GizmoIT

Recent install in our Main Hall, Mike from https://active4staging.co.uk/ based in Telford. Great service.

Does anyone still use video cameras? Our English Dept use them for spoken language assesments but are complaining that the audio quality isnt great and that it takes time to copy files from memory cards. I am thinking of some decent quality webcams to replace them and recording directly to VLC or ClipChamp. Does anyone do anything different?

Try RackSolutions, they do a variety of different mounts. https://www.racksolutions.co.uk/mounts

We use Southern Communications

Exact IT based is Sheffield, highly recommended. https://exact-it.co.uk/

We have just installed Yealink RoomCast & Presentation Pod in our meeting rooms & main hall, work well and straight forward to setup. Supplied by AV Partsmaster.

Has anyone had any sucess in school with a Smart Hub (Google Nest) and associated plugs to set schedules for turning on & off devices? we currently use timers but would like to see if these would be a better option.

Back in the day when mice had balls, the students used to steal them as they were made of ball bearings. they disappered at such a rate that I removed all mice from the IT Rooms & made the staff sign them out and back in again

Not in the NW, but highly reccomend CCT Lighting in Nottingham. Welcome to CCT Lighting - Theatre & TV spotlights

We have certainly noticed a change (particularly since lockdown) Our new intakes of primary to secondary have very little to no keyboard/mouse skills. Which as the OP says is the product of the iPad & Touchscreen generation. Our ICT Teaching staff have to spend longer periods of time in lessons explaining the basics.

We have nearly completed a site wide rollout of Promethean ActivPanels to replace our aging ActivBoards & Projectors. Staff widly use ActivInspire in lessons and Powerpoint, we are also connecting the Android side of the panels to our wifi to enable staff to use Apps. Great support from the supplier and also from Promethean who are coming on site next month to deliver training to staff.

This is something I have also experienced today on newly installed panels

Many Thanks, BIOS Update appears to have solved it!

Greetings Hive Mind, We have a couple of PC's (HP EliteDesk 800 G2's) that have developed an issue where they are not detecting their hard drives from a cold boot. If we power on the PC and do a HDD diagnostic check and the re-boot it loads up fine, and any subsequent reboots after this also work without issue. Only when the PC is powered off will the issue arise again. We have tried another drive, resetting the BIOS to defaults, changing the battery, changing boot sequence, POST delay etc to no avail. Any other suggestions gratefully received. Thanks.

Discovered on a recent clearout..

CBC Computers in Sheffield have always been excellent at sourcing laptop parts for us

Highly recommend CBC Computers in Sheffield, best pricing by far. been using them for over 15 years.

We are currently in the process of rolling out 75" Promethean ActivPanels to replace our elderly ActivBoards & Projectors. Staff were initially hesitant (particularly older staff) but most have embraced the change and have been very positive. Our staff interact with them all the time and as the boards were becoming increasingly unreliable teacher stress was higher and our workload was increasing trying to keep the older tech going. Win Win for us.

Exact IT based in Sheffield. very good guys, highly recommended. https://exact-it.co.uk/

We used to go down to our technology metalwork shop and beat them on the anvil with a large hammer. Data destruction and stress relief in one go..

I have used Nottingham Audio Visual in the past, highly recommended. https://www.nav.co.uk/index.php/av-maintenance

This has just raised its head again this week, since the clocks have changed the staff that are in school early can no longer log on... I'm not going round and changing all the timers. Sorry, Take your complaints to those who enforced the timers being there..

Cable ties, cut at a suitably sharp angle to deter interference..

We are on 8.5.61

Interested in this. We are running 8.5.61 an experience similar issues