Is digital signage right for you?

Putting aside all the “buzz and hype” about digital signage, when it comes right down to it, you may still be wondering if it’s right for you, your business, or your organization. As a basic guide, if you answer yes to any of the following questions, chances are, it’s something to consider more closely:

• Are you spending money printing posters, flyers, and other paper-based signage that have to be updated or changed on a periodic (weekly, monthly, yearly) basis?
• Do you have to distribute marketing and communications materials to multiple departments, offices, or stores on a regular basis—and are you often unsure if these materials are being promptly displayed or distributed?
• Do you feel you’re missing opportunities to educate visitors and passive audiences (i.e., those in your lobby, reception areas, or other areas where they wait) about what you have to offer?
• Do you often feel your target audience (internal or external) is beginning to ignore existing methods of communications (traditional signage, static retail PoS/PoP or trade show displays, loudspeaker announcements, and even e-mail and other forms of electronic notification)?
• Do you feel your existing channels for emergency notification are lacking and if a critical situation arises, warnings will be ignored or drowned out by the noise of competing media?
• Do you feel all of these deficiencies will only worsen over time and that by not embracing newer forms of communications, you’ll be perceived as being out of touch with customer needs?

Don’t miss this Data Center Cooling Solutions webinar!

Join us at 2:00 P.M. E.T. on Thursday, November 29 for our Data Center Cooling Solutions webinar, which explains the need for more intelligent options for today’s biggest power and cooling challenges. Some of the topics we’ll cover include:

• Current trends in data centers, including higher densities and energy consumption.
• Passive liquid cooling.
• Hot aisle/cold aisle.
• Climate-controlled cabinets.
• Best practices.

We’ll also discuss five different case studies that illustrate various data center configurations, their cooling challenges, and innovative solutions that address these issues.

Whether you’re confused about all the cooling options out there, or just want to learn about the latest data center solutions, this webinar is for you. Register now!

DVI v. HDMI digital video extenders

DVI (Digital Video Interface) is the standard digital interface for PCs (in contrast to HDMI, which is more commonly found on HDTV devices).

The DVI standard is based on transition-minimized differential signaling (TMDS). There are two DVI formats: single-link and dual-link. Single-link cables use one TMDS-165 MHz transmitter, and dual-link cables use two. The dual-link cables double the power of the transmission. A single-link cable can transmit a resolution of 1920 x 1200 vs. 2560 x 1600 for a dual-link cable.

Extend DVI-D video and stereo audio up to 1.5 kilometers over a single strand of single-mode or 500 meters over multimode fiber.

Several types of DVI connectors are available, most commonly:
DVI-D, a digital-only connector for use between a digital video source and monitors. DVI-D eliminates the analog pins.

DVI-I (integrated), which supports both digital and analog RGB connections. It can transmit either a digital-to-digital signal or an analog-to-analog signal. It is used on products instead of separate analog and digital connectors. If both connectors are DVI-I, you can use any DVI cable, but a DVI-I is recommended. (NOTE: For a DVI-I to DVI-D display converter, click here).

DVI-A (analog), which is used to carry a DVI analog signal from a computer to an analog VGA device, such as a monitor. If one or both of your connections are DVI-A, use this cable. If one connection is DVI and the other is VGA HD15, you need a cable or adapter with both connectors as long as you don’t require an active analog/digital connector.

HDMI (High-Definition Multimedia Interface) was the first digital interface to combine uncompressed HD video, up to eight channels of uncompressed digital audio, and intelligent format and command data in a single cable. It is now the defacto standard for consumer electronics and HD video, although it is beginning to face competition from the newer DisplayPort interface.

Google transitions from air conditioners to liquid cooling — saves $1B?!

Recently, CBS News got a tour of a lifetime. A tour of one of Google’s high security data centers in North Carolina (see full article here). What really struck us about the article was this paragraph on liquid cooling:

“In that effort to reach full energy efficiency, Google has replaced the air conditioners with a water-based cooling system. They’ve also taken simple measures to yield big energy savings — like raising the temperature on the server floor from 68 degrees to 80 degrees. Holzle said the company saved over $1 billion “through these efficiency measures.””

Heat-Transfer Doors use liquid to neutralize heat at the source.

Although liquid cooling was only one of the changes they implemented, a billion dollars is a significant amount of money. Liquid cooling may not not save you a billion dollars, but it actually is a great way to cut power and cooling costs. IBM has been using this method to cool their data center for years.

Liquid cooling systems are air conditioners that use a liquid to dissipate heat. That may be cold water or refrigerant, but the difference is that the liquid is closer to the heat source, resulting in even more efficient cooling. Today’s modular liquid cooling systems are ideal for spot cooling applications, for instance, cooling individual high-density cabinets. Passive liquid cooling doesn’t require raised floors or hot/cold aisle configurations. Why expend the energy to cool an entire room when you can cool just the one cabinet that needs additional cooling?

For more resources on liquid cooling, check out our:

White Paper: Extending the Life of Your Data Center

Blog Post: Efficient Cooling in the Data Center

ColdFront: Passive liquid cooling for your data center