Technology
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Tech firms scheme to put Taiwan on out-of-home map
Taiwan could become a bigger player in digital-signage technology following the formation of a partnership which links chip giant Intel with three companies on the island.
Intel, based in the U.S., has joined embedded-systems maker Advantech, display-panel firm AU Optronics, and Qisda, a manufacturer of displays and projectors, to create the Digital Signage SIG.
They say that the consortium, backed by Taiwanese authorities, will “integrate resources” to exploit 
NTT testing new digital-signage tech in Tokyo
Japan’s NTT and its NTT Com subsidiary today began testing systems that can distribute advertising content to digital-signage systems from multiple manufacturers and then estimate the audiences they reach.
If successful, the company’s researchers could smooth the way toward greater acceptance of digital out-of-home on the part of agencies and brands currently deterred by differing technical requirements for content and inconsistent audience measurement.
The tests will run until
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Nearly half of all new digital-signage displays will use SMS text messaging for interactivity by 2012, according to researcher MultiMedia Intelligence.
The researcher says the simplicity of SMS and the high ownership levels of mobile phones in most markets will make it more attractive to network operators than other interactive channels, although Bluetooth, RFID and Wi-Fi “will also find significant penetration”.
The SMS revolution has already begun, figures
Bally buys CoolSign casino business
Casino giant Bally Technologies has acquired the gaming business of Planar Systems’ CoolSign division.
The deal, for an undisclosed amount, will see Bally integrate the CoolSign technology with its iView Display Manager, a system that lets casinos display networked messaging to players of slot machines, both on the screens of the machines themselves and on overhead displays.
CoolSign – which Planar, originally a display specialist, itself acquired from
Samsung claims “highest brightness yet”
Samsung Electronics says its new 70-inch, 2000-candela-per-square-metre LCD panel, built for outdoor digital signage, will be the brightest in mass production.
The panel, scheduled to be available in sample quantities before the end of the year, offers 1080p resolution and a viewing angle of 178 degrees, almost at the theoretical maximum. It can be used in portrait or landscape mode.
Although the headline figure suggests the panel will
PRN goes interactive, extends Costco contract
PRN is this week previewing a new interactive system for in-store screen media.
A prototype of its 42-inch portrait-format touchscreen is on show at the In-Store Marketing Expo in Las Vegas, which runs until 14 November. The prototype is designed for a health-and-beauty department, providing shoppers with product information.
Separately, Thomson-owned PRN has signed up U.S. warehouse retailer Costco for an extension of its in-store TV contract. Under
Stratacache to launch SaaS version of ActiVia
Stratacache is the latest digital-signage technology supplier to turn to the software-as-a-service (SaaS) model.
From 1 January it will offer its ActiVia for Media system as SaaS, with users paying a monthly fee per connected media player. A special deal will be offered during the first quarter for users switching from other digital-signage technologies.
Run from a Stratacache data centre in the U.S. and AT&T facilities elsewhere in
Helius soups up software, adds Mac-based player
A year after it first released its MediaAuthor software for digital-signage content creation, Helius has updated the $795 package to version 2.0, adding a raft of new features.
The company has also released the complementary SST-Mi Media Player system, which runs on an Apple Mac Mini computer and sells for just $1500.
Helius spokesperson Jeff Crapo told SCREENS.tv that MediaAuthor 2.0 is unusual in that it functions as
