By Christine Kern

A new revenue ceiling proposed by the Small Business Association (SBA) could significantly alter the landscape for IT resellers by excluding a large number of small businesses from the federal IT reseller market, according to the E-Commerce Times. The SBA is proposing revisions to the size standards affecting VARs and other IT solutions providers who provide hardware, software, or both as part of projects that also involve installation, systems integration, or other IT-related services for federal agencies. The change means that companies with more than $27.5 million in annual revenue no longer qualify for small business preferences.

This proposed change is a terrible mistake that would have extreme adverse consequences for many small businesses, The E-Commerce Times quoted Lars Anderson, an attorney with Venable, in comments to the SBA on behalf of Wildflower International, a small woman-owned IT reseller.

We are looking here at some highly professional, qualified firms that provide efficient IT support to the government with proven track records in terms of federal contract performance but they just operate with well under 150 employees, unlike the really big players, Anderson told the E-Commerce Times.

Meanwhile, the SBA is defending the proposal, stating that the changes are necessary since the existing size standards that involve references to both revenue and employees have created inconsistencies, confusion, and misuse. Further, the SBA explained, contracting officers are not able to identify size elements in a government data base, which leads to misunderstandings about set-aside goals. Therefore, the use of employee counts instead of revenues may have negatively affected some small businesses, according to the administration.

Since SBA issued the proposed rule in September, more than 200 people have responded, mostly in opposition to anticipated change. One leading expert on federal contracting law, Professor Charles Tiefer, has joined with the American Small Business League (ASBL) President Lloyd Chapman in opposing the new policies, stating that they will be devastating to thousands of small businesses, according to a press release.

The release explains that the policy was derived from Congresss intent in the Small Business Jobs Act of 2010, which was to allow small businesses to compete in the current federal marketplace. However, Tiefer contends, the proposed rule accomplishes exactly the opposite by eliminating the higher size standard of 150-employees and using the lower size standard of $27.5 million in receipts.

If the SBA actually adopts a final rule eliminating IT-VAR, this will have precisely the effect Congress did not want. The final rule will decrease small business size standards in the solutions sub-industry. Businesses that qualified, below the 150 employee standard, no longer will, Tiefer argues in the release.

According to Tiefer, if the SBA adopts the final rule, small businesses will be squeezed out of the federal marketplace.

Eliminating the 150 employee ceiling puts the high-employee-level type of contractor out of business, because it cannot get down under $27.5 million without a kind of radical chopping it cannot handle i.e., switching to a business model of fewer employees, and, laying off a third (50) or more employees, states Tiefer.

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SBA "Set-Aside Policy" Proposal Could Change Which VARs Are Eligible

Agawam, MA (PRWEB) December 10, 2014

Sound Seal, a leading manufacturer of acoustical and noise control products serving the industrial, architectural, commercial and construction industries, announced today that Smith United Methodist Church in North Carolina chose its S-2000 Acoustical Wall & Ceiling Panels to help combat poor acoustics in the institutions multi-purpose activity room.

Proper sound quality was essential for the activity room, which was designed to host community events like dinners and banquets. The approximately 20 x 40 room with a 16 high-pitched ceiling suffered from reverberation times of almost 3.5 seconds that made it extremely difficult to communicate effectively within the space. It was also especially hard for the elderly in the church to hear and communicate with other parishioners. With a goal of achieving a 1.5-second reverberation time, Sound Seals innovative S-2000 Acoustical Wall & Ceiling Panels were identified as the ideal solution for improving the rooms acoustic quality as affordably as possible.

The project team focused on retrofitting the room without sacrificing aesthetic appeal. Encompassing 450 sq. ft. of acoustic paneling, Sound Seal worked closely with the project owner and local contractors to ensure the panels performed as intended. The S-2000 Wall Panel reduced reverberation time within the space to 1.5 seconds thanks to its high manufacturing standards and purpose-built design as a multi-function absorber panel that resolves reverberant noise problems.

S-2000 panels are available in standard or custom-sizes (up to a maximum of 5' x 10') with custom, designer or C.O.M fabric available, and installation is straight-forward, utilizing mechanical fasteners or impaling clips and adhesive. Typical applications for the S-2000 panel include schools, universities, offices, airports, churches, restaurants and any area where excess reverberation is a problem. For more information on Sound Seals industrial applications, click here.

Finding a way to allow Smith United Methodist Church to maximize the use of their multi-purpose room without having to perform extensive, high-cost renovations was the principal focus of this project, said Dave Ingersoll, project manager for Sound Seal. The S-2000 Acoustical Wall and Ceiling Panels injected new life into an area of the church that thrives on community engagement and lively conversation. Were thrilled the S-2000 performed like we knew it would while also providing the end result of reducing reverberation time within the space.

About Sound Seal Since 1978, Sound Seal has been a leading manufacturer of acoustical noise control products offering the widest product selection in the soundproofing industry with innovative solutions and outstanding customer service. Sound Seal consists of three product divisions: the Industrial Division that addresses in-plant noise control and environmental noise control; the Architectural Division that handles interiors and finishes, including an award winning line of WoodTrends products; and the Impacta Flooring Division that offers floor underlayments. For more information, please visit http://www.soundseal.com or call 413-789-1770.

For more information, contact: Jeff Lavery or Jill Anderson SVM Public Relations for Sound Seal jeff.lavery(at)svmpr(dot)com jill.anderson(at)svmpr(dot)com (401) 490-9700

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Sound Seal Performs Acoustic Paneling Installation at Smith United Methodist Church

The Casper City Council informally approved $115,000 in upgrades to its chamber Tuesday night to make it easier for the public to hear and see the meetings.

The changes include the replacement of microphones with wireless versions, the installation of ceiling speakers and the addition of two 80-inch televisions.

Other than minor suggestions, the council was in favor of the plans.

The city had originally budgeted $40,000 to upgrade the video system only.

Technology in the chambers hasnt been updated since 1993. Council members identified the chamber improvements as a priority in 2015, according to meeting materials.

Casper-based Nordic Sound was the only company to bid on the audio-visual project for the chambers. The local company will also provide support after installation.

Council meetings air on channel 3 as part of an agreement with Charter Communications. The city recently renewed its annual contract with Wolf Gang of Wyoming to produce programming for the public television channel.

Reach Tom Dixon at 307-266-0616 or tom.dixon@trib.com. Follow him on Twitter: @DixonTrib.

Originally posted here:
Casper council chambers to get audio-visual upgrades

Tears become streams become opened at the Park Avenue Armory on a day when New York was totally waterlogged, a bit of timing that seemed ironic at first and then surreally deliberate. If, as we squelched into the great Drill Hall with steaming clothes and windblown hair, we had forgotten how vulnerable the city is to rising waters, Douglas Gordons immense liquid installation stood ready to remind us.

For a while nothing happened, as we sat around the edge of the Drill Hall, studying the lights that hung from the ceiling, suspended a few feet above a vast expanse of rubber mats. Eventually, water began bubbling up and spread so slowly that tracking it was almost like watching paint moisten. Audience members hushed at first, then lost patience and chattered, produced snacks, and remembered to send urgent texts. Half an hour after the nominal start time, some large puddles had joined with others, lapping at the casters of the two grand pianos that sat in the middle of the sunken floor. Another 15 minutes after that, the stage light rigs rose toward the ceiling like the Metropolitan Operas chandeliers. By then, a mirror of water filmed the entire floor, reflecting the barrel-vaulted ceiling beneath our feet, so that we seemed to be perched around the side of a giant tunnel. The lights dimmed, the reflections vanished, and we waited in the damp, dark warmth. I have never felt so claustrophobic in such an immense space.

Soon, footsteps sloshed through the murk: the pianist Hlne Grimaud wading toward her instrument, presumably in rubber boots. At last, she began to play a stylistically eclectic program unified by an aquatic theme: Berios "Wasserklavier" ("Water Piano"), Ravels "Jeux deaux" ("Dancing Fountains"), Debussys "La cathdrale engloutie" ("The Sunken Cathedral"). As she sat on her liquid stage, Grimaud evoked a panorama of moving waters. Streams gurgled, rain fell, river boats rocked, and tides surged. She is a vivid pianist, and as the lights picked out the pianos glossy finish and the vaults metal truss, she and the music seemed to be drifting on a black satin sea. These were moments of pure wizardry, conjured out of sound, light, and water, but they couldnt last. The evening ended as it began, in awkwardness and letdown. Grimaud, having finished her elegant set, clomped across the artificial swamp with desultory applause following her most of the way to the Drill Halls door. Afterward, some people lingered, wondering whether it was okay to leave before the water had all drained away again. It was.

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Liquid Performance on a Rainy Night: At the Armory, tears become streams become

Our knockdown ceiling installation process: General guideline
If you #39;re thinking about making that transition from popcorn to knockdown the process includes the following: 1 Cover/protect walls and floor 2. If previousl...

By: Alltimate Painting, llc

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Our knockdown ceiling installation process: General guideline - Video

The Glassenberg Gallery at Lyman Allyn Art Museum in New London has been taken over by a swarm of butterflies.

"Catch the Butterflies," a sweet and fun installation by East Lyme artist Brian Keith Stephens, consists of about 100 ceiling-to-floor scrolls made of mirror-bright silver reflective mylar, silkscreened with thousands of butterflies in Day-Glo colors and lit by black lights. One side of each scroll is painted, the other not, so that the unpainted sides reflect all the other scrolls around them, and reflect whoever passes through the gallery.

The effect is half glow-in-the-dark butterfly sanctuary, half hall of funhouse mirrors. "This is pure fantasy and fun," said museum director D. Samuel Quigley. Just be careful to keep family members together: There are so many scrolls, and they hang so closely together, and they are so reflective, it's easy for even an adult to get lost in the gallery and not be able to find the door.

Last year at Christmastime, the 744-square-foot gallery was full of a stampede of glittery unicorns. Now with the butterfly invasion, it is host to another animal-centric, alternative holiday family attraction.

The exhibit continues downstairs with interactive butterfly flash cards, that can be read only if they are brought upstairs into the blacklight. Also downstairs, the Lyman Allyn has re-installed an elaborate dollhouse that was beloved by many children in past years at the museum.

CATCH THE BUTTERFLIES will be at Lyman Allyn Art Museum, 625 Williams St. in New London, through Jan. 4. lymanallyn.org.

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Playful 'Catch The Butterflies' At Lyman Allyn

Monday, December 8, 2014, by Rachel B. Doyle

Photo by Steve Benisty via Studio Gang Architects

Starchitect Jeanne Gang has unleashed a crystal-studded installation inspired by climate change down in the non-icy environs of Miami. Encircled by 25 giant LCD screens showing photographs of receding glaciers and meltholes by photographer James Balog, the blue-lit "Thinning Ice" installation for Art Basel Miami has an aluminum floor riddled with crystal-filled cracks, and a low fabric ceiling. "I want people to make the connection between the environmentthe idea of what's happening in remote environments, in terms of climate changeand how that connects to Miami as a place," Gang, who also designed tables and chairs reminiscent of melting glaciers for the project, told T:Style. Just like the certified genius' architectural work, the installation is provocative and thoughtful despite having more Swarovski crystals encrusted on it than a socialite's Mercedes.

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Jeanne Gang Wire: Jeanne Gang Made an Icy Installation About Climate Change

The traveling 20-year retrospective of French Conceptual artist Pierre Huyghe turns the Los Angeles County Museum of Art into a mammoth vivarium a carefully orchestrated, walk-in terrarium-cum-aquarium. The exhibition creates a self-contained ecosystem of plants, sculptures, video projections and installation works, plus a variety of animals.

Those living creatures include bees, tiny invertebrates, a dog, crabs and other spiny sea creatures, puppets, a masked monkey and, yes, even museum visitors themselves. Nature and culture, art and science promiscuously intermingle.

LACMA's Jarrett Gregory organized the retrospective with curators from the Centre Pompidou in Paris and the Ludwig Museum in Cologne, Germany, where it has already been seen. Huyghe (pronounced hweeg) reconfigured each exhibition according to the given situation, perhaps because one cannot step into the same river twice. So don't expect a typical retrospective, where the evolution of an artist's work unfolds in sequence.

Here a visitor wanders adrift, accumulating sensations that are fragments of the whole. Artistic ideas keep turning back in on themselves.

Surprising moments of wonderfully bewildering poetry do pop up, at once reflecting and illuminating our brave new transnational world in which technologically sophisticated, ecologically imperiled lives are now lived. Too often and too easily, however, these moments fall between the sprawling exhibition's cracks.

The show features 51 works, which have been set free in vast, dimly lighted spaces. (Be sure to get the handout map at the entry.) Several are video projections, one set up like a puppet theater, which play intermittently. Many rooms seem empty until something gets turned on.

In one, a sort of Minimalist video game is suspended overhead like an enormous, inverted "Saturday Night Fever" dance floor. A grid of lighted squares crosses a Pong-like diversion that visitors control with joysticks and the kind of cheesy drop ceiling one might find in the basement of a suburban tract house. If only it were all less scrambled and more strange.

One of the most compelling episodes comes near the back of the Resnick Pavilion, just before an outdoor patio installation of overhead machinery producing steady cascades of rain, fog and snow water in its liquid, gaseous and solid states. Titled "Precambrian Explosion," the sculpture is a large aquarium.

The work refers to the billions of years between the Earth's formation and the proliferation of hard-shelled sea creatures that we know from fossil remains. (Biblical literalists will be appalled.) A big chunk of lava rock is suspended inside a large, water-filled glass cube. Exotic sea creatures in shocking pastel hues explore the aquarium floor's sandy terrain and crawl around on the boulder's underside.

It takes a moment to realize that nothing appears to be holding up the massive rock, which protrudes above the water line to create a little landscape of unoccupied terra firma. Visually it floats, suspended within a magical fluid space and conjuring Magritte's renowned 1959 painting "Castle of the Pyrenees," a colossal chunk of rock that the Belgian Surrealist showed hovering over the sea.

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Warm spots in Pierre Huyghe's often chilly Conceptualism at LACMA

The annual CineAsia trade show runs Dec. 9-11 at the Hong Kong Convention & Exhibition Centre. FJI presents a selection of CineAsia vendors and their latest products. Advanced Specialty Lighting (Shenzhen) Advanced Specialty Lighting (ASL), headquartered in Chicago, Illinois, with an Asia office in Singapore and manufacturing facilities in Shenzhen, China, is one of the worlds leading designers, developers and manufacturers of xenon short-arc lamps. In anticipation of the growing popularity of smaller cinema halls and the requirement of high-efficiency light sources, ASL has developed a full series of new lamps with 800, 1,200, 1,800 and 2,200 watts for Barco, Christie, NEC and Sony projector applications. These lamps provide crystal-clear brightness and a reliable period of application. Visit ASL at CineAsia booth 601. China contact: planner@aspsz.com; Singapore contact: lowhh@strobelamps.com.

Arts Alliance Media Arts Alliance Media is going mobile. Screenwriter, AAMs market-leading Theatre Management Software (TMS), is now available as an app, so your cinema stays with you wherever you are.

The Screenwriter App gives you maximum efficiency and flexibility by letting you address any issues before they become problems. Notifications and proactive alerts are sent straight to your device so you can take immediate action. The Timeline View shows you exactly whats coming up in your theatre so you can more easily plan operational tasks. The Screenwriter App frees you and your staff from the back office so you can be where you need to be: with customers. See a demo at CineAsia booth 105. (artsalliancemedia.com)

Burgeree Burgerees 3D cubic panels, based on polyester fiber material, are made of different patterns by hot-pressing. The standard sizes are 600 x 600 and 500 x 500mm. The solid color panel series has a standard size of 9 x 1220 x 2440mm and comes in 54 colors. All products are widely used for background walls, viewing booths, hotels, clubs, multifunction halls, conference rooms and theatreswherever acoustic performance and aesthetic appeal are important. Visit Burgeree at booth 605. (burgeree.com)

Christie Christies latest laser projection technology, using six specific primary colors rather than filtered or polarized broad-spectrum white light, brings dramatically improved 3D efficiency to projection systems, regardless of the size of the screen in premium movie theatres. At least twice as efficient as todays best 3D systems, Christies dual-head 6P laser projectors generate a proprietary mix of photoptically optimized light wavelengths for each eye directly from the source. The results are a significantly improved viewing experience, higher efficiency, lower overall cost and the ability to achieve DCI color compliancy. Christies 6P laser projectors are a superior solution. Learn more at booth 201. (christiedigital.com)

Ferco Seating The Glide Seat from Ferco is an innovative and exciting seat, with a smooth gliding action on the seat and back to allow maximum comfort. With their new cup 8 and new panels, it is streamlined and contemporary. When you sit in it, you are transported to the comfort of a first-class seat. See the Glide Seat at booth 804. (fercoseating.com)

First Audio Manufacturing Co. First Audio Manufacturing Co.s FCQA-9631 digital-cinema sound processor is specially designed for large-scale cinemas. Features include: - Color LCD 4.3 touch-sensor display - 16 channels, each with 31-band EQ diagram - Gain, Delay, Limit and Crossover point selection functions in each output channel - Built-in standard test signals including pink noise, white noise, Sine wave and Sine sweep - 16x16 matrix signal input and output selection, available for custom input output signal - Ports of 100M Ethernet and USB for connection with computer control software - Built-in technical parameters of Fidek loudspeakers to simplify the whole debugging process See First Audios processor at booth 604.

Fuyi Acoustics Fuyi Acoustics Products Design & Development Co.s innovative art acoustical panels enhance the fabric aesthetic as well as add a three-dimensional option to produce artistic effects. Different patterns create vivid themes with distinctive 3D and LED lighting without reducing the flame- retardant feature. Learn more at booth 611. (acousticsproduct.com)

GDC Technology GDC Technology is featuring its TMS-2000 Theatre Management System at CineAsia booth 313. This comprehensive solution for centralized cineplex management controls all screens, automates screening operations, projection and sound quality, and manages all types of content, KDM keys and playlist scheduling from a single access point. It integrates with all mainstream cinema equipment such as POS, automation, media servers, projectors and sound processors. (gdc-tech.com)

GetD GetD, a leading smart 3D solution provider, introduces UHB+, following the launch of the UHB and HB high-brightness 3D systems. With efficiency of 30% and 150:1 contrast, as show on the test report from the China Film Research Institute, GetD has been installed in 1,000 cinemas around the world in the past two years. As a leading 3D manufacturer in China, GetD is also involved in 3D research technology. UHB Duo, a dual-projector solution promising a 32% increase in efficiency, will be available soon. Visit GetD at booth 501. (getd.hk)

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CineAsia 2014 showcases new products and technologies

Dolby Laboratories announced Dolby Cinema, a branded premium cinema offering combining advanced image and sound technologies and distinctive design.

Dolby has applied decades of research and development to deliver a sight and sound experience to Dolby Cinema that will transport audiences into the story like never before, said Kevin Yeaman, president and CEO of Dolby Laboratories. Dolby Cinema will be the most engaging way for moviegoers to watch the newest releases.

Dolby Cinema will feature the Dolby Vision projection system, which uses state-of-the-art optics and image processing to deliver high dynamic range with enhanced color technology and peak contrast ratio that more closely matches what the human eye can see, according to Dolby. This new proprietary HDR technology uses two newly designed high-frame-rate (HFR) capable Christie 4K laser projection heads that feature a highly customized light path. The first Dolby Vision projectors and titles for theatrical exhibition are expected in 2015.

Early Dolby Cinema locations, installed in collaboration with exhibitor partners around the globe, will be equipped with advanced high-brightness Christie laser projection technology with 4K, high-frame-rate 2D and Dolby 3D capabilities. When Dolby Vision content becomes available, the Dolby Cinema laser projection systems will be replaced with Dolby Vision projection systems. Dolby Cinema will also feature immersive Dolby Atmos audio technology.

The design of the cinema itself was created to set a mood and draw audiences deeper into the story. The Dolby Cinema design can be customized to exhibitors needs with a select set of features including a signature entrance and a dynamic audiovisual pathway that provide a new canvas for studio creatives to begin telling their story before the show begins. Additional features may include a wall-to-wall-to-ceiling screen, atmospheric lighting, and faceted acoustic panels designed to enhance the sound quality and heighten the sense of immersion. In addition, all Dolby Cinema locations will undergo a sophisticated visual and acoustic room treatment tuned for a premium cinematic experience.

The first Dolby Cinema sites will be located at the newly constructed JT Cinemas complex in Eindhoven, Netherlands, and the UCI/Cinesa La Maquinista complex in Barcelona, Spain. Additional exhibitor partners will be announced as installation plans are completed.

Dolby Cinema lets studios and exhibitors focus on what they do best, with the confidence that Dolby will deliver a premium experience that makes the most of the latest cinema technologies, saidDoug Darrow, senior VP, cinema, Dolby Laboratories. To get this right, we naturally went to a leader in projection that could help deliver a breakthrough solution, and Im pleased that we were able to work with Christie to co-develop the Dolby Vision projection system. With this announcement, we are confident that exhibitors and studios will now have the ultimate venue to present movies that will keep audiences coming back for more.

Cinema projection does not get any better than this, said Don Shaw, Christies senior director, product management. We have combined the research and engineering resources of two of the most innovative companies in the world to create the best projection system that anyone has yet seen. Well be delivering audiences a richer, more detailed viewing experience with up to 14 foot lamberts onscreen in 3D and up to 31 foot lamberts for 2D Dolby Vision content, far exceeding any ultra-bright industry standards, to all Dolby Cinema locations.

Dec 3, 2014

Dolby has applied decades of research and development to deliver a sight and sound experience to Dolby Cinema that will transport audiences into the story like never before, said Kevin Yeaman, president and CEO of Dolby Laboratories. Dolby Cinema will be the most engaging way for moviegoers to watch the newest releases.

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Dolby launches advanced cinema experience