Following Bob Befus’ recent example (House Warming for Presentation Facts) I’ve also started a new solo blog project. Like Bob’s new blog, it’s continues in the Visual Being tradition of serving the presentations professional but it focuses on a single area of interest. It’s called Breaking Murphy’s Law and it’s about all the things that can go wrong when you’re a presenter or when you are supporting someone else’s presentation efforts. Some recent posts include “Jedi Knights With Frickin’ Laser Pointers”, “Blinded by the Light”, “Don’t Give a Pigeon a Perch to Poop From”, and “The Valium Bubble”. Please stop on by and check it out. I hope you find it interesting as well as useful.
Posted by Lee Potts at 7:40 PM .
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The real voyage of discovery consists not in seeking new landscapes, but in having new eyes. –Marcel Proust
This post should not be written.
It should be depicted. A video. A slideshow. Sketches on a cocktail napkin. Charades. Anything other than letters, words and sentences. Why? Because, according to the nearly 400 people who gathered at the first annual VizThink conference in San Francisco, we comprehend better, learn faster and communicate more effectively when we do so visually. Writing about a visual thinking conference is like singing a P&L statement, or designing an integrated circuit using mosaic tiles. It’s not the right medium for the message.
But, having no immediate access to a camera and lacking the drawing skills to make even a stick figure look like a stick, words must suffice. Or, here’s an idea. Stop reading right now and visit www.vizthink.com. The website, wiki and blog have plenty of visuals. Lots of color. Even some video.
The timing of VizThink, a first-of-its-kind conference for visual communication specialists that launched in January, is non-coincidental. It didn’t just happen because a bunch of visualistas wanted it to happen. It had to happen. Its rationale is so obvious it almost sounds silly when spoken out loud: to promote a global community of visual thinkers.
Read the rest of this entry »
Posted by Robert L. Lindstrom at 8:33 PM .
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Please join us on Friday, March 14 at 2:00 PM ET for a discussion of screen capture tools and a demonstration of the latest version of TechSmith’s Camtasia Studio. We will cover screen capture and how you can use it for training and production and take a look at the new features of Camtasia 5 with Troy Stein, Camtasia Studio Product Manager.
Please RSVP to Rachel Melnykovich (rmelnykovich@infocomm.org) at InfoComm if you wish to attend.
Details on how to join the webinar will be sent to you.
……………TD
Posted by Todd Dunn, CTS at 7:06 PM .
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One of the nicer features of Word 2007 is the ability to create blog posts directly from a new Blog document.
Posted by Tom Bunzel at 4:34 PM .
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Take a 15-minute survey and learn how you compare with your peers, from the work you do and the expertise you have, to the challenges you face. Are you similar to others, or charting your own course? Find out for yourself in InfoComm International’s annual 2007 Presentation Professional Survey.
To thank you for sharing your opinions and experiences in this survey, you will receive a free survey report by e-mail.
The survey is available at http://infocomm.qualtrics.com/SE?SID=SV_0U0yhRg0LijXsBC&SVID=Prod until May 18, 2007.
Contact marketresearch@infocomm.org with questions.
Posted by Todd Dunn, CTS at 4:59 PM .
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This article popped up on my one of my Digital Media Net newsletters. I think Mike Jones does a good job with excellent images and info:
A Beginners Guide to High Definition Video
……………TD
Posted by Todd Dunn, CTS at 12:07 PM .
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Steve Jobs may be even a better product presenter than he is a CEO. Now, he packages some of that presentation wizardry with the new Apple iLaunch, a product that he says will “revolutionize” the process of unveiling new products throughout the world. Read the whole story at The Onion.
Posted by Robert L. Lindstrom at 3:07 PM .
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I recently published an article on CIO.COM on presentations strategy and planning. Some of you may find it of interest.
Posted by Tom Bunzel at 6:26 PM .
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A week or so ago I did a webcast for Microsoft on the newer features in Office 2007 and Vista that are of interest to business owners — the link to it is:
http://support.microsoft.com/default.aspx?kbid=927550
Posted by Tom Bunzel at 8:30 PM .
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For those who have admired Xcelsius but have been afraid to learn it or unwilling to buy it, now you can download the new FREE light version that comes with lots of tutorials.
Posted by Tom Bunzel at 2:16 PM .
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For those interested in presentation best practices the issue always arises what is the most effective way to avoid stale bullets and sameness in slides. Inevitably the issue of creativity and resourcefulness leads to the concept of metaphors and analogies - using images or diagrams. The problem for non-artists or designers like me is where to get the nuts and bolts building blocks of these types of tools.
Recently a colleague, Gene Zelazny, the author of Say It With Charts! put me together with an entrepreneur who has launched an interesting site in this space. PowerFrameworks is an online gallery of conceptual metaphors in the form of PowerPoint shapes, professionally designed and ready to download into your presentation. The site also features concrete examples of how the metaphors can be implemented, and even a best practices section mirroring many of Zelazny’s own principles.
Kathy Villela, the site’s founder, actually worked at the consulting firm where Zelazny has worked for decades before beginning this site. Her concept, and what I like about the site, is that it is more than a gallery of shapes or clip art; it is also well constructed and searchable and mentally stimulating.
Posted by Tom Bunzel at 2:49 PM .
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See more info here:
Congrats to Ernie Bailey, CTS, for getting Arkansas to be the first state to recognize AV Week.
California and others to follow.
Arkansas recognizes AV Week Oct. 22-28, 2006
…………….TD
Posted by Todd Dunn, CTS at 9:58 PM .
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I’ve been using my Boom Bag for almost a year now with no problems. It’s a 21″ short trip suitcase like many others except for one thing. It’s also a portable sound system. The sound is decent and the volume will fill most small to medium sized hotel and meeting rooms. Forget lugging around sound dock solutions for your portable players. Just plug them into the Boom Bag and you’re set. It also has USB ports for charging anything able to charge via USB connection. I recently got the new rolling back pack version and was able to get almost everything out of my trusty Wenger bag and into the back pack. The new bag fit better in the smaller regional jet overhead compartments. All of these bags, or pieces of luggage, are great for the road warrior presenter with moderate presentation audio needs. Plug in your computer and you will have enough sound for a room of at least 50 people. There is a line out available to connect multiple bags for even more sound reinforcement. So far, I think it’s a great product. The luggage has a limited lifetime warranty and the sound system comes with a one year warranty. After the one year Boom Bags will replace a failed sound system for $50 for the lifetime of the bag. Is there anyone else making something like this?………….TD
Posted by Todd Dunn, CTS at 2:24 PM .
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