退一步，海阔天空. Why Not Take a Step Back?

My colleague Ji Shen, Founder and CEO of The HoverCam who is originally from China, just shared we me words of wisdom: 退一步，海阔天空。 Tui Yi Bu, Hai Kuo Tian Kong. It means, roughly: "Take a step back, and the sky opens before you."  Often in business - especially in "start-up" mode, we tend to charge ahead in our work, sometimes getting stuck in a rut. Instead of plowing forward, why not take a step back? New options, new paths as wide as the sea and sky will appear. 

How To Use HoverCam With An iPad

I’m often asked, “How can I use the HoverCam with the iPad?”

Here are some ways to get the most out of your tablet and your document camera.

The HoverCam is a great
way to show images on an
iPad and train how to use apps.

First, the HoverCam is an excellent way to show a large screen image of a tablet (or smartphone) screen.  Just put the tablet underneath the HoverCam, and the high resolution, true 5-megapixel sensor of the HoverCam Solo 5 displays the tablet screen crystal clear. The advantage of showing the tablet screen this way is the audience (or class) can easily follow the instructor’s hand movements, making it easier to comprehend how the teacher is using the tablet.  And with the Solo 5 being the world’s fastest 5-megapixel USB document camera, there’s not much blurring (and less blurring than there would be with high-resolution USB document cameras from other manufacturers).

If you’d like to use the iPad to control a HoverCam, a great way to do that is with an app called Splashtop, which allows you to control your computer screen with the iPad.  With the HoverCam attached to your computer and with Splashtop installed on your iPad you can control all HoverCam functions with the iPad. The camera images can be simultaneously seen on the iPad, the computer and the projector and you can annotate and manipulate the HoverCam image with the iPad.  Splashtop also has an app to turn the iPad into an “interactive” tablet / whiteboard.  Our technical service department has thoroughly tested Splashtop. The application installs easily and works perfectly.  We recommend it.  (Of course Android tablets such as LearnPad that are Splashtop compatible also work well with HoverCam.)

We occasionally run into a person who says, “I don’t need a document camera.  My tablet has a camera.”  We believe – as do our customers – that both products can co-exist in the classroom.  A blogpost next week will explain why.

Sweden To The HoverCam: "Det Ar Bra!"

My favorite things about Sweden are herring, midnight sun, cross country skiing and the teachers.

Each year in January we attend a conference called BETT, which is not just the largest education technology trade show in Britain, but all of Europe. And one of my favorite things about BETT is the Swedish teachers, almost 4,000 of them, who travel to warm winter London to see our products.

Our European Sales Manager, Anders Wik, is from Gothenburg and with “Gotteborg Humor” entertains the Swedish visitors to our trade show booth with tales about our products. It’s good fun and by the end of the 4-day exposition I’ve heard his

Anders setting up the HoverCam booth

at BETT in the UK, January 2013.

spiel so many times I’m speaking Swedish.

  This week, we will launch the HoverCam Mini 5, the world’s smallest document camera, in Sweden at SETT, Scandinavia’s largest education technology conference.

SETT is an acronym for Scandinavian Educational Technology Transformation. This is the 2^nd year for the conference, which attracted 4,500 teachers, ICT (Interactive Communications Technology) instructors and school administrators from 3 countries last year.

The goals for the conference are to introduce new digital technologies to the classroom to increase student achievement.

According to HoverCam’s Swedish resellers, the Mini is ideal for teachers who instruct at multiple schools, because it weighs less than 250 grams. The HoverCam Mini allows instructors to scan paper documents, and also to capture images with the camera that can be shown on interactive whiteboards in class.

“Many teachers are using the HoverCam to create instructional videos,” says Anders.

The HoverCam Mini 5 will be displayed at SETT by the Swedish instructional technology integrators AV Huset and ITM, which will highlight how HoverCam can be used by teachers as an instructional technology tool. (One of the highlights of BETT – the UK show – is meeting up with AV Huset and ITM on the streets of London for a concert, samplings of British ale and good stories.)

HoverCam’s products will also be showcased by two companies highlighting the HoverCam’s capability to work with OCR (optical character recognition) software, ICAP and Svensk Talteknologi.  OCR software allows text from book pages scanned with the HoverCam to be converted from text to speech, which is useful for students with visual impairments. The scan quality of the HoverCam works well with OCR software.

“The HoverCam is user friendly,” says Anders. “The software is in Swedish and easy to install since it is embedded in the unit,” he said. HoverCam products appeal to teachers in Sweden, Norway and Denmark because of the good video quality, ergonomic design and multi-functionality. “Each HoverCam is also a scanner and a video recorder,” says Anders, “And it’s affordable for schools.”

HoverCam products were first introduced to North America in 2010, where 100,000 HoverCam units have been installed in schools. We began working with Anders and  exporting HoverCams to Sweden in May, 2011.

This is how I sound after speaking Swedish for 4 days. (Full disclosure: I hired a Swede to play the part of me in the video.)



For additional information about the HoverCam in Sweden, please visit the company’s Swedish website www.thehovercam.se For additional information about the SETT Conference, which runs April 17 – 18 please visit www.settdagarna.se/en For additional information about HoverCam products in North America please visit www.thehovercam.com or email contact@thehovercam.com

HoverCam Allows Any Teacher To "Flip" The Classroom & Create Flipped Videos

The success of the Khan Academy and the use of online recorded videos to demonstrate problem solving which students can access at any time is turning classrooms upside down.

Welcome to the world of "flipped learning" where the teacher's job is not to lecture and pontificate, but to coach, made possible by the high-speed web which hosts a world of instructional videos and education content. The concept of a flipped classroom is where students learn the concepts online at their pace (easily repeating when necessary) and the role of the teacher in class is to answer questions students couldn't figure out on their own.

Khan Academy and Internet searches will yield many results on how to solve specific types of exercises, but for those times when teachers feel compelled to create and post their own content online, what's the easiest way to create a high-quality instructional video? If the teacher doesn't have a stand or tripod for the smartphone, tablet or camera, attempting to make a recording by placing a device on a stack or books (or something more unstable) puts the device at risk.  And, where to find a special stand (with a clamp) that would hold a camera positioned over paper pointing down?

The HoverCam offers an easy solution. Essentially, a HoverCam is a high-resolution camera on a stick with software that allows recording in high-definition HD video.  Here's how it works.  The instructor plugs the HoverCam "document camera" into the USB port of a computer and launches the software. Next step is to position the paper or instructional materials directly under the camera and make sure everything is lined up. Then, press the record button in the software and the video is recorded directly to the computer's hard drive.  Because the HoverCam has a microphone, sound is also recorded. Viola, instant video on the computer which can be posted using HoverCam's software to a website, attached to an email, inserted into a PowerPoint and uploaded to Dropbox, Evernote, YouTube and other cloud services.

In addition to recording flipped videos, the HoverCam can also be used as a "document camera" to show live images of papers and solid objects to the class; used as a scanner to scan & file multiple documents or student assignments; used as a high-resolution webcam for distance learning and Skype; and used to grade tests.

Here's a step-by-step video tutorial from HoverCam's website showing how to create a flipped video for the classroom:



The HoverCam is priced right for schools with prices starting at $219 and is sold through a network of education specialist resellers throughout North America.  The company offers a free trial of its units to education institutions.  For additional information, please visit the company's website at http://www.thehovercam.com/teachers

Can HoverCam Get College Students To Do What Their Parents Couldn't: Clean Up Their Rooms?

HoverCam Mini combines features of
camera, camera & video camera into
one pocket size device.

How cool is scanning?

Yeah, right. LOL.

Not so fast. The HoverCam has developed this new device that combines the capabilities of a camera with a scanner. Oh, and it fits in your pocket.

So?

So you can take it to the library and scan articles and convert the text to OCR to assist with writing research papers.  And everything you scan you can upload to your Evernote account.

What else?

HoverCam reduces the need
to carry (and keep) so many devices.
Don't be this guy.

The next day, you're making a presentation to your class and you want to show the widget you made with the 3-D printer so you pull it out and place it underneath the HoverCam for everyone to see. Your "document camera" is much sleeker than the large monster on the lectern. You zoom in and out showing the fine details of your 3-D object. And, since you've already written an app for your widget, you place your smartphone under the camera to show the class how the app works (and everyone sees the phone's screen clearly).

That's pretty cool.

There's more. When you get back to your dorm your friend texts you how to solve a wicked calculus problem so you answer not a problem and pull out your HoverCam and plug it into your computer and with Skype and the HoverCam you show your friend step-by-step how to work the problem.

About the size of a chocolate bar -
the HoverCam Mini helps students
reduce paper & organize their desk.

Later in the evening you're inspired to create a blog post and you use the HoverCam (which includes a stand) to record the video straight onto your computer's hard drive where it's easily dragged-and-dropped into the blog (and also uploaded to your Dropbox account from HoverCam's software).

Your friends stop by afterwards and you want to take a group photo. The HoverCam does that for you as well, using the timer, so that everyone is in the picture.

And best of all, see all those papers on your desk, in your drawers and on your bookshelves?  You gather them all into a pile and set the motion trigger in the HoverCam's software to take a scan two seconds after placing the paper under the camera.  So you scan, scan, scan, scan and in a matter of minutes ALL of the papers in the room have been scanned and archived in HoverCam's software and you carry the papers to the recycle bin.  Viola, instant order to the dorm room.

OK, I get it. Where do I get one?

The HoverCam Mini is available to college students from the education retailer Studica. They've got the HoverCam and hundreds of software titles and gadgets at student pricing.

Cool.

HoverCam Prepares Launch of World's First "Scanning Camera"

Will the HoverCam Mini become
the new chocolate for road warriors?

With just two weeks to go before the start of CES, Pathway Innovations, Inc. (San Diego, CA) is busy preparing the launch of its much anticipated Mini 5, a new concept in cameras that combines the functions of scanner and camera for road warriors and office use.

"Anticipated" is a generous word - because in the consumer and business world there is no such thing as a "scan camera" that does what the Mini will attempt.  But in the education and professional audio visual (pro-AV) marketplace, the Mini will achieve the status as world's smallest "document camera."  For schools, this type of product is used as a replacement for the overhead projector (OHP) or opaque projector - ask any teacher what an "Elmo" is and they'll tell you it's not a furry Sesame Street Character but a tool for showing worksheets, books, 3-D objects and dissections to students in class. Elmo Corporation of Japan is the 800 lbs. gorilla in the "document camera" market. It's been 3 years since the upstart HoverCam introduced its first USB document camera with twice the performance of an Elmo at one-third the price. In a weak economy with schools concerned about budgets HoverCam sales to the K-12 education market have taken off. Now, here comes the Mini.

The HoverCam Mini 5 plugs directly into
the USB port of a computer without
a USB cable, making it convenient for
use on the road (or in an office).

The Mini incorporates features of a document camera, scanner, camcorder and camera, and fits into a pocket or purse. Despite the small size, the Mini packs powerful features including a true 5 megapixel sensor, resolution high enough to scan documents and use with popular OCR software such as ABBY Fine Reader. Furthermore, the refresh rate is fast enough to allow it to be used to record instructional videos, as a high resolution webcam for showing documents during remote conferencing and to conduct live training session showing new apps on an iPad or a tablet.

In the education market, the Mini is expected to be a hit among teachers who travel from school to school to train, and for administrators including school principals and IT directors.

What about the general business and consumer market? Will the Mini become the new chocolate for road warriors? According to Ji Shen, Pathway's CEO and HoverCam inventor, the Mini is a personal scanner, and he says jokingly, "it's the pathway to the paperless office."  The company has developed software for scanning documents, and includes links to export directly to Evernote, Dropbox, Facebook, YouTube and other Cloud Services.  In addition, the Mini will include software for scanning and managing business cards and receipts.

Is it fair to call the Mini a competitor to the ubiquitous NeatDesk(TM) or NeatReceipts(TM) scanners? No, according to Mr. Shen. "Neat has had several years to develop and perfect its receipt scanning software and we're just beginning. The HoverCam advantage is the versatility of a camera that scans documents and shoots photos and can used with Skype to video conference and and make recordings," he said.  Mr. Shen added,  "The Mini at this stage is a video presentation and quick scanning tool. But, I expect our receipt scanning software to improve with time."

·       Time Savings & Convenience

–    How does it feel waiting when using a traditional flatbed scanner that takes a minute to complete a single scan? The Mini addresses that problem by scanning in a second, and, using the motion sensor or auto timer a user can scan up to 30 items in a minute. In an office, instead of walking to the other side of the building to use a shared scanner, Mini owners will save time and reduce interruptions to their workflow. And, no more fumbling with a smartphone or tablet trying to use its camera as a scanner. With the Mini camera head set into position, scans are quick, accurate and can be filed instantly.

·         More Effective Remote Collaboration

–    During a web conference, ever try holding a document or drawing up to the built-in low resolution webcam of the computer? It was probably hard for people in other locations to see it clearly. Mini 5 attempts to solve that problem by providing crisp, clear images of documents and objects during online meetings and can be used with Skype™, GoToMeeting™, WebEx™ and other online meeting services.

·         Compact Size

–    Mini 5’s footprint takes up very little space on a desktop and is always available when needed to scan, record a video or better explain a concept over the Internet. And, it folds to fit in a pocket, purse or computer bag.

• 5MP Resolution

–      Mini 5 incorporates a 5 megapixel sensor sharp enough to function as a general scanner and to provide crisp clear images easily seen by an audience when used for live presentations of documents, 3D objects or to share images from a tablet or smartphone.

•       Fast Refresh Rate

–      Mini 5 sets a new standard in fast refresh rates for a live 5 MP USB document camera with video speeds of 20 frames per second when set @ HD 720P resolution and 15 fps when set @ 5 MP resolution. This allows for a very clear and smooth image when using the Mini 5 for live presentations or training.

•       Autofocus & Focus Lock Convenience

–      Mini 5 incorporates a tiny auto-focusing CMOS sensor and lens module. From any angle or distance, images become instantly clear. 

•       Laptop or Desktop

–      Mini 5 is designed to be easy to use on the go -- on an airplane, or on the floor of an exposition hall.  Simply plug it directly into a USB port of your laptop or ultrabook -- no cable required.  For even greater flexibility when making a presentation or to connect to a desktop, the Mini’s carry case can be converted into a stand, which connects to a computer with a USB cable. Not just a protective carrying case, the Mini’s protective case converts into a USB docking station. Clever.

·         Receipt Scanning With HoverCam "Memo" Software

–      HoverCam Memo™  software allows any receipt to be scanned with the click of the mouse or, using the motion trigger function, with the wave of your hand, allowing you to scan a pile of receipts quickly.  Generate expense reports and monthly analyses instantly.  Scan and organize in the Archive folder anything including notes, checks, invoices, mobile phone & tablet screen shots, diary pages, video clips, household inventory, and more. Upload scanned images and video directly to cloud services such as Evernote™, Dropbox ™, Facebook™ and YouTube™.

•       HoverCam Contact

–      Hover Contact™ software functions as a digital Rolodex allowing you to capture, store, review and manage all of your contacts. You can even connect with them automatically via Facebook or LinkedIn.

The company says the HoverCam Mini 5 will begin shipping in Q2 and is now taking reservations to purchase in April. The price is $299. The product will be available to the education market through a network of education specialist resellers and to the general business and consumer market through numerous resellers and online stores. For additional information, please visit the company's website www.thehovercam.com

Full disclosure: The writer has 20 years experience in the education technology marketplace and has been an importer and distributor of document cameras made in Japan, Korea and Taiwan. In the past, he was product manager of a business development project that included Elmo Corporation and is currently a consultant to Pathway Innovations, manufacturer of The HoverCam. The opinions expressed are his own, unless noted otherwise. Specifications and pricing are subject to change, but were accurate at the time of writing.

Upstart HoverCam Stakes Out Leadership Position in "Document Camera" Market

HoverCam "scanning cameras" are made by a feisty, bootstrapped, start-up company out of San Diego, CA called Pathway Innovations. Three years ago, Pathway was just two guys in a garage with a new type of "scan camera" - a camera on a stand with software that took a high-resolution picture of a document in a second, much faster than traditional flat-bed scanners.  In January 2010 Pathway exhibited at the Consumer Electronics Show (CES) in Las Vegas and sold a few units. At the end of the show, a visitor approached Ji Shen, the founder and inventor, and suggested, "You ought to be in education." Then, the light bulb went off and the company changed directions approached the school market where every classroom and every teacher in the world could use one of its HoverCams. There was a market for such products already called "document cameras," and there was an 800 lb. gorilla making them: Elmo Corporation of Japan. But the HoverCam concept was different. The traditional products were like "mainframes" -- they were large, expensive and hooked up directly to a projector.  But the HoverCam was small, cost just $199, connected to a computer, and used software to become an all-in-one, multifunctional device to teach, scan, record voice & video, Web conference and even grade tests. Every teacher who saw one wanted one, and the company has since grown to more than 50 people and opened a factory in China to keep up with demand.  Sales doubled in 2012 and are expected to double, or more, in 2013 according to Mr. Shen.

From (L), the "Mini", the world's small-
est document camera, (C) the Neo with
two cameras, (R) the Solo, world's fastest
5 mega pixel document camera.

The company makes a bold claim it is the technology leader in the document camera market for schools and the products it has developed seem to back it up. After shipping the first high resolution, USB document cameras 3 years ago, the company has developed the world's smallest document camera (the so-called Mini) which fits in a pocket and will begin shipping in Q1 2013. It developed a book scanning product called the Impress that scans books automatically and won a 2012 CES "Innovation Award." Earlier this year, the company began shipments of Neo 3, the first "document camera" to incorporate a two-camera design, that supports the concept of the "flipped classroom" by giving teachers the ability to easily create video content with the two cameras showing picture-in-picture, or to use the second camera when web conferencing. The company's latest introduction is the Solo 5, and its claim to fame is the world's fastest 5 mega pixel USB document camera for schools.

Like it's predecessor, the Solo 5 is also an all-in-one USB document camera targeted for the school market that allows teachers to present, scan, record voice and video and grade multiple choice tests.  Solo 5 offers twice the performance of HoverCam’s best-selling T3 and has the world’s fastest refresh rate of any true 5 mega pixel document camera, which means no more blurry images. In addition, the shooting area is A3 size which is much larger than its previous cameras and more practical for teachers.

Traditional "document camera" before advent of the HoverCam.

One of HoverCam's strong features has always been its software, called HoverCam Flex.  The software allows instructors to easily crop and capture images, zoom, rotate, annotate, record, manage documents, share via email or cloud services and even connect over the Internet with another HoverCam user anywhere in the world (this is the "HoverCam Connect" feature). The Solo 5 is compatible with leading interactive whiteboards and may be used with remote conferencing software including Skype™, Go To Meeting™ and WebEx™.  Other advanced features include a flip-up, fully rotating camera head, auto focus and the ability to tilt the arm to just an inch above an object for super close-ups that until now where possible only with document cameras costing hundreds of dollars more.

HoverCam Solo 5 (L) in closed
position. When opened, it has a
fully rotating camera head which
may be used as a webcam or
pointed down to scan or display
hi-res images of documents or
solid objects.
.

Each Solo 5 includes a one-year complimentary license of HoverCam’s GradeCentral™ software, which saves teachers time and provides student assessment quickly and easily. Solo 5 folds up to a compact size and is powered by a USB cable, so it is easy to move around and set-up. Because the foot-print is so small, it may be kept on the desk ready for immediate use anytime. More than just a document camera, the Solo 5 is a cost effective, multifunctional device for education that assists every teacher convey concepts more effectively, increase student engagement and save time capturing and managing documents.

The Solo 5 for education is priced at $269 and is available for purchase from the HoverCam's website and through a network of authorized education resellers.  For additional information and to test drive a unit, contact the manufacturer at www.thehovercam.com

The table below provides a summary of Solo 5  features & benefits:

Key Features	Benefits
5 MP resolution (2592 x 1944) sensor with Auto Focus and Auto Focus Lock	Capture and display clear images, so students at the back of the room can see small type on a full page document. With such high resolution, Solo 5 may also be used as a scanner to scan articles and student papers. Auto Focus makes it easier for teachers to set up and use.
Fast refresh rate of up to 25 frames/second at HD 720p resolution and UXGA 1200 X 1600	Display clear images with little blurring or delay, the Solo 5 may also be used to create instructional videos for “flipped learning” and for remote conferencing.
A3 shooting area	Capture and display images up to 17” x 22” including legal size and both pages of an open book.
Reticulated folding arm provides 12 mechanical zoom	Position camera head 1” above an object to show clear close-up shots desired in science classes. To achieve such clarity and level of zoom typically costs hundreds of dollars more. On top of that, 16X digital zoom.
HoverCam Flex software	Intuitive, easy to use software for zooming, manipulating images, capturing images, annotation, recording and sharing documents, videos, photos and content created. Ideal tool for "flipped" classroom instruction.
Multi-functional, all-in-one design	Incorporates key features of multiple devices into one HoverCam for scanning, grading, recording voice and video and live presentations providing a cost-effective tool for every classroom with a fast payback in instructor enthusiasm, improved delivery and increased student engagement. Cost effective alternative to Elmo brand products.
One-year GradeCentral™ software license included	Saves instructor time compared to grading by hand and provides immediate results compared to walking to another building to drop off tests at a ScanTron™ type of machine. GradeCentral allows teachers and schools to create test keys, score tests and analyze results.  Data capture may be easily exported to the school’s SIS.
Quick Keys	Use the quick keys on the base to snap an image, zoom in and out, freeze frame and snap to focus.
USB Interface	Just plug the USB cable from Solo 5 into the computer and you’re ready to use it immediately as the device is USB powered. Software is embedded in the unit so it's not necessary to download from the web. As a USB device, captured images may be drag and dropped into the window of any software program, including interactive whiteboard software and Microsoft Office™ applications. Use HoverCam's Whiteboard Connector software to display live video on any IAWB.

Full disclosure: The writer has 20 years experience in the education technology marketplace and has been an importer and distributor of document cameras made in Japan, Korea and Taiwan. In the past, he was product manager of a business development project that included Elmo Corporation and is currently a consultant to Pathway Innovations, manufacturer of The HoverCam. The opinions expressed are his own, unless noted otherwise. Specifications and pricing are subject to change, but were accurate at the time of writing.