Never mind the high speed trains that keep causing controversy in the UK – what about the Hyperloop?  This is based on a tube with a magnetically suspended train inside, the pilot in Scandinavia claims that it can reach speeds of up to 1000 miles an hour – faster than flying.

Like the UK Ultraspeeds mag-lift train, which hovers above the track, there are no moving parts so it’s cheaper to operate, which potentially means lower fares.  It can also stop quicker and reach top speed faster.  However, given the outcry that greets any major structural changes in the countryside it’s probably not going to arrive in the UK any time soon.

London to Leeds in 20 minutes anyone?

How about London to Leeds in no time at all?  If you have good video-conferencing equipment and a stable broadband there’s often no need to leave the office to hold meetings.  This is particularly useful when several people in different locations are involved.

If you don’t want to wait for the Hyperloop to arrive in the UK, but need to get on with your business development nationally – or even internationally – you’ll benefit from getting your video conferencing set up properly.

Ideally you’ll need a decent mic and camera to give you reliable sound and vision.

The best bet for sound is a headset as this guarantees you won’t get feedback.  That’s the irritating situation where someone’s voice comes out of your speakers and is picked up by the mic and fed back into the sound system.  The speaker will hear themselves on a slight delay – which may be great training if you’re going into broadcasting, but is really irritating for everyone on the call.

Built-in web cams can’t be upgraded so you’re pretty much stuck with what the laptop manufacturer has decided is good enough.  It’s really easy to attach external equipment and prices are coming down, so you can get a very good HD webcam for a reasonable price.

Lighting can be challenging as normal room lighting or relying on natural light often produces either a shadowy effect, where you look as though you’re auditioning for a horror movie or a completely ‘washed-out’ effect from too much light from one direction.

There is a special light that goes around camera, but if you don’t want to invest in that you will need at least one main light to ensure your face is well-lit, plus one filler light to filter out shadows.

If you don’t have a stable broadband you’ll find your connection dropping in and out, which means that you miss critical bits of information while you get reconnected – or everyone has to wait so you can finish what you were saying.

All these issues can be sorted out – and you probably won’t be surprised that, while we can’t provide high speed travel, we can help with mics, web cams, lighting and broadband connections!

Via Wire partners with CI Connect who specialise in design, installation and support of video communication, audio-visual and collaboration solutions for many business, education, healthcare and government sectors.  If you want to enhance your communication, improve productivity, increase efficiency and work in a more positive meeting environment, there’s a technology that will work for you.