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Female Founders Conference Part I
Jessica Livingston & Paul Graham Studio 1.0
One Saturday morning in 2014, I was watching the Bloomberg Channel (which I normally do on a Saturday morning). It was: #Silicon #Valley legends Paul Graham and #Jessica #Livingston, the co-founders of startup incubator Y Combinator, sit down with #Bloomberg’s Emily Chang on Studio 1.0.
This is when I thoroughly learned of Y Combinator. By the way, I really love the way Emily Chang interviews. She’s not acutely intense, but just enough to get one to open up and share. What urged me to continue listening to this particular interview was not how chatty Paul Graham was but how humble and modest Jessica Livingston was. Jessica admitted how most of her work was done in the background and how comfortable she was not being prominent. That was admirable but the quality that jumped out at me was her uncanny belief in herself and her abilities. It wasn’t essential for her to be on the front line when she could accomplish just as much or more quietly in the rear. I think that’s admirable and confident.
After the interview or perhaps during (I don’t remember exactly), I started reading more about Y Combinator. It was then I learned of the 2015 #FemaleFounders Conference sponsored by #YCombinator. My business is always my priority since it’s my bread and butter. I don’t make money, we don’t eat. Plain and simple. So my immediate approach was to investigate what their AV or audiovisual needs were. I sent an email to a general email box and received a response from Tara, “we have that taken care of.” I conformed, although, I know this would be a great partnership.
My next responsibility to myself was to participate; get inside and be connected to what I believed would be one of the most motivating and inspiring events for women! I sprung into action and submitted my application. Now it was a matter of waiting. So I remained in a state of repose until I received a response. The response was positive! I was accepted to attend the Y Combinator 2015 Female Founders Conference! Yippee 
Stay in touch to continue reading Part II
Feb28
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What’s the difference between LCD, LED and Plasma Technology
As a #presenter, #facility owner/manager, #event planner, #meeting planner, #hotel manager (or anyone in the hospitality industry) have you ever been curious about the different types of displays? Have you ever wondered what LCD really means? Well in this brief article I am going to try and define each of the three main display #technologies (I will not be including DLP technology).
LCD DISPLAY – LCD means Liquid Crystal Display. It’s what you have in your television, it’s your computer monitor and if you are old enough to remember mood rings, it’s that same technology. Remember mood rings?! Ok, back to my lesson . There is a light in the back of the screen that makes the screen brighter…a back light, if you will. In 3LCD projectors, this beam of light hits mirrors (think of a prism). When this light hits the mirrors they break into three colors RGB (red, green and blue). These three colors pass through a liquid crystal display which has teeny pixels. The light passes through these screens in the same RGB colors. This light passes through the projector lens and onto the screen. However, on the screen we see full color, not the RGB colors that the light reflected inside of the projector. This is due to the prism effect. It’s good information to have if you’re trying to sell a projector to a client. It’s important to understand and be well acquainted with your product.
LED DISPLAY – #LED means (Light Emitting Diode). Most people associate LED technology with those brilliant digital display screens along side the freeway distracting traffic. LED is synonymous with BRIGHT. LED technology can also be remembered by the clocks we used to have in our home (or still do), with huge, bright, glowing digits. Or even on our television remote controls. In this technology, a pixel has a RGB (red, green and blue) elements and when they are on at the same brightness, they are very bright! I love LED’s. I love the brightness, which is their greatest asset. LED’s are basically bulbs, small bulbs that fit into a socket, like incandescent light bulbs. What’s the difference? Well LED’s are really bright, they are not hot upon touch and they last for thousands of hours; they don’t have the filament that will burn out like ordinary light bulbs. Another great quality about LED’s is they can compete with that brilliant, luminous star…the sun. Just remember for LED’s…brightness and longevity.
Plasma DISPLAY – Plasma is a gas with ions and electrons. When there is current running through it, the ions and electrons get all excited and run toward each other or rather bump into each other. In all this excitement, they produce protons, phosphorous and ultimately, color. Things to remember about plasma screens – they can not be repaired. Once they are gone, that’s it. Images on a plasma need to be moving continuously, which is a down side. An upside is they produce better contrast and could be less expensive.
Tags: #AV, #events, #technology, #video, @tech_savvy_gal, audiovisual, KMT, San Francisco, tech
Feb27
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2014 Our Year in Review
As this year, 2014, comes to a close, I want to review some of the highlights.
We formally launched our education and testing service. With our partnership with Prometric® and Certiport®, we now certify in the following products: Adobe Certified Associate, Adobe Certified Expert, Autodesk Certified User, HP Institute, IC3 Digital Literacy Certification, Microsoft® Certified Educator, #Microsoft® Certified Specialist, Microsoft® Technology Associate, Quickbooks Certified User.
#KMT Management Services has been a Microsoft® Partner for almost a decade, however, this year we became Microsoft® Certified Educators and Windows 8 and 8.1 Certified.
This year #KMT #Technical Services started and completed phase one and began the final phase of upgrading the sound system at the #Olympic Club in San Francisco. We decided on the #MTX5-D, a new #Yamaha product. A comprehensive system that includes the processor, the mic tray amps, and the amplifier. It’s an amazing product and the perfect solution for the Olympic Club, who went from analog to digital.
We’ve taken on additional AV rental corporate clients. We maintain our relationship with local urban schools and non-profits, providing technical training to students in after school enrichment programs.
We incorporated.
As we enter 2015, keep us in mind for your #audiovisual rental and #video #production needs. Keep us in mind for your in-house #installation and #integration services ranging from site surveys, recommendations, digital signage, flat panel #monitors, interactive whiteboards, #projectors, screen automation, testing and training.
Many, many thanks to our current clientele! Without you, there would be no us! We appreciate your loyalty and trust. We look forward to being of service to you in 2015!
Dec07
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Charmed by Technology
I am from a family that had a certain class, enjoyed certain privileges, ecetera, ecetera. I said that to say this…It’s pretty hard to “impress” me. There’s no home that I’ve personally seen and entered, no car, no wardrobe that has ever blown me away. Being in business has been somewhat different in that, I am moved by the characteristic and quality of technology. There is always some new product, new service or gear that literally takes my breath away.
#Salesforce is one of those products. Just over one year ago I didn’t really have a clue as to what Salesforce was…but one day I was reading my San Francisco Business Times, it mentioned a company that purchased 700,000 sq. ft of space for a building that is not even erected yet! Well that piqued my curiosity. There began my search. Of course I started with an online search, then called Salesforce and connected with a salesperson, was permitted to use the product on a trial basis…and today fully knowledgeable or getting there.
This is NOT a commercial for Salesforce because I don’t do that without compensation. It merely is to say how fascinated I am with the growth of the technology industry. This is something, that 30 years ago, we were unaccustomed to; the rapidity. Because I manage a technology company, most things involving technology has this unique power over me; I am charmed and my interest is aroused.
By the way, the only company that I would do a free commercial for is #BlackBerry. They have long since lost their grip with consumers, but are still the device of choice for many governments. Ok, back to my point…I’m fascinated by all things tech!
See ya!
Dec06
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Keeping My AudioVisual Business Green
When we think of #sustainability, being green, the environment, alternative energy, alternative fuel, energy consumption, environmental design and so on…we rarely think of #audiovisual equipment. I used to think it was ignorant (lack of knowledge) for people to take a stand on the environment and conservation, but not cry out in disapproval of constant use of equipment that is diametrically in opposition. I’ve calmed down dramatically and realized that as a consultant, and educator it is my responsibility to suggest and recommend and teach. Hence, this post.
Somewhere around 2009, 2010 (maybe even sooner), #InfoComm (the trade organization that represents professionals in the audiovisual industry), began to discuss Green AV. I was fascinated! Not only were they discussing it, they were in the process of adopting sustainable business practices. Today we have what is called the STEP (Sustainable Technology Environments Program). It is an awesome rating system that was put together by #AV industry savvy people. As #AV technicians, we want to offer our clients the very best in service, and equipment, without compromising the quality of the event (conference). As AV #Integrators, we want to design your building with the best, brightest and most efficient equipment. Most of us in this industry are not only system designers and integrators, but also architects and engineers. We have this technical, kind of abstract way of thinking…included in that process is the process of thinking GREEN.
If you are interested in reducing the carbon footprint of your organization, are looking for someone to technically design and install equipment in your #conference room, #event facility, boardroom, hotel…ring us up. We’d love to chat you up about what we do!
To get more information on our sustainable policy, call us or visit http://www.kmttechnical.com
To learn more about #STEP, visit http://www.thestepfoundation.org
Apr28
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Miles Davis, John Coltrane, and Thelonius Monk
When thinking and discussing sound on a regular basis, be it for a conference, a church installation, installing a system in a boutique hotel or upgrading the sound of an current (but outdated) installation — one can’t help but think about what these guys (and ladies) heard when creating what I characterize as the “foundation of sound.”
What did Miles hear when he played Kind of Blue or even Bitches Brew? One being smooth and icy and the latter being dramatic and free! And John Coltrane with that delicious tenor saxophone. Go and listen to Giant Steps and envelope yourself in the sound of the saxophone. It’s incredible.
Let’s take the trumpet, for example. The trumpet generally takes the lead in the “front line.” The sound of the trumpet is BOLD, STRONG and AGGRESSIVE...kind of like the sounds of Miles Davis, and Louis Armstrong. I really like discussing the sound of Miles Davis because his sound was so unorganized. However, he could play quietly, and smoothly and he could also play aggressively. Seriously, though…what did these great musicians hear? What do we hear when we listen to Jazz?
I also think the saxophone produces an amazing sound! Love the alto sax and tenor sax (that of John Coltrane). Well, he actually played tenor, soprano and alto sax. When I listen to Trane, I hear a lot of improvisation, fast playing, but it’s with authority. It’s with power! What an awesome sound.
The piano is also a very versatile instrument. I think of Duke Ellington and the Swing Jazz Era and I want to boogie or Lindy Hop, then I think of Dave Brubeck and his Cool Jazz (Era) sound and I want to relax. The piano commented in the background in a lot of Jazz tunes; listen carefully to Naima and you can hear it commenting.
We must not discount the beautiful sound of the human voice produced by SO many Jazz soloist(s). Ella Fitzgerald, with her clear, lucid, unmatched sound, Alice Coltrane, with her spiritual sound, and Billie Holiday, who had a sort of jazzy but pop kind of sound...in my opinion. A little. Nonetheless, her sound influenced Jazz greatly.
Music is the art of sound and there are so many wonderfully, talented Jazz musicians…then and now. They all contributed (some are STILL contributing) to that wonderful sound of Jazz:
1. Herbie Hancock
2. Chic Corea
3. Pat Matheny
4. Charles Mingus
5. Thelonius Monk
6. Jelly Roll Morton
7. Horace Silver
8. Sonny Rollins
9. Paul Desmond
10 Wynton Marsalis*
* The sound or era of Wynton Marsalis is that of Neo Classical. Jazz has gone through several era’s…Early, Swing, BeeBop, Cool, HardBop, Fusion and Neo Classical. In his music, it is his attempt to “return Jazz to it’s acoustical roots.” His sound is amazing!
I love sound.
From the Audiophiliac
Jan15
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Since 1860 “the Olympic Club has been fostering amateur athletics in the spirit of close harmony.”
“in the early 1900s, amateur athletics boomed around the country. The Olympic Club was a West Coast powerhouse, facing the best the East Coast had to offer and frequently winning. From 1890 to 1920, the Club fielded its first rugby, basketball, soccer, water polo and lacrosse teams, while continuing to sustain a multitude of other sports, including swimming and diving, wrestling, gymnastics, handball, baseball, football, fencing, tennis, boxing, bowling, and billiards.”
The Club hosted local, regional, and national athletic tournaments, and sent members to national and international competitions, including the Olympic Games. In 1924 alone, the club sent 23 Olympians to the Olympics in Paris, the largest single delegation from a club. Currently, Olympians compete in 19 sports; newer competitive sports include skiing and snowboarding, squash, triathlon and rough water swimming.” From the website www.olyclub.com
Today, the Olympic is far more than a Country Club. It has its medals, and accomplishments, and awards and athletes…but it is also a very celebrated place for high end social activities for its members.
In light of that, the Olympic Club needed a very reliable solution for sound and amplification. We decided to go with the new Yamaha MTX Processor.
This is a fabulous flexible system with external control by way of your iphone or Android device. It also offers parameter control with the MTX Editor software application.
The MTX System is primarily designed for room combining; multi-zone commercial installations. The MTX definitely meets the demands of a truly impressive facility – the Olympic Club San Francisco, Lakeside Property.
For more information on the YAMAHA MTX Processor for new installations OR for an assessment of your current sound system, please don’t hesitate to contact us for a complimentary consultation.
Envision Sound™
Jan15
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Contributing to a Sustainable City
KMT Technical Services is one of the many qualified firms helping to preserve Alcatraz Island. Our team has intimate knowledge of the very rich and elaborate history of Alcatraz, beginning with the lighthouse, the military fortification, the military prison, federal prison and today a National Historic Landmark.
We have combined our historic knowledge with our technical knowledge and have been able to offer resolutions from a technical perspective.
After boarding Hornblower Cruises Hybrid boat or yacht, from Pier 33 Fishermans Wharf, you are now on the Island, docking at Alcatraz Wharf. You are greeted by wonderful Rangers who will provide you with a brief introduction.
For most visitors, the tour begins inside the barracks building. This building houses a theater, exhibits and bookstore.
The equipment in the theater was designed and installed by KMT Technical Services. Until recently, the electricity on the Island has been provided by generators. Yes! That also includes the equipment we installed, the audio and the visual. Today, however, “307 kilowatts of photovoltaic capacity now pumps about 400,000 kilowatt-hours into Alcatraz’s wires a year, significantly cutting down the amount of diesel exhaust the island emits into the Bay Area’s already overburdened airshed.” Chris Clark- @canislatrans
Chris Clark of Rewire (Chris Clarke is a natural history writer and environmental journalist currently at work on a book about the Joshua tree. He lives in Joshua Tree) wrote, “it’s an urban PV success story.” I must agree! I have some great shots from atop the lighthouse (off limits to general public but we were anticipating out time lapse) which I will try to locate and post soon.
With our interest in the environment and our passion for sustainability, we wanted to remain in harmony with the energy conditions. We accomplished this by installing Panasonic PT-EX Series projectors. Thanks to Richard Sunderland, Panasonic Representative, our client was able to demo the unit prior to installation.
The images are clear, with HD ready resolution. They are compact, yet bright and high contrast. The best thing about them to me is the intelligent lamp control system that reduces power consumption. When the lamp power is set to “auto” the intelligent lamp control system automatically adjusts the lamp output in accordance with the brightness of the projected image and reduces it by up to 70%! In addition, the cabinet has a dust resistant design and eco-filter that needs no replacement for up to 12,000 hours! These units were perfect for Alcatraz with the number of functions that are provided to reduce power consumption.
Jul23
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How Dangerous is Mercury in Projector Lamps?
This article is specifically referencing 2 projectors:
1. SONY LASER LIGHT PROJECTOR LAMP FREE
2. PANASONIC PT-EZ570 SERIES
As you may know, KMT is committed to identifying and complying with all legal environmental requirements. We strive to (and encourage our clients) attain a balance between social and environmental responsibility. Reducing energy for our clients is at the top of our list; helping to reduce, properly recycle and dispose of electronics and fostering sustainability awareness every day.
We are LEED certified (pending), members of the USGBC (US Green Building Council) and Energy Star® certified.
We encourage our clients to purchase products that have the least environmental impact. We seek to incorporate environmental considerations into decision making at all levels.
I’ll try and break down the differences in the projectors, but let me chat about Mercury a little because that is what lamps (bulbs contain).
As you well know, Mercury vapors are VERY toxic! They contaminate immediate environments and poison its inhabitants. For this to happen, projector lamps have to be exploding on a regular basis. There is probably more Mercury on tuna than there is in one lamp.
Now I mentioned above that projector lamps have to be exploding on a regular basis for such contamination. That is true, however, when lamps are at the end of their life, they are more susceptible to cracking or breaking…so there’s that danger or risk. Not to brag, but our technicians do a great job of keeping track of lamp hours so as to prevent such an event. We monitor the hours, send reports to our clients, and remind them when it is time for replacement. Go KMT!
Personally and professionally, I don’t believe there is any real concern about Mercury contamination on personnel or habitation, based on where your business is located. Up to 0.025 mg/m(3) is acceptable. To give you some idea of how low that is, when a projector lamp explodes and billows in the air, approximately 30 mg or Mercury is released…and it lingers. When projector lamps don’t explode, there is no danger.
SONY LASER LIGHT PROJECTOR LAMP FREE
LAMP FREE
ZERO MERCURY
4000 LUMENS
Power consumption is between 426 and 449 watts (your current projectors are using 480 watts).
The resolution is 1,920 x 1,200 dots (great resolution!)
It is said to be maintenance free for up to 20,000 hours, but hours vary depending on the usage and environment. That’s the challenge.
Also has energy efficient functions; instant on/off and nicely bright.
PANASONIC PT-EZ570 SERIES
LAMPS
MINIMAL MERCURY EXPOSURE
5000 LUMENS (your current projectors are 5500 LUMENS)
Companies today are extremely conscious of the environment AND have an obligation to President Obama’s Executive Order on Federal Sustainability (EO 13514) .
Companies are manufacturing equipment that is environmentally friendly and that meets Energy Star® requirements.
As a result, Panasonic has brought us the “Ecology Conscious” Projector(s).
Power consumption is 519 watts, but, there is an ECO standby mode which makes it 0.5 AND a network standby mode reducing the consumption to 12 watts. These are eco friendly features.
The resolution is 1,920 x 1,200 pixels (great resolution!)
I hope this helps in making your decision. Remember that “sustainable” and “sustainability” mean to create and maintain conditions, under which humans and nature can exist in productive harmony…for future generations.
Cheers,
Until next time…
Jul23
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What can go wrong when specifying projectors off the page?
In the early days of video and data projection, almost every sale required a demonstration to prove that the projector would be capable of displaying the image in the first place and that the resulting image was bright enough to be seen.
COURTESY OF:
Gordon Innocent, RGB Communications
Displaying a computer image wasn’t so easy back then. Things called ‘interfaces’ were frequently required to generate a signal that the projector could process and display. Being able to see the resulting image usually required black-out conditions or the use of a very high gain projection screen, such as a parabolic screen – a rigid, silver surfaced, curved surface that had critical viewing angles in both the horizontal and vertical planes because it focussed light back into an optimum area.
Because the projectors were so expensive, quite often, we would find ourselves in a shoot-out with one or more competitors.
Now, everything has changed. The signal types and connectors are common and users trust the technology. In the main, projector prices have come down to a point where it doesn’t make financial sense for us to volunteer a demonstration. Even half a day spent on a demonstration can demolish the margin. Who can afford to invest in a range of demonstration equipment in such a fast changing environment?
So, most projectors are sold over the phone now and the key questions are:
- portable or fixed?
- resolution required?
- how many sources are there and what type are they?
Then we play it safe on the brightness and contrast required by suggesting something we know works because we have installed it before. How can that possibly go wrong?
Well quite a lot can!
See below a list of things to consider but in summary, in my opinion if a customer needs the best quality image, the supplier should not specify the projector ‘off the page’. A site survey to decide what features are required, hence which projector best suits, is essential. If the budget doesn’t stretch to the ‘right’ projector, installers should go demonstrate the benefits of increasing it.
If the margin isn’t great on a deal, suppliers shouldn’t worry, as they will make it back on future business from customers who trust the installer to deliver the best solution for them. Even if customers don’t have more business to place in the short term, they might just tell someone else just what a good job their supplier did for them!
To consider:
- No two installations are ever exactly the same
- Projector specifications on paper and reality vary
- Contrast – In reality contrast is a greater function of environmental conditions such as ambient light so figures quoted are of little use
- When using a zoom lens, the brightness can vary quite dramatically depending on where the projector is mounted. For it not to change, the lens must be ‘constant’.
- Colour accuracy might matter a lot to the user but, doesn’t get a look-in on a lot of specification sheets
- Lens shift horizontal and vertical. Without this siting it where you want to might be awkward
- Image Processing. All projectors have an in built scaler to handle a range of content however the way in which it operates will affect the image quality
- Consider technology –v- usage. – DLP and LCOS are far better for high usage environments than LCD
- Future proof? Resolutions are all moving widescreen (16:10 high res data) as opposed to traditional 4:3. Even if customers think they need 4:3, new developments in BYOD (bring your own device) allow presentations from mobile devices which are invariably widescreen format.
Mar01
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