One of our primary focus points when designing the VRDL was tech support.

Sure, we could offer phone support or web based forums and email support. But, what if the student is having trouble with explaining the problem, or she just simply does not know the technical term for that "do-hicky" on top of the "hooper-platz."

Apple's innovations with the iSight digital video camera and iChat AV solve those very problems and puts Digital Tech Frontier's support staff face to face with the students and educators! Which is right where we want to be.

You're very concept of technical support could be altered forever! This amazing multimedia audio/video conferencing and communications system comes standard with the VRDL.

However! The iSight is not just a video conferencing tool. It will be your primary means of capturing raw digital video footage for interviews, student news reports or virtual tour guides for incorporation into your student created tours.

The iSight is like no other camera available today. A versatile, durable, lightweight and portable camera capable of delivering high-quality audio and video, iSight features a strong aluminum-alloy exterior and a highly accurate autofocus lens. Video is streamed throgh a single FireWire cable and delivers the needed power.

The result is that whether it’s in a poorly lit staff room or a bright classroom, iSight will provide true color reproduction and a crisp image. The camera also sports a small green “on air” light that lets you know that you are participating in a live video chat session. One simple twist of the lens cap turns off iSight, ensuring your privacy and letting your buddies know you’re no longer available for video and audio chatting.

Four available stands and a tilt-and-swivel mechanism allow iSight to capture video at the best possible angle. While traditional web cameras sit off-center on your desk, capturing the side of your head iSight sits directly in front of you, at eye level. This provides a more natural, life-like conversation and a more familiar TV-like viewing angle.

iSight includes a built-in, dual element noise-suppressing microphone that delivers crystal clear audio. The microphone takes in the sound from both microphone elements, then determines which sounds are essential to the conversation with an algorithm that filters out extraneous noise.

The iSight subsequently acts as a sound capture device and microphone for collecting those environmental sounds and voice-overs (narrations) for your tours.

Audio conferences with iChat allows you to connect with up to 10 participants. High-quality audio compression techniques ensure crystal-clear conversations while full-duplex sound lets everyone speak naturally. Watch as well as listen using particpants’ personal sound-level meters. They’re a handy visual cue to let you know who’s speaking, so people don’t have to announce themselves.

As soon as you connect the camera to the computer and turn it on, iChat AV begins working with the camera. There are no additional drivers to install, no software to configure and no tedious set-up “wizards” standing between you and your first video chat. That means you’ll have your first video chat in seconds, rather than minutes or hours. iChat AV automatically detects iSight and connects with it. Simply open the iSight lens cap and iChat AV automatically launches and lets your buddies know that you are available for video and audio chatting. (Requires Mac OS X Panther 10.3 or later.)

Of course, iChat is also a versatile instant text messaging application, supporting AOL Instant Messenger and Jabber Instant Messenger clients. Icons and thought bubbles make it fun to see who’s saying what, and you can transmit any kind of file — from a web address to a photo — by simply dragging it into your chat. Pictures display right in the message window, web links open with a click. In short, iChat is still the best way to IM.

Connecting to VRDL tech support or another school becomes as simple as a single-click. Invite the party to a video chat and voila youre in video conferencing mode

Using iChat in the classroom, Network administrators and facilitators rest-asured, you can dictate how the tools are used by implementing the built-in controls allowing you to decide who your students can chat and video conference with online.

Approve the buddies you trust and iChat blocks all attempts to send and receive IMs with anyone else. iChat also automatically hides or displays online status so that only buddies approved by you will be able to see if your students are online.