One area area of interest to many CRE clients is graphics performance. Designers to graphic artists doing Web work, and engineers developing circuit boards, need the best possible graphics processing, as they rely on precision, accurate color and consistent performance. So, what’s new?

Not the good old “color card” days

In most early computers, you had to specify what “color card” you wanted, first of all. In 1987, the industry settled on IBM’s Video Graphics Array (VGA) as the model for the image output. After trying various adapters and connections, cards were eventually mounted, in most cases, in PCI (Peripheral Component Interconnect) slots. The Accelerated Graphics Port (AGP) was introduced in 1997, to offload processing of graphics to a device closer to the core functioning of the computer. Several forks in the road later, there were solutions based on varying customer needs for precise imaging – from “not much” on the low end to “all you can get” at the leading edge – offered by such manufacturers as ATI and nVidia (often all-caps, NVIDIA) which CRE Rentals stocks.

What finally evolved was a way in which systems could “share” some of the CPU’s memory, RAM, with the graphics processing circuitry. This model is still in place in low-end computers. Potent PCs like the HP 8600 computer rentals and the awesome Mac Pro rentals have fast graphics processing units (GPU) mounted in PCIe (PCI Express) bus slots for maximum bandwidth. With all the graphics number-crunching (of which there is a lot) happening on a dedicated subsystem, the CPUs in these high-end computers can devote every single clock cycle to doing the unseen work.

Onward graphic processors!

Like everything else in computers, the graphics processors are getting faster, smaller and more precise. The color performance we take for granted was a far-off dream just a decade ago – and compared to the early computers’ graphics performance, today’s top performers are downright miraculous. With color calibration equipment, artists can certify that their computer is displaying (and their software generating) the precise colors called for in a particular design.

Many of those working with high-end graphics today are too young to remember how nearly impossible it was to get color consistent throughout a device chain. The advances in the unseen heavy lifting done by GPUs – combined, of course, with the progress represented by LCD rental, plasma, LED and  Apple Cinema Display rental– promises a very colorful, cost-effective future for digital artists of all kinds.

Not sure what you need? We work with you to solve production bottlenecks, help plan your conference or convention, deliver the workstations you need to take on more business – and maximize your every opportunity.  We’re ready to help, right now. Call or send an e-mail, any time, for a swift and thorough reply – or complete the Quick Rental Quote form if you know what you need.

“Put your world at your fingertips,” say the ads for Sony’s VAIO L Series all-in-one touchscreen PC (now available from CRE Rentals!). A stylish computer with a crisp 24-inch multi-touch display, the L is being marketed as “the ultimate multimedia machine”. Its 2.7GHz Pentium E5400 processor is dual core, and is considered by “techsperts” to be a very good low-wattage processor, one of the reasons the VAIO L is “certified green.”

Potent computing experience with all-in-one computer rental

Its graphics processor  (GPU) is an NVIDIA GeForce G210M with 512MB of dedicated RAM, letting the CPU with its 4GB of RAM work with the 7200rpm, 320GB hard drive to bring forth a potent computing experience. The CPU is plenty fast enough for cruising the internet, playing the latest games, watching movies and more – all with various taps, swipes and one- and two-handed “multitouch” moves with your fingers.

The VAIO L All-In-One computer rental also includes a built-in webcam and microphone, and has a Blu-ray compatible optical drive for playing movies in stunning HD resolution (no Blu-ray recording, however). Finally, its Bluetooth wireless is the latest stereo version, so you can stream CD-quality sound to Bluetooth speakers, as well as connect to cell phones, cameras and other devices (like its keyboard and mouse, for starters). Add the right kind of outboard audio and video equipment rentals, and you’ve got a powerful center for controlling sights, sounds, lights and most everything else at your conference, seminar or shareholder meeting.

Superduper display

Like the standalone LCD monitor rentals from CRE, the 24-inch widescreen display uses LCD technology, and has “full HD specs” of 1920 x 1080 to create what the ad copywriters call “dazzling” colors and clarity – and, this time at least, they’re not exaggerating. The display is dramatic, and reviewers have admitted that the combination of its look and the feel of the touch commands is downright addictive. Many “creatives” will want to rent this PC computer with its CPU that can handle high-end media work (video editing, audio recording, post production, etc.).

The VAIO L could be used for presentations and “info capture”.  With simple software, the VAIO L can be loaded up with presentations, product FAQ sheets,  questionnaires and other push-button materials. This is a handy interactive tool when you’re exhibiting at a trade show or conference.

Talk to a CRE Account Executive for expert advice on how you can put this new VAIO all-in-one computer rental to work for you. Call or send an e-mail and we’ll be back to you swiftly, or take advantage of our Quick Rental Quote form. Whatever you do – whatever you need – we are ready to deliver the latest solutions.

The next wave in display technology for television will be called 3DTV, but marketing terms for 3D-type monitors have not been created yet. These monitors will display a 2D image with stereoscopic depth added. How good will it look? Compare an old 1998 CRT monitor to the LCD monitor rental, and you will note an incredible improvement. Going 3D will be even more dramatic.

3D technologies have improved to the point where Hollywood has a small but growing library of “depth-enhanced” films. Just as black-and-white films were “colorized,” movies can be “depth enhanced” now, especially if made with computer technology like the PowerMac G5 with Kona card that CRE rents to production professionals. Toy Story 3D, in fact, is an enhanced “combo” of the first two 2D films.

The 1950s vs. now

The 3D projection used for 1950s 3D films called for superimposing polarized or differently colored images on each film frame. Viewers wore “passive” glasses that revealed different images so that the brain would “knit” the images into layers that gave a sense of depth. Viewing newer 3DTV displays with “active” glasses would create much more convincing “alternative realities.”

Active glasses are expensive at this point, but as with all technology the price will drop. Sony, Samsung and others are building “3D-capable” displays now, and Panasonic recently demonstrated a large-screen 3DTV that it hopes to ship in 2010. Again, as happened with high-end plasma rentals, premium 3DTV models will arrive first, followed by more-affordable models.

Coming soon?

Existing cable and IPTV networks are already capable of distributing 3D content. The bandwidth that networks use to deliver HD content will handle 3D content with the latest video compression techniques. Of course, high-end PCs (like CRE’s HP XW 8400 computer rental) and Intel-based Macs are powerful alternatives to TVs.

Using physical media, of course, means Blu-ray. It can store, burn, save and present the data needed, and 3D BR players are already in the works. No changes to the Blu-ray specs are necessary, so standards groups and manufacturers are focused on practical things, like making sure that 2D TVs can play 3D discs.

Flexible standards

Conflicts or development dead-ends due to “battling standards” should not be particularly troublesome, as long as 3DTVs stay flexible. Just as digital TV was defined in 480, 720, and 1080 formats – along with progressive (p) and interlaced (i) versions – an industry group is working on a simple, straightforward standard, the kind that has led to the proliferation of WiFi in laptops and tablet PCs.

The first 3D displays will use alternating images viewed with shutter-style glasses until holographic displays are developed. Until then, 3DTV could be sold as a minor upgrade to existing HDTV units. Stay tuned, they’re coming soon! In the meantime, CRE can handle any display needs you have – for your office, conferences or presentations – so give one of our Account Executives a call, send an e-mail or fill out our Quick Rental Quote form. We’ve got you covered, in all dimensions.

For many professionals, making an effective presentation is a real challenge, and the many tools that have been developed to make presentations easier—particularly PowerPoint and its Mac counterpart, Keynote—haven’t solved the underlying problems. “Desktop publishing” programs didn’t create great newsletter designers in the 1980s, FrontPage didn’t birth great web developers in the 1990s and no razzmatazz software will make you a slick presenter now.

Still, you don’t have to burden your audiences with 94 slides filled with bullets, sub-bullets and big chunks of illegible text. Just learn some important basics about presentations in general and PowerPoint/Keynote in particular. You will soon stand out from the innumerable “presentation pros” who don’t give the slightest nod to basic layout, typography, color schemes or design fundamentals.

The presentation tips, tricks, techniques and tools are divided into three sections: (1) Planning & Preparation, (2) Layout & Copy and (3) In the Spotlight.

(1) Planning & Preparation

• Get the right hardware for showing off your software. For a department meeting you may decide to rent a LCD monitor, giving you 40 inches of crisp, clear imagery that everyone in your office can see.
• For a larger meeting or small conference session, CRE recommends a  projector rental to clearly convey your message. You will need to consider lighting, line of sight and a few other aesthetic factors for maximum effectiveness.
• For a large event you may need CRE’s comprehensive general session rentals package. Besides a projector and screen, you may need a sound system, cordless pointer and other technology (like the audience response system rentals for polling your audience) to ensure success. CRE’s experts can help you with equipment placement, lighting, seating arrangements and so forth.

(2) Layout & Copy

• Your slides should all be based on a single “template.” You can find these online for free, design one yourself or modify one of the templates that came with your software.
• Don’t overdo your slide template with unnecessary visual “bling.” Your template’s job is to frame your content, not distract from it. A solid, unobtrusive background with contrasting text and your company logo in the corner will probably do it. Use your template consistently, in this presentation and in the future.
• Remember this math: 1 slide = 1 point. If you are making two key points at a certain point, then you need two slides. This may be a big change for you, but it is very important.
• The title should be 36 points and on one line. Use 24 to 32 points for bullet lines. Keep it simple, too—don’t mix typefaces, colors, point sizes or bullet types.
• Limit each slide to a maximum of six bullets, preferably fewer, and use a single line of copy per bullet. Eschew sub-bullets entirely, if possible.
• Animation, whether Flash or something else, can be a nice touch, but “less is more” applies here in spades. Animation is cool, but often distracting, even irritating.
• Mix up the graphics. Use a chart, then for the next graphic use an illustration, then a photo and so on. The audience needs a break from repetitive slides of bulleted text.
• Keep your copywriting short, informative and free of “presentation clichés”. Avoid being verbose or repetitive. You want to seem knowledgeable and focused, not longwinded and vague.
• Bullets are better as phrases than complete sentences (no matter what’s underlined in green by MS-Word’s grammar checker). Omit final periods and unnecessary words. Example: “We need to forecast the most likely wholesale and retail prices in the future” becomes “Forecast likely wholesale/retail prices.”

(3) In the Spotlight

• You will do better if you know your audience. If you don’t, then you need to know something about them. The amount of technical detail you’d give to engineers would certainly exceed what you would share with marketing managers.
• A first-rate cordless presenter, like the Logitech model that CRE rents, does triple duty as a cordless optical mouse, a laser pointer for accentuating key points and an LCD timer that vibrates at five and two minutes remaining.
• Do not read the slide copy to the audience. This point cannot be stressed enough. Include the key word(s) of the topic as you speak to the slide’s point. Reading the slides shows that you are unprepared, lacking in confidence or not the expert the audience expected.
• Finally, be natural, upbeat and even a bit quirky—in a nice way, of course. Be the presenter that people thank afterward and want to see again.

Presentations can be stressful, awkward and scary—and that’s just for the audience! Seriously, presenters face myriad challenges. CRE’s Account Executives have the expertise to navigate these choppy waters so you can make all the right moves. Fill out the CRE web form for a one-click quote, call us toll-free at (877) 266-7725 or send an e-mail for a response within 4 hours.

At the annual Display Week 2009, a significant number of exhibitors, speakers and participants discussed myriad efforts to encourage greener manufacturing of more energy-efficient display technologies. “Sustainability,” “energy-efficient” and “Earth-friendly” are not new terms, but they are getting a great deal more attention now.

As far as leading market research company DisplaySearch is concerned, this new interest is already driving the advancement of new technologies that will decrease environmental impact, increase sustainability and help firms go from “lean and mean” to “lean and green.” In 2008, some 20% of flat-panel display (FPD) units had “green” features, and this is expected to rise to as high as 70% by the end of 2012. It is also suggested that “green technology” will be standard issue for most LCD displays and monitors in 2014. CRE rents lower-power LCDs today, and when the new technologies start appearing in new models, we’ll have those available to rent, too.

From buzzwords to real specs

Among the R&D efforts currently underway are various approaches to developing new and better materials, light sources and system designs, as well as optimizing manufacturing. The broad aim is to reduce production waste, eliminate toxic processes and materials, lower energy consumption, conserve natural resources—and get the message out.

Here’s a quick wrap-up of “The Greening of LCD Displays”:

3M’s Vikuiti “reflective polarizers” have been shown to increase LCD panels’ energy efficiency an average of 30% by recycling light through the backlight.

The industry’s first glass substrates for LCD panels without added heavy metals or halides, Corning’s Eagle XG units provide additional opportunities for an LCD display to be green its entire life—before, during and after use. Removing potentially harmful heavy metals makes a device recyclable at the end of its useful life.

LG Display showcased an eco-friendly line of products designed with fewer components to consume less power, from trendsetting plasma displays (CRE has plasmas for rent, too)  to its leading line of LCD panels. The company demonstrated a 32-inch LCD TV with the world’s lowest power consumption. By adding a white pixel to the RGB (Red, Green, Blue) array, and recalibrating the Optimal Power Control (OPC) system, the model cut its power requirement by 56 percent. In addition to this “White Plus” technology in several products, the company also showed “the greenest 47-inch LCD TV” ever—no arsenic or halogen in mechanical parts, no PCBs anywhere.

Microsemi has pioneered several energy-saving technologies for its line of backlighting, color management and sensor products. The products enable all kinds of LED backlight systems to offer top performance in eco-friendly, economical ways. Applications include LCD TVs, netbook and notebook computers, vehicle dashboard instruments and many other display applications. The backlit touchscreens, such as on the Motion Computing tablet PC that CRE rents, are reckoned to be a huge emerging market for Microsemi’s cost-cutting approach.

Qualcomm MEMS Technologies’ “mirasol” display technology is a nature-inspired, eco-positive design based on its IMOD (Interferometric MODulation) technology. It consumes dramatically less power than competing technologies, meaning devices will run longer on fewer, smaller, lighter, cheaper batteries—just as the laptop rentals from CRE run two to three times longer between charges than the average laptop of 2004. The energy-efficiency of the mirasol display derives from its use of reflective light, rather than backlighting, mimicking the way the human eye actually prefers to see. In a classic, well, display of “tech evangelism” numerous pundits are predicting that very soon, mobile devices will

• have clearer displays,
• last longer between charges,
• double their batteries’ lifespans,
• require fewer replacements,
• not contribute toxic Li-ion batteries to landfills and, overall,
• save a boatload of money and energy for everybody.