Making large format multi-user screens easier to use

Shared screens should be accessible

The face of technology has changed quickly since the invention of the first computers and it continues to do. So that we can continue to get the benefits of the new platform offerings we need to move our management policies forward in keeping with the use case scenarios of the various devices.

Which user should log in?

Large format displays driven by touch input are being placed into meeting rooms, foyers, and other shared spaces. Increasingly they’re placed in these spaces with the specific intent that several people will use them simultaneously and collaboratively without intermediary devices such as the keyboard and mouse.  Multi user screens, particularly those in horizontal format, are designed to enhance conversations and communication. Conversations flow more naturally and meetings can come to resolution more effectively and efficiently.

To provide their full design benefit these devices need to be easily accessible and available for anyone that comes into the space, as are whiteboards, phones and light.

In an enterprise environment this means a couple of things:

1. The large format shared-screen computer should not be domain joined. 

2. Any network resources required for the screen to operate need to be provided to the PC that is driving the screen.

This thinking represents a new way forward and a change in the way all computers in an organisation are treated equally. Shared computer experiences are a different use case to personal devices and need to have different permissions set.

If you want to find out more get in touch with us at nsquared.

You can send content from your iPad to nsquared presenter screens

The Apple iPad is found in many meeting rooms being clutched by individuals as their life support systems. The iPad contains their email, calendar, and a range of other important business documents. Yet in a meeting the iPad represents an isolating and personal device. With nsquared presenter digital tables, interactive touch screens and presentation screens can display content from an iPad to be shared with the group for discussion.
Here some examples of how people are using nsquared presenter and iPads:

• A sales person keeps a range of product images on their iPad and shares the relevant images on a digital table with customers as required.
• A sales team collates ideas from their personal devices to a digital table to create a new presentation.
• Students collect research materials on their iPads and then gather around their digital table in the library to create group projects. 
• A teacher shares question sheets from their iPad to the digital table for a group of students to discuss and answer.
• A designer shares sketches from their iPad with clients around a touch table.
• A project team share progress reports from their iPads to the digital table in their meeting room in their weekly status meetings.

Sharing content from iPad to digital tables using nsquared presenter

We are growing again!

With more and more digital tables being loved by our customers we are growing our team again. We need a salesperson and a graduate developer to join our team.

If you are looking for a challenging new role in a team that is intent on putting shared screen technology in more places then please get in touch.

We are recruiting a junior developer to help us with development of vision based solutions using technologies such as kinect.

We are also looking for an energetic young sales person that can help our team with customer interactions, product demonstrations and closing deals.

Both of our new team members will need be Australian citizens or hold Australian Permanent residency visas.

If you, or someone you know, are interested in joining nsquared please send us a cover letter and your resume to jobs@nsquaredsolutions.com

You can load PowerPoint files with nsquared thoughts

PowerPoint files are everywhere in the workplace. PowerPoint is used to describe the financial position of a company, the sales pitch for a product, the concept for a new project, and countless other scenarios. With nsquared thoughts you can load those PowerPoint slide decks directly onto your digital table and annotate them as a group. Here some examples of how people are using nsquared thoughts and PowerPoint files:

1. A sales team discusses how to improve existing presentations around their touch table.
2. A sales person presents ideas to clients, the clients get involved with directly annotating the slides themselves
3. A project team incorporates slides from a PowerPoint deck into a conversation involving other sketches on their digital table.
4. A management team uses slides from their company vision PowerPoint deck to determine the validity of new project proposals.
5. A financial team uses PowerPoint slides to discuss the quarterly results of their company subsidiaries at their digital table.
6. An investment team discusses the different pitches they have heard each week and display the PowerPoint slides from each pitch on their table.

Find out more about nsquared thoughts 

Introducing "Bet You Didn't Know"

A weekly segment that goes more in depth to the functionality and capabilities of nsquared software. Keeping you in touch with your digital table and helping you to get more from your interactive, shared experience.

“Bet You Didn’t Know” will introduce you to all the latest application releases, newest features, updates, bug fixes, as well give you a comfortable familiarity with your nsquared admin portal.

Learn how you can WOW colleagues, co-workers, customers and clients with your leading edge skills.

Stay in tune and in touch and turn that Bet you Didn’t into a Bet you Did! 

5 Reasons Why Libraries Love Digital Tables

At nsquared we believe that technology can sometimes be very isolating, focusing too much on attention on personal, single user devices. 

We are creating a future where shared screen technology will become part of communal spaces. These spaces will be enhanced with interfaces like digital tables to create shared experiences. 

Since we started selling software for digital tables 5 years ago we have seen a steady adoption of digital tables in local libraries. The libraries are using the digital tables as way of bringing people from the community together, to learn, explore information and collaborate. We have put together a couple of case studies of libraries around world, you can read how Sunnyvale public library is using their digital table, to engage children, and find out what Toowoomba City Library is doing with their table to engage the community.

Libraries love digital tables because they:

1. Enrich visitor interactions

2. Bring people together with digital content

3. Encourage collaborative learning and exploration

4. Provide and interactive display of library information & services

5. Meet the future technology needs of their community

Digital tables such as the Samsung SUR40 with Microsoft PixelSense bring people together to communication, collaborate and connect - it is the most advanced, immersive experience of digital communication. 

Find out more information on innovative local libraries by checking our our latest newsletter here or emailing us at enquiries@nsquaredsolutions.com 

Our Story, Our Goal

nsquared is a leading edge development company that specialises in creating multi-user, massive multi-touch software for digital tables. We pride ourselves on standing out from the crowd by delivering unique, innovative and highly functional off-the-shelf products. Our customers can be found across a wide variety of vertical market sectors and backgrounds.

We have one ambitious, straightforward goal; to get people talking and collaborating together again to move the world forward, by putting digital tables everywhere. 

Our goal motivates us to design and build robust applications that work seamlessly in 360 degree, collaborative environments across a variety of platforms. We already have a number of amazing, forward thinking clients in business, education, government and hospitality that are embracing the vision and using our products to enhance and improve their spaces.

Each of our products is thoughtfully designed to stimulate conversation, encourage collaboration and create deep, long-lasting connections with people. Our customers recognize this and choose us because our software empowers them with the tools that make their content more meaningful.

nsquared is Australia’s only Microsoft Premier Partner for PixelSense and one of seven Premier Partners around the globe. nsquared has an extensive global footprint and our software can be found across the world in the Unites States, United Kingdom, Europe and Australia.

Get ahead of the curve and ask us how nsquared products can take your organization to the cutting edge today. Email us - enquiries@nsquaredsolutions.com  

Bringing Minority Report to Your Meeting Room

The first thing that comes to mind for most people when we explain what we do is, “You mean like Minority Report?”, our response is usually mixed.

When Minority Report came out in 2002, it set a precedent for the concept of future computing. In this scene, Tom Cruise is seen depicting manipulating digital content on an interactive screen through a series of remote hand gestures.

As we work with leading edge technology we often become associated with films such as this, which is great because it provides an initial context, but the interactive gesture computing we do is not science fiction.

At nsquared we believe the future of computing is in digital tabletop solutions. In the next few years digital tables will be found in common meeting space areas. We are excited by this vision and our goal to make this technology a practical reality and bring businesses into the future.

Our multi-touch, multi-user products are cutting edge and many of our customers are beginning to implement our solutions to improve their meeting spaces. Take for example, nsquared presenter allows you to creatively collaborate and deliver presentations using all the devices you find in a meeting room.

Read here how international property group, Longton is using nsquared presenter to impress clients during sales presentations.

While Minority Report was a creative work of fiction, the truth is technology like it is available today and is already being used by forward thinking organizations that want to take their businesses to the next level.

If would like to learn how you can take your meeting room to new heights email us at enquiries@nsquaredsolutions.com

Free PDF Download - An Introduction to Digital Tables

Over the last couple of weeks we continue to be asked the key questions,  “what’s a digital table?” and “why do we need one”?

The demand and interest in digital tables is evident and increasing. From local libraries, to real estate agencies, to modern business boardrooms, it’s great to see how individuals and organizations are thinking forward and realizing the true value of creating a digitized, collaborative meeting space.

We have been working with digital tables since 2007 and are passionate about using technology that supports true “social” face to face communication. Digital tables, or digitables, provide a unified multi-user experience that enriches conversation and engagement.

To assist those considering enhancing their spaces, we have taken the time to put together a simple PDF document.

This FREE PDF document contains everything you should consider when implementing a digital table including,

- Number of touch points required – Find out what will give you a premium experience

- Screen Size and orientation – What’s best fit for your environment?

- Lighting – Is the hardware suitable?

- Multi-User Software - How do you enable multiple people to interact? What outcomes do you want to achieve?

And more!

If you have more questions regarding digital table solutions for your space, get in contact with us today. Email us directly at enquiries@nsquaredsolutions.com.

A new, social way to explore the world

There is no rest to be had here in the nsquared studio, we have been busy working away on our latest multi-user, multi-touch application.

Introducing nsquared maps, a new, social way to explore the world!

This unique multi-user application allows for teams to gather around a digital table such as the Samsung SUR40 or Microsoft Perceptive Pixel screen and work with maps together.

nsquared maps features an individual map for each person. Each map can be easily resized or rotated with intuitive hand gestures. When you find a map you wish to keep, simply save the map for loading at a later date. You can even annotate maps with shapes and freehand drawing, plot routes, add your own pins, and import geo feeds.

This premium multi-touch application enables more fluid, meaningful conversation within the team. No need to look over small mobile screens or tablets, or turn your back to an audience to by referring to a vertical screen -  work together in a 360 degree, tabletop environment to view and annotate digital maps together. Team members can contribute to the discussion by bringing up their own individual maps, such as a company location, emergency reports or news source on the same screen. Communication becomes effortless, more impactful and faster as peers can easily see what their colleagues are wanting to share across the screen.

Features

-          Individual maps can be brought up for each user

-          Resize, reorient and rotate maps on the table

-          Draw freehand, Import GEO feeds, drop pins, plot routes,

-          Save and share maps

-          Point of Interest searches (eg. Effiel Tower, Statue of Liberty)

Benefits

-          Enable and enhance collaboration

-          Social way to explore virtual maps

-          Use data from external feeds for better planning and learning

-          Create, save and re-load maps for quick viewing

Ideal for

-          Emergency Planning Centres

-          Business Meeting rooms

-          Schools, Universities, Libraries and Museums

-          Real Estate Offices

If you are interested in learning more about this application, feel free to send us an email at enquiries@nsquaredsolutions.com or call us on +61 2 9262 3386.

Find out about our latest products and services by subscribing to our nsquared newsletter.

nsquared in Ibiza!

Today’s nsquared blog post comes to you from the sandy, holiday beaches of Ibiza.

nsquared was recently approached by Grand Palladium Palace Ibiza Resort & Spa to provide software for their Samsung SUR40 units. In particular, the client was looking for an innovative, easy-to-use solution to help them increase their brand awareness and create a unique, memorable holiday experience for their guests. 

Multiple SUR40 units were deployed, situated in the lobby area of the brand new Ushuaia Tower Hotel and in the exclusive Presidential suite.

To enhance the resort's guest experiences with the digital tables, nsquared was able to offer a range of our off-the-shelf applications nsquared minesweeper, nsquared treasure hunter, nsquared spacelanes, nsquared 21 and nsquared jigsaw. Grand Palladium further embellished their nsquared applications through the use of the nsquared admin tool. Our unique admin tool empowers companies to upload their branded videos and images to display on the tabletops. 

Grand Palladium Palace Client and Project Manager, Kamal Rifai, expressed his appreciation to the nsquared team,

“Thank you for your help Dr Neil and special thanks to Mitan. He was very helpful and very knowledgeable and thanks to him we have developed top of the notch solutions”

As the technological landscape changes, forward-thinking companies like Grand Palladium Palace Ibiza Resort & Spa are embracing new technologies that enrich guest interaction.

For more information on nsquared products please contact +61 2 9262 3386 or email info@nsquaredsolutions.com

nsquared feature in The Australian

Well look what we’ve just found in the nsquared archive…

Our highly publicized feature in The Australian!

Chris Griffith, a prominent IT writer for The Australian, visited our nsquared technology studio in Sydney to have a chat about the power of social computing around the Samsung SUR40.

The original article was published on July 10, 2012 – Read it here,

http://www.theaustralian.com.au/australian-it/personal-tech/samsung-overturns-regular-computer-design-with-the-microsoft-surface-table/story-e6frgazf-1226421861385

We are happy to say that more than 18 months later there continues to be a  high and increasing demand for the Samsung SUR40 (and other multi-user tables) and our off the shelf applications. We have a broad range of customers from business to education, retail to hospitality – both here locally in Australia and across the globe.

Today you can find the SUR40 running our nsquared software in many schools, universities, museums, hotel foyers and even real estate offices!

Spark your curiosity?

Find out more about increasing productivity, collaboration and creativity in your spaces today by contacting us on +61 2 9262 3386 or email us – info@nsquaredsolutions.com 

Taking the magic of touch technology to Tamworth

Yesterday nsquared traveled with our partners at Samsung and Worlds Best Technology Distributors to demonstrate the power of touch technology to Tamworth, New South Wales.

The event was hosted at the Tamworth TAFE and attended by a number of key decision makers, all of whom were interested in bringing leading edge technology to their students.

It was great to see the educators literally get their hands on the technology, a Samsung SUR40.

One of the main attractors was the nsquared presenter application. nsquared presenter allows you to collaboratively create and deliver presentations using all the devices you find in a meeting room – tablets, mobile phones, overhead projectors and multi-touch tables. Groups of people are able to come together to build a presentation “timeline” of content including slides, spreadsheets, documents, images and videos from different  files. The staff felt this application had the most potential for their educational environment as it has the ability for students collectively interact with their digital course material over a familiar table setting.

Some of the other crowd favorites included:

- nsquared circuits

- nsquared paint

- nsquared chemistry 

    We are very excited to be working with Team Tamworth and look forward to helping them engage their students through multi-touch technology!

Digital Tables Everywhere

At nsquared we have a mission - to put digital tables everywhere. Everywhere there is a table there is an opportunity to enhance the experience at that table with digital content.

First and foremost a table is a gathering place for people to meet and to share ideas and experiences. By adding digital content directly to the surface of the table we are creating a space that enhances and enriches human contact because it responds easily and naturally to the physical interaction of many users, simultaneously. It’s social, and encourages people to engage. 

  A table is a place of social gathering 

Most computer interfaces are designed for individual use. We even call them personal
computers. The large vertical screens that most of us are familiar with (TVs and Cinema screens) have been places of social gathering for friends and family for some time. Yet the vertical screen experience is not socially engaging in the same way as sitting around a campfire or a dinner table. The dynamics of sitting in a circle or around a table facing other people is very different to the dynamics that exist when we all sit facing in the same direction. In fact we are taught at an early age not to talk (or socialize) when we’re all sitting and facing the same way (otherwise the teacher gets very annoyed). 

The rise of blogs, Twitter and most noticeably Facebook has shown us that people really love to connect and share their experiences with each other. Human beings are social animals. Most people share what seems to be a primal need to gather in groups to play, work and relax.

This brings us back to the objective of enhancing the socialization that occurs as we sit facing each other. By enabling digital content (which is a big part of many of our lives) to be rendered directly onto the table we can enrich the conversations and therefore the experiences of the people gathered around the table. Adding the ability for the people around the table to interact with the content at the same time creates an even more memorable and emotionally attached result. 

There are educational, business and recreational benefits to digital tables.

Students learn better in groups 

Creating an environment where students can collaborate to create content or compete with each other while learning has demonstrated positive educational benefits. Students are drawn to digital
tables and subsequently and almost seamlessly into an environment that, with the right software, enhances their enjoyment of learning, encourages social interaction and creates an emotional attachment to the content. Think about the times that you have read something and then forgotten it a few days later, and then compare that with how well you
remember things when they are part of a conversation you’ve had with other people. Often you will remember the people involved and their expressions as much as the lesson learned or topic discussed. 

Meetings can be enhanced with a digital table 

The same rules apply to business conversations. If you are really trying to encourage a group of people to brainstorm, plan, collaborate, sell, and share then you want them facing each other and talking. People need to be looking at each other’s faces, reading body language, and listening. This is why we sit around a meeting room table when we want to find a solution to a problem, determine an action plan for a project, or make a sales pitch to a client. Current widespread behavior of bringing laptops to the meeting table and using them during the meeting (often for checking emails, sending instant messages and checking Facebook) defeats the purpose of sitting around a table to solve a problem and share ideas. Not only are the people at the meeting disengaged from each other, the
open laptop screens provide physical barriers to the conversation. 

A table that enables the display and creation of digital content is an open space that encourages people to connect socially and engage in the conversation.

Digital tables create places for people to interact 

In recreational environments where searching for places of interest, building itineraries, and game playing are common activities, we can improve the experience by presenting the information in digital form on the tabletop. 

By enabling people to bring their own content and take value away from the table on their own devices, the digital table can start to provide seamless integration with familiar mobile technology and then extend the experience and engagement.


We are sure that the future for all of us will include more digital tables and a better use of technology for face-to-face social interactions. At nsquared we are proud to be pioneers of this exciting opportunity and look forward to making this dream become reality. 

University of Sydney Tech Lounge with Microsoft Surface

The University of Sydney has just launched their new Tech Lounge, a space for students. Sponsored by Microsoft, the tech lounge includes a Microsoft Surface unit.

At nsquared we are proud to be a part of this innovative new space to help students learn, relax and engage with new technology.

The software chosen to run on the Microsoft Surface includes a number of the nsquared applications from both the nsquared education pack and the nsquared business pack.


Here we can see the VC has discovered one of the most favoured nsquared Surface applications, nsquared Paint.

A big day out in the Hotel Room of the Future

Today we had a great day out at the Hotel Operations Technology Conference and Exhibition (HOT 11) at Darling Harbour in Sydney. As part of the exhibition, a number of leading edge technology and product suppliers have collaborated to present their wares in the "Hotel Room of the Future" exhibit. The exhibit is proving to be at least as popular if not more so than it was in its inaugural year last year. We narrowly missed the opportunity back then and are very pleased to be a part of such an innovative exhibit this year. You might ask, "What's in the Hotel Room of the Future?" The answer is: absolute and unparalleled luxury: - as far as we can see. Including a large bedroom, incredibly spacious bathroom and private TechnoGym gymnasium, the room is fully kitted out. There's been nothing spared. The finest linens; the latest in telephone technology; an incredible 52 inch Phillips TV Screen; what we think is world's comfiest bed; bathroom fittings that include a toilet and bidet that always puts the seat down when you leave, and opens again when it 'sees' you; air conditioning that's just perfect; SuiteControl software to coordinate the room's technology and hotel services; and the clever iGlass that lets natural light in and gives you absolute privacy at the flick of a switch. It's almost too much, but wherever that room is, we're booking in!

HOT11 has given us the opportunity to present our latest Microsoft Surface offering, the nsquared hospitality pack, to the industry.

We put together a pack of three customisable Surface apps.

Each application is designed to deliver information and services directly to the guests in order to give them a smoother, hassle-free stay that's more on their terms.

For hotel foyers, nsquared concierge enables guests to explore facilities and sights in the area.

For a complete in-room experience, nsquared room service lets guests avoid the calls to the kitchen and explore the menu themselves. They can select their chosen food and beverages order and send it directly to the to the kitchen - all from the tabletop.

For resort style locations, we created the nsquared tourist table software. This lets guests explore the activities on offer and then build their own itinerary for the day. The day's activities can be billed directly to the guest's room account.

For our part, we didn't stop introducing these apps to conference visitors all day, and it seems that we've hit some sweet spots. Time will tell.

One thing we're sure of: tabletop computing has obvious applications in the hotel hospitality industry.

Learning Money and Maths with nsquared coin swap

Money is a central theme in our society, and understanding it is a useful life-skill to acquire. To add to the nsquared education pack, we've now got nsquared coin swap, ready to go. It's accompanied by an updated teacher tool, too. The app supports different currencies including Australian, UK, US and European Union (euro) coins so that it can be used in a number of different countries. No doubt there will be content packs to follow that will add to the range of currencies in the future. The aim of the game is to teach players to recognise currency denominations and their relative values. Designed for up to four players, the game challenges you to increase your funds by either swapping their coins with the amount on offer in the centre of the game board, or by keeping the coins you've already got. Take a quick look at the video below to get a better idea of what the team here has done.

Updated Developing for Microsoft Surface book

Our book, Developing for Microsoft Surface, is finally available in hardcopy from our friends at Lulu. We have also updated the cover of the book. You can now buy the book from the website.

10 out of 10!

“We’re very proud of the fact that nsquared schedules is the 10th nsquared Microsoft® Surface® Application to receive the prestigious “Certified for Surface” award.” said nsquared’s Director, Dr. Neil Roodyn. “As far as we can tell, there are now 13 Surface applications that have been Certified for Surface, and 10 of them were created by the nsquared Surface development team in Sydney,” he continued.
We now have 10 applications certified for Microsoft Surface. This includes all of the applications in the nsquared business pack and all the applications in the nsquared education pack.
Having our applications certified for Microsoft Surface provides our customers with a level of assurance that we are delivering high quality software that provides a great Surface experience.
Now when you visit the Microsoft surface site to discover available applications, you can see that nsquared is the dominant player in this market.

Surface Business Pack

The nsquared Surface Business Pack consists of three applications designed to enhance the conversation taking place at the Surface unit. The applications are documents, schedules and thoughts. (Thoughts isn’t shown in the video.)

The nsquared documents application allows you to explore and discuss documents being displayed on the screen, these documents can be Word, Excel or Powerpoint files, loaded from a usb key or from a network drive.

Common questions heard at the meeting room table revolve around the schedules of the attendees. The nsquared schedules application presents the Microsoft Exchange calendar of for each attendee as their business card is placed on the Surface. New meetings can be created by simply placing business cards in the center of the screen.

The third application (not shown in in the video) is nsquared thoughts. The nsquared thoughts application enables participants to sketch out their thoughts on a blank canvas and then manipulate shapes and images to organize their thoughts.

These applications can be purchased individually or as a pack, contact us to find out more.