What's new @ FETC

I recently spent many days at the FETC 2016 conference in Orlando, looking for what’s new. One of the most interesting findings was in the AVERinfo booth. They released their new AVerVIsion F70W document camera. So what’s new? This high-definition classroom visualizer offers wireless mobility—the ability of the document camera to rove free across the classroom.  AVER claims this can help “transform the traditional front-of-the-classroom teaching style that so characterizes document camera use.Simply move it to where the kids are! It’s eight-hour battery makes it all possible. 

Jetion Arrives

Another new product appearing at conferences this summer is the Jetion visualizer. This visualizer offers a number of advantageous features for the educator:

• It’s very high definition (ten megapixel)
• It’s compact
• It permits wireless image transmission to laptops, tablets, smartphones or other mobile devices.

You can learn more about Jetion here. 

New Wireless Visualizer

At the huge InfoComm 2015 conference being held in Orlando in June, Ken-a-Vision featured a new classroom document camera: the EduCam WiFi Wireless Camera 7880c. 


I wish I could put my hands on one to test it in the classroom. Past wireless visualizers were either two finicky or too complex for use by mere mortals. I would like to see if this one breaks the boundaries. On the left is a picture I snapped on the showroom floor.

It boasts 8+ hours of operation (from a 7-hour charge) and built-in networking capabilities. Of course, it transmits images cross-platform to Macs, PCs, iOS devices, and Android devices, including iTouch and iPhone,

New Wireless Visualizer

A new wireless document camera entry is now launching full speed in the education market. It is manufactured by Ken-A-Vision.  It’s the 7880c Wireless Wifi Enabled Document Camera. 

The set up appears to be quite easy: you hit the power button, and when the network light comes on, tablets computers and smartphones simply connect to the wifi.  Then you open the EduCam app, and add a session key to find the camera.  The teacher is quickly broadcasting to classroom sets of devices. 

BTW here are the specs on this new wireless visualizer; you can also see this visualizer for yourself in Atlanta at the ISTE conference this month (in the Camcor booth). 

New @ HoverCam

There are a lot of new things happening in the world of document cameras and visualization tools, as evidenced in the first two major conferences of 2014 (FETC and TCEA).  In this post, I will highlight three of the ground-breaking trends being ushered in by Hovercam, while recently exhibiting at TCEA and FETC.

GuruBook 5 Android tablet and document camera

In a ground-breaking move, Hovercam (Pathway Innovations) has released the first combined tablet/document camera solution for schools and training professionals. You have to see the GuruBook 5 ($599) to believe it:

Here are the specs on this remarkable new device.

Improved Pixel Quality

HoverCam has been quietly showing their new HoverCam Solo 8 ($599) at their booth. No reason to keep this a secret! The Solo 8 offers 8 megapixel, ultra HD camera display running on an efficient USB 3.0 backbone. You can reference even more delightful advantages by accessing their infosheet here.

Wireless Freedom

HoverCam continues to make strides in providing the freedom of wireless connectivity to educators and trainers. Recently they released their wireless AirStation I solution ($159), designed to bring the flexibility of wireless imaging to their Solo 5 document camera. See this reference sheet.

And of course, the above-mentioned GuruBook 5 is the ultimate in wireless imaging.

Here's the big message emerging from my last three posts: Technical leaders who think document cameras are "old technology" are seriously mistaken. Take another look.

Wireless Doc Cams

At two recent technology conferences, teachers in my sessions have evidenced keen interest in the instructional freedom offered by wireless document cameras. Only three companies make wireless document cameras as of this date.  To compare on your own, take a look at these brief videos on each product. I have simply ranked the products by published wireless transmission distances:

• Lumen’s Wireless Ladibug offers a healthy distance of 95 feet and is a strong player.
• AVerInformation’s W30 offers a 45 foot range, and a sleek look.
• Elmo's brand new wireless document camera offers a slick, small form factor look, and collapses nicely, with a wireless distance of 33 ft.