The features, unveiled earlier this week, include new filters, control over your appearance, new noise suppression capabilities, emojis and presentation features.

These can be accessed by upgrading to Zoom 5.2, the company says in a blog post.

Read Next: Zoom’s HaaS Offering is a Simple Way for SMBs to Deploy Zoom Rooms

According to Zoom, the features aim to enhance connection between employees while working from home and bring the casual and fun elements of an office setting to the virtual meeting culture.

“Zoom wants to empower you to feel your best in virtual meetings, express your individuality, and build moments of fun into your day with some new features that uplevel your video game. Zoom filters, reactions, improved lighting capabilities, and enhanced noise suppression make sure that wherever and however you meet, it’s more fun with Zoom!”

• New filter options, similar to filter son Snapchat and other social media platforms, allow users to add a hue to their video or appear with horns, a pirate eye patch and other accessories.
• The new update also gives users more control over their appearance on video. Users can touch up their appearance with tools like skin smoothing, and they can adjust the lighting so they appear well-lit in any setting.
• Zoom also improved its noise suppression capabilities that allow for both low and high suppression. At the low setting, background music can still come through, while a high suppression allows for distraction-free audio.
• When presenting a PowerPoint or Keynote document, users can overlay their video on the slides like a weathercaster. The video can be moved to any part of the screen and can also be resized.
• The company also added new reaction emojis like celebrate, laugh and heart.

The post New Zoom Features: Filters, Presentations and Noise Suppression appeared first on My TechDecisions.

The integrated, non-contact solution joins the Carrier Healthy Buildings Program suite of offerings to support reopening and to assist in slowing the spread of COVID-19 and possibly other viruses in the workplace through thermal screening.

LenelS2 will offer integrated thermal imaging screening and access control solutions to quickly identify individuals with elevated skin temperature and apply customizable access control parameters to allow or deny entry, according to the company.

The strategic collaboration will leverage the FLIR EST line of non-contact thermal screening cameras, including the A500-EST and A700-EST, by integrating with the LenelS2 OnGuard access control system.

“As organizations implement site-specific screening protocols, integrating access control systems with thermal imaging solutions is an important part of a comprehensive approach,” says Jeff Stanek, president, LenelS2. “The collaboration with FLIR will help drive our end users’ access control decisions in support of healthy, safe workspaces.”

Related: Checking the Legitimacy of Temperature Scanning Platforms and Other Coronavirus-Related Products

FLIR says it designed the A500-EST and A700-EST as non-contact screening tools that can serve as a first line of defense against potential health risks. These cameras are part of FLIR’s A-Series camera offering and are U.S. FDA 510(k) registered.

Through onboard edge-computing with advanced measurement tools or when combined with customized elevated skin temperature screening software, these cameras are said to provide rapid, frictionless screening stations that communicate with the OnGuard access control system to automatically process and apply customizable access control parameters.

“Having a set of processes including temperature checks is critical for organizations as they work to maintain their operations or begin to return employees safely back to work,” says Rickard Lindvall, vice president and general manager, solutions business, FLIR.

“The FLIR and LenelS2 brands complement each other perfectly to provide our customers best-of-breed solutions they can confidently deploy.”

This post premiered on our sister site, Security Sales & Integration.

The post OnGuard Access Control System Now Integrates with FLIR Thermal Cameras appeared first on My TechDecisions.

The Tampa YMCA is in the midst of a multi-phase security system project that includes video surveillance, fire and intrusion upgrades.

In September 2019, the Tampa YMCA was presented with an opportunity. “We had received a generous donation to be used for cameras, and I was tasked with interviewing vendors and evaluating platforms to determine how best to leverage this donation,”  says Nate Valentin, vice president of information technology, Tampa YMCA. Valentin and his team devised plans to go well beyond standard video surveillance.

Prior to this upgrade, the Tampa YMCA had cameras from another manufacturer at three locations. Phase one of the project was to install approximately 150 3xLOGIC cameras at the remaining locations — the smaller buildings received four-camera packages, most locations have 16, and the largest facilities have 20-25 cameras.

Valentin comments, “If there’s any silver lining to the current pandemic, Redwire’s excellent work enabled us to get all the camera systems installed while we were closed down and before we opened summer camps.”

The 3xLOGIC cameras cover a wide range of areas of interest— parking lots, pools, any childcare areas, workout centers, front desks and basketball courts.

Related: 5 Tips for Choosing Campus Security Cameras

Phase two of the project will see fire and intrusion systems upgraded and monitored by RedWire. Remote access to the camera systems via 3xLOGIC’s View Lite II mobile app is said to help mitigate false alarms.

Phase three of the project will see all cameras — new and previously installed — taken over by 3xLOGIC’s VIGIL VMS. “We want everything under one platform and standardized across the organization,” says Valentin.

Valentin says during the planning and installation he began to see possibilities for his system that went beyond monitoring parking lots and protecting the YMCA from false claims.

“Video is a great tool and it gives us the information we need to make good, informed decisions. We also saw video and our overall security system as a way to enhance our member’s experience and to increase member engagement.”

The Tampa YMCA plans to establish a call center to accomplish these important goals of enhancing member engagement and satisfaction.

Call center staff will have access to live video feeds of key areas across all YMCA locations so members can call in to ask, for example, if a basketball court is free or how many swim lanes are open and any number of other questions they have about the facilities.

“Not only will we be able to give our members up-to-the-minute, accurate information about the status of facilities, this will also take some of the load off front desk staff so they can better serve the person standing in front of them,” Valentin explains.

Redwire will install fire and intrusion systems from another manufacturer, but 3xLOGIC video surveillance will be used to verify anything these systems flag. Redwire will perform fire and intrusion monitoring and they are also the managed services provider (MSP) for all the cameras.

This article premiered on our sister site, Security Sales & Integration. 

The post YMCA Security Enhanced with 3xLOGIC’s VIGIL VMS appeared first on My TechDecisions.

In a press release, the company said the library – which it calls expansive – was developed through a new partnership with building professional research platform BIMsmith.

The offering is intended to empower designers by simplifying and speeding the design process with modern 3D CAD programs, said Dam Smith, LG’s vice president of business development, in a statement.

“Nearly all of today’s major building projects rely on advanced 3D computer design software,” Smith said. “By partnering with BIMsmith to launch the LG BIM library, we’re thinking about architects’ upstream design needs and enabling better results for designers and their end-user clients.”

Read Next: LG’s Releases Coronavirus Response Digital Signage Solutions

The partnership resulted in 3D models that can help designers create spaces that leverage the capabilities of LG displays, which includes a large portfolio of commercial displays like Transparent OLED, LED Signage, MicroLED and a variety of other displays for retail and public information uses.

The models provide visual representations for 3D environments and key product data to help professionals incorporate LG dispalys into the building design. They are also built to integrate with architectural design software Autodesk Revit.

The BIM resources are available on LG’s website and the BIMsmith Market for building professionals.

“LG has a global reputation for innovative technology and design,” said Benjamin Glunz, CEO of BIMsmith. “By joining the BIMsmith platform, LG is helping architects specify appropriate state-of-the-art displays for their building designs.”

Building professionals can view the new LG BIM Library at www.lgsolutions.com/BIM-library and at www.bimsmith.com/LG-Electronics.

The post LG Launches Online Library of BIM Resources appeared first on My TechDecisions.

The collection is one of Poland’s most cherished – housing more than 20,000 paintings, drawings, sculptures, glasswork, ceramics, photography, and conceptual works.

The Tech Decision

Also part of the collection is an immersive multimedia component leveraging cutting edge A/V technologies – and supported at its core by Renkus-Heinz’ powerful audio solutions.

The “See it, hear it, touch it” multimedia screenings at the museum offer an integrated approach to experiencing art. Components considered traditional to art museums – framed paintings and statues – are augmented using projections, light and sound.

The museum’s stated goal of the space is to utilize brilliant lighting, stunning imagery and powerful sound systems – and in turn offer visitors an awakening of all their senses.

Key to that awakening is the immersive audio.

“We have set up a Renkus-Heinz system in a room with sensors that trigger set experiences depending on where the listener is in the exhibition,” says Paweł Francuz, Product Manager at M.Ostrowski integration firm, which provided the system at the museum.

“This provides an experience that connects with the same impact as the visual side of things.”

The Museum Technology Solution

The installation includes 48 Renkus-Heinz CA81-RD point source loudspeakers and two Renkus-Heinz CA118S-RD subwoofers.

All of the components are painted white to blend in with the aesthetic of the space.

Utilizing Renkus-Heinz in the installation allows the museum to leverage the power of the company’s cutting-edge museum technologies – in this case, the Complex Conic constant directivity waveguide design, which ensures consistent coverage across the exhibit space.

Related: National Air and Space Museum of the Smithsonian Institution Touch Sensors

When coupled with full Dante networking capabilities, RHAON II control and monitoring, the system offers unrivalled performance and flexibility advantages.

In the Four Domes Pavilion, the loudspeakers are positioned on the side walls and the ceiling to create an impressively dense grid of sound sources.

The number of sources and the distance in between them was carefully designed to provide the expected immersive experience.

“It’s a pure joy to be in the room where the Renkus-Heinz system is deployed,” says Francuz.

“High-quality sound and the best immersive experience was our goal. We achieved it thanks to the Renkus-Heinz offerings.”

With 50 loudspeakers in one room, environmental aspects had to be considered as well.

The Renkus-Heinz loudspeakers have passive cooling and smart energy control that allows them to run silently while consuming very little to no energy on stand-by.

One CA81-RD loudspeaker consumes as little as 3.5 W on idle.

The SA amplifiers at the heart of Renkus-Heinz’ self-powered products utilize True Digital Class D Technology, eliminating the need for negative feedback in the amplifier output and removing time-domain distortions associated with typical Class D designs.

The DSP amplifier converts the PCM input data directly to PWM data that drives the output stage. All of those benefits combine to offer the highest level of consistency, reliability, and audio quality to the end-user.

The self-powered Renkus-Heinz loudspeakers also use Audinate’s Dante for AV-over-IP connectivity and are driven by a Barco Iosono 3D sound processor, which outputs 50 independent channels.

Once installed, programming was completed seamlessly through Dante and Renkus-Heinz’ RHAON II software, said Francuz.

The Impact

“It’s a rewarding moment when configuring the system takes a few clicks rather than hours of rewiring signals to the speakers, bearing in mind there are 50 independently working loudspeakers,” says Francuz. “That saves a ton of time when commissioning the system. It allowed us to focus on the end-results from the moment the speakers were deployed.”

The result: a museum that can offer an immersive artistic experience to visitors.

“Everybody is very pleased with the end results,” says Francuz. “This is a perfect example of bringing the creatives of the world together with AV professionals and creating something truly extraordinary.”

The post Four Domes Pavilion Museum Technology Creates Artistic Immersion appeared first on My TechDecisions.

The Enterprise Accounts Management program is patterned after the model of AVI-SPL’s Global Accounts Management program. Since launching in late 2017, the AVI-SPL Global Accounts program has “grown to support relationships with some of the largest global enterprise organizations.”

It was recently recognized for the second consecutive year as Outstanding Young Strategic Account Management Program by the Strategic Accounts Management Association (SAMA).

AVI-SPL’s Enterprise Accounts Management program will “provide designated customers with exclusive teams committed to implementing, standardizing and enhancing their organization’s digital workplace infrastructure, technology and associated services,” according to the company announcement.

Among the areas of expertise, the designated customer’s personal team “will focus on guiding the establishment of enterprise-wide AV and UC standards, curate and guide planning around technology road mapping, project deployment management, priority service management and organize key metrics and business intelligence to improve the organization’s business outcomes,” the announcement says.

Related: AVI-SPL Launches Symphony v4.9 for Monitoring and Control of Collaboration Environment

“AVI-SPL is committed to enhancing our customer relationships and strategically aligning with their business requirements to ensure successful unified communications platforms and practices,” said Joe Laezza, senior VP of AVI-SPL’s Global Accounts program, in the company announcement.

“Our Global Accounts program delivers on the mission of establishing trusted advisor relationships and is a great foundation for our new Enterprise Accounts Management program,” he said.

Inside the AVI-SPL Enterprise Accounts Management Program

“The Enterprise Accounts Management program brings AVI-SPL’s customers thought leadership to both standards and innovation, while ensuring quality and consistency across our customer engagements for enhanced user experiences,” said Steve Mitchell, VP of AVI-SPL’s Enterprise Accounts Management program, in the company announcement.

“With the launch of our Enterprise Accounts Management program, we’re taking another step forward to expanding our commitment to a broader set of our customer relationships,” said Dale Bottcher, AVI-SPL’s executive VP of global sales and marketing, in the announcement.

“We believe the creation of the program will be a key ingredient to not only strengthening our reliability and trust as a strategic business partner, but also to helping our customers’ organizations easily navigate the rapidly changing environment of the digital workplace,” he said.

This article originally appeared on our sister website Commercial Integrator. 

The post AVI-SPL Launches Enterprise Accounts Management Platform appeared first on My TechDecisions.

For IT managers overseeing this partnership, this means that the technology provider should be expected to meet certain benchmarks, fit the organization’s needs, demonstrate a bulletproof security strategy and be able to adapt to fit your needs.

What are you trying to achieve?

According to Mark Geary, an IT veteran and managing director of Rally Point Consulting, this process starts with clearly defining your organization’s strategy, goals and objectives.

Geary suggests asking yourself these questions:

• What do we want to achieve with this new technology?
• What are you looking to accomplish for our environment?
• What are we trying to achieve for our end users?

Those questions should be used to form the basis for a business requirement document that outline what your organization needs from the technology solutions provider.

After those questions are answered, develop a technical requirements document that defines the expected functionality, features and proposed use of technology you want to receive.

Now, you can go to the market armed with the makings of a request for proposals.

“Then you take those two documents, put them together, and now you have a starting place,” Geary says.

Those documents should form the basis of your contract with the systems integrator and facilitates an equal partnership in the creation of that contract.

“You become less of an organization just looking for a vendor and more engaged,” Geary says. “In the contract, you can spell out deliverables and you spell out what you’re going to sign off on.”

Going to the market

Depending on the size of your organization and your history of working with systems integrators, you might already have some in mind. Maybe you’ve worked closely with one firm for years. If that’s the case, let them know about your RFP.

But if you’re looking for your first integration partner or a change of scenery, consider sending those two documents to a handful of integrators. Starting with the fundamentals of what you want to achieve will help integrators propose a plan that includes the technology the plan on installing, a cost estimate and timeline, Geary says.

Once an integrator expresses interest in the project, IT managers need to ask for references and get more information about the firm.

Geary suggests asking these questions:

• Where have you done this before?
• How big are your projects?
• How small are your projects?
• Are you generally on time and under budget?
• How much participation is required of me as the IT manager?
• Is this something I can just outsource to you and you take care of it all?
• What are you good at?
• What aren’t you good at?

If you feel confident that your IT team can participate in the deployment, ask the systems integrator about a hybrid deployment that utilizes the skills and knowledge within your own team.

“If you were to involve your own people as well, you can reduce a lot of that cost,” Geary says.

Before you talk money, talk security

Each year, cybercriminals become more advanced and cybersecurity experts are challenged with keeping pace and staying up-to-date with cyber trends.

According to Forbes, around 60% of cyber attacks target small businesses, and many of those small businesses are service providers like managed service providers and other technology installers. Those companies are obvious targets because they have the keys to all of their customers’ networks and data

So, before you engage with a potential AV integrator on your project, ask them about their security policies and practices. That conversation should be among the first you have with a firm, Geary says.

Questions to ask about security include:

• What are your security policies and practices?
• What are IT and security certifications do you have? (i.e. PCI, HIPAA, SOC 2 Type 2, Department of Defense, to name a few)
• What’s your insurance policy against compromise?
• How often do you update critical security systems?
• What protections do you have in place?
• How often do you conduct staff training on cybersecurity trends?

According to Geary, you should walk away from a systems integrator if they don’t have prompt responses to those questions.

“If they have zero security policy … walk right away,” Geary says. “Walk away if security is not important for them right away.”

Another reason to walk away is if the technology provider doesn’t practice multi-factor authentication within the company.

“If they don’t mention the word ‘two-factor,’ I’m done,” Geary says.

Out-of-the-box deployments can be a convenient way to quickly scale technology solutions across your organization and the security of those kind of offerings is improving.

However, security still important to keep security in mind when introducing those kind of easy-to-use systems.

“Your environment is going to be different than everybody else,” Geary says.

Payments & service-based models

If an integrator asks for an up-front payment, Geary advises IT managers to counter with an incremental payment proposal based on deliverables. “I would never pay up front,” Geary says.

If the integrator doesn’t do service-based contractual payments, then offer to pay when the project is complete.

“It keeps them engaged and keeps their best people in line,” Geary says.

The global economy is moving toward a service-based, subscription model, and now that is increasingly true of technology. For software providers and now even AV integrators, service-based contracts are the norm. This helps keep vendors engaged throughout the life of the contract.

Related: End Users Know More About AV Systems Than Integrators Think They Do

More importantly, it makes the deployment much more affordable at a set dollar amount each month.

“You won’t have a whole bunch of licenses to pay for and you won’t have to pay the maintenance fees,” Geary says.

As-a-service contracts also allow the end user to pay for only what they use each month and provide greater flexibility to the end user.

“Anytime you can get as-a-service, it’s great because you can just turn it off,” Geary says. “More CIOs are looking to X-as-a-service because they can just use it like electricity — flip it on and flip it off.”

Finding an actual ‘partner’

If the AV integrator is truly interested in becoming a partner to your organization, they will eventually learn your environment and understand it as well as – if not better than – your own IT department.

This means the systems integrator should have quick responses to questions you have about your environment and adding deploying new technologies.

Many companies pay lip service to the word “partner,” but a true integration partner should be able to meet your demands and requirements as your organization grows and scales throughout the years.

This goes back to developing a business and technology requirements document, Geary says.

If the business relationship is a true partnership, your organization and the systems integration firm should grow alongside one another.

“When you find someone good, keep them close and let them understand your environment,” Geary says. “They’ll do a lot more things for you than just that what you hired them to do.”

The post How to Choose the Right Integration Partner for Your Organization appeared first on My TechDecisions.

The company hopes to bring all of its G Suite tools together and address the demand for remote work technology.

“We’re integrating core tools like video, chat, email, files, and tasks, and making them better together, so that you can more easily stay on top of things, from anywhere,” says Javier Soltero, vice president and general manger for G Suite, in a blog.

The new integrated experience allows users to quickly join a Google Meet call from a chat, forward chat messages to a Gmail inbox and create a task from a chat message.

Similar to Microsoft Teams, users can set their status to indicate their availability, like “do not disturb” and “out of office.”

Like other video and collaboration platforms, Google is also rolling out several new security features for Google meet that give hosts more control over meetings, like who can join or collaborate with them, Soltero writes.

The features will begin with G Suite for Education customers and will include knocking controls that prevent users from attempting to join a meeting once they’re ejected, and safety locks that give hosts the power to choose which attendees can chat or present in the meeting.

Soltero also detailed some features in the pipeline, including picture-in-picture video calls right in G mail and integrating Google meet into content tools like Docs, Sheets and Slides.

“Our goal is to provide an intelligent and seamless solution that gives everyone the ability to make a real impact, and the flexibility to work exactly where and how they want,” Soltero writes.

Google trails Microsoft Teams and Zoom in integrated hardware and hardware-included service packages, but partnered with ASUS in May to launch the Google Meet Compute System for videoconferencing and remote work.

The post Google Updates G Suite in Bid to Compete with Teams, Slack appeared first on My TechDecisions.

The new solutions are largely part of digital signage packages that include wellness kiosks, occupancy management systems, portable battery-operated systems and contactless interactive digital displays.

Dan Smith, vice president of business development for LG Business Solutions USA, said in a statement that digital signage solutions are helping businesses address pubic health concerns as regulations and guidance continues to change.

“These purpose-built digital signage solutions combine LG’s leading displays with the industry’s top sensors and software,” Smith said in a statement. “They’re designed to help retail stores, schools, transit centers and public venues address specific needs that are unique to the current consumer environment, including greater information sharing, customer health monitoring and occupancy tracking.”

Wellness kiosks

The upright, rectangular wellness kiosk systems include a thermal scanner for temperature scanning integrated with a 22- or 32-inch LG digital webOS Signage display. It also includes a motion-activated hand sanitizer dispenser and slots for boxes of gloves or masks.

Read Next: New Digital Signage from LG Optimized for Outdoor Applications

Occupancy management

With a greater emphasis on social distancing, retail environments must control how many people are inside the store at once. LG’s Occupancy Management Solution integrates with 49- and 55-inch LG displays and can reduce staff workload by tracking when customers enter and exit. The system includes a separate media player that can help manage traffic by providing wait times or current store occupancy.

Health protocol signage

The Portable A-Frame Display solution combines a 32-inch webOS Singage display with Cona folding or rolling base so it can be easily relocated. Digital signage can help communicate rules and restrictions in retail stores, schools, and corporate campuses. Larger solutions are available in 49- and 55-inch displays.

Contactless interactive solutions

LG’s contactless solution packages can be customized to any business and are built around virtually any LG display to fit specific needs. These solutions allow customers to connect with on-screen digital content through their own mobile devices or voice controls.

The post LG’s Releases Coronavirus Response Digital Signage Solutions appeared first on My TechDecisions.

Today, the company is leading research in cutting-edge fields such as artificial intelligence, blockchain technology, and quantum computing.

This includes IBM Watson, the company’s suite of enterprise-ready AI services, applications, and tooling.

The Tech Decision

One location spearheading these innovations is the Thomas J. Watson Research Center: the headquarters of IBM’s Research Division.

Researchers at the center often need to present findings in executive and client engagement meetings which take place in their impressive 240 seat auditorium, designed by neo-futuristic industrial designer, Eero Saarinen.

Tackling some of the world’s most complex problems and promising opportunities, IBM requires presentation displays that are effective and inspiring to truly communicate the importance of their projects.

The previous display technology utilized in the auditorium was a Digital Projection TITAN Pro Series projector with a motorized screen.

The client’s vision involved upgrading to direct-view LED technology to create a brighter, more color-rich, and dynamic presentation space, uninhibited by ambient light, and capable of delivering ultra-high resolution up to 8K.

The modular Radiance LED solution also allowed IBM to benefit from a totally seamless image across the entire front wall.

The Solution

In order to achieve the desired resolution, and to ensure an excellent viewing experience from every seat in the venue, the 1.2mm pixel-pitch Radiance LED Performance Series was selected.

Designed to be maintained completely from the front, and needing only a few inches of depth, the Radiance LED system required very little modification to the auditorium wall infrastructure.

The actual LED display panels fit perfectly where original wood paneling was installed. The result was a dynamic and immersive LED presentation display, measuring 34 feet wide by 16 feet tall, installed to match an architecturally significant curved wall, which was important to the aesthetic of the auditorium.

In partnership with HB Communications, Digital Projection provided design engineering and installation of the curved wall, ensuring a successful deployment of the enormous, near-8K resolution display.

Collaborating with HB Communications, a new state-of-the-art presentation and production system was developed to compliment the fine-pitch LED video wall.

“We included an Analog Way multi-layer premium seamless switcher, Ross SDI routing system, Crestron NVX network AV encoding/decoding system, Shure MXA910 Beamforming Ceiling Microphones, Meyer Sound surround sound speaker system, and Panasonic HD PTZ camera systems, just to name a few,” says Tim Hutton, senior account executive at HB Communications.

“One of the main challenges for this application was meeting the client’s technology requirements while preserving the architectural integrity of the auditorium,” he says.

“The front wall of the auditorium consisted of wood paneling which IBM wanted to retain so an ingenious solution was needed. Multiple high-resolution pictures of the front wall were taken and combined into a single background image which perfectly emulated the wood paneling when displayed on the Radiance LED Video Wall.

“Digital Projection was engaged from project inception to completion. DP engineering and sales worked seamlessly with both HB Communications and IBM on the design, structural requirements, installation, and system commissioning to make this impressive installation possible.”

The Impact

“We believe that profound breakthroughs come when businesses, governments, academic institutions, and others work together to tap into diverse points of view and expertise. Our vision was to provide a stunning, ‘jaw dropping’ image that would make presentations more memorable to the audience.

“The full screen image with its immense size is amazingly lifelike and impresses the audience,” says Lorraine Herger, former director of research integrated solutions at IBM.

Read Next: Technology for Delivering a Dynamic Business Presentation

“During our opening event, we displayed a high definition image of our original wall on the LED presentation wall and our community did not know the original wall had been removed and replaced with an image. The colors, brightness, clarity, and depth of vision that can be achieved are amazing!” she says.

“The Radiance LED wall brought our vision to life with image quality exceeding our highest expectations. We were extremely impressed and grateful with the level of dedication and meticulousness that the DPI installation team showed in order to provide us with this wonderful LED presentation experience,” says Hutton.

The post IBM Watson Research Center LED Presentation Upgrade appeared first on My TechDecisions.