magazine
01732 759725
19
innovations
Smart technology for business people in
the office, at home and on the move
Portable video-conferencing
for small meeting rooms
The new Logitech ConferenceCam Connect brings small and
medium-sized meeting rooms for 1-6 people into the twenty-first century.
The portable, mains- or battery-powered video-conferencing unit features 1080p video with a
90-degree field of view, digital pan and tilt, 4x digital Full HD zoom and autofocus. It supports both
mobile and USB calling and offers 360-degree full duplex audio with a range of 12 feet.
ConferenceCam Connect works with any computing device that has a USB connection and with
virtually any videoconferencing software, including Cisco Jabber,WebEx, Citrix GoToMeeting, Blue
Jeans, Google Hangouts, Lifesize, Microsoft Lync and Skype, Vidyo, Zoom etc..
Connectivity options include USB, Bluetooth and near field communication (NFC), enabling
Windows and Android users to connect to the unit wirelessly. They can also ‘screen-mirror’
presentations, spreadsheets, videos or Internet content from their mobile device to a TV screen via
an HDMI connection.
Bill Haskins, senior analyst and partner at Wainhouse Research, said: “Our research points to a
rise in open seating environments, shrinking conference rooms, more telecommuters and the use of
a growing number of collaborative applications. The Logitech ConferenceCam Connect meets these
challenges head-on by providing an intriguing combination of flexibility and portability.”
The Logitech ConferenceCam Connect has a suggested price of £449.
A Neit idea
The Neit CardCase is a
super-slim iPhone case
with embedded card
holder for credit cards,
ID cards, train tickets
and contactless Oyster
cards. A spokesman
for Neit said: “The CardCase puts everything you
need to navigate modern life in the palm of your
hand. No more rummaging through briefcases
or bags, just a simple and efficient way to keep
everything in one place.”
All round protection
Vehicle tracking specialist NavmanWireless
has launched an integrated vehicle tracking
and camera solution that provides a
‘seamless umbrella of preventive and
protective technology’.
The NavmanWireless ‘360 Degree’ fleet safety
solution integrates telematics, vehicle tracking
technology and in-cab camera equipment to
improve road safety, reduce insurance costs,
enhance duty of care and provide protection
against ‘crash for cash’ insurance scams.
Scott Hutchins, NavmanWireless VP sales
UK & Ireland, said: “Prevention is better than
cure, and using data from telematics and vehicle
tracking software to help mitigate poor driving
significantly reduces on-road risk, but when
you are on the road you need 360 degrees of
protection...The introduction of in-cab camera
technology not only protects the driver and
business from ‘not-at-fault claims’ but also
enables us to offer a complete proactive and
preventative solution that has the potential to
deliver measurable improvements in accident
and cost reduction.”
An Uber for temp
recruitment
Xpert Inventions has developed a new
app, which it describes as an ‘Uber’ for
the temporary recruitment industry,
internal HR teams and companies that
use temporary, shift-based staff and
contractors.
TABS (Temporary Assignment Booking
System) is a web- and mobile-based app that
lets users send shift and job alerts and book
staff in a just few clicks.
Claimed benefits include reductions of up
to 32% in operational business costs when
dealing with shift-based and temp staff
and time savings of up to 40% for in-house
recruitment teams.
The App manages all aspects of the front
and back office including communications,
bookings, scheduling, timesheet management,
accounting and compliance.
Key features include:
n
a geo-location and real time temp
availability and search function;
n
temp assignment and job alerting/
acceptance to/from the agency or HR
team’s candidate pool;
n
calculation of the quickest travel route and
directions to the assignment;
n
automated timesheet sign-off and
approval;
n
automated submission and approval of
compliance documents;
n
automated client billing and invoicing for
agencies and freelance contractors; and
n
client/manager evaluation and rating of
temporary staff and freelancers.
Chairman of Xpert Inventions Paul Excell
said: “This is a game-changing yet very clear
model.We customise the platform for any
business or organisation, building in their
search criteria and corporate requirements,
then charge a monthly subscription based
on the number of users per month. This is a
nominal charge in comparison to the savings
that will be delivered.”
He added: “Our customers will benefit
as we further enhance the platform.We’re
looking at biometric sign-off time sheets, are
developing a ‘vend off’ solution, integration in
external pay roll and accounting systems and
other external and temporary staff loyalty
rewards. No one else is doing this anywhere in
the world.”
Snooze in comfort
Nodding off on public transport is as inadvisable
as it is inevitable.With the limited recline on bus,
car, train and aircraft seats, your head is bound
to fall forward, resulting in jerky, interrupted
snoozing (and possibly snoring and dribbling).
The crowd-funded Relax ALLY strap, which loops
over the headrest and holds your head upright,
provides a practical, albeit eccentric, solution to
this problem.
