Springfield Based Enhanced Biometrics Introduces The "Biometric Bouncer"

Smile, you're on candid camera!That used to be a tag line for an old TV show, but now it's a fact of life. Let's face it: Our faces are being photographed everywhere these days. This is because of the modern omnipresence of security cameras, which are used everywhere from banks to airports to convenience stores. So the question isn't if you're going to be photographed, but rather how those images are used. Most law-abiding citizens don't worry too much about being caught on video, as they know it's the price of living in a secure society. As long their basic privacy is preserved, people know that these cameras can solve and even stop crimes.Until recently however, technology was limited both in how good of an image could be rendered inexpensively and how these images could be tied into computers to create a database that could identify potential security threats.

This has all changed with the formation of a new company named Enhanced Biometrics. Enhanced Biometrics has created a product that surpasses any security camera system to date. Using a complex computer algorithm, coupled with a state-of-the-art camera, the program can capture a face and accurately compare it to pictures on file in a database to do everything from weeding out undesirable patrons (ones who may have been banned for problem behaviors in the past) at a venue to identifying VIPs to whom the owners want to give preferred treatment.The potential uses for this new technology are virtually limitless. For example, a night club using this program might not only keep out troublesome patrons, it could also ensure that underage customers trying to sneak in using fake IDs are thwarted. At some point in the future, a venue may also be able to identify wanted criminals entering its doors. This would not only potentially save the venue some unwanted problems, it also could allow the owners to notify law enforcement officials the whereabouts of a suspect. And those possibilities are just the beginning.

The program can work with almost any camera and the system is designed to be used with touchscreen technology for ease of use. It was also created so that the average person can learn how to use it in 15 minutes. So don't be left behind. Face the future in face-recognition technology and learn more about Enhanced Biometrics today @ BiometricBouncer.com!

http://www.enhancedbiometrics.com/

Biometric Bouncer Informational Video

This video was produced for Enhanced Biometrics @ the Skyplex.
The Biometric Bouncer has gone through over a year and a half of development and is now ready for distribution.
http://www.biometricbouncer.com/

Paramount Key to Downtown Rebirth

We have always viewed downtown Springfield as a place that can compete with most other major cities when it comes to entertainment.

As the unofficial capital of Western Massachusetts, Springfield needs to attract music and arts patrons with top-notch performers and venues. Many great efforts have been made along these lines over the years, from the revamping of the Civic Center into the MassMutual Center to the build-up of a corridor along Stearns Square. But we feel that the centerpiece to this smorgasbord of entertainment is, and has been for years, The Paramount.

The long history of the Paramount (later the Julia Sanderson Theater, then The Paramount again, then The Hippodrome) includes many impressive performers. We'll detail them in an upcoming post, but a short list includes such artistic luminaries as Frank Sinatra, Bob Dylan, Nat King Cole and The Velvet Underground--quite the diverse mix!

The Paramount also is unique in that it fills a void between the normal-sized nightclubs and the vastness of the MassMutual Center. Many events that are too large for the former and too small for the latter (such as a large wedding party; see photos below) fit perfectly into The Paramount. It's also the perfect size for great bands such as Ireland's Saw Doctors, who have said it's one of
their favorite places to play.

The Staff has always taken pride in the special events that have taken place at the Theater. The unique opportunity exists to utilize the Paramount's production capabilities and incorporate them into a function or parties theme.
The Paramount has hosted, Weddings, Corporate functions, Proms, and Holiday Parties to name a few. Weddings typically feature a live band and DJ, The Wedding pictured on the right utilized a DJ and a troupe of Cirque Du Soleil Performers.

RAISING THE BAR AND JOINING THE CLUB

Downtown Springfield has had a lot of good bars and restaurants over the years, but really only a few truly great concepts. The difference between the two in our eyes can be how the venues are operated.

The Paramount Theater will again be the largest attraction in the city. What separated this facility from it's competitors in the past was the vibe and atmosphere that was created for the place. My partner Steve Stein and I used our extensive career backgrounds to create a unique venue that would be a destination spot for downtown.

Steve's 25 years in the hotel industry managing four and five star properties, has brought him everywhere from Boston to Palm Beach, Beverly Hills and even the Mediterranean. Steve has opened nine restaurants in his career. His resume includes first class convention centers and large banquet facilities that specialize in social events and weddings. This experience will be crucial to the Paramount's newest incarnation. The renovated theater will feature a full banquet kitchen that will have the ability to create and prepare unique cuisine. This is the next step in the continuing transformation of this historic landmark.

For my part, I have managed large entertainment venues for 23 years, including The Palace in Saugus, which featured eight separate night clubs and restaurants and could hold 4,000 patrons. I managed The Roxy in Boston during it's heyday in the early to mid 1990's. I also designed and built The Palladium in Worcester in 1996 and opened Atlantis in Fort Lauderdale in 1999, among many other achievements.

Our point here is not to brag, but to illustrate that it takes a certain type of knowledge, experience, and proven track record to make a facility like The Paramount work. Steve and I feel that our talents and acumen complement each other, making for a great partnership. This level of experience and dedication doesn't exist in many other establishments in the city. We could have chosen a lot of different places, but Springfield's Paramount was--and still is-- a jewel that we wanted to make shine again.

We think we have--and will continue to do so.

The Springfield Intruder and a "behind the scenes" tour of the Theater.

I recently gave a tour of the Paramount to Bill Dusty of the Springfield Intruder. I thought that some people may find it interesting to see parts of the theater that the public never sees. Below is a link to the story that Bill wrote about the tour and a link to the video that he made.



http://springfieldintruder.com/?p=3169

View From The Top

The Paramount has a 90 ft. "Boom" lift on the dance floor. The lift is being used to install the sprinkler system on the ceiling, which is 60 feet above the floor.

(Click on any of the pictures to enlarge)

Here is a view of the mural above the stage, taken from the same level as the mural. I was bout 15 feet away from it when I took this picture.

The last time we had this type of lift in the theater was in 2000 for the Hippodrome restoration. I have to confess that sometimes at night when all of the workmen go home, I like to take the lift out for a spin. This lift is made to be used indoors "only" and can fit through narrow doorways. That is why I think it sways so much. It takes some getting used to as the lift is rising and the shaking becomes more pronounced, the higher you go.

Above is a picture taken on the way up of the dome in the center of the ceiling.

Here is a view from above the mural. Not a great angle to see the painting, but a very different perspective on the whole theater from this high up.




This is a birds eye view of the Proscenium Arch.




This is the view looking back into the balcony and all of the scaffolding above it.
The dome is lit with red lights.
The batteries on my camera went dead after I snapped these pictures, unfortunately, I wasn't even all the way up to the ceiling yet.
In the next few days I will take the machine for another ride and get some better pictures.

GREAT EXPECTATIONS

As we celebrate the 80th Anniversary of the Paramount and prepare for its reopening, we noted an advertisment in the Spetember, 1929 archives of the Springfield Republican. The Publix Corporation, the company that owned the Paramount as well as numerous other theaters, took out an ad for the then-new theater that said "Expect everything in a Publix theater, because you won't be disappointed."
We like that kind of optimism and confidence. We plan on setting the bar equally as high for the revamped Paramount because we know that the good people of Western Massachusetts have high expectations--as they should--when it comes to entertainment. Springfield already has much to offer; we simply plan on bringing some new facets to this city, in order to let people know what they're missing if they don't come for a visit.