Presentations

May 25, 2013

Electric Slide

Electric Slide launched in February and allows presenters to wirelessly transmit PowerPoint slides, documents, and videos to any screen without the need for a laptop or cables. Users swipe a finger across their smartphone or tablet screen and the presentation is displayed on any screen—across the room or across the Web—in real time. The app creates a unique URL from which the speaker begins and attendees watch the presentation. The app also allows multiple devices to work in sync through Bluetooth. "As a presenter in front of a room of people, you’ve got enough on your plate without worrying about why you can’t get your computer connected or whether those on the phone can see your slides. We’re also seeing users who just don’t want to lug a laptop around anymore," said Jim Phelan, co-founder of parent company Elucidate.

Photo: Courtesy of Elucidate

Prezi

Zooming presentation platform Prezi marked its fourth anniversary this spring by passing the 20 million user mark and adding sound capabilities. Other new features added in the past year include the ability to create 3-D backgrounds from a 2-D image. Users can load as many as three background layers and the system will cross-fade as the presenter zooms in and out.

Photo: Courtesy of Prezi

Camtasia

Camtasia is screen recording software to save presentations. From parent company TechSmith, Camtasia has an extensive library of music, animated backgrounds, and graphics that can be added to recorded presentations using the system’s editing tools. Videos can also include Web links, a table of contents, search functions, and quizzes. Once it is saved, presenters can post the video on YouTube, embed it in a blog, or share it on social networks. Another option: record the presentation in advance and deliver it to attendees before the meeting, then use the time together to discuss the content as a group.

Photo: Courtesy of TechSmith

Epson BrightLink Pro

Available since April, Epson’s BrightLink Pro turns a traditional whiteboard, wall, or virtually any flat surface into a digital presentation space. Speakers can present and annotate on content and then save it, print it, or email it through the network without the need for a computer or special software. The projector can be connected to most tablets, smartphones, documents cameras, and DVD players to share content. The device creates a 100-inch widescreen display area, so users can display presentations and a live meeting at the same time with the split-screen option. In addition, users can connect as many as four BrightLink Pro units that all reside on the same network, regardless of location, for remote collaboration.

Photo: Courtesy of Epson