Smart Debuts Classroom Document Camera

• By David Nagel
• 02/12/08

Education developer Smart Technologies has debuted a new document camera designed specifically for classroom settings. The new model, set to ship this spring, incorporates an adjustable head for scanning any kind of physical object from a wide range of angles and features integration with existing classroom presentation technologies.

The Smart document camera is designed to integrate directly with Smart Board interactive whiteboards and Notebook collaborative learning software. Images captured with the camera can be displayed on whiteboards and can be recorded directly into Notebook as images or videos.

Other features of the new unit include:

• Adjustable head for flexible positioning of camera;
• Automatic brightness;
• Automatic focus;
• SD card slot for saving data;
• Support for the Kensington cable lock; and
• Both optical and digital zoom capabilities.

The Smart document camera will begin shipping this spring for $849. More information can be found here.

In other Smart news, the company last month released an update to its whiteboard software, Smart Board 9.7. The update comes on the heels of a full-version upgrade for the company's Notebook software. Smart Board software powers Smart's line of interactive whiteboards (Smart Boards), its Sympodium interactive pen display, and its AirLiner wireless slate.

The new 9.7 release of the Smart Board software is a minor update, adding support for Mac OS X 10.5 Leopard (and maintaining compatibility with Mac OS X 10.4.x). It also now includes Spanish language support in addition to English, French, Gaelic (Scottish), and German. The update is free for existing customers.

Smart's Notebook 10 software, also announced in January, is expected to begin shipping this spring as well. Among Notebook 10's new features are a variety of composition, presentation, and creativity tools, including a tool for creating tables; "Magic Pen" for spotlighting, magnifying, and zooming images; an "Active Alignment" tool for aligning objects accurately; and a new pen for creating shapes freehand. It also includes additional multimedia features, such as the ability to animate any Notebook object and to record and play back presentations step by step. Other new features include:

• More than 100,000 new, searchable pieces of content;
• Support for reusable themes;
• The ability to create page groups;
• A new Properties tab for changing object attributes;
• Additional languages for the Windows version;
• An updated teachers' resource hub for lesson activities and activity creation help; and
• Additional tools to help IT managers install and monitor Notebook.

Notebook 10 is expected to be released this spring free for Smart customers as a free, downloadable update and will be included with all Smart Board interactive whiteboards, Sympodium interactive pen displays, Senteo interactive response systems, and AirLiner wireless slates.