• S Cllsploy news

Six-screen pop video display on shop floor

Six-screen v~deo display from RVS promotes sales of pop music at WH Smith, Hammemrrdth

At their Hammersmith store in West London, WH Smith Ltd are promoting the latest pop music with a programmed video display using a bank of six screens.

As the music plays, customers see the corresponding pop video on some of the screens, while others show promotional information about the album. The display changes constantly, presenting a half-hour sequence of eight to twelve songs. The sequence is regu- larly updated as new songs enter the charts.

The system was designed and installed for WH Smith by retail video consultants RVS Ltd. The display is controlled by TSARS VT, a twin-source automatic replay sys- tem which coordinates the outputs of two video players on to three or more screens, enabling continuous display even during re-winding. RVS specified all the hardware, including customized suspension racks to support the video screens.

RVS Ltd, I-MEX House, 6 Wads- worth Rd, Perivale, Middlesex UB6 5BB, UK. Tel: (01) 991 5591 []

Removing static electricity from computer s c r e e n s

Profect is a new and environmen- tally benevolent Danish developed product which removes static elec- tricity from personal computer screens, and as an added benefit cleans and protects the screen. The product now being launched in the UK, is covered by world patents, and is being exported in large quan- tities to a number of European countries plus USA and Japan.

Static electricity emitted from the computer screen is the cause of tiredness and headaches experi- enced by many computer operators. The new Danish product is the result of research done by two Danish scientists in cooperation with the Danish Board of Technol- ogy. By removing the static electric- ity from computer screens, it is hoped Profect will be the important

contributor to largely improved office environments in many thousands of companies and gov- ernment departments internatio- nally.

The new antistatic means of treating the computer screen is quick and easy. No spray or

polishing cloth is required. The Danish scientists having put emph- asis on the environmental needs, the antistatic substance is from the factory dosed onto hygienic throw- away tissues and closed into small hermetically sealed bags.

The product is being constantly monitored by the internationally recognized Steins Laboratory of West Germany. Official tests per- formed by Steins Laboratory and several other important testing organizations have shown that Pro-

fest is completely harmless to the users as well as to computer equip- ment. The antistatic properties of Profect are effective for a minimum of two weeks, after which the treat- ment is repeated. One box contain- ing 25 screen cleaners is therefore sufficient to protect and keep one computer screen without static elec- tricity for one year.

When using Profect, a molecular thin moist film is left on the screen surface. A moist film is able to divert electricity, but as the mois- ture evaporates, the film loses this ability, and static electricity will rapidly build up again.

The Profect film contains a humidity absorbing ingredient which maintains the required mois- ture by extracting humidity from the air, and it will maintain the

248 DISPLAYS, OCTOBER 1989

Olsploys news

ability to do so over a period of 14 days, according to a test report from the Institute of Technology in Copenhagen.

The Profect film stays on the screen surface. When after 14 days the Profect treatment is repeated, the 'old' film is regenerated so that the humidity absorbing ability is back at full strength. Simulta- neously, the film would have been cleaned and repaired. Scratches

from nails etc. and untreated spots are now coated. The Profect film protects the screen against airborne particles (dust and fumes) and against fingerprints. Without the protective film salts from finger- prints virtually burn onto the screen, and it takes hard rubbing to get them off. When Profect has been applied, fingerprints are extre- mely easy to wipe off, if a piece of cloth or a paper tissue is not within

reach, just use a sleeve or a hand- kerchief. Customers amongst banks and insurance companies seem to focus especially on this advantage.

AMS Environment Technology, 10 Stirling Rd, Castleham Industrial Estate, St Leonard.s-on-Sea, East Sussex TN38 9NW, UK. Tel: (0424) 52314; Fax: (0424) 52454; Telex: 957110 CNC G []

User-friendly touch terminal The Orange Box model TI'700 touch terminal combines the latest supertwist LCD display and capaci- tive touch-screen technology to give a fully interactive information dis- play. According to the manufactur- ers, the unit requires no keyboard skills or computer literacy on the part of the user. Memorized com- mands or keyboard sequences can be replaced by selection of labelled touch-sensitive key areas on the screen.

The unit may be programmed while in use so that screens may be updated and functions changed without intervention by the user. The software of the TI'700 incorpo- rates a learning algorithm which allows the unit to adapt to a user's needs. The 254 internal screens may be divided up into 80 touch areas, each displaying data and/or offering command options. The 24 most regularly used screens may be accessed within 10 ms, while those used less often are retrieved in less than 100 ms.

The internal command set pro- vides full local control over screen handling and screen switching tasks, freeing the host machine of the load.

In normal operation, the TIT00 may be interposed between a PS2 (or conventional VDU) and its keyboard. Alternatively, it may be connected directly to a host to replace a conventional keyboard/ terminal. In addition, the two RS232 interfaces allow two compu- ter systems to be accessed at the same time.

The battery-backed memory of

the TI'700 retains data while the unit is switched off. This feature also allows the terminal to be prog- rammed off-site and provides immediate access to data on switch- on since no programme download is required.

As far as programming goes, the TIT00 is easily programmed through either of the serial ports using ESCape codes. A graphics orientated program called Screen- Maker is available to run on PS2/ AT-compatible machines with EGA.

The command set offers the fol- lowing features: definition of posi- tion and size of touch area; defini- tion of labels to be displayed in

touch areas; definition of data to be transmitted on valid touch; routing of touch data to PS2/VDU or serial port; routing of keyboard input to PS2/VDU or either serial port; selection of response to valid touch input - audio, visual or both; defini- tion of screen switch route on each touch area; definition of touch area attribute - inverse, flash, etc.

The active display area measures 230 m m x 144 mm with a resolution of 640 x 400 pixels at 0.36 mm pitch. A variable screen angle of 10" to 60 ° features along with a dc power consumption of under 8 W.

Orange Box Design Ltd, Oak- field, Llanbadoc, Usk, Gwent NP5 1 TG, UK. Tel: 02913 2974 []

Tungsten lamp displays for outdoors Shorekarn has added a tungsten lamp unit to its Message Maker range of displays, particularly suit- able for use in external applications where a display is required to be read in bright sunlight.

Encased in a rugged weath- erproof housing, the display system itself is constructed in the form of modules, each of which is 16 col- umns wide. Standard display lengths are 16 and 20 characters (6 and 8 modules), although other sizes are available to order. Stan- dard character height ranges from 300 mm to 2 m. Multiline systems can be configured with up to 4 lines.

Control of the display is either from a standard Qwerty keyboard or from a remote programmer,

when the display cannot be seen by the operator. Programming is possi- ble over a phone/modem link. A wide range of functions is available from the display, including a perpe- tual calendar and 24 hour clock, full function editor, four program sche- dules, double width display mode and simple graphics. Display fea- tures include spell and invisible spell, write, scroll up and down, dissolve, venetian blind, wipe, blank, pause, word flash and vari- able speed. There is 12 week data retention for the memories and clock in the absence of mains power.

Shorekarn Ltd, 18 Ashchurch Rd, Tewkesbury, Gloucs GL20 8BT, UK. Tel: (0684) 295845 []

DISPLAYS. OCTOBER 1989 249