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The top 10 ed-tech stories of 2010: No. 10

The interactive whiteboard industry saw a surge in competition this year.

The past year saw many advances in audiovisual technology for schools, most notably the ability for standalone projectors to turn any wall into an interactive whiteboard without needing a specialized surface. Epson and Boxlight introduced interactive projector models in early 2010, and Texas Instruments added this feature to its DLP chipset later in the year.

This development injected more competition into the already highly competitive interactive whiteboard (IWB) market, although manufacturers of IWBs noted that their products could continue to be used even after the projectors wore out, became damaged, or were obsolete.

Other advancements in school AV solutions in 2010 included “green” projectors that eliminate the need for a mercury lamp (as well as lamp replacements that can cost hundreds of dollars a pop), classroom audio systems that include a “panic button” for the teacher to signal an emergency, and the development of more 3D content for education.

Related links:

New projectors make any wall an interactive whiteboard [1]

New AV systems offer sharp images, ‘green’ projection [2]

InfoComm 2010 highlights changing nature of AV [3]

3D content for education on the rise [4]

New system combines classroom audio, emergency alert [5]

Projectors becoming more interactive [6]