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Thursday, November 29, 2007
Christmas PowerPoint Goodies
Oh, the Christmas season is upon us yet again. Time for the free Christmas PowerPoint template link roundup:
First, Get Your Christmas Lyrics. You can find lyrics to your favorite Christmas carols online. Paste the lyrics into PowerPoint, and you're set to lead the chorus.
Next, Download Christmas PowerPoint Templates. All sorts of free Christmas PowerPoint Template madness abounds online. Here is the fave freebie countdown. (I wish we could sing it it the tune of "12 Days of Christmas". This is close, though:
Oh, the Christmas season is upon us yet again. Time for the free Christmas PowerPoint template link roundup:First, Get Your Christmas Lyrics. You can find lyrics to your favorite Christmas carols online. Paste the lyrics into PowerPoint, and you're set to lead the chorus.
Next, Download Christmas PowerPoint Templates. All sorts of free Christmas PowerPoint Template madness abounds online. Here is the fave freebie countdown. (I wish we could sing it it the tune of "12 Days of Christmas". This is close, though:
- Twelve Christmas PowerPoint Backgrounds from Philip Martin
- Eleven Christmas Templates from BrainyBetty
- Nine Christmas Templates from Presentation Helper
- Six Christmas PowerPoint Templates, courtesy of Wondershare
- Two snowy templates from Microsoft: flakes and snowy road
- One Santa with Mistletoe at the FreeTree
Who's got more?
(Oh, go ahead. Bookmark this page now. You'll be back before Christmas....)
Labels: content ideas, PowerPoint Templates
¶ 11/29/2007 06:46:00 PM 1 Comments Links to this post
Tuesday, November 27, 2007
How to Break it to Your Boss: "You Need a Makeover!"
How do you tell your boss or colleagues that they need a makeover?
I'm not talking about their clothes, hair, or makeup. Instead, I'm talking about their PowerPoint presentations!
Just in time for the holidays, PowerPoint MVPs Geetesh Bajaj and Echo Swinford provide a fun new way to transform dated PowerPoint designs. Last week, the two authors released an exciting, full-color book called Microsoft Office PowerPoint 2007 Complete Makeover Kit. Actually, this action-packed new release is more "kit" than a "book", as it contains a CD chock full of music, pictures, templates, themes, and more. In a free online excerpt, you'll see how to transform a dated, bullet-list presentation into a fashionable, bullet-free look.
Transform your design approach. If your organization professes to be progressive and forward-thinking, your PowerPoint design needs to reflect these qualities. A dated, out-of-touch design simply won't do. Your company needs to stay current and investigate fresh approaches to crafting presentations. If your organization has upgraded to PowerPoint 2007, make sure your presentation design approach keeps pace with a 2008 look and feel.
A new look for the new year. The holidays present a terrific opportunity to upgrade your corporate image without wounding egos. After all, it's downright diplomatic and thoughtful to buy a fun holiday gift -- instead of burning with embarrassment over yet another design disaster.
Go check out the new PowerPoint 2007 Makeover Kit -- it can make a terrific, timely, and tasteful business gift.
How do you tell your boss or colleagues that they need a makeover?I'm not talking about their clothes, hair, or makeup. Instead, I'm talking about their PowerPoint presentations!
Just in time for the holidays, PowerPoint MVPs Geetesh Bajaj and Echo Swinford provide a fun new way to transform dated PowerPoint designs. Last week, the two authors released an exciting, full-color book called Microsoft Office PowerPoint 2007 Complete Makeover Kit. Actually, this action-packed new release is more "kit" than a "book", as it contains a CD chock full of music, pictures, templates, themes, and more. In a free online excerpt, you'll see how to transform a dated, bullet-list presentation into a fashionable, bullet-free look.
Transform your design approach. If your organization professes to be progressive and forward-thinking, your PowerPoint design needs to reflect these qualities. A dated, out-of-touch design simply won't do. Your company needs to stay current and investigate fresh approaches to crafting presentations. If your organization has upgraded to PowerPoint 2007, make sure your presentation design approach keeps pace with a 2008 look and feel.
A new look for the new year. The holidays present a terrific opportunity to upgrade your corporate image without wounding egos. After all, it's downright diplomatic and thoughtful to buy a fun holiday gift -- instead of burning with embarrassment over yet another design disaster.
Go check out the new PowerPoint 2007 Makeover Kit -- it can make a terrific, timely, and tasteful business gift.
Labels: design, fun, PowerPoint Tricks
¶ 11/27/2007 04:10:00 PM 1 Comments Links to this post
Wednesday, November 21, 2007
Camtasia Studio 3 is Free!
Right now, Techsmith is giving away their popular screencasting software, Camtasia 3.
This is not a 30-day trial. It's the full version.
For free.
At the moment, the most up-to-date version of the software is Studio 5. When you use Camtasia 3, TechSmith believes you will love it so much, you will want to upgrade to get the latest version.
Camtasia 3 has a ton of great features, though. Certainly enough for you to create training and sales videos. Or record PowerPoint presentations. And maybe even to upload your newly created videos to YouTube. (For example, I used Camtasia 3 to create this YouTube Video about PowerPoint in August 2007.)
Here are instructions for getting your free, fully-functional copy of Camtasia 3:
Step 1: Download & install the Studio 3 software:
http://download.techsmith.com/camtasiastudio/enu/312/camtasiaf.exe
Step 2: Register for a password:
http://www.techsmith.com/camtasia/pcpls.asp Step 3: Enter the password into the software.
Step 4: Use Camtasia 3 to create a viral video.
Step 5: Upload the video to YouTube tonight, become world-famous over the long Thanksgiving weekend.
Ok, Ok, steps 4 & 5 are totally optional! (But not completely out of the realm of the possible!)
Who knows how long this deal will last? Take advantage of the offer and the long weekend to create something wonderful.
And thanks for giving, TechSmith!
¶ 11/21/2007 02:45:00 PM 5 Comments Links to this post
Right now, Techsmith is giving away their popular screencasting software, Camtasia 3.This is not a 30-day trial. It's the full version.
For free.
At the moment, the most up-to-date version of the software is Studio 5. When you use Camtasia 3, TechSmith believes you will love it so much, you will want to upgrade to get the latest version.
Camtasia 3 has a ton of great features, though. Certainly enough for you to create training and sales videos. Or record PowerPoint presentations. And maybe even to upload your newly created videos to YouTube. (For example, I used Camtasia 3 to create this YouTube Video about PowerPoint in August 2007.)
Here are instructions for getting your free, fully-functional copy of Camtasia 3:
Step 1: Download & install the Studio 3 software:
http://download.techsmith.com/camtasiastudio/enu/312/camtasiaf.exe
Step 2: Register for a password:
http://www.techsmith.com/camtasia/pcpls.asp Step 3: Enter the password into the software.
Step 4: Use Camtasia 3 to create a viral video.
Step 5: Upload the video to YouTube tonight, become world-famous over the long Thanksgiving weekend.
Ok, Ok, steps 4 & 5 are totally optional! (But not completely out of the realm of the possible!)
Who knows how long this deal will last? Take advantage of the offer and the long weekend to create something wonderful.
And thanks for giving, TechSmith!
¶ 11/21/2007 02:45:00 PM 5 Comments Links to this post
Tuesday, November 13, 2007
Kitsch and Camp: The PowerPoint Twins
What's Kitsch? Kitsch is a black velvet painting. Garden gnomes, lava lamps, troll dolls, flamingo lawn ornaments, dogs playing poker -- all are classic kitsch. Often of poor quality, kitsch is an object that appeals to lowbrow, popular, or tacky tastes.
What's Kitsch? Kitsch is a black velvet painting. Garden gnomes, lava lamps, troll dolls, flamingo lawn ornaments, dogs playing poker -- all are classic kitsch. Often of poor quality, kitsch is an object that appeals to lowbrow, popular, or tacky tastes.What's Camp? Camp is the presentation of kitsch. Jon Waters, Cyndi Lauper, and Kiss are deliberately campy. Tom Cruise, Judy Garland, and Betty Davis are (probably) unintentionally campy. A campy presentation is so outrageously dramatic, inappropriate, gaudy, affected, or out-of-date it's ironic and funny.
What's contemporary kitsch & camp? When you watch VH1 "I Love the [insert decade here]" - you are watching a top 100 kitsch & camp report. In 3 years, what will be considered kitsch and camp for the '00 decade?
Will PowerPoint presentations make the kitschy cut? After all, there's a certain black velvet quality to many PowerPoint presentations......as well as to most Keynote presentations.
Oh, let's face it. Everything Apple is deliciously kitschy-campy. The Apple "Zen Aesthetic" is contemporary kitsch. By combining this spare design style with:
Kitsch and camp are iconic, ironic fun. When you're deliberately kitschy or campy, you can come across as witty and self-deprecating. However, if you're unintentionally Tom Cruise-y or Apple-campy, you risk appearing self-important or buffoonish.
Try jumping on a couch these days without appearing ironic.
Commit to your camp. If you have a kitschy style, make sure you affect a campy mannerism. This can help you more fully engage your audience. There's no sense having a clipart-y, cluttered, bullet point-y, totally 1990's Microsoft-kitsch PowerPoint presentation if you don't drive it home by, say, swaggering like Johnny Depp in Pirate of the Caribbean. Cringing like the evil Mr. Burns from the Simpsons while presenting with a very 90's slide design is also an excellent kitsch-camp combo.
What's on your kitsch list? What is contemporary kitsch that is currently not commonly recognized as such? What contemporary '00 kitsch & camp will become classic kitsch and camp in the '10 decade?
- the Jobs priestly-black dress code
- the gratuitous and cliched body language of Buddha-pose-faux-humility,
- PlaySkool-ish, Web 2.0-y graphics,
- the promotion of i-Everything,
- dancing iPod silhouettes --
Kitsch and camp are iconic, ironic fun. When you're deliberately kitschy or campy, you can come across as witty and self-deprecating. However, if you're unintentionally Tom Cruise-y or Apple-campy, you risk appearing self-important or buffoonish.
Try jumping on a couch these days without appearing ironic.
Commit to your camp. If you have a kitschy style, make sure you affect a campy mannerism. This can help you more fully engage your audience. There's no sense having a clipart-y, cluttered, bullet point-y, totally 1990's Microsoft-kitsch PowerPoint presentation if you don't drive it home by, say, swaggering like Johnny Depp in Pirate of the Caribbean. Cringing like the evil Mr. Burns from the Simpsons while presenting with a very 90's slide design is also an excellent kitsch-camp combo.If you're going to be design-kitschy, you'll want to commit to being presentation-campy.
What's on your kitsch list? What is contemporary kitsch that is currently not commonly recognized as such? What contemporary '00 kitsch & camp will become classic kitsch and camp in the '10 decade?
Labels: design, fun, images, photography, PowerPoint
¶ 11/13/2007 01:51:00 PM 6 Comments Links to this post
