'Smart Boards' - 80% of the capability at a fraction of the cost

Skippy: If you're like most of us, you have computers, and you may have one of those low cost projectors to show your PowerPoint presentations at your board meetings. Most of us would also love to have one of those several thousand dollar 'Smart Boards' for the conference room or to use on the road with business presentations and brain storming - but the cost . . .

Buzz: well, yes; and?

Skippy: It never fails to amaze me that 'connective thinking opportunities' occure all the time. I was at a school board meeting the other night as an involved parent and was watching a technology coordinator and some teachers delivering an update on integrating computer technology into standard subjects like readin' writin' and 'rithmetic etc. As I watched the demonstration that evening using an inexpensive projector - I thought of this project I saw on the web in the last few days that had to do about gaming technology but hadn't really done anything with yet. I felt I just had to share this with as many business partners as I could this week - Don't you wish we could be as cool as young people like this young man? see:

http://www.ted.com/index.php/talks/view/id/245

His Wii remote hacks and additional programming are here:

http://www.cs.cmu.edu/~johnny/projects/wii/

Buzz: after watching these, I can't help thinking that this would be a good low cost project for one or more high school kids in computer or science class, and the outcome would be a presentation showing "80% of the capability of these white boards (at $2.0-$.30 thousand each for large ones) at a small percentage of the cost" as the author demonstrates. If nothing more, it along with some 'zippy presentation' might spur the school board into further alignment with the technology.

Skippy: Right you are, AND this is one of those times where you just have to wonder to yourself, couldn't this be applied in my business as well; I need to get my 'computer and wrench staff' working together to try this out -

Enjoy