A Monster, miniaturized.

Touch technology has come a long way in just a few short years. To keep up with the trend Nanovision has come up with a companion monitor with touch capabilities that can totally change the way a second monitor is looked at. The iMo Mini-Monster packs a big bang in a small, convenient package.
This little guy has appeared on the scene with ten inches of touch technology and is easily connected to your main machine by USB cables. Its design is simplistic, looking like a regular tablet, with a hinge at the back that allows it to stand up like a picture frame. Resolution is 1024 x 600, with a touchscreen display, 400:1 contrast ratio and 350cd/m2 brightness, and weighs a tiny 1.77 pounds. The monitor is small enough to be hand held, but not so small that it causes squinting when resting on the desk.

Since the Mini-Monster hooks up to a computer through a USB port instead of an actual video port, it uses DisplayLinks drivers to create a virtual monitor connection, as well as pulling power through the USB port. The USB connection has its ups and downs; while it can be used with smaller devices like laptops, and even netbooks, the creation of the virtual monitor connection and related drivers can use small amounts of CPU, slowing down an older machine.

While Nanovision has released other, smaller touch screen USB monitors, the Mini-Monster comes with many new features and additions that make it special. The Monster is both Windows and Mac OS compatible, with the OS X touchscreen driver being at no extra cost, while with previous models these drivers were extra. This little powerhouse of a touchscreen also offers its own Twitter apps, photoshop, and music player controls built in, so no more need to have them cluttering up your main screen. If your machine's USB ports lack the power to run the monitor, Nanovision has included a double-headed cable to supply the appropriate amount of power. Also included is a stylus for more accurate touch screen usage.

With a small size and a quality display, the iMo Mini-Monster is a great way to expand your laptop, desktop, or even netbook screen size, and with touchscreen capabilities ease of use is vastly improved upon over similar non-touch secondary monitors. Retailing at $259.00, it is a little on the expensive side, but does not fail to deliver. This little monster is worth checking out if you're in the market for a little more screen space with a lot of quality.

---

Planning your next trade show or big event and looking for a Plasma Rental, or large screen Monitor Rental? Then call 800-736-8772 for affordable AV Rentals nationwide!

V7's New Mounts & Stands for Monitors, TVs, and Projectors

The company V7 has announced a new line of mounts and stands for flat-panel TVs, monitors, and projectors. All products are said to be ideal for your home, office, or school and can even be used with public signage in places like hotels, restaurants, and convention centers. They're backed by a five-year warranty.

In a press release the Vice President and General Manager of Ingram Micro's Global V7 Private Label Group, Rainer Kozlik, said, "V7 offers reliable and sturdy wall mounts to secure flat-panel TVs or monitors, providing a sleek and clean appearance. As with all our products, V7 mounts enhance the profit potential of Ingram Micro's resellers by offering products with higher margins from a convenient and trusted source."

Here's a look at some of the wall mounts available for various TV and LCD monitors:

Low-Profile Wall Mounts. These fixed and tilt mounts for monitors and flat-panel TVs are great for displays and mount them only two inches from the wall. The non-fixed version tilts up to seven degrees for a reduction in glare. They also feature green product design and packaging. The mount fitting the 23- to 42-inch displays retails for $59.99, while the 37- to 63-inch mount is available for $69.99.

Large Tilt/Fixed Wall Mounts. These mounts tilt up to fifteen degrees for glare reduction and to increase viewing comfort. They will cost you $69.99 and will fit a 37- to 63- inch flat screen display. There is also a non-tilt version for this size which retails for $69.99.

Extra-Large Low Profile Wall Mounts. These mounts fit 42- to 70-inch flat panel displays and also tilt up to seven degrees. They sell for about $79.99.

Flat Panel Wall Mount. Designed for 13- to 24-inch flat panels, this mount allows users to not only tilt their displays, but to pan and swivel as well. This extra bit of flexibility will cost you about $89.99.

Low-Profile Combo Wall Mounts. These fit 23- to 37-inch displays and are made of solid steel, making them very durable. They retail for $59.99.

When it comes to projector installation, V7's line of Universal Ceiling Mounts offers easy-to-adjust designs, making them perfect for classrooms and conference rooms. For $99.99 you can purchase one that fits most micro projectors. It also features an adjustable pipe. Another version, which fits almost any other projector and features adjustable legs, retails for just $79.99.

The new desktop stands from V7 are easy to install and offer maximum functionality. They are great for anyone who uses a computer. Here is a brief look at the different stands you can purchase:

Desktop Monitor Mount Model: For a 13- to 26-inch flat panel display this tilt-and-pan head mount will cost you $89.99.

Single-Arm Desktop Mount Model: This tilt-and-pan single-arm mount fits a 13- to 26-inch display and will cost $119.99.

Double-Arm Desktop Monitor Mount: This double-arm mount fits a 13- to 26-inch flat panel monitor. It tilts, pans, and swivels. It retails for $129.99.

For more information on these products, visit V7-world.com.

---

Planning your next trade show or big event and looking for a Plasma Rental, or large screen Monitor Rental? Then call 800-736-8772 for affordable AV Rentals nationwide!

Gorilla Glass Could Be the Next Big Thing

In 1962, an ultra-strong glass was formulated in the labs, but no one could come up with a practical commercial use for it. For half a century, this glass has been sitting in research labs with no purpose, but finally Corning Inc. has found a use for the super strong glass.

Corning Inc. is a 159-year old glass company. They are calling this new glass Gorilla glass, and they expect it to become the new face on touch screen tablets and high-end TVs.

Gorilla glass first showed up in 2008, and it has developed into a $170 million a year business. It has been utilized as a protective layer over the screens of more than 40 million cellphones and mobile devices.

Now as Gorilla glass uses and developments progress, it moves into the TV industry. It is perfect because it is very difficult to dent, scratch, or break. With Gorilla glass, TVs are going to progress into what can be almost considered a work of art. Companies are now heading in the direction of frameless flat-screen TVs that will get rid of the protective rims and bezels that are normally found on them. Corning is currently talking to different Asian manufacturers to negotiate the use of Gorilla glass in TVs by early 2011. They already have productions in their Harrodsburg, KY factory in full force, and they are converting part of a second factory in Japan so that they can fill what they predict to be overflowing orders in 2011. "That'll tell you something about our confidence in this," said Corning President Peter Volanakis.

Even when it is half the thickness of ordinary chemically strengthened soda-lime glass, Gorilla is still two or three times stronger. Because of the incredible strength of Gorilla glass, it can be as thin as a dime. This will help in cutting not only the weight of the TV but also the shipping costs.

Investors are already making predictions about Gorilla glass. Deutsche Bank analyst Carter Shoop says, "There's a wide range of views on how successful this product will be. But I think it's safe to say…it's a tremendous opportunity. We'll have to see how consumers react."

Paul Gagnon, a DisplaySearch market analyst, states that alternatives "obviously scratch easier, they're thicker and heavier, but they're also cheaper." He guesses that a sheet of Gorilla glass would add anywhere from $30 to $60 to the cost of the TV. I think that the general public would be happy to pay extra for this new, chic, frameless TV. Like it or not, TVs are becoming focal points in living rooms and family rooms across America, so why not pay a little extra for a sleek, stylish, glass work of art.

Corning President, Peter Volanakis, says, "This is a fashion trend, not a functional trend, and that's what makes (the growth rate) very hard to predict. But because the market is so large in terms of number of TVs -- and the amount of glass per TV is so large -- that's what can move the needle pretty quickly."

Gorilla glass is an amazing product. It is already used in over 100 different devices including Motorola’s Droid smartphone and LG’s X300 Notebook. It will be quite interesting to watch the developments in the television industry as they move forward with their Gorilla glass visions. A lighter, frameless TV sounds like a dream come true. We’ll have to see how Corning Inc. and whoever they choose to work with comes through as the next few years progress.

---

Planning your next trade show or big event and looking for a Plasma Rental, or large screen Monitor Rental? Then call 800-736-8772 for affordable AV Rentals nationwide!