March 2007
CALGARY, Canada · Calgary Health Region's 24,000 employees will have greater access to personal human resources information via new IBM self-service kiosks installed in hospitals, clinics and offices.
IBM worked closely with the Calgary Health Region to design a kiosk that met its needs. IBM migrated the Region's applications to the new hardware and monitors, and manages and provides help-desk-support services for 100 kiosks the Region is deploying.
The IBM Anyplace Kiosk has an LCD-touchscreen display, keyboard and trackball, a built-in printer and a telephone preset to automatically dial help-desk support when the handset is lifted.
Using the kiosks, employees can access their human resources application, e-mail, company intranet and other related Web sites to submit health benefits claims, confirm or make changes to benefits coverage, or print out pay advice.
"We wanted to provide our employees with easy access to their human resources information, regardless of whether they work at a desk with a PC or not," said Margaret Munsch, a senior vice president at Calgary Health Region. "By providing self-service kiosks, our regional clinical and corporate employees, including clinical staff, porters, housekeeping and other support staff can quickly access their personal information anytime, regardless of which of our sites they may be working at on a given day."
Users identify themselves by logging onto the kiosk with a secure, personal ID.
Friday, 02 March 2007
Washington Post: For all its public devotion to innovation, the computer industry has been unwilling to break one rule -- it takes a keyboard and mouse to use a home computer. But Hewlett-Packard is throwing that principle aside in its new TouchSmart IQ770 desktop. This computer's screen responds to the touch of your finger. While the ease of use is soothing, what lies beneath the LCD may not be able to keep up.
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Tuesday, 27 February 2007
BEAVERTON, Ore. · Planar Systems Inc., provider of display solutions, has introduced the LB1500RTC, a bright, scratch-resistant open-frame display with touchscreen technology. Targeted to the retail, rail-information and hospitality industries, the touchscreen LCD is designed for use in high-traffic, high-visibility areas, and is build to withstand poor environmental conditions.
According to a news release, Planar's LB1500RTC enables kiosk integrators and original equipment manufacturers to install systems with attention-grabbing displays. The 15-inch durable 3M ClearTek display with USB interface provides touch accuracy, enhanced optical performance and improved surface wear. Additional features include an open-frame display for indoor environments; easy integration into a variety of enclosures; mounting options that use the 75 mm VESA standard; and RoHS compliance.
Friday, 23 February 2007
COSTA MESA, Calif. · StacoSwitch announced that FormaLogix will be the first company to adopt the Tactile Feedback Touchscreen in a commercial application. StacoSwitch currently manufactures the touchscreen system, which provides users with tactile feedback, for noisy environments such as airplane cockpits, casino kiosks and airport self-service ticket machines. FormaLogix's Virtual Fit is their first venture into the burgeoning footwear industry. The VFit kiosk will be placed in high-traffic environments such as malls and shoe stores.
FormaLogix has developed a solution to one of the footwear industry's oldest problems · finding the right fit. The VFit kiosk uses digital imagers to capture a three-dimensional image of the user's feet and compares that to an exact 3D form of the inside of a specific shoe. FormaLogix VFit technology is able to determine exactly what size a person wears in a particular shoe style and brand without the person ever trying on the shoe. For retailers, the technology improves customer service, validates fit and size, and ultimately reduces the number of returns because of poor fit.
Wednesday, 07 February 2007
TROY, Mich. — Nextep Systems has announced the useof the Nextreme Outdoor Kiosk, a kiosk the company says represents the "next step" in outdoor-kiosk design. The kiosk is reportedly the first consumer-use outdoor kiosk to use an industrial PC with a solid-state disk, technology typically only found in harsh, military settings.
The Nextreme kiosk offers a NEMA/4 enclosure with powder-coated finish, a 15-inch LCD touchscreen with safety glass, and requires no fans or other moving parts except and optional printer. Optional periphreals include a meagnetic-stripe reader, barcode reader, keyboard, 17-inch display, wireless network card and thermal printer — all rated for outdoor use.
Friday, 02 February 2007
Sewickley Herald: You can order a sandwich at Sheetz, scan groceries at Giant Eagle and withdraw money from a savings account with the press of a fingertip. Now that same finger can reduce wait times at some Heritage Valley Health System affiliates.
Using touchscreen kiosks, patients may bypass traditional methods of a person behind a desk typing in their information and check in themselves for blood work, X-rays and other procedures.
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Thursday, 01 February 2007
Reuters: Florida Gov. Charlie Crist on Wednesday said he would propose abandoning touchscreen-voting machines adopted after the disputed 2000 presidential race and replacing them with devices that provide a paper record.
In response to intense criticism over the 2000 race · when a recount dispute focusing Florida's "hanging chads" and inscrutable ballots was resolved by the Supreme Court · election supervisors in 15 counties spent millions on touchscreen technology, which itself has come under fire.
Friday, 26 January 2007
Fast Company: Technologist and inventor Jefferson Han has recently been approached by Lockheed Martin, Pixar and various government agencies about his new multi-touch technology, which drew cheers and whistling at last year's TED (technology, entertainment and design) conference. (Watch the live demonstration.)
"Touch is one of the most intuitive things in the world," Han says. "Instead of being one step removed, like you are with a mouse and keyboard, you have direct manipulation. It's a completely natural reaction · to see an object and want to touch it."
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Thursday, 28 December 2006
Orange County Register: At StacoSwitch in Costa Mesa, Calif., tactile illusions are being used in devices with a serious business purpose. The flat video panels display images of buttons that, when touched, give users the feeling of pushing real-world buttons. "It's sensory perception deception," said Tim Reilly, the company's senior product manager.
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Thursday, 16 November 2006
Examiner.com: Citing the disputed vote in a Florida congressional district, a Democratic lawmaker on Wednesday urged Congress to approve his measure requiring a paper trail for touchscreen voting. Rep. Rush Holt, sponsor of the bill, said the inaccuracy of electronic touchscreen voting machines "poses a direct threat to the integrity of our electoral system." The New Jersey congressman argued the Florida district, in which more than 18,000 votes have gone uncounted, has exposed the system's flaws.
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Wednesday, 08 November 2006
CNN.com: Police arrested a voter after he smashed a voting machine. Officials said votes cast on the machine were not lost.
View newscast
Tuesday, 07 November 2006
TheLedger.com: Electronic voting machine problems frazzled voters and election workers in dozens of precincts as the polls opened Tuesday, delaying voters in Indiana and Ohio and leaving some in Florida with little choice but turn to paper ballots instead.
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Wednesday, 18 October 2006
LAKE FOREST, Calif. — Horizon Technology, an ISO 9001:2000 certified integrator specializing in display solutions, announced it has been authorized by NEC Display Solutions to participate in the NEC Display Solutions Integration Select program. The NEC program provides customers with high-quality NEC LCD monitors integrated with various upgrades by authorized NEC Display Solutions Select Integrators. The upgraded monitors, ranging in size from 17-inch to 46-inch, are used in various applications including digital signage, kiosk, POS, retail, financial, military, medical, and industrial installations.
"The combination of NEC's reputation for delivering leading edge display products of unsurpassed quality and Horizon's customer centric business model promises to deliver a superior customer experience", added Kurt Johnson, chief executive of Horizon Technology. "Horizon offers a better customer experience through unparalleled customer responsiveness, flexible solutions, consistent reliability, and a quality management system in line with NEC's high standards."
Horizon's range of display solutions provided for the NEC monitors include: touchscreen integration from 17 to 15-inch, including SAW, optical, capacitive, and resistive technology and security glass integration.
Wednesday, 18 October 2006
PokerNews.com: The new electronic poker tables at Hollywood Park Casino in Los Angeles require no dealers, as the players select all their actions via the touchscreen in front of them. The system even takes away from a floorperson's job, as there is a kiosk where players can put themselves on a waiting list for a table. All of this is handled via an ID card, which has a magnetic stripe similar to a credit card.
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Tuesday, 17 October 2006
MSNBC.com: "Today" consumer correspondent Janice Lieberman tracked down the bacteria travelers encounter at airports and hotels. First stop: the check-in monitor. A swab of the kiosk revealed lots of bacteria and some mold. Morbach also found penicillium, which can cause allergic reactions.
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Thursday, 28 September 2006
SAN JOSE, Calif. - Immersion Corp., a developer and licensor of touch feedback technology, announced in a news release that kiosk supplier, KIOSK Information Systems, is offering Immersion's TouchSense tactile feedback solution in its kiosks for the self-service and retail industries.
Serving North American and European markets estimated at $1 billion and 193,000 deployed kiosks annually, KIOSK's new TouchSense tactile feedback option expands exposure for the technology. KIOSK is exhibiting in booth #2000 and Immersion is exhibiting in booth #407 at the Sept. 28-29 Self-Service & Kiosk Show in San Antonio.
TouchSense components integrated into touchscreen designs produce tactile feedback in response to the user's press. For retail and self-service applications, the simple addition of a tactile cue may either help overcome user uncertainty or enhance the user experience. A tactile cue supplies unmistakable confirmation, encouraging more rapid and accurate data entry. By establishing clear communication, it also promotes greater ease-of-use leading to higher customer satisfaction. And a tactile cue increases interactivity and a sense of control, helping to create a more engaging experience to encourage continued use.
"KIOSK has built virtually every type of self-service application in every type of location and environment imaginable," said Michael D. Levin, vice president and general manager of Immersion's touch interface products group. "One of the reasons they are such a strong leader is that KIOSK is not only a manufacturer, but also a consultant in ensuring the long-term success of their customers' projects. KIOSK sees the value of our TouchSense system and will now be able to help its customers capitalize on tactile feedback technology for improving kiosk applications and the user experience."
Wednesday, 06 September 2006
Naples (Fla.) News: There are 44 Subways using touchscreen kiosks for ordering across the United States, and they're becoming available in the United Kingdom, New Zealand and Australia as well. Dave Hubbard, chief marketing officer for Pro-Tech, the Atlanta-based manufacturer of the systems, said more are in the works. The company also is talking to other chains about using the kiosks, including Arby's and Burger King.
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Friday, 25 August 2006
SEATTLE · Manufacturing solutions provider GM Nameplate announced the introduction its multizone five-wire touchscreen, appropriate for complex operations involving multiple controls that must be regulated, such as industrial, medical or entertainment applications.
"This technology opens up exciting design and control options for our touchscreen customers," said Dennis Webster, Intaq engineering manager for GM Nameplate. "Touchscreen users can now operate multiple controls simultaneously from a single touchscreen."
A standard touchscreen accepts one input at a time; attempts to touch several screen areas at once cancel out each touch by calculating an average to determine a single input location.
The multizone five-wire touchscreen by allows for up to four input zones on a single screen, and all four touches may occur simultaneously, leading to four distinct inputs.
The touchscreen also comes bundled with a multizone industrial controller. The controller accepts multiple top ITO sheet inputs, enabling multiple zoned areas of the touchscreen to function. It also provides the option to function as a single-zone touchscreen.
Wednesday, 23 August 2006
MENLO PARK, Calif. · Elo TouchSystems, provider of touch technology and a division of Tyco Electronics Corp., has developed a new range of touch drivers for both Linux and Mac OS X.
These new offerings complement Elo's range of touch drivers for Windows, Macintosh and legacy operating systems such as DOS and OS/2.
"We are committed to the design and development of contemporary drivers to support all versions of current and future operating systems · in fact, any and all solutions that add value to our customer's interface with touch technology," said Elo software engineering manager Peter Studt.
Thursday, 17 August 2006
HUTTO, Texas · TouchSystems Corp., provider of touch-enabled products, announced its new digital signage series of touch monitors. The new touchmonitors, ideal for interactive digital signage, offer wall-mountable/desktop LCD touch displays in large sizes, up to 46-inches.
The first offering in the line is the 32-inch P3250C touch monitor, which includes NEC's Digital Signage Technology suite and standard 3-year limited warranty. Features include a self-diagnostics capability to detect possible failures, a new backlight system for better brightness, real-time content scheduling, 1366 x 768 ultra-high resolution and brightness control to reduce energy consumption.
Wednesday, 09 August 2006
BEAVERTON, Ore. - Planar Systems, Inc. announced the addition of two new 15" touchscreen monitors to the company's popular PT line. The PT1520MU and the PT1510MX are targeted primarily for point-of-sale and self-service applications in retail, hospitality and food service environments. Building on Planar's capabilities in providing specialty display solutions, the addition of the PT1520MU and the PT1510MX is a result of Planar's intent focus on creating solutions that address applications requiring display system performance beyond what is available from general purpose, commodity display suppliers.
For customers who want increased durability, Planar's PT1520MU features a sturdy deskstand which allows the monitor to be tilted from 0 degrees to 90 degrees. The PT1520MU presents a wide selection of positioning angles, making POS and POP transactions more convenient for the end user. Specifically designed for POS systems, this monitor features a five-wire resistive touchscreen with USB touchscreen interface, has a brightness of 350 cd/m(2), and is designed to be easily integrated in a variety of environments for a range of applications without compromising operation.
To further meet requirements for cost efficiency, Planar's PT1510MX was designed specifically to deliver a lower price-point for a variety of applications. Compatible with POS, thin-client and PC systems, the PT1510MX includes a five-wire resistive touchscreen and dual serial RS-232/USB user interface, making it ideal for use in environments that require optimal performance under challenging conditions, such as restaurants, retail stores or hospitality environments.
"While flat-panel displays in a touch environment were once too costly, recent efficiencies in LCD production have brought price points down to CRT levels," said Chris Connery, vice president of market research for DisplaySearch. "Today, eight out of 10 desktop displays are flat-panels, and the efficiencies of using less power, being housed in a smaller form factor and reduced heat emissions are now coming to touchscreen environments. These benefits are a natural fit for POS systems, digital signage and other emerging applications."
Using reliable, resistive touchscreen technology, both the PT1520MU and PT1510MX continue to deliver the same optimal performance as Planar's current touchscreen offerings. Resistive touchscreen technology is a highly-durable solution that does not require recalibration when environmental conditions change. These monitors are ideal for public-facing applications since they can withstand harsh environments.
"Like Planar's existing suite of high-performance displays, these new touchscreen monitors will enable VARs and integrators to design a solution that best suits customers' business objectives," said Mark A. Ceciliani, vice president and general manager, commercial business unit at Planar Systems. "We have differentiated our touchscreen offerings to give channel partners the right options to satisfy customers' needs, ultimately helping them create sales opportunities wherever touchscreen technology is needed."
Planar's PTMU line is available in 15-, 17- and 19-inch formats.
Friday, 28 July 2006
SUWANEE, Ga. · Pro-Tech Solutions announced the implementation of its Pro-Tech drive-thru kiosk at a Subway restaurant in Mentor, Ohio. The kiosk stands almost 5-feet tall, but is built upon a telescoping pedestal that allows the unit to move up or down to accommodate vehicle size.
The kiosk features an auto-dimming circuit and ambient-light sensors, so the 15-inch touchscreen can adjust to time of day or weather conditions automatically.
Peter Kaszycki, president of Pro-Tech, said the touchscreen is mounted behind a half-inch of safety glass.
"The elements are mounted behind the glass and projected through the screen," he said, making the kiosk resistant not only to the elements but also vandalism.
Since 65 percent of all QSR sales take place at the drive-thru, products like the kiosk will be of interest even to chains like Subway, which traditionally have not offered drive-thru.
"A Subway owner I know tried to open a drive-thru using the standard headset method," said Nick D'Angelo, owner of the Ohio Subway. "It was a disaster. The Subway menu is unique and there's too much guesswork involved. Pro-Tech's touchscreen menu allows me to serve my customers both inside and out. It's like having another store."
Monday, 24 July 2006
SAN FRANCISCO — Elo TouchSystems, a division of Tyco Electronics Corporation, has announced the next generation of its AccuTouch five-wire resistive touchscreen technology.
The new touchscreen construction offers original equipment manufacturers (OEMs) improved environmental specifications and a new option for a true flat cable attachment. Previous developments included the change to a Z border electrode pattern for greater edge linearity and the introduction of higher-quality glass substrates for increased durability. Now, Elo is adding a new construction for increased environmental stability.
"Elo invented the resistive touchscreen 35 years ago," said Elo product manager David Chen. "As one of our core touch technologies, we are committed to continuing to refine AccuTouch, a very respected brand in resistive touchscreens."
The latest generation of the product maintains all major components of the touchscreen, including the material construction of the glass, coversheet, fired-on electrode pattern, cable and soldered cable attachment.
"With a new manufacturing process for the attachment of the coversheet, we can now provide a higher temperature and humidity performance range for the resistive product line, all while maintaining our renowned tight coversheet fit, and without lowering any other performance specification," Chen said.
Tops in VSR Magazine's POS Hardware Leaderboard
Elo claimed the No. 1 ranking in the touchscreens category in the recently released POS Hardware Leaderboard. Vertical Systems Reseller Magazine asked value-added resellers to rate vendors in a head-to-head comparison based on five key criteria: product features and functionality, product innovation, product reliability, support and service; and competitive pricing. VSR's research partner, Litchfield Research, conducted the survey.
Tuesday, 27 June 2006
BEAVERTON, Ore. - Planar Systems Inc., a worldwide leader in flat panel display systems, announced a distribution agreement with leading IT products distributor, Tech Data Corp. to expand the availability of its products, services and support to target customers. Planar's wide range of LCD touchscreen monitors, also available in open-frame kiosk displays, are specifically designed for OEMs, integrators and value-added resellers targeting the growing markets for point-of-sale and point-of-purchase systems in the retail, hospitality and food service industries.
"Point-of-sale applications in the retail and hospitality markets represent a significant growth opportunity for solutions providers looking to sell higher-margin technologies to new market segments," said Annette Taber, director of Tech Data's Advanced Technologies Group. "We are seeing demand for superior technology interfaces -- such as touchscreens, and Planar's full suite of touchscreen monitors will give our resellers a cost-effective solution that can easily be integrated into their customers' business environments."
With more than two decades of experience in the flat-panel display market, Planar has developed a responsive, value-added customer support model that gives channel partners easy access to troubleshooting analysis and solutions to bid opportunities. Throughout the next year, Planar also intends to increase its product offerings to continue to provide customers with best-in-class products and industry-leading service and support.
"We built our solid reputation in the commercial channel by providing best-in-class warranty and customer service, such as Planar's 'bid in minutes' promise, in-house technical support call center - a rarity in today's marketplace - and free demo program for qualified opportunities," said Mark Ceciliani, vice president and general manager, commercial business unit, Planar Systems. "Tech Data's industry-leading service and attention to its resellers illustrate a harmonious customer service philosophy."
Planar's PT LCD line and LA open-frame kiosk displays are available in 15-, 17- and 19-inch models, with the option of resistive touch technology designed for attended environments, such as employee-operated systems, or rugged, scratch-resistant capacitive touch technology geared more for unattended environments, such as kiosks or price-check stations. The embedded design of the LA line is designed for applications that require displays as part of the larger system, such as ticketing kiosks or gaming machines.
Planar guarantees the performance of each touchscreen monitor with its Customer First three-year warranty, which promises two-day advance replacement for the PT models. Design and engineering support are available for the embedded LA models. All Planar touchscreen products are available through Tech Data.
Friday, 23 June 2006
REDONDO BEACH, Calif. · SeePoint Technology announced that all of its small footprint kiosks are now available with a 17-inch or 19-inch touch display. SeePoint's new models provide a bigger and bolder platform for the deployment of self-service applications across a variety of industries, including retail, entertainment, healthcare and financial services.
The new 17- and 19-inch touch LCD option is available across SeePoint's full product line.
SeePoint's comprehensive kiosk offerings now include three touch display sizes, 19-inch, 17-inch and 15-inch. A HIPAA compliant filter may also be added to all models for applications, such as those in healthcare, where additional privacy is desired.
SeePoint kiosks combine small footprint and durable stands and enclosures with a specially designed Intel M-processor-based computer that provides high power performance, lower power consumption and mobility.
Monday, 19 June 2006
ytnews.com: Alzheimer's disease is degenerative and leads to a collapse of brain functions. A new Israeli computer program attempts to slow down deterioration in patients' brains.
The computerized system, which was developed by students from the engineering faculty at Ben-Gurion University, projects images, sounds, and texts from the patient's past and stimulates him to remember past events.
The computer system, which is designed for the use of patients and their families, includes a computer and touch-screen monitor installed with information from the patient's life; when operating it patients can view and react to images, sounds and texts. Two students, Moshe Barel and Yoni Epstein, developed the system.
Read more.
Monday, 19 June 2006
hattiesburgamerican.com: With millions of dollars in grant money pouring into Pine Belt schools from Cisco Systems, acquiring new technology won't be a problem for many local districts.
And with a new program launched by the Digital Opportunity Trust, learning to use it will be much easier.
The program will train interns who will be stationed in the schools receiving grant monies for 10 months. The interns, said Digital Operations Trust interim director Kim Alexander, will help teachers and administrators learn to use the new technologies and successfully integrate high-tech teaching tools - such as the Promethean Activboard, a computerized whiteboard that functions as a touchscreen and connects to the Internet - with traditional teaching techniques.
"This is an absolutely wonderful opportunity for our schools to be able to have somebody there full time who has been trained to integrate technology effectively into the classroom," said Hattiesburg Public Schools Superintendent Annie Wimbish.
Read more.
Thursday, 15 June 2006
ePaynews: Touchscreen kiosk terminals are infiltrating North America's convenience stores as operators seek to reduce staff overheads and maximize floor space by automating routine tasks such as prepaid wireless top-ups, financial services and bill payments. The latest kiosks can dispense, activate and reload prepaid or stored-value cards or issue receipts for prepaid wireless top-up to reduce inventory costs, shrinkage and ordering or stocking time for each store. Customers welcome the ability to use the kiosks to conduct multiple transactions in a single visit such as topping up a prepaid phone, paying bills or cashing checks while picking up everyday purchases at the store.
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Monday, 12 June 2006
SAN FRANCISCO, Calif. — Elo TouchSystems, the global leader in touch technology and a division of Tyco Electronics Corporation, has developed acoustic pulse recognition (APR), a completely new and unique way of sensing touches on a display. Consisting of only a glass overlay mounted in front of the display, together with a small electronic controller board, Elo's APR technology provides a new set of benefits that have been only partially achieved before by other touch technologies.
The 1529L touchmonitors will be available for purchase in September 2006, with APR included as an additional touch technology choice. Elo will initially direct its APR touch technology toward the retail and restaurant POS markets.
Seamless synergy
"Elo invented touch technology 35 years ago," says Elo president Mark Mendenhall, "and we've consistently continued innovating ever since. The new APR touch technology is one in a long line of products developed by Elo to meet the changing needs and demands of our customers.
"APR combines the ultimate in optical quality, durability and stability of surface wave and infrared, with the excellent dragging properties of capacitive," explains Mendenhall. "Plus, it has the advantages of resistive technology·stylus, gloved hand and fingernail activation, and low cost. APR works with water and other contaminants on the screen, is not affected by surrounding metal or poor grounding, can be scaled from PDA size to 42" displays, and provides palm rejection during signature capture."
We Hear You
According to Elo product manager David Chen, the new APR operates by listening for a touch. "Simply stated," says Chen, "a touch at each position on the glass generates a unique sound. Four tiny transducers attached to the edges of the touchscreen glass pick up the sound of the touch. The sound is then digitized by the controller and compared to a list of prerecorded sounds for every position on the glass. The cursor position is instantly updated to the touch location."
Chen explains that APR differs from previous attempts to recognize the position of touch with microphones because it uses a simple table lookup method instead of requiring powerful and expensive signal processing hardware to attempt to calculate the touch location without any references. "Therefore," Chen confirms, "Elo's APR touch technology is more cost-effective and not economically limited to very large displays. And most important, it also comes from the leader in acoustic touch technologies for the last 20 years, Elo TouchSystems."
APR: The Beginning of a Revolution in Touch
"To create APR," says Steven Abramovich, Elo's vice president of sales and marketing, "we placed all of the popular touch technologies·capacitive, infrared, resistive and surface wave·on the drawing board. Then we integrated the best features of each seamlessly into fully sealed, attractive POS monitors that herald just the beginning for this revolution in touch."
Abramovich sees APR technology as another example of his company's drive to remain customer-centric. "We've always put the needs of the customer first," he says, "and we can attribute our success to responding to those needs. We created IntelliTouch surface wave twenty years ago because of customer demand for a new technology, and we developed APR for the very same reasons. Customers are looking for an economical solution that incorporates the best of everything. We provide that with APR. It has the narrowest borders of any overlay touch technology·a mere five millimeters, including the sealing area. This makes it easy for multiple LCD displays to be placed side by side."
Abramovich continues, "In addition, APR has a fixed coordinate system that is never subject to changes in time, position or environment. This means that traditional touchscreen calibration can be eliminated from the customer's application if the display size and position are fixed."
Thursday, 08 June 2006
SAN FRANCISCO, Calif. — Elo TouchSystems, the global leader in touch technology and a division of Tyco Electronics Corporation, announces the next generation of its industry-leading AccuTouch five-wire resistive touchscreen technology. The new touchscreen construction offers original equipment manufacturers (OEMs) improved environmental specifications and a new option for a true flat cable attachment. Previous significant developments included the change to a Z border electrode pattern for greater edge linearity and the introduction of higher-quality glass substrates for increased durability; now Elo is adding a new construction for increased environmental stability.
Wednesday, 07 June 2006
SAN FRANCISCO, Calif. — Elo TouchSystems, the global leader in touch technology and a division of Tyco Electronics Corporation, has developed acoustic pulse recognition (APR), a completely new and unique way of sensing touches on a display. Consisting of only a glass overlay mounted in front of the display, together with a small electronic controller board, Elo's APR technology provides a new set of benefits that have been only partially achieved before by other touch technologies.
The new breakthrough APR touch technology will be formally announced on June 7, 2006, at the Society for Information Display (SID) International Symposium, Seminar and Exhibition at the Moscone Center, San Francisco, California. Demonstrations of APR on Elo's popular 1529L 15" LCD desktop touchmonitors will be conducted at Elo's booth #236 from June 7 through June 8, 2006. The 1529L touchmonitors will be available for purchase in September 2006, with APR included as an additional touch technology choice. Elo will initially direct its APR touch technology toward the retail and restaurant POS markets.
Seamless Synergy of the Best in Touch
"Elo invented touch technology 35 years ago," says Elo president Mark Mendenhall, "and we've consistently continued innovating ever since. The new APR touch technology is one in a long line of products developed by Elo to meet the changing needs and demands of our customers. It provides the seamless synergy of the best in touch.
"APR combines the ultimate in optical quality, durability and stability of surface wave and infrared, with the excellent dragging properties of capacitive," explains Mendenhall. "Plus, it has the advantages of resistive technology·stylus, gloved hand and fingernail activation, and low cost. APR works with water and other contaminants on the screen, is not affected by surrounding metal or poor grounding, can be scaled from PDA size to 42" displays, and provides palm rejection during signature capture."
We Hear You
According to Elo product manager David Chen, the new APR operates by listening for a touch. "Simply stated," says Chen, "a touch at each position on the glass generates a unique sound. Four tiny transducers attached to the edges of the touchscreen glass pick up the sound of the touch. The sound is then digitized by the controller and compared to a list of prerecorded sounds for every position on the glass. The cursor position is instantly updated to the touch location."
Chen explains that APR differs from previous attempts to recognize the position of touch with microphones because it uses a simple table lookup method instead of requiring powerful and expensive signal processing hardware to attempt to calculate the touch location without any references. "Therefore," Chen confirms, "Elo's APR touch technology is more cost-effective and not economically limited to very large displays. And most important, it also comes from the leader in acoustic touch technologies for the last 20 years, Elo TouchSystems."
APR: The Beginning of a Revolution in Touch
"To create APR," says Steven Abramovich, Elo's vice president of sales and marketing, "we placed all of the popular touch technologies·capacitive, infrared, resistive and surface wave·on the drawing board. Then we integrated the best features of each seamlessly into fully sealed, attractive POS monitors that herald just the beginning for this revolution in touch."
Abramovich sees APR technology as another example of his company's drive to remain customer-centric. "We've always put the needs of the customer first," he states, "and we can attribute our success to responding to those needs. We created IntelliTouch surface wave twenty years ago because of customer demand for a new technology, and we developed APR for the very same reasons. Customers are looking for an economical solution that incorporates the best of everything. We provide that with APR. It has the narrowest borders of any overlay touch technology·a mere five millimeters, including the sealing area. This makes it easy for multiple LCD displays to be placed side by side."
Abramovich continues, "In addition, APR has a fixed coordinate system that is never subject to changes in time, position or environment. This means that traditional touchscreen calibration can be eliminated from the customer's application if the display size and position are fixed."
Elo TouchSystems, global leader in touch technology, is a division of Tyco Electronics Corporation. Elo develops, manufactures and markets a complete line of touch products that simplify the interface between people and computers in both public-access and employee-activated applications. Founded in 1971, the company is headquartered in Menlo Park, California, with manufacturing sites in the United States, Belgium, Brazil, China, and Japan. (Elo operates in Japan under the name of Touch Panel Systems.) For more information on Elo's products and services, please contact Elo TouchSystems at 800-ELO-TOUCH (800-356-8682), visit Elo's website at www.elotouch.com or direct electronic mail inquiries to .
Elo TouchSystems and IntelliTouch are trademarks of Tyco Electronics Corporation. All products and company names referred to herein may be trademarks or registered trademarks of their respective companies or mark holders.
Monday, 22 May 2006
MENLO PARK, Calif. - Elo TouchSystems, the global leader in touch technology and a division of Tyco Electronics Corporation, announces two new Liquid Crystal Display (LCD) rear-mount kiosk touchmonitors aimed at OEMs, systems integrators and value-added resellers in the retail kiosk and gaming/amusement markets. The new 1739L 17" and 1939L 19" LCD rear-mount touchmonitors feature high-quality panels with Elo's all-glass IntelliTouch surface wave touch technology for the utmost in optical quality and durability, all packaged in a compact form factor. Both touchmonitors feature a unique injection-molded minibezel with a watertight seal that makes them ideal for the rigors of public use in retail kiosk or gaming/amusement environments. The touchmonitors complement Elo's existing family of 12.1", 15", 17" and 19" LCD rear-mount touchmonitors that feature Elo's range of touch technologies.
Sunday, 14 May 2006
MENLO PARK, Calif. — Elo TouchSystems offers a new entry-level LCD touchmonitor as part of its expanding 1000 series. The new 1915L 19" LCD touchmonitor delivers a cost-effective touch solution for systems integrators, resellers and OEMs in the retail and hospitality markets. The family of cost-effective touchmonitors include 12", 15", 17" and 19" touchmonitors, all designed for touch with Elo's proven expertise and reliability built in.
All Elo 1000 series touchmonitors are sealed against dirt, dust and splashes and are styled to be attractive from all angles. The entire family is available with Elo's IntelliTouch surface wave and AccuTouch five-wire resistive touch technologies plus a dual serial/USB touch interface. Worldwide agency approvals cover the entire monitor that is designed, built, and supported by Elo, a single-source supplier. Elo also offers the 3000 and 5000 series of touchmonitors with additional options, features, choice of touch technologies, and additional approvals for medical and industrial applications.
"Elo's 1000 series touchmonitors still have the most important basic features found in all our designed-for-touch desktop touchmonitors. Unlike conventional desktop touchmonitors, they remain stable when touched. OSD buttons are on the side, not the front, and are lockable for public use. The unit may be bolted to a tabletop or the base removed and the unit placed on a VESA arm or wall mounted," says Jim Witkowski, Elo product manager. "Elo's IntelliTouch surface wave technology offers superior optical clarity and performance that can be used in a variety of environments because it registers input from a finger, gloved hand or soft stylus with a fast and accurate response. Elo's AccuTouch five-wire resistive technology may be activated with fingernail, gloved hand, credit card or any stylus and it keeps working with splashes, food and grease on the touchscreen."
Thursday, 04 May 2006
East Hanover, N.J. — Novartis Pharmaceuticals Corporation installed touchscreen kiosks manufactured by Redondo Beach, Calif. -based SeePoint Technology, at its headquarters in East Hanover, N.J.
Novartis Pharmaceuticals operates from a 200-acre property, employing 11,200 people who work from more than 20 buildings spread out across the sprawling campus. Novartis looked to SeePoint to devise a self-service solution that would help the pharmaceutical company manage the influx of hundreds of visitors who come to the East Hanover site each day.
The kiosks provide Novartis with two important benefits. First, every visitor must check in at one of the kiosks upon arriving at the campus. Novartis can use this information to determine almost instantly who is on the premises. Second, visitors can also use the kiosks to view and print three dimensional maps with step-by-step instructions on how to get from the check-in point to the visitor's ultimate destination.
The sleek profile and elegant appearance of the SeePoint's Sterling stainless steel kiosks made incorporating the systems across the campus easy. All of SeePoint's touchscreen kiosks, including those in the Sterling line, are fully integrated systems which do not require on-site assembly, cabling or wiring.
Novartis also selected a number of add-ons. The kiosks feature a 19-inch touch interface to display the campus maps. Additionally, thermal printers provide full size (8.5 inch wide) printouts as a takeaway for visitors to navigate to their destinations. These printers provide clarity and detail without the expense of a laser printer. Overhead signage on the kiosks informs visitors of the purpose and use.
Friday, 21 April 2006
ATLANTA — NCR Corporation (NYSE: NCR) and Matthias MoneyBoard Inc. today announced they have signed an agreement to offer a self-service coupon dispensing solution using NCR EasyPoint touch-screen kiosks. The Matthias MoneyBoard Coupons On Demand solution will be exhibited in NCR's booth at the 2006 Food Marketing Institute Show, May 7-9 in Chicago.
With the solution, product manufacturers and retailers can benefit from a streamlined coupon marketing, redemption and reconciliation program. The device is also designed to save consumers time and money without having to clip and carry coupons into the store. Placed at the entrance of the store, the device allows shoppers to select from a preprogrammed list of 72 brand-name items and print coupons in seconds.
"The coupons are placed at consumers' fingertips where purchasing decisions are made," said John T. Matthias, founder, president and chief executive officer, Matthias MoneyBoard Inc. "Advantages for manufacturers and retailers include gaining market share on new and existing products, selling overstocked items, influencing multiple purchases, softening the impact of price increases and increasing brand awareness and customer loyalty."
Manufacturers lease squares on the system, and control the maximum number of coupons redeemed and the savings amount. Up-to-date reports of redemption activity are available to manufacturers at all times on a Web account, allowing them to change, add or discontinue programs within 48 hours.
There is no charge to retailers to install or maintain the Matthias MoneyBoard device. Instead, retailers receive a weekly payment per redeemed Matthias MoneyBoard coupon.
"Combining Matthias MoneyBoard's comprehensive marketing package with the intuitive and manageable NCR EasyPoint kiosk creates an innovative solution designed to provide a unique customer service, as well as promotional opportunities for retailers and manufacturers," said Nelson Gomez, vice president, NCR Retail Self-Service Sales.
About Matthias MoneyBoard Inc.
Matthias MoneyBoard Coupons On Demand, the high-tech innovation in on-site coupon dispensing, manages coupon marketing for the manufacturers and retailers. Consumers select from 72 brand-name items and coupons print in 2.1 seconds. For more information, visit Matthias MoneyBoard Inc. at www.matthiasmoneyboard.com or call (888) 852-7878. 1.888.852.7878.
About NCR Corporation
NCR Corporation (NYSE: NCR) is a leading global technology company helping businesses build stronger relationships with their customers. NCR's Teradata data warehouses, ATMs, retail systems, self-service solutions and IT services provide Relationship Technology that maximizes the value of customer interactions and helps organizations create a stronger competitive position. Based in Dayton, Ohio, NCR (www.ncr.com) employs approximately 28,200 people worldwide.
NCR, NCR EasyPoint, NCR FastLane, NCR RealPOS, NCR RealPrice, NCR RealScan, NCR RealSolutions and Teradata are trademarks or registered trademarks of NCR Corporation in the United States and other countries.
Tuesday, 18 April 2006
 Evalue reveals MTP-1502, one of Trident Zevo series, a 15" touch screen panel PC which comes with wealth of features emphasizing ease of interaction and communication. Users can enjoy VOIP connection, Internet browsing and other exciting entertainments with great flexibility thanks to well-thought ergonomic design.
This 15" Smart Terminal PC is a pleasingly quiet computer running with 1 GHz passively cooled CPU and superior multimedia performance. The high-bright panel PC provides SmartCard reader for controlled system-access, touch screen, membrane keypads, a remote controller, two USB ports, optional Bluetooth/Wi-Fi interfaces for wireless connectivity, in addition to Ethernet Port and a handset attachable to either side of the Panel PC.
For system developers, this multifunctional Panel PC is ready for rapid integration into their existing applications such as retail and point of information. The unit offers user friendliness, optimized system performance, configuration flexibility and added security at a cost effective package. The MTP-1502 is ideal for direct deployment on retail floors, reception areas, hotel front desks, factory floors, and many other commercial and industrial locations.
Evalue offers OEM/ODM services for MTP-1502 customization to meet the specific requirements of each customer's application. This service covers every aspect of the product including aesthetic design, CPU, chipsets, software and operating system, mounting options, touch screen options, telephony capabilities and smartcard reader all of which can be modified upon request.
Features
- Modular design
- Easy expansion
- OEM/ODM
- 15.1" Touch Screen
- VOIP Telephony
- Internet Accessible
- SmartCard Security
- Entertainment Selector
- Optional Bluetooth or Wi-Fi
- IP65 compatible
About Evalue
Evalue positions itself as an innovative solution provider since its establishment in 2000. The company has successfully expanded its expertise from x86 platform into RISC-based hardware and software solutions. With over decade experience, Evalue provides a wide selection of products ranging from board level to system level products covering RISC computer, x86 based single board computer, ETX, motherboard, InnoFlex Panel PC, Box computer and more.
Evalue is a member of the Intel Communications Alliance (ICA), a community of developers and solution providers utilizing Intel technology in their product development and deployment. Members are committed to providing a strategic supply of standards-based solutions to the communications and embedded market segments. For more information, please visit: www.intel.com/go/ica.
Saturday, 15 April 2006
 MENLO PARK, Calif. — Elo TouchSystems, the global leader
in touch technology and a business unit of Tyco Electronics, offers a new entry-level LCD touchmonitor as part of its expanding 1000 series. The new 1215L 12" LCD touchmonitor delivers a cost-effective touch solution for systems integrators, resellers and OEMs in the retail and hospitality markets. The family of cost-effective touchmonitors include 12", 15", and 17" touchmonitors, are space-saving, and designed for touch with Elo's proven expertise and reliability built in.
All Elo 1000 series touchmonitors are factory sealed against dirt, dust and splashes and are styled to be attractive from all angles. The entire family is available with Elo's IntelliTouch surface wave and AccuTouch five-wire resistive touch technologies plus a dual serial/USB touch interface. The 1215L is also available with Elo's surface capacitive technology. Worldwide agency approvals cover the entire monitor that is designed, built, serviced and supported by Elo, a single-source supplier. Elo also offers the 3000 and 5000 series of touchmonitors with additional options, features, choice of touch technologies and additional
approvals for medical and industrial applications.
"Elo invented touch technology over thirty years ago and has set the global standard in touch ever since," says Jim Witkowski, Elo product manager. "Using our experience, expertise and ingenuity, we have created our designed for touch product family. Touch technology is built into the 1000 series from the ground up - not added as an afterthought by altering an existing monitor. The new touchmonitor includes a stable base. Controls are placed on the side rather than the front and are locked out for public use. Elo's IntelliTouch surface wave technology offers superior optical clarity and performance that can be used in a variety of environments because it registers input from a finger, gloved hand or soft stylus with a fast and accurate response. Elo's AccuTouch five-wire resistive technology may be activated with fingernail, gloved hand, credit card or any stylus and it keeps working with splashes, food and grease on the touchscreen."
According to Mike Sigona, Elo market manager, "Our new 1000 series of LCD desktop touchmonitors provides a truly economical solution, with Elo's renowned quality for systems integrators, resellers and OEMs. With Elo's portfolio of touchmonitors - the world's largest - both first-time and experienced users can now deploy touch solutions to market more easily and reliably than ever before."
Elo TouchSystems, global leader in touch technology, is a business unit of Tyco Electronics. Elo develops, manufactures and markets a complete line of touch products that simplify the interface between people and computers in both public access and employee-activated applications. Founded in 1971, the company is headquartered in Menlo Park, California, with manufacturing sites in the United States, China, Belgium, Taiwan, and Japan. (Elo operates in Japan under the name of Touch Panel Systems.)
For more information on Elo TouchSystems' products and services, call 1-800-ELO-TOUCH
(800-356-8682), visit Elo's Web site at www.elotouch.com or direct electronic mail inquiries to .
AccuTouch, IntelliTouch and Elo TouchSystems are trademarks of Tyco Electronics Corporation.
All other products and company names referred to herein may be trademarks or registered
trademarks of their respective companies or mark holders.
Tuesday, 11 April 2006
Methuen, Mass. — 3M Touch Systems, Inc. announces availability of the new MicroTouch CT150 15" LCD touch screen monitor specifically designed for self-service and industrial applications.
The CT150 touch monitor offers a unique feature set that addresses key design, integration and performance needs in these applications. 
Key CT150 touch monitor features include:
- Three unique bezel options.
- An array of designer-flexible mounting methods.
- Remote control on-screen-display adjustment module.
- Complete, rigid steel enclosure, allowing VESA mounting as a stand-alone display for industrial applications. FCC B, and CE certifications, and UL/cUL compliance, which can be helpful in accelerating the UL certification process for kiosk solutions.
- Full compliance to the European Union Directive on Restrictions on Hazardous Substances (RoHS).
- 3M's proven MicroTouch ClearTek II touch screen technology and MicroTouch EXII electronics platform. A 500:1 contrast ratio LCD display module that can be print-color matched, making it an ideal choice for photo kiosk applications.
- Accepts either AC or DC power, eliminating the need for power adapters inside enclosed solutions.
- 3-year display warranty and a full 5-year warranty on the touch screen.
"The MicroTouch CT150 touch monitor is a product that solution providers will embrace because of its mounting flexibility, ease of configuration and overall performance" said Larry Loerch, global marketing manager for 3M Touch Systems. "It affords designers valuable creative options that are key to developing a unique look for their customers, as well as the practical features necessary to simplify installation, setup and service. As the self-service market continues to grow, these features are increasingly important for solution providers."
"The new MicroTouch CT150 touch monitor offers several key features that are appealing to us as a kiosk solution provider", says Frank Olea, Vice President of Olea, Inc. "The variety of integration configurations greatly simplifies the design side of our business, and the performance and optics of the MicroTouch ClearTek II capacitive touch screen enhances the performance of our new photo kiosk product line."
The CT150 touch monitor joins a family of high performance MicroTouch monitor products, which include the 17" Chassis Touch monitor and the 15" M150 and 17" M170 desktop touch screen monitors. This product is available for shipment May 1, 2006.
For more information, visit www.CT150monitor.com or call 888-659-1080.
About 3M Touch Systems, Inc.
3M Touch Systems Inc., a subsidiary of 3M, operates globally and reports through 3M Optical Systems Division headquartered in St. Paul, Minn. For more information on the MicroTouch CT150 Touch Monitor, and other innovative touch products visit www.CT150Monitor.com or www.3Mtouch.com.
About 3M - A Global, Diversified Technology Company
Every day, 3M people find new ways to make amazing things happen. Wherever they are, whatever they do, the company's customers know they can rely on 3M to help make their lives better. 3M's brands include Scotch, Post-it, Scotchgard, Thinsulate, Scotch-Brite, Filtrete, Command and Vikuiti. Serving customers in more than 200 countries around the world, the company's 67,000 people use their expertise, technologies and global strength to lead in major markets including consumer and office; display and graphics; electronics and telecommunications; safety, security and protection services; health care; industrial and transportation. For more information, including the latest product and technology news, visit www.3M.com.
3M, Scotch, Post-it, Scotchgard, Thinsulate, Scotch-Brite, Filtrete, ClearTek, MicroTouch, Command and Vikuiti are trademarks of 3M.
Wednesday, 08 March 2006
CEBIT March 2006 Hannover, Germany. Elo TouchSystems, the global leader in touch technology and a business unit of Tyco Electronics, is exhibiting its latest entry level LCD touchmonitor family on Stand C38 in Hall 25 at CeBIT (915 March 2006). The latest additions to the 1000 series are four touchmonitors in 12", 15", 17" and 19" sizes that deliver costeffective touch solutions for systems integrators, resellers and OEMs in the retail and hospitality markets. The new 1215L, 1515L, 1715L and 1915L spacesaving touchmonitors are "designed for touch" with Elo's proven expertise and reliability already built in.
All Elo 1000 series touchmonitors are factory sealed against dirt, dust and splashes and are styled to be attractive from all angles. The entire family is available with Elo's IntelliTouch surface wave touch technology plus a dual serial/USB touch interface. 1215L and 1515L models are also available with AccuTouch fivewire resistive technology. Worldwide agency approvals cover the entire monitor that is designed, built, serviced and supported by Elo, a singlesource supplier. Elo also offers the 3000 and 5000 series of touchmonitors with additional options, features, choice of touch technologies and additional approvals for medical and industrial applications.
"Elo invented touch technology over thirty years ago and has set the global standard in touch ever since," says Ignace Verhamme, Elo product manager. "Using our experience, expertise and ingenuity, we have created our 'designed for touch' product family. Touch technology is built into the 1000 series from the ground up not added as an afterthought by altering an existing monitor. The new touchmonitors include a stable base. Controls are placed on the side rather than the front and are locked out for public use. Elo's IntelliTouch pure glass surface wave technology offers superior optical clarity with excellent touch performance and can be used in a variety of environments because it registers input from a finger, gloved hand or soft stylus with a fast and accurate response. Elo's AccuTouch fivewire resistive technology may be activated with fingernail, gloved hand, credit card or any stylus and it keeps working with splashes, food and grease on the touchscreen."
According to Mike Sigona, Elo market manager, "Our new 1000 series of LCD desktop touchmonitors provides a truly economical solution, with Elo's renowned quality, for systems integrators, resellers and OEMs. With Elo's portfolio of touchmonitors the world's largest both firsttime and experienced users can now deploy touch solutions to market more easily and reliably than ever before."
Elo's 1000 series "designed for touch" touchmonitors can be seen on Stand C38 in Hall 25. Samples of the new 1215L and 1915L will be available end of March with volume deliveries in May. The 1515L and 1715L are in stock now.
About Elo TouchSystems
Elo TouchSystems, a global leader in touch technology, develops, manufactures and markets a complete line of touchscreen and touchmonitor products. Elo offers the largest selection of touchscreen technologies, LCD and CRT touchmonitors, and carefully designs each product for the demanding requirements of diverse applications, such as industrial, medical, POS, kiosks, retail, hospitality, transportation, office automation and gaming. Elo founders invented the touchscreen over 30 years ago. Since then, customers have used Elo touchscreens with one common, powerful result advanced computer technology simplified for all users. Founded in 1971, the company is headquartered in Menlo Park, California, with manufacturing sites in the US, Europe and Asia. Elo's main regional offices are in KesselLo, Belgium and Yokohama, Japan, with additional sales and technical support offices worldwide. For more information on Elo TouchSystems' products and services, call +3216352100 in Europe or visit our web site at www.elotouch.co.uk
About Tyco Electronics
Tyco Electronics, a business segment of Tyco International Ltd., is the world's largest passive electronic components manufacturer; a leader in cuttingedge wireless components, complete power systems, and premise wiring components and systems; and a provider of critical communications systems to the Land Mobile Radio industry. Tyco Electronics provides advanced technology products from over forty wellknown and respected brands, including Agastat, Alcoswitch, AMP, AMP NETCONNECT, Buchanan, CII, CoEv, Critchley, Elcon, Elo TouchSystems, M/ACOM, Madison Cable, OEG, Potter & Brumfield, Raychem, Schrack and Simel. For more information, visit www.tycoelectronics.com
Further information:
Elo TouchSystems
Nadia Vandeweyer
Tel: +32 16 35 2125
Fax: +32 16 35 2101
www.elotouch.co.uk
Tyco Electronics Ltd.
Mike Ratcliff
Tel: +1 7175922316
Fax: +1 717-592-6146
Friday, 03 March 2006
CALGARY, Alberta --- March 03, 2006 --- SMART Technologies Inc. announces that the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office has granted the company patent number 6,972,401, recognizing the innovative illuminated bezel and touch system incorporated in SMART's DViTTM (digital vision touch) technology.
Digital cameras in the bezel detect contact with the screen and translate it to the computer as mouse activity. With no layers of material on the surface of the display to produce the touch, DViT technology offers superior image quality. This patent adds to SMART's four previously granted U.S. patents (Pat. 6,803,906, Pat. 6,919,880, Pat. 6,947,032, Pat. 6,954,197) related to the precise, intuitive touch control of DViT technology incorporated into SMART's rear-projection interactive whiteboards, flat-panel overlays, interactive pen displays and interactive digital signage products. The latest patent adds to SMART's growing patent portfolio.
"This additional patent reflects our commitment to innovation, validates our technology leadership, and protects and strengthens our intellectual property position," says Nancy Knowlton, SMART's president and co-CEO. "We continue to pursue this and other patents in the U.S. and worldwide."
About SMART
SMART Technologies Inc. is both the industry pioneer and global market segment leader in easy-to-use interactive whiteboards and other group collaboration tools. SMART products include the family of award-winning SMART Board interactive whiteboards, as well as interactive pen displays, interactive digital signage, wireless slates and software. Using SMART products, groups can access and share the information they need to meet, teach, train and present. SMART has been issued and maintains a broad portfolio of patents with numerous other U.S., Canadian and foreign patents pending. SMART customers include NASA, Texas Instruments, BMW, Toyota Motors, DaimlerChrysler, Boeing, Lucent Technologies, NTT, the Los Angeles Lakers, Novartis, the U.S. Joint Chiefs of Staff, Accenture, Procter & Gamble, British Telecom, Disney Imagineering and Harvard University.
SMART is a private company founded in 1987. Employing more than 800 people, SMART is headquartered in Calgary, Alberta, Canada, with assembly facilities in Ottawa, and offices in Bonn, Tokyo, New York City and Washington DC. In 1992, SMART formed a strategic alliance with Intel® Corporation that resulted in joint product development and marketing efforts, and Intel's equity ownership in the company. SMART products are sold through dealers across North America and distributors worldwide. For more information, visit www.smarttech.com.
For more information, contact:
Marina Geronazzo
Manager, Public Relations
SMART Technologies Inc.
1207 — 11th Avenue SW, Suite 300
Calgary, AB T3C 0M5
CANADA
Phone +1.403.802.2556 Fax +1.403.228.2500
www.smarttech.com
Thursday, 23 February 2006
Due to increasing demand for larger screens, Simple Kiosks have launched a low cost 17" solution designed for use in very high footfall retail and information environments.
"As a part of our market research we contacted some of our key customers and have already received serious enquiries. This is before we even launched," Simple kiosks MD James Oladujoye said. "One of the key reasons for this is that it is totally customizable, making the kiosk more appropriate to its surroundings, personalized and refined"
The kiosk boasts all the usual features such as credit card, coin acceptance and touch screen along with additional features including proximity sensors, smart card facilities and printer/ticket delivery. Its available in any color, in any quantity.
Call +44 (0)8707 414190. or email james@simplekiosk.com
Monday, 20 February 2006
CBS adds 75 SeePoint kiosks with 19" touch LCD at MGM Grand's Television City
Las Vegas, Nevada — Four years after opening Television City, its groundbreaking television research center and entertainment venue in Las Vegas at the MGM Grand hotel, CBS has added 75 new counter top kiosks designed and manufactured by SeePoint Technology of Redondo Beach, California. CBS' new kiosk systems feature 19 inch touch LCD screens, allowing the media company to conduct individual, as opposed to group, research sessions.
Visitors to the Television City research center participate in individual research sessions by viewing programming right from the kiosk and then reacting to the content by responding to survey questions on the kiosk. The large, vibrant and crystal clear touch LCD screens integrated with the SeePoint kiosks provide an ideal platform for displaying the content-rich television shows, movies and promotions previewed by CBS at Television City. The SeePoint systems also provide robust and responsive multimedia computing for the most dynamic interactive experience.
The market research conducted at Television City provides CBS with a source of continual interaction with and insight into its television viewing audience. By conducting individual research sessions on the large screen kiosks, visitors no longer have to wait for scheduled group sessions, and CBS can conduct more research sessions and interface with more visitors. The individual research sessions also give CBS the advantage of showing a wider array of content that is better geared to the target audience demographic of the particular programming. Additionally, each SeePoint terminal is linked to the Internet, allowing CBS executives to author and revise questionnaires as well as track viewer response from remote locations on a real time basis.
The Television City research center is available to CBS as well as other Viacom-owned properties, which include MTV, Nickelodeon and Showtime, for market research, tracking of public opinion on programming and promotions, and other development needs. This center will draw on Las Vegas' tourist base of 37 million annual visitors to assist CBS in developing future programming.
When Television City opened in 2001, CBS conducted the research using 75 of SeePoint's counter top kiosks with 15 inch touch LCD. The media company conducted group sessions, showing the programming on plasma displays and having visitors respond on the kiosks. In addition to the research terminals, CBS has also installed SeePoint's VantagePoint freestanding kiosks in the Television City retail outlet. From the kiosks, visitors may register for promotions, enabling CBS to collect additional demographic information from Television City visitors. A variety of merchandise tied to Viacom's television networks and programming may also be purchased from the VantagePoint kiosks. Additionally, the interactive kiosks provide high-speed access to all of the Viacom Television related websites.
Wednesday, 15 February 2006
Las Vegas, Nevada — Wednesday, February 15, 2006 — Four years after opening Television City, its groundbreaking television research center and entertainment venue in Las Vegas at the MGM Grand hotel, CBS has added 75 new counter top kiosks designed and manufactured by SeePoint Technology of Redondo Beach, California. CBS' new kiosk systems feature 19 inch touch LCD screens, allowing the media company to conduct individual, as opposed to group, research sessions.
Visitors to the Television City research center participate in individual research sessions by viewing programming right from the kiosk and then reacting to the content by responding to survey questions on the kiosk. The large, vibrant and crystal clear touch LCD screens integrated with the SeePoint kiosks provide an ideal platform for displaying the content-rich television shows, movies and promotions previewed by CBS at Television City. The SeePoint systems also provide robust and responsive multimedia computing for the most dynamic interactive experience.
The market research conducted at Television City provides CBS with a source of continual interaction with and insight into its television viewing audience. By conducting individual research sessions on the large screen kiosks, visitors no longer have to wait for scheduled group sessions, and CBS can conduct more research sessions and interface with more visitors. The individual research sessions also give CBS the advantage of showing a wider array of content that is better geared to the target audience demographic of the particular programming. Additionally, each SeePoint terminal is linked to the Internet, allowing CBS executives to author and revise questionnaires as well as track viewer response from remote locations on a real time basis.
The Television City research center is available to CBS as well as other Viacom-owned properties, which include MTV, Nickelodeon and Showtime, for market research, tracking of public opinion on programming and promotions, and other development needs. This center will draw on Las Vegas' tourist base of 37 million annual visitors to assist CBS in developing future programming.
When Television City opened in 2001, CBS conducted the research using 75 of SeePoint's counter top kiosks with 15 inch touch LCD. The media company conducted group sessions, showing the programming on plasma displays and having visitors respond on the kiosks. In addition to the research terminals, CBS has also installed SeePoint's VantagePoint freestanding kiosks in the Television City retail outlet. From the kiosks, visitors may register for promotions, enabling CBS to collect additional demographic information from Television City visitors. A variety of merchandise tied to Viacom's television networks and programming may also be purchased from the VantagePoint kiosks. Additionally, the interactive kiosks provide high-speed access to all of the Viacom Television related websites.
About SeePoint
SeePoint Technology is a leading provider of interactive, Internet-ready, fully integrated self- service kiosk systems. SeePoint designs and manufactures interactive information systems that are ideal for entertainment, marketing and survey applications as well as retail services, ticketing systems, public information terminals and customer service applications.
SeePoint offers a full line of standard kiosk products with a variety of mounting options, all of which may be customized to maximize branding opportunities and integrated with a full range of peripheral devices. SeePoint also offers full service engineering, design and manufacturing services to create custom developed solutions for customers with unique project specifications.
All of SeePoint's kiosks unite design, durability, reliability, flexibility, customizability and modularity to bring Internet based information, commerce and communication to the public.
SeePoint has provided interactive display solutions to Billabong, Deloitte Consulting, Fairmont Hotels & Resorts, Fuji, the J. Paul Getty Museum, the National Constitution Center, Neutrogena, Pfizer, Polaris ATV, the San Francisco International Airport, the States of New Mexico and Wisconsin and the United States Air Force and Army. Contact SeePoint Technology at (310) 725-9660 or visit www.seepoint.com for more information.
SeePoint is a trademark of SeePoint LLC. Other company names herein may be trademarks of their respective owners.
For more information contact:
SeePoint Technology LLC
Sydney Arfin
888-587-1777 x103
Thursday, 19 January 2006
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January 2006 |
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Elo TouchSystems
301 Constitution Dr.
Menlo Park, CA 94025
800-ELO-TOUCH
(800-356-8682)
Tel: 650-361-4700
Fax: 650-361-4747
www.elotouch.com
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Elo Receives Control Engineering Editor's Choice Award
Elo has received the 2005 Control Engineering Editor's Choice Award for its 32" IntelliTouch surface-wave touchscreen. The editors selected the 45 winners from among all of the new products featured in the 2005 issues of Control Engineering, Control Engineering Online, and Control Engineering's topical e-mail newsletters. Winners were based on service to the industry, technological advancement, and market impact.
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See Elo at the ICE/ATEI Trade Show, London, United Kingdom
Visit Elo at ICE/ATEI January 24—26, 2006, stand 1830, London, United Kingdom to see the new family of gaming LCDs, tabletop LCDs for management systems, the recently launched 1529L touchcomputer, and other innovative new products. The new LCDs feature an even more compact footprint, unique watertight minibezel, and superior Elo surface-wave or capacitive touch technology. The silent, fanless all-in-one touchcomputer combines a touchscreen with a computer in the footprint of a standard 15" tabletop LCD. Applications include casino management and bingo.
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Visit Elo at the Self-Service & Kiosk Show, Orlando, Florida
See Elo at the Self-Service & Kiosk Show, February 13 and 14, 2006, Orlando, Florida. Visit Elo at booth 303 to see how Elo's products provide the optimum touch solution for your point-of-information and point-of-sale application needs, including desktop and panel- and rear-mount LCD touchmonitors. Elo will exhibit its complete line of entry-level LCD touchmonitors; multifunction LCD desktop touchmonitors with magnetic stripe reader, rear-facing display, and biometric fingerprint recognition; and its new 1529L 15" LCD touchcomputer. Elo's products are available with industry-leading technologies including surface wave (IntelliTouch, iTouch, SecureTouch), resistive (AccuTouch, AT4), infrared (CarrollTouch), and capacitive (projected and surface).
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Previous Issues
AccuTouch, CarrollTouch, Entuitive, IntelliTouch, iTouch, SecureTouch, TouchTools, and TouchReady are trademarks of Tyco Electronics Corporation. Windows is a registered trademark of Microsoft Corporation. All other trademarks are the property of their respective owners.
Elo TouchSystems is a division of Tyco Electronics Corporation.
Copyright © 2006 Tyco Electronics Corporation, Inc. All rights reserved.
Privacy Policy
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Thursday, 12 January 2006
Burnaby, BC, January 12, 2006 - Info Touch Technologies Corp. (www.infotouch.net) (IFT: TSX Venture Exchange) owners of the TIO Network today announced an agreement with MetroPCS Wireless, Inc. (www.metropcs.com) to enable MetroPCS customers to pay their wireless bills in cash, through self-serve automated bill payment and financial services kiosks powered by Info Touch's TIO network.
MetroPCS customers do not need to know their account number to pay their bills with TIO. All they need to know is their phone number and zip code and they can conveniently and securely view their account balance and/or make a payment on their MetroPCS account. Payments are made by feeding the cash directly into the TIO kiosk's note acceptor. Once the cash is accepted, the TIO kiosk then uses an Internet link to ensure timely posting of the payment.
Users can go through the step-by-step software guided screens in either English or Spanish and can either print or email their receipt to the email address of their choice.
About Info Touch
Info Touch Technologies, a strategic investment of Hewlett Packard, is building the "TIO Network" the largest and most convenient national multi-retailer network of financial services kiosks for the non-banked consumer marketplace in North America. The company leverages its core competencies in self-service bill payment processing, financial services aggregation and automation to create financial viability for its network and its location partners. Info Touch's Premiere (powered by Surfnet) is the preferred software platform for the delivery of automated services such as bill payment, money transfer, digital merchandising, PIN dispensing for pre-paid products and services, maps and directions, check cashing and electronic coupons. Info Touch clients include: Circle K, ExxonMobil, Alimentation Couche-Tard, Speedway SuperAmerica, Cricket Communications, COX Communications, Memphis Light Gas and Water (MLGW) and Qwest Communications. www.infotouch.net.
About the TIO Network
With more than 700 locations and 6 top tier corporate owned convenience store chains participating, the "TIO Network" is the largest national multi-retailer network of self-service financial service kiosks in North America. Services offered under the TIO brand umbrella are tailored specifically for the cash preferred consumer marketplace. The TIO brand symbolizes safe, private, cost effective access to quality financial services for the cash preferred consumer. More than 250,000 people a month pay their bills in cash with TIO.
For further information, please contact:
Behshad Hastibakhsh, Media Relations - Info Touch Technologies
Tel: 604.298.4636, Ext. 250
Toll Free: 888.679.3322
Email:
John Lewis, Business Development - Info Touch Technologies
Tel: 416-364-2266
Toll Free: 1-877-600-6001
Email:
Thursday, 08 December 2005
MENLO PARK, Calif. · Elo TouchSystems announced in a news release the addition of a cost-effective rear-mount touchmonitor as part of its expanding 1000 series. The new 1537L 15-inch LCD rear-mount touchmonitor joins its existing 1515L 15-inch and 1715L 17-inch desktop touchmonitor siblings, expanding Elo's family of affordable entry-level touch solutions for kiosk information systems, gaming and amusement and light industrial shop-floor automation.
The new space-saving touchmonitor is designed for touch with Elo's proven expertise and reliability built in. The integrated precision minibezel seals the touchscreen against dirt, dust and liquids simplifying integration into the customer's enclosure. The 1537L rear-mount touchmonitor is available with a choice of Elo's IntelliTouch surface wave, AccuTouch five-wire resistive or surface capacitive touch technologies, plus a dual serial/USB touch interface. Worldwide agency approvals cover the whole monitor, which is designed, built, serviced and supported by Elo, a single-source supplier.
Kiosk Logix announces plug-and-play business center solution
FORT LAUDERDALE, Fla. · Kiosk Logix Inc., a Wireless Logix Group company, and publisher of NetStop Pro, the leader in secure browser software for self-service kiosks, announced in a new release that its Bizcenter Logix is available as a plug-and-play solution with full-service business center capabilities (high-speed Internet access, printing, copying, inbound and outbound faxing).
Bizcenter Logix is a unique complete business center solution developed for public access at hotels, resorts, airline club lounges, condominiums, apartments, libraries and similar public places. Utilizing the combination of Kiosk Logix's secure kiosk browser software NetstopPro and the Lexmark X-422 multifunction device, business centers can now offer high-speed internet access, printing, copying and faxing services. Kiosk or business center operators can plug in kiosk and PC hardware, download NetStop Pro and immediately begin offering complete business center services.
MontegoNet announces CarePages healthcare kiosks
PORTSMOUTH, R.I. · MontegoNet announced in a news release that it has partnered with TLContact to bring CarePages kiosks to healthcare facilities. CarePages kiosks enable hospitals to provide patients and families with a convenient solution for staying in touch with friends and loved ones before, during and after a hospital stay.
CarePages is a service of TLContact Inc., a Chicago-based Web site company. CarePages are private, personal Web pages created and accessed by patient families from a hospital's Web site or from www.carepages.com. Offered as a family-focused service by more than 300 healthcare facilities across North America, CarePages operates as a fully integrated service of the facility. CarePages removes the burden of making multiple phone calls and allows families to share news in only a few seconds.
CarePages kiosks make it easy for family members to create and update their personal CarePage. At the same time, CarePages kiosks are self-contained and secure, providing healthcare facilities with an ideal solution for unsupervised CarePages use. Included kiosk software ensures that users can access CarePages without the ability to surf the Web or launch other applications.
NCR Tesco deployment hits one million users per week
LONDON · NCR Corp. announced in a news release that Tesco, the largest deployer of self-checkout in Europe, is seeing over a million customers using its NCR FastLane self-checkout each week.
The number of Tesco customers using self-checkout, which enables customers to scan, bag and pay for their purchases themselves, will continue to rise as Tesco deploys self-checkout across more of the chain.
"NCR's self-checkout units have proven an enormous hit with our customers," said Attila Winstanley, productivity director for Tesco. "We are seeing self-checkout usage figures increase week on week. In some of our smaller format stores, 50 percent of all transactions are going through self-checkout."
Tesco offers self-checkout in its Metro (High Street) stores, Superstores and Extra hypermarkets across England, Wales, Scotland, Northern Ireland and the Republic of Ireland. To date, the retailer has installed NCR self-checkout in 236 stores and plans to deploy the technology in an additional 20 stores by the end of the year.
"NCR FastLane is flexible and easy-to-use. These features, combined with Tesco's commitment to staff and customer training, have led to the enormous popularity of self-checkout among Tesco customers and the consequent rollout to many more stores," said Alberto Camuri, NCR vice president for Retail Solutions in Europe, the Middle East and Africa.
Resolute Partners acquires TAP
SOUTHINGTON, Conn. · Resolute Partners LLC, provider of public Internet access and services to commercial businesses and U.S. military bases worldwide, announced in a news release that it has acquired New Brunswick, N.J.-based TAP Services Inc. TAP founder and president Thomas Pappalardo has been named president of the Resolute TAP Services division and to Resolute's Board of Directors. Pappalardo will be responsible for the new division's sales and daily operations.
Founded in 1986, TAP Services provides a full range of installation, project management and maintenance services for kiosks, networks and Wi-Fi applications through a field service force of more than 6,500 technicians. In 2005, TAP touched more than 40,000 kiosks and hardware devices across the United States, in Europe and Central America. The TAP Network Operations Center, using advanced Web-based tools, remotely monitors customer networks and supports a broad range of help-desk services. TAP customers include Barnes & Noble, IKEA, Lockheed Martin and Catalina Marketing, which provides customer data and behavior-based loyalty applications and services to national supermarket chains.
TAP has provided installation, support services and end-user customer service for Resolute's CZee CyberZone Internet cafes in the U.S. military market. In addition, TAP provides installation and call center support for several of Resolute's high-speed Internet access customers in the hospitality industry.
Source Technologies named among top 100 providers of financial tech
CHARLOTTE, N.C. · Source Technologies, provider of integrated solutions for managing financial transactions and other secure business processes, announced in a news release that American Banker and the research firm Financial Insights have named the company to the FinTech 100, an international annual listing of the top vertical technology vendors serving the financial services industry.
Fiscal year-end revenues and the percentage of revenues from sales to financial services industry clients determine the annual ranking. Source Technologies ranked 85th on the list.
"This award speaks volumes about Source Technologies' leading presence in the U.S. financial services market," said Miles Busby, president of Source Technologies. "Nine of the top 10 banks in the United States trust our solutions because of our unmatched knowledge of disbursements, payments and self-service solutions for consumer financial transactions."
Ritz Camera Centers announces partnership with Kodak
NEW YORK · Eastman Kodak Company and Ritz Camera Centers, the largest retail camera and imaging photo chain in the United States, announced in a news release a partnership to deploy Kodak's new digital photo kiosks in all Ritz Camera stores across the country, totaling approximately 1,100 locations. Ritz Camera will be the first retailer to install Kodak's new G4 kiosks, which make Kodak-quality digital prints in just eight seconds · 35 percent faster than prior models.
The Kodak Picture Kiosk G4 makes prints from a wide range of digital media sources, and the kiosk also creates Kodak Picture CDs and passport photos, among other features.
Introduced in Nov. 2005, the Kodak Picture Kiosk G4 will appear at Ritz stores just in time for the busy holiday printing season. The kiosks offer performance improvements and new features designed to elevate and expedite the printing experience, including a high-performance processor doubling the image upload speed from memory cards, thereby allowing multiple pictures to appear on screen for selection and editing in just seconds.
NCR, Pay by Touch announce partnership
Finextra: Pay By Touch and NCR Corp. announced an alliance that combines both companies' hardware and software solutions to offer merchants around the world a single point of contact for supporting their entire merchant and consumer biometric needs. Using NCR's biometric-enabled POS solutions, retailers everywhere can readily use the Pay By Touch authentication and payment service, giving shoppers a convenient and secure way to pay for goods with the touch of a finger.
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