Digital Signage Blog » Blue Pony

Weekend Fun: Digital Signage and Augmented reality

DigitalSignageBlog — Sat, 09 Oct 2010 11:12:36 +0000

This was a video clip that one of our digital signage portal members Travis from Blue Pony submitted in the discussion forum and its about Augmented reality. This blew me away so I thought I’d share this with our digital signage blog readers so have a look at it yourself and let me know what you think.

© AdvertiseMe.com.au for Digital Signage Blog, 2010. | Permalink | No comment |
Post tags: Augmented Reality, blog, Blue Pony, digital signage, Discussion Forum, Fun, members, portal, Travis, Video Clip

Product review: Digital Signage Audio Tripper

DigitalSignageBlog — Wed, 16 Dec 2009 02:33:29 +0000

Christmas is fast approaching and we decided to review a product before the end of this year. It has taken us a while to complete this review as it involved using a video camera and editing the video but from this experience we can hopefully improve our processes and review more products next year.

Reviewed By: Advertise Me

The Product – Andrew’s Audio Tripper AS-7

The audio tripper is a two way automatic audio switcher. It has two audio inputs; a default input, a sensed input and an audio output.

In its initial state the tripper selects the default input through the output. Whenever an audio signal is fed to the sensed input, the tripper will automatically switch to this input. The LED (green light) indicates that the sensed input has been selected. Once the signal to the sensed input stops, the tripper will switch back to the default input.

There is a delay control that can be used to adjust the amount of time the tripper waits before switching back to the default input. A delay would be preferable in the case of a multi CD player, for instance, to allow for the time taken to switch between discs.

The Setup

For our testing purposes we connected the unit as follows (I thought I’d be different and sketch the diagram by hand):

In this particular setup, we used a mobile phone as a default audio input – we thought we’d be creative and use a portable device that everyone carries around.

For the sensed input, we used the audio output of a digital signage player. The digital signage player was connected to a 19″ LCD screen and played scheduled content in a playlist. The playlist contained three items:

1. Image of product review email – has no sound

2. 15 second advertise me promotional video created by Blue Pony – has sound

3. Image of John Mayer Listening to… – has no sound

The output of the audio tripper is connected to a speaker. So what basically happens is that when the audio tripper doesn’t sense any audio coming from the digital signage player i.e playlist item 1 & 3, it will play audio from the default input i.e. mobile phone. All RCA audio cables were used for these tests.

Our Verdict

We tested several audio input sources – mobile phone (Nokia n95, iphone, blackberry storm), a CD player and also a digital signage player and didn’t find any issues with the switching or the quality of the audio.
We have actually used this unit for one of our clients and we haven’t had an issues.
The only thing to consider is that if the unit looses power, it will not perform the switching but it will still continue to play the default audio input – so at least there will be audio
We would recommend to decrease the delay to the minimum setting (rotate anti-clockwise)
Can be used for many purposes – ie. backup audio for continuous music

Usage

You may ask yourself when would you use this type of setup and to be honest if you had a digital signage player, you could schedule the audio to play directly from the player but there will be certain situations and environments like a retail store, that you may need to give some control to the local store manager to play their own audio CD’s.

The Video

Here’s a quick video demonstrating how the system works.

If you want us to review your product, contact Advertise Me via email: review@advertiseme.com.au

About Advertise Me:

Advertise Me is a privately owned Australian company specialising in all aspects of digital signage solutions.

Our team of highly skilled professionals is able to introduce innovative ways for businesses to communicate with their intended audiences for a variety of purposes including informing, educating, entertaining and selling.

You can expect us to:

offer the most affordable and cost effective solutions tailored to your specific business needs.
provide you with concise and accurate information and will ensure that you understand and are comfortable with our proposals.
strive to make our clients happy and successful.

We have partnered with a number of key reputable organisations and will continue to build further partnerships to deliver the most effective solutions for our customers.

Visit our website at www.advertiseme.com.au for more information.

© AdvertiseMe.com.au for Digital Signage Blog, 2009. | Permalink | 2 comments |
Post tags: 1918, advertise, Amount Of Time, Aud, Audio Input, Audio Inputs, Audio Signal, Audio Switcher, blackberry, Blue Pony, Caption, Cd Player, christmas, Default Input, Delay Control, digital signage, digital signage player, email, Initial State, Input Output, Input Sources, iphone, John Mayer, lcd screen, Mobile Phone, Multi Cd, nokia, Nokia N95, playlist, Pow, Sketch, Sound 3, Tripper, Video Camera

Digital Signage Portal Newsletter 2009#6

DigitalSignageBlog — Fri, 09 Oct 2009 12:33:18 +0000

Image format not supported [image/bmp]

It’s been another busy month and we’re very delighted to see the number of members on the digital signage portal growing.

For this particular newsletter, we decided to promote our portal and showcase some of the functionalities and features the portal brings to our members. Many of you may not have the time to fully take advantage of the portal functionalities but let me remind you that by participating in forum discussions and submitting your blogs entries (just to name a few), you’re actually exposing your business to thousands of readers around the world – this is one of the many advantages of using the digital signage portal.

Lets firstly look at the digital signage portal forum. http://www.digitalsignageportal.com/Digital-Signage-Forum/

Here’s the list of some of the recent forum posts:

Re:RePromotion launches its new ITTV software Travis@BluePony Introducing your Business Saturday, 19 September 2009
RePromotion launches its new ITTV software RePromotionUK Introducing your Business Friday, 18 September 2009
Digital Signage Site up and running. Travis@BluePony Blue Pony Wednesday, 16 September 2009
Off Topic Travis@BluePony General Discussion Wednesday, 09 September 2009
Re:Using Blue Ray technology Travis@BluePony Video Wednesday, 09 September 2009
Re:Blue Pony News Travis@BluePony Blue Pony Saturday, 05 September 2009
Blue Pony News Travis@BluePony Blue Pony Thursday, 03 September 2009

Here, we have the facility for businesses to introduce themselves and also if you’re looking for help with digital signage, then the forum is the place to search and post. This community is based on helping one another, so head out to the forum and get involved…share your thoughts and help your fellow digital signage businesses.

Secondly, the myBlog facility allows members to submit posts (yes…. PR articles and anything you would like to share with others). Once you submit your post, other members can comment your blog posts. Sometimes maintaining a blog website can be a challenging and tedious process, so we’ve done the hard work for you so start posting now. All you have to do is login, click Write a post in your user menu located on the left hand column and start posting!!! Here’s a few example of what people have submitted:

1. In Store Signage – Does this work: http://www.digitalsignageportal.com/myBlog/In-Store-Signage-Does-it-work.htm

2. Minicom Digital Signage and The Digital Signage Show Europe announce cooperation http://www.digitalsignageportal.com/myBlog/Minicom-Digital-Signage-and-The-Digital-Signage-Show-Europe-announce-cooperation.html

So for those of you who haven’t visited the portal in a while, I encourage you to log back in and see the changes we’ve made and we do hope you can frequently participate in the portal activities. When do get a bit of time, we’re going to re-vamp this website as well so keep a lookout for this. Finally, we’re always looking for feedback so if there’s anything that you would like to see or you think we should improve let us know.

To read past newsletters click here.

© AdvertiseMe.com.au for Digital Signage Blog, 2009. | Permalink | No comment |
Post tags: 16 September, 19 September, Advantage, Blue Pony, blue ray, Digital Signage Forum, Forum Discussions, Forum Posts, Functionalities, General Discussion, members, newsletter, Pony News, portal forum, Pr Articles, Ray Technology, Share With Others, Share Your Thoughts, Showcase, Travis

Advertise Me interviews Blue Pony

DigitalSignageBlog — Wed, 23 Sep 2009 14:30:39 +0000

advertise me:	Hi Nathan, thanks for joining us for this interview.
Nathan:	No problem we appreciate the opportunity for conversation.
Advertise Me:	Could you please tell us a little bit about Blue Pony, and it’s history?
Nathan:	Blue Pony emerged in July of 2004 as a custom content creation company. We were formed by the owners Joel and Keersten Nichols. Joel and Keersten recognized the digital trend and the industries forming and embracing new technologies. We started creating content for the entertainment industry for concert tours. Our content has been used on tour with Sara McLachlan, Poison, the Eagles, in the Movies with Alvin and the Chimpmunks, and on TV with American Idol and America’s Got Talent. Along the way we found a natural fit creating great content for other industries. We felt especially at home with the growing digital signage Industries. We feel quality content is a need across all industries utilizing visual media.
Advertise Me:	I really like the Blue Pony Logo, how did the company come up with that name and the inspiration for the logo animation?
Nathan:	Thanks, we get a lot of compliments on it. Our sister company, Apollo Design Technology, makes lighting accessories like gobos, gobo rotators, gel, and more for the lighting entertainment industry. Our owners named Apollo after their beloved horse they received companionship from for 23 years. Unfortunately, Apollo passed away last spring. It seemed natural to build the new company sporting the name, Blue Pony.
Advertise Me:	In the digital signage industry, the term “Content is king” can sometimes be misinterpreted. What is your explanation for this statement?
Nathan:	I look at it this way. You can have the greatest technology to playback, display, schedule, and report with but at the end of the day the content playing back is what counts the most. There are certainly other variables that must align to add to success like location and placement, but effective well designed content is crucial. If the content is not effective the viewer won’t be engaged. If the viewer is not engaged by the content it is not an effective advertisement. Ineffective advertising is not likely to be renewed by the advertiser.
Advertise Me:	Thank you for that explanation. Now ,what type of content does Blue Pony supply and what is so different about the content Blue Pony supplies?
Nathan:	Great looking, well designed content is a great first step. What makes it kingly is matching it to the demographic (matching the style and material to the right group), dwell time requirements (what are the conditions of the environment? How much time do we have to communicate the message?), and environment (Making sure the content looks and feels at home and not odd and awkward). We create custom tailored content with an efficient and effective design process. Our design staff is experienced with Digital Signage ads and they have developed a thorough understanding on how to create effective signage content. We believe firmly that unique, custom content is important that is why even our “stock content” offering has a custom aspect.
Advertise Me:	What is the difference between stock and custom content?
Nathan:	In addition to a completely custom content option we have a content line in development called, Quick Designs. A Quick Design is a base design created by our design staff. The animation can be chosen as a spring board for design and we can plug in logos, images, and different text call-outs. We can even make color changes too. When you choose a Quick Design, one of our skilled designers will ensure your completed ad will look great. We feel it is better than a “template” that inevitably doesn’t quite work for whatever reason. Plus a template will likely look just like the one the other guy bought. We also have a line called Dash Packs and regular stock background loops. Some of our Dash Packs are themed filler material for your network. Holiday greetings and celebrity birthdays are some that we have offered. http://digitalsignage.bluepony.com/content-options/dash-packs/ We never stop creating content, whenever we have time we work on new motion backgrounds to add to our online web library of stock content. Stock background loops are used across many industries. They are affordable and can be combined with other elements to create unique looks. http://www.bluepony.com/shop/
Advertise Me:	How does the company source content material, e.g images, video footage etc?
Nathan:	Many times the material is supplied by the customer. They may provide a logo or product images. Because we have an in-house production company we are able to acquire our own stock video and photography. Furthermore, we have access to many royalty free image sources for use in our content.
Advertise Me:	In this digital age, content can be easily sourced from the net and some businesses and customers don’t realise that they are breaching copyright laws when using someone else’s content. What are your thoughts on this and does Blue Pony track where their content ends up?
Nathan:	We can’t stop it no matter how fancy we make the code. However, we are protective of our clients’ content and not every ad we produce makes it to our website. The entire process of ad development happens securely within our client preview portal. Everything is secure and access is only granted to the necessary individuals. In addition we offer our customers free mock content that we have developed. We learned quickly that most digital signage networks just need something to show their first clients by way of example until we build up a content portfolio that they can use for future sales.
Advertise Me:	Could you please briefly explain what steps and processes are involved when developing content.
Nathan:	I’d tell you but then I’d have to… No problem. We use all the usual software one would come to expect from a video, motion graphic design house. The differences are that we invest in the top of the line workstations that render video files pretty quick. We stay up to date with costly plug-ins, new fonts, and equip our production team with the best tools for content creation. That being said the process in brief goes like this. You contact us for content, we ask a few questions about your requirements or have you complete our content request form. The form gathers the details we need to determine a price to develop your content. We then generate an estimate and send it to you for approval. Upon approval of the estimate we schedule your content for production and email you a link to the project directory we create. This directory is where you can upload assets for production and it is also where our designer will place a preview for you to review your content. You would receive a link to review the content and would be able to provide feedback directly within the content timeline on the preview page. We implement any revisions you request and seek approval on the content. Upon approval we prepare the output file exactly to your specifications. You then can download your final content directly from the project directory. And repeat!
Advertise Me:	From past experience, how long should the content be displayed on the screens for?
Nathan:	It really depends. Site research might reveal the average frequency of visitors. If they see it once or twice that’s great. But if they have already processed the information and see it too many times they will tune it out and ultimately ignore the screen altogether. Two Weeks would be a sweet spot, in my opinion, but it does depend on the venue.
Advertise Me:	What makes Blue Pony so different from all the other content providers?
Nathan:	Experience, Customer Service, Quality, and Value. Customer Satisfaction is really important to us. When you engage Blue Pony you don’t just get a designer, you get an entire team of professionals who understand your business technology and goals. We realize without our customers success we will not succeed.
Advertise Me:	What has been the most successful and challenging content developed thus far?
Nathan:	Interesting. Hmm, well it is all challenging to determine how to best develop the next piece, but that’s the fun in it. Success? I hope the majority of our ads have had a shining moment but we rarely get to hear of there stardom. We seek feedback for our clients and get it from time to time. Bust most of the time we are like the auto repair shop and only hear from the customer when a new set of tires are needed.
Advertise Me:	Are you able to share some general pricing information with our audience?
Nathan:	Sure. Generally speaking all of our ad pricing is based on a rate of $135 per hour. That only is helpful to know if you have the other variable…How much time? On average a standard 20 second motion ad will cost $350. A premium ad of the same duration might average out at $500. What’s the difference between Standard and Premium? Purely time. If a premium budget is specified by the client we give our designer more development time which in turn translates to a more refined or sophisticated content piece.
Advertise Me:	This is our final question that we normally ask all of the people we interview. What do you see as the next “BIG THING” in digital signage?
Nathan:	Interactive signage and deeper integration to the personal technologies people carry, like cell phones, ipods, ect.
Advertise Me:	Nathan, thanks for taking part in this interview and we hope to speak to you again in the near future.

To read more interviews click here: http://www.digitalsignageblog.com/category/digital-signage-interview/

About Blue Pony?

Blue Pony is a premier digital content provider for limitless applications who produces custom as well as stock content.

About Advertise Me:

Advertise Me is a privately owned Australian company specialising in all aspects of digital signage solutions.

You can expect us to:

offer the most affordable and cost effective solutions tailored to your specific business needs.
provide you with concise and accurate information and will ensure that you understand and are comfortable with our proposals.
strive to make our clients happy and successful.

We have partnered with a number of key reputable organisations and will continue to build further partnerships to deliver the most effective solutions for our customers.

Visit our website at www.advertiseme.com.au for more information.

© AdvertiseMe.com.au for Digital Signage Blog, 2009. | Permalink | No comment |
Post tags: advertise, Alvin And The Chimpmunks, America S Got Talent, American Idol, Apollo Design, Beloved Horse, Blue Pony, Content Creation Company, Custom Content, digital signage, Digital Trend, Gobo, Greatest Technology, Interviews, Lighting Accessories, Lighting Entertainment, Logo Animation, Natural Fit, Sara Mclachlan, Signage Industries, Signage Industry, Sister Company

Latest Digital Signage Forum Posts

DigitalSignageBlog — Wed, 16 Sep 2009 15:08:28 +0000

Today, we thought we’d share with you some of the latest digital signage portal forum posts. Have you joined the portal yet?

digital signage portal Forum Latest Posts (17th September 2009)

Digital Signage Site up and running.
Travis@BluePony 15-09-09 18:49
Off Topic
Travis@BluePony 08-09-09 14:29
Blue Pony News
Travis@BluePony 02-09-09 15:07
Intel and Digital Signage
bvrabete 02-09-09 10:56
IphoneTravis@BluePony 01-09-09 21:14

© AdvertiseMe.com.au for Digital Signage Blog, 2009. | Permalink | No comment |
Post tags: Blue Pony, blue ray, Digital Signage Forum, Forum Posts, General Discussion, Gesture Technology, Hand Gesture, Intel, iphone, Pony News, portal forum, Ray Technology, Signage Products, Travis

Advertise Me promo for digital signage by Blue Pony

DigitalSignageBlog — Wed, 09 Sep 2009 11:55:24 +0000

Today we are officially releasing the advertise me promo for digital signage. This short clip was professionally designed and developed by Blue Pony and showcases our main digital signage website (http://www.advertiseme.com.au), the digital signage blog (http://www.digitalsignageblog.com) and the digital signage portal (http://www.digitalsignageportal.com). So here it is, (if you have the bandwidth watch it in HD):

Who is Blue Pony?

Blue Pony is a premier digital content provider for limitless applications who produces custom as well as stock content.

So what do you think about this video promotion?

Feel free to submit your answer as a comment.

© AdvertiseMe.com.au for Digital Signage Blog, 2009. | Permalink | No comment |
Post tags: advertise, Bandwidth, blog, Blue Pony, Digital Content Provider, digital signage, Hd, Limitless Applications, portal, Showcases, Stock, Video Promotion