Owner: PPT - Powerful Presentation Techniques URL:http://www.connectingdots.typepad.com/ppt/ Join Date: Tue, 08 Aug 2006 15:57:49 -0500 Rating:1 Site Description: Focuses on tips, techniques and resources for the development and delivery of effective presentations using PowerPoint. Site statistics:Click here
Microsoft Releases Vista Operating System 2006-11-30 16:57:24 Today is the day for Microsoft
's release of their new Vista
operating system, along with the upgraded Office 2007 suite and upgraded back-end server software. The system is being released for sale to corporate customers that buy software licenses in bulk according to CNN Money. The release date for consumer purchases will be January 30th.
According to the article, Gartner is estimating that Vista sales will not surpass those of the installed operating system base until 2010. The lag in installations is projected due to migration expenses and compatibility testing with other installed software in the corporate environment.
Read more:Operating
, System
History of PowerPoint 2006-11-21 17:00:00 Are you curious about the history of PowerPoint
?
If so, you might want to download a PPT presentation created by Cathy Bellevile one of the founders and partners at a Bit Better Corporation that was created in 2000. In her presentation, Cathy a former PowerPoint Product Manager, delineates the evolution of PowerPoint with a description of the feature upgrades all the way up to PPT 2000. Among the versions described are:
PowerPoint 1 - 1987
PowerPoint 2 - 1988
Win PowerPoint 2 - 1990
PowerPoint 3 - 1992
PowerPoint 4.0 - 1994
PowerPoint 7 - 1994 (there was a change in their product naming strategy)
PowerPoint 97 - 1997
PowerPoint 2000 - 2000
Since then they've had at least two upgrades with PowerPoint 2002 and PowerPoint 2003, soon to be joined by PowerPoint 2007.
Read more:History
Interested in Online Video? 2006-11-20 19:13:50 Are you interested in online video?
If so you might want to see my post today on my other blog - the Web Chef's e-Bytes. It reviews some of the latest reports on online video sharing sites beyond the YouTube phenomena.
Read more:Online Video
Compression Tools Update 3 (PPTshare, NxPowerLite, PowerShrink, PowerPressed) 2006-11-17 17:00:00 TechCrunch reports on the availability of PPTshare a new software tool that compresses PowerPoint presentations to a more manageable size. The company claims that the software compresses slide presentations up to 95%. The software has multiple compression options according to TechCrunch including "normal, extra, high quality, mobile and custom". Interestingly in a quick look at the features on the PPTshare website I didn't see a discussion of these options.
According to the company, the software "intelligently" reduces the size of graphics and other embedded documents. Recipients of a compressed file do not need to have PPTshare installed on their systems to be able to view the file in the PPT or PPS formats. The software is currently only available for PCs using Windows 98 or later.
The single user price is $45. There is a free trial available that allows you to have up to 10 "compressions" after which you are Read more:Compression
, Tools
, Update
Stock & Other Photography Resources Updates 2006-11-14 17:46:03 Looking for another source for stock images for your PPT presentations?
Why not take a look at LuckyOliver - a community of artists, buying and selling photographs. The web site states that the images sell for about a dollar. For full disclosure purposes, I have an affiliate marketing relationship with them.
Read more:Stock
, Resources
PPT - WSJ DUHS, DON'T'S & DO'S 2006-11-14 17:07:26 The Wall Street Journal has an article (note: at some point this will only be accessible to subscribers) in today's Cubicle Culture column by Jared Sandberg titled "Tips for PowerPoint:
Go Easy on the Text
Please Spare Us"
The article discusses perspectives from various professionals on what not to do including the following referenced in the article:
Writing paragraphs for each bullet point
Reading the slides
Going special effects crazy
Swapping out laptops among multiple presentations
Using laser pointers
Given the estimated 30 million PPT presentations a day and the estimated $252 million costs due to wasted time (according to Dave Paradi), the article states that the problems stem from audiences not letting the presenter know of their boredom, from poorly trained presenters and from the innate fear of public speaking leading to the need for speakers to use PPT as a crutch.
So what can you and your organziation do about this dilemma?
The solution could b
Tufte vs. Godin 2006-11-13 20:44:14 Juice Analytics has an interesting review of Seth Godin
's comments about Tufte's favorite infographic - Napolean's March to Moscow. Both Godin and the poster at Juice Analytics thnk the image fails in presenting data in a "simple and to the point" fashion.
Stock Photography Updates 2006-11-10 17:30:05 Periodically I come across additional stock photography resources. I'll be updating my PowerPoint & Presentation Resource listing guide with the new information, but will also make it available immediately on PPT.
One of the stock photography sites, I've identified is Awesome Presentation Pictures. You can purchase all of their images on a CD ROM for $299, purchase them individually for $5 or buy 10 for $40.
In other stock photography news, Photo News Today announced that the Stock
Artists Alliance, a global trade association dedicated to representing the rights of stock photographers has released a "Guide to the Business of Stock Photography" for those wanting to understand more about the business from the perspective of the photographer (PDF, registration required).
Video Fun 2006-11-09 16:00:00 Viral Video Charts had a very amusing video they titled Animator vs. Animation that I think you'll enjoy.
Hat tip to Adrants contributor Angela Natividad.
Zoho Show & Slideshare Compared 2006-11-08 23:07:24 Amit Agarwal at Digital Inspirations has a posting that compares Zoho Show and Slideshare on various criteria including:
Privacy
Editing Capability
New Slide Show Creation
Uploading Ease
His final results are Slideshare beating out Zoho Show.
In other Slideshare news, Utility Belt a Business 2.0 blog, has an interview with Jon Boutelle, co-founder and CTO of the company. In the interview he provides some interesting insights on Slideshare and its users. Among the features that they are working on is a privacy set that will allow for permission levels to be set. This feature is one where the Digital Impressions review gave their feature points to ZohoShow.
New Column in Wisconsin Technology Network - Virtual Communities make online connections 2006-12-06 20:34:40 Wisconsin Technology
Network has published the next in a series of articles that I've written on some of the latest trends in e-business and marketing related to Web 2.0. The article "Virtual Communities
make onlineconnections
" reviews the state of social networks and what business people should do to stay on top of the evolving trend.
You can see all of the articles I've written in the Buzz Networks series at Wisconsin Technology Network.
Give me a call (608) 255 4092 or e-mail me, if your organization or company would like to hear a presentation or receive training on blogs, vlogs, podcasts or any of the other Web 2.0 trends impacting businesses today.
Read more:Column
, Wisconsin
Hand Movement in Presentations 2006-12-08 16:30:00 Masterviews International has an interesting post on what to do with your hands during a presentation. With some novice presenters displaying their nervousness by putting their hands in their pockets and others keeping them fixed in place, their suggestion and embedded video tip to move your hands naturally makes lots of sense if you're looking to refine your presentation techniques.
I have seen a professional presenter who intrigued me with her overly deliberative hand gestures. For some reason I found it a bit disconcerting since it led me to focus on her hands rather than on her message or presentation. She used very exagerated motions that at least for the close-in viewer distracted me.
From Patients to PPT 2006-12-12 16:41:45 The New York Times has an interesting article talking about the change in continuing medical education where hospital-based grand rounds have been replaced by didactic lectures. The article interestingly titled "Socratic Dialogue Gives Way to PowerPoint" bemoans the lack of direct patient evaluation and interactive discourse in the grand rounds process.
The article title would make you think that there would be some discussion of PowerPoint, but other than in the title, this presentation tool in use by many, isn't referenced at all. There seems to be rather an implied substitution of "lecture" with PowerPoint throughout the article.
YouTube Video Embed in PowerPoint 2006-12-14 19:32:56 Alice Marwick at her blog tiara.org has a step-by-step set of instructions for downloading, converting and embedding YouTube
video clips into a PowerPoint
presentation. I haven't tried her technique or downloaded the tools she suggests using for this process, some of you might find her ideas worth pursuing.
One comment she makes struck a chord with me " All this rigamarole should be completely unnecessary soon, as I'm sure Google's PowerPoint clone will include YouTube video embedding as standard." If it does it could be yet another reason for some transition away from PPT to other presentation tools.
JibJab Year In Review 2006-12-18 17:59:39 Nuckin' Futs! The JibJab Year in Review | Send To Friends | Funny Animations at JibJab
Quotes worth sharing 2006-12-19 17:39:17 "I may not have gone where I intended to go, but I think I have ended up where I need to be."
Douglas Adams
Do your presentations follow these meandering paths and changing directions?
Read more:Quotes
Presentation Remote Controls 2006-12-19 20:00:00 I'm on my second generation of presentation remote controls for managing and accessing PowerPoint while speaking. My first remote control was a Logitech Trackman. It worked pretty well, but was equipped with a PS 2 connection and didn't include a laser pointer. When I upgraded my laptop, I found that I no longer had a port for this connection, so I decided to upgrade to a new remote presenter control with a laser pointer. My new mouse was a Targus PAUM 30 purchased at Circuit City last year.
Using the mouse over the past year I've found some pluses and minuses that will impact future purchases of a remote control/laserpoint mouse.
Pluses
USB connection
Includes a laser pointer
Operates on 2 AAA batteries
Comes with a carrying pouch
Negatives
Laser pointer isn't very powerful
Operation has been erratic
the USB "dongle" transmitter does not store inside the remote, creating opportunities for loss
While preparing to present at a rece Read more:Remote
YouTube Video in PPT 2008-03-10 09:00:00 ZDNet UK blogger William Peterson has posted tips on PowerPoint and YouTube
in his posting "Live Your YouTube Video in PowerPoint". The posting compiles various ways to include YouTube video into PowerPoint for when you are connected to the internet...
Quotes worth Sharing 2008-03-06 11:00:00 "Projected slides should be as visual as possible and support your points, quickly efficiently and powerfully" Garr Reynolds, presentationzen, 2008 Read more:Quotes
, Sharing
PPT - Powerful Presentation Techniques Service Offerings 2008-03-05 09:00:00 ConnectingDots, Principal Consultant Paul Gibler offers your organization a range of services to improve presentation development, delivery or overall management. Among the services that are offered are the following: Professional Development - presentation and/or PowerPoint skills coaching or training Presentation... Read more:Service
, Offerings
PowerPoint Nibblets - tools & techniques 2008-03-03 11:14:35 Periodically I like to scan the news to see what is new in PowerPoint
add-ons, presentation accessories or tools to enhance your presentations. Here are some that I've discovered recently. SlipperyBrick reports on a laser pointer with a built-in advantage...
NJ Governor needs some PPT help 2008-02-14 09:36:45 The New York Times reported earlier this week: "...Governor
Jon S. Corzine, relying on a PowerPoint slide show several fonts too small..." "Al Gore he was not. Sometimes it was hard to see the charts because the words and figures...
UPDATED - PowerPoint & Presentation Resource Listing (REV 7) 2008-02-07 15:49:35 I've updated the PPT - Powerful Presentation Techniques Resource
Listing to include several new books, web sites and article links that I've come across or have been submitted to me. The Resource Listing is now in its seventh revision. Download... Read more:PowerPoint
UPDATED - PowerPoint & Presentation Resource Listing (REV 7) 2008-02-07 15:49:27 I've updated the PPT - Powerful Presentation Techniques Resource
Listing to include several new books, web sites and article links that I've come across or have been submitted to me. The Resource Listing is now in its seventh revision. Download... Read more:PowerPoint
78 Public Speaking related Blogs 2008-01-21 15:33:24 Andrew Dlugan at Six Minutes has put together a list with brief descriptions and general categorization of 78 speaking related
blogs including this one. For content die hards, you can conveniently subscibe to all 78 of them at once. Read more:Public
, Speaking
, Blogs
, Public Speaking
Quotes worth Sharing 2008-01-21 15:26:11 "Good speakers do two things well: they let their own personalities come through and they have a wide range of emotional expressiveness." Nick Morgan Read more:Quotes
, Sharing
Quotes worth Sharing 2008-01-18 09:00:00 "Saying what we think, gives us a wider conversational range than saying what we know." Cullen Hightower Read more:Quotes
, Sharing
Quotes worth Sharing 2008-03-12 10:12:00 "...PowerPoint presentations too often resemble a school play - very loud, very slow and very simple." Edward Tufte, 2003 Read more:Quotes
, Sharing
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