Because IOGEAR products often work behind the scenes, they don’t always get the wow factor attention like a huge flatscreen TV or audiophile grade speakers. In fact, many of our KVM products and convergence accessories are stashed out of sight, happily performing their duties with no fanfare. Occasionally, we catch wind of an application in a specific industry that warrants mentioning.


Source

Motorheads or anyone who’s spent considerable time tweaking high-performance cars knows the name MSD Ignition. The company is a leader in high performance vehicle ignition controls as well as Pro-Billet Distributors, performance coils (including coil packs for late models), helpful accessories and some of the best spark plug wires available with 8.5mm Super Conductors. In order to get some of these high performance products working, software downloads are occasionally required, and that’s where IOGEAR fits in.

In the case of the MSD Power Grid System Controller, sometimes a USB to Serial Connection is required to get the advanced ignition technology configured. In describing why MSD recommends IOGEAR’s USB to Serial/PDA Converter Cable over all others, their website had this to say:

“MSD has discovered the majority of USB to Serial communications problems are derived from device driver software. The device driver software is included with the USB to Serial Port Adapter by the adapter manufacturer. The device driver software must pass Microsoft Windows driver certification in order to operate the adapter correctly. IOGEAR has updated device driver software available for download on their website that is compatible with Windows 7 32-bit and 64-bit versions. MSD Ignition recommends the use of the IOGEAR USB adapter over other manufacturers.”


We’re grateful for the endorsement and love the fact that IOGEAR products are helping MSD and NHRA Pro Stock drivers work a little more efficiently.

If you’ve used IOGEAR products in an interesting way or at work, let us know about it on Twitter, Facebook or in the comments. We’ll be happy to blog about it.

Continuing our blog series on education technology, we found an interesting article highlighting some innovative concepts suggested by the president of a company that installs AV solutions for schools and classrooms.


Source

We’ve discussed iPads as textbook killers and the financial benefits of students renting technology, but the solutions suggested in this AVTechnology article offer a compelling case for interactive learning technologies as a more effective teaching tool than the traditional lecture. A Nobel Prize Winning physics professor (Carl Wieman) adds additional weight to this argument in a self-published study. About the study, the article states,

“Wieman found that students who were taught physics using interactive methods at the University of British Columbia scored about twice as high when tested as those attending traditional lectures on the same material. That was true even if the lectures were delivered by far more experienced teachers.

The interactive method he used involved short, small-group discussions, demonstrations, question-answer sessions and electronic quizzes that gave instructors real-time graphic feedback on what students had and had not learned successfully.”

John Laughlin, president of Conference Technologies, Inc. identified the six following technologies that could be beneficial in the classroom:

1. Student response systems
2. Collaborative learning
3. Voice lift
4. Recording and streaming
5. E-books and tablet PCs
6. Unified Classroom Communications

If you’re a teacher or education administrator, we highly recommend you read and understand these suggestions. From a company perspective, we’re most relevant to the “Collaborative Learning” category, a concept that uses technology to enhance group work by giving students the ability to work together effectively from different locations. It’s only recently that students can work on digital files simultaneously without needing to sit face-to-face. The days of individual hand-scribed notes and verbal-only lectures are coming to an end, replaced by multimedia presentations, digital ink and interactive learning sessions. But we’ve got a ways to go.

Our KVM products offer a wide array of connectivity gear that allows students to share peripherals, switch between screens, or broadcast their work to the whole class. Products like the 16-Port LCD Combo KVM Switch with Cables, offer secure access to 16 VGA, USB or PS/2 computers, the perfect number for small classroom collaboration. Likewise, our USB External HD A/V Adapter which gives the student the ability to have a second display via their USB port to the HDMI connector on their HD display is one of the easiest and most affordable solutions for adding a second monitor to a computer, so students can be more productive on two screens.

With collaborative learning, tablets and learner response systems revolutionizing classroom teaching, the foundation of education is being re-built. Major progress is years away, but if Maine kindergartners can get iPads, what’s stopping the rest of the country?

Do you think technology can improve the American education system? In what ways? Please let us know here on the blog, on Facebook or on Twitter.

Technology has the power to change the way we teach and learn, but only when students and teachers are given access. We’ve talked previously about iPads in Elementary schools and Chromebooks challenging tablets for a slice of the education technology pie, but the challenge of funding new technology products and services for both schools and individual students remains a significant roadblock.

Fortunately, one California University has created a program that gives students and professors the option of renting the latest educational tech gadgets and gear to coincide with specific course work. Students who may need an expensive HD camera, software or some other device for a class are no longer forced to shell out full price for educational technology items they may only use temporarily. With astronomical tuition prices, the “TechRent” program is being welcomed for the financial reprieve it provides.

An article on edtechmag.com explains the Cal State Monterey Bay (CSUMB) TechRent program more fully here, You Can Rent It:

More than a traditional equipment check-out service, TechRent is an innovative program that makes technology affordable for CSUMB’s 4,800 students. TechRent offers flexible terms that let students keep devices for a day, week, month or semester. Students may even choose to purchase a rented device by applying their rental fees toward the item’s cost.

Aside from simply making educational technology more affordable to students, the article highlights several other benefits that the TechRent program provides.

• Allows professors to be more experimental knowing the technology will be available
• Better gear to work with means better quality work from students and higher expectations from faculty
• Brings awareness of new technologies to a greater population
• Source of ongoing revenue for the university ($14,295 since it started)
• Saved students a total of $66,575 vs. buying the technology new
• Manufacturers got involved by loaning products and offering trainings
• One of the TechRent offerings is the IOGEAR Phaser Presenter (clearly, they know quality)



Many students work multiple jobs or accept mountains of debt for the opportunity to receive a college education. While most colleges and universities take some effort to keep student expenses in check, few initiatives actually inspire students to try new coursework or professors to explore more advanced materials.

As for the future of TechRent, Cal State Monterey Bay wants to make the service as ubiquitous as the school library, newspaper and student activity center, growing it into the school’s culture. It’s even considering an expansion to include other locations near area schools to bring education technology rentals to non-Otters (CSUMB mascot).

We’d definitely be interested in expanding our involvement in this program, but curious what educators and students see as valuable classroom technology items? With greater understanding, KVM products could become a great resource as the demand for content sharing and access increases and new limits are pushed.

We’ve included a KVM Switch along with some additional suggestions below, please chime in with your favorite or suggest your own in the comments.

• GPEN300 Mobile Digital Scribe
• Spill Resistant Keyboard Mouse Combo
• Universal WiFi N Adapter
• USB to HD Adapter
• 7 Port High Speed USB 2.0 Hub
• 8-Port LCD Combo KVM Switch with PS/2 KVM Cables

Please join the community and offer suggestions on our Facebook wall or via Twitter as well.

In our previous post, we left off with a KVM switch conundrum with no shortage of acronyms. EDID (Extended Display Identification Data) is a super-useful data structure that helps video monitors achieve their ideal screen resolution after being “read” by a computer’s graphics card. Acting as a handicap however, is HDCP (High-bandwidth Digital Content Protection), which can impede a monitor’s ability to display its ideal resolution, unless it’s re-booted.

Some KVM switches offer a default EDID to the computers, but this default is just an arbitrary monitor resolution. While an arbitrary EDID may allow switched computers to boot up as though they had read the actual monitor EDID, the chances are that they’ll boot with a less-than-optimum resolution.

While this doesn’t sound like a cataclysmic issue, it can certainly create headaches. In some cases the modern monitor may be unable to display anything when the user actually switches to them using an incorrect default EDID value, or the computer may take a while to re-sync to the correct monitor resolution. In rare cases (with too high a default EDID resolution) monitor damage can occur. The bottom line, none of these situations are desirable.

A complete system meltdown isn’t likely, but lag, synching delays, sketchy looking screens, and other issues certainly won’t make you look good in front of the board of directors. Fortunately, IOGEAR implements a technology called Video DynaSync™ developed by a company called ATEN to solve the switched EDID dilemma. It was originally created to solve video issues for MAC users, but has since been updated to address all the challenges of Windows 7 as well. IOGEAR is one of a lucky few to have access to this innovative video technology.

When a DynaSync-equipped KVM switch, like the IOGEAR 2-Port Dual View Dual Link DVI KVMP Switch, is connected to an EDID-enabled monitor and turned on, the switch reads the monitor’s EDID and stores it in non-volatile memory. This memory is made available at once to all the computers connected to the Video DynaSync equipped KVM, and these computers are able to use DDC sensing to instantly read out the KVM switch’s stored monitor EDID. HDCP connectivity is thereby maintained as well, preventing unwanted blockage of protected digital content.

In the event the monitor is not turned on or connected at the time the Video DynaSync KVM switch is turned on, the switch directly connects the selected computer to the monitor’s EDID so it is still able to get the needed EDID data. Since a suitable EDID is always present for the computers, there is no “seeking” time lost when switching among multiple computers, no blank screen, and no need to reboot computers just to get them to detect the optimum video value. It’s as though the computers each had a direct, full-time DDC connection to the monitor’s EDID information.

Look a bit more deeply and the value of Video DynaSync really starts to sink in. Money is saved in contrast to legacy KVMs because users can switch more quickly and reliably between computers without having to reboot platforms just to get them to display properly. And while it’s rare, DynaSync will eliminate the concern of replacing monitors whose lives were shortened from being driven by a video signal with too-high-a-bandwidth.

Looking more long-term, data centers, production facilities and other venues will eventually be using predominantly EDID-equipped LCD monitors with EDID graphics cards. As this transition occurs, IT professionals and technology managers will encounter increasing frustration with the limitations of an older KVM system, and overall productivity will suffer due to the lost time in switching and trying to get the video to look right (or trying to use a monitor with non-optimized video driving it). In this case, the money spent on installing Video DynaSync capable KVM now will gradually pay itself back.

By computer technology standards, KVM switching is an old science that will continue developing to keep pace with the display and peripheral categories. DynaSync is important because it not only makes current IOGEAR KVM switches more advanced, but also future-proofs them for rapidly developing video and peripheral technologies in the pipeline.

Without a switch that correctly handles EDID signals (via DDC and suitable memory registers) end users will continue to experience slow switching, fuzzy displays when computers don’t set themselves properly or forced reboots to manually reset each computer. Save time and headaches by letting DynaSync technology extend a KVM handshake on your behalf, and the only resolution you be worrying about is New Year’s.

IOGEAR products with DynaSync Technology:

• 2-Port USB DVI-D Cable KVM with Audio and Mic.
• 4-Port Dual View Dual-Link DVI KVMP Switch with Audio
• 4-Port Dual-Link DVI KVMP with 2.1 Sound Audio
• 4-Port HD Multimedia KVMP Switch with Audio
• 2-Port Dual View Dual Link DVI KVMP Switch with Audio
• MiniView™ Micro USB PLUS KVM Switch with audio and cables

KVM technology advancements don’t exactly get consumers excited like an Apple product launch. In fact, the acronym K-V-M probably doesn’t even register in most people’s lexicon, even though they may be benefitting from the technology on a daily basis. But, while a KVM switch doesn’t have the same cachè as a new tablet, our IOGEAR convergence geeks actually DO get excited when a new KVM product or development helps our customers.

To remove the suspense for those wondering, KVM stands for Keyboard-Video monitor-Mouse . The products basically create a scenario where instead of needing one monitor, one keyboard and one mouse for every computer, a single set of these peripherals can be shared with a few or even thousands of computers in offices, businesses that use digital displays, data centers or even in the home on a smaller scale.

A short history of KVM reveals that products in this category have been around since the early 1990s, when they were without an “M” and known as KV (Keyboard-Video monitor) switches. Integration of the mouse came in the mid-1990s when graphical operating systems with mouse-controlled user interfaces became popular and required mouse functionality.

Like most connectivity solutions, KVM products are challenged to keep up with the rapid development of related technologies such as HD monitors, video electronics and the interconnections that tie them all together. This is where the patented DynaSync technology from ATEN International enters the equation. However, in order to understand DynaSync’s A/V coolness factor and its relation to IOGEAR KVM/KVMP products, we must first explore how the related technologies and trends evolved to create serious demand.

While KVM switches have been evolving for almost two decades, in recent years the nature of the monitor itself and of the video electronics in the computers have significantly changed. The “plain vanilla” VGA video outputs and the simple multi-sync monitors of way back in 1999 have given way almost exclusively to LCD monitors and a variety of video interconnect schemes that include VGA as well as its higher resolution derivatives such as QXGA, etc. Today we also find DDC (Display Data Channel) signals on VGA outputs, plus DVI (Digital Visual Interface) and HDMI (High-Definition Multimedia Interface) video, each of which incorporates different connectors, logical handshakes and video formats.

Several aspects of this migration have made quick and easy switching between computers much more complicated. For one thing, LCD monitors typically have one “ideal” display resolution, unlike the older CRT video monitors. While a given LCD may be able to display alternate resolutions, these will not be as sharp as its optimum resolution. Consequently, the computers should, ideally, be set to drive the connected monitor at its optimum resolution.

Fortunately, a data structure known as EDID (Extended Display Identification Data) exists that allows this automatic, optimized video setting to be obtained when a suitably equipped computer graphics card and monitor are directly connected to one another and the computer is booted up. EDID works because a ROM chip in the video display stores pertinent video data about that monitor in such a way that it can be “read” by a computer’s graphics card. This process works quite well with a single video display and a single computer. For a fuller explanation of how EDID works, the all-knowing Wikipedia is a good source.

Unfortunately for KVM switches, an increasing number of computers and digital peripherals are also equipped with HDCP (High-bandwidth Digital Content Protection). While HDCP is critical for discouraging unauthorized copying of protected programming material, the handshake between the display port of a computer/peripheral and the monitor may fail to occur when switching among HDCP-equipped computers. A KVM switch may be able to read a monitor’s EDID and set the optimum resolution when booted up, but there’s no mechanism in place to correct it when switching to other monitors. Users will generally end up with a non-native default resolution. This inconsistency can frustrate legitimate use of the system and makes the awesomeness that is EDID, moot.

So what’s a KVM switch to do?

Stay Tuned for Part II

AV products follow a hierarchy of coolness. You could argue a Kaleidescape or Sooloos server are at the cool end of the spectrum while products like HDMI cables, adapters and interconnects skew towards the necessary, but not worth talking about to your friends end of the spectrum. In between are all the myriad of output devices like projectors, HD TVs, speakers, Blu-ray players and more.

The funny thing about defining a AV coolness factor is that sometimes the most mundane sounding products actually allow other AV devices to improve their coolness factor, even adding new functionality that wasn’t there before. Case in point: IOGEAR’s new 2-Port Dual View Dual-Link DVI KVMP Switch may just look like a small black box with a variety of inputs and outputs, but take a closer look, and one can envision dozens of practical applications for this KVM product, both at home and in commercial settings.

Before jumping into all the useful ways this product can be used, it helps to know exactly what a 2-Port Dual View Dual-Link DVI KVMP Switch (or GCS1642) does. There are KVM switches galore to choose from, but only IOGEAR’s includes a rich feature set that allows sharing of video on two dual-link DVI monitors from a single console while also supporting audio, 3D Graphics and the highest resolutions for commercial or home settings. If that’s not enough to get you fired up, the GCS1642 also features two USB 2.0 peripheral ports for asynchronously sharing USB devices between computers.

You’re probably asking yourself, “Asynchronous sharing of USB devices is cool, but how can this work in my everyday life?” We’re glad you asked. First of all, connecting the GCS1642 means you have access to DynaSync Technology which remembers a monitor’s ideal resolution and refresh rate (EDID), making it possible to boot all connected computers simultaneously, switch back and forth, and still maintain native video setting for the monitor. IOGEAR’s new DVI KVMP switch also has complete keyboard and mouse emulation for error free booting and real-time switching.

While the 2-Port Dual View Dual-Link DVI KVMP Switch is not for the casual gamer or the weekend movie watcher, hardcore gamers will fully appreciate the ability to do double the damage with a wider viewing area while having hotkey access to keyboards and other gaming control devices.

From the industrial side, medical facilities are a definite benefactor. In teaching hospitals especially, invasive surgery is magnified and viewed by med students on HD displays that could certainly benefit from shared screens and quick toggling between USB devices to show different perspectives.

If surgery is not your thing, even nightclubs or sports bars running content from Home Theater PCs, media servers (Sooloos or Kaleidescape anyone?) or other USB capable computers can improve their efficiency and save money by not having to purchase additional source components. Beyond the realm of entertainment and medicine, there are important applications in the fields of engineering, graphic design, photography, video editing, education , gaming and anywhere else HD displays are used with PCs and USB peripherals.

2-Port Dual View Dual-Link DVI KVMP Switches may not be the first thing people think of when defining the AV coolness factor, but there’s no questioning the GCS1642’s ability to add unique functionality that’s not easy to find.

As an added convenience, IOGEAR also provides a KVM Switch Selector to help customers determine the best solution. A series of nine questions are asked relating to the type of computer, number of ports and feature requirements, and once answered, the program suggests the best possible IOGEAR KVM Switch based on hardware and usage requirements.

Have you ever used a KVM switch or similar product? We’d love to hear how and why you integrated it into your AV system. Let us know here on our blog or over at Facebook.

Don’t forget to check out our current contest where we are giving away one of our MiniView™ Micro USB PLUS KVM Switch with audio and cables!

This week, starting on February 21, 2011 and until February 27, 2011 we will launch a new Twitter Contest! For this contest, we will give away a MiniView™ Micro USB PLUS KVM Switch with audio and cables!

To qualify, first be sure to check out the official contest rules first and then perform the following tasks:

1. Follow us on Twitter
2. Answer the question we post on Twitter (How would you use a KVM to make your life easier?) using the following format:
RT @IOGEAR (Your short answer) #contest

At start of the following week we will randomly choose a winner.

UPDATE: There have been a change in the rules (please read the blog post below for details), starting at Saturday December 18, 10am PST. In summary, entries will be made here on the blog rather than at Delicious in light of the news that Delicious is being shut down by Yahoo.

The holiday spirit is in the air and IOGEAR is in a giving mood! We are giving away a total of three prizes to three lucky winners:

1 Grand Prize*: iPad 16GB with Wi-Fi + IOGEAR Composite AV Cable with Charge and Sync
1 First Prize*: Wireless Audio / Video Kit
2 Second Prizes*: USB Laptop KVM Switch with File Transfer
*Odds of winning depend on the number of entries received.

This is a raffle style contest where you get one point for each successful entry. To enter you will need a Delicious account.

NO PURCHASE NECESSARY. PURCHASE WILL NOT IMPROVE CHANCES OF WINNING.

In the comments section below, provide links to your favorite legal streaming media resources.

For each non-duplicate link, you will gain one entry point for the contest. When the contest is over (on December 31, 2010 at midnight) we will tally up all the points and randomly choose the winners.

Before you get started, please take a look at the official contest rules.

Good luck!

Here at IOGEAR, we keep a keen eye on our changing workstation. From multiple screens to paper-thin displays, this isn’t your father’s office any more – and here’s the latest news to emerge from the tech grapevine.

Infrared developments have been heating up in our technological world recently, most notably in Microsoft’s upcoming Kinect for the Xbox360. The motion sensor in this newest gaming console gauges a player’s movement with a variety of tools, including an infrared sensor.

However, the latest infrared news development is of particular interest for workstations across the country. MIT’s Fluid Interfaces Group, led by research assistant and PhD candidate Pranav Mistry, have developed the latest advancement in infrared technology with the ‘Mouseless’, an invisible mouse that tracks a user’s movements and projects them on a computer screen in the form of a cursor, just like a real mouse.

Image Credit

CNET showcased the ‘Mouseless’ in a recent post, which includes a quirky video that starts off with none other than Warner Bros’ Jerry of Tom and Jerry fame.

As you can see from the post, the ‘Mouseless’ is merely a prototype and not yet available to consumers. However, we here at IOGEAR are excited to see it come to life and to work with a new generation of IT gadgets for the home and office workstation.

Our own selection of KVM Switches allow you to focus on only one keyboard, monitor and mouse when controlling multiple computers – and we’re consistently working on new and updated switches to work seamlessly with the latest and greatest technologies.

Would YOU like to be able to control multiple computers – using nothing but the touch of your finger? Let us know what you think!

Cheers
The IOGEAR team

Green technology is all the rage in the tech space, and here at IOGEAR we love nothing more than to keep our finger on the green pulse. From Apple’s work-in-progress solar powered iPad and iPhone, to the grass-trimming goats Google has put to work, earth conscious companies are developing new ways to help our waning Mother Earth.

This week Cisco Systems announced the testing phase of their home energy management system, temporarily named the home energy controller. Despite the unsexy name, this is a pretty slick device which helps keep an eye on mounting energy costs. The controller’s digital readout helps people keep track of energy consumption throughout their home and do away with energy waste. Wasting energy is so passé, people.

Users can sign up for the system’s demand-response program, which provides rebates for shutting off the switches during peak times. It saves you money AND gives you the glow of being a green conscious American – all from one small control panel!

In case you are new to our blog, we here at IOGEAR have a vested interest in keeping up with the newest green technologies. We are doing our part to help our planet every day with a variety of products that cut back on energy usage – from energy saving convergence devices like KVM switches and Wireless AV kit to Solar BT hands free kits which harness the sun’s rays to power cell phones.

So, everyone, let’s start doing our part to stay up-to-speed, and hopefully adopt the latest green tech developments – it’s up to us.

What are you doing to incorporate green methods into your home or lifestyle?

Until next week, this is the IOGEAR team signing off. Stay green, readers.