technabob » powerpoint

ribbon hero: holy crap! microsoft actually went through with it

lambert v. — Tue, 09 Mar 2010 13:04:20 +0000

Remember the bit of news we shared a while back about Microsoft’s filing a trademark for “Ribbon Hero?” Well now the game/add-on/learning tool is available for download! It’s a manifestation of Mr. Schell’s vision of the future, but at least this time the game is for a product that a customer has a already bought and is primarily a learning tool, and an optional one at that, not a nagging advertisement.

The game is pretty much what you’d expect. It’s an optional download that works in Word, Excel and Powerpoint. Once it’s installed it sits on your ribbon – where else? – and, just like when you’re playing games on the Xbox 360 or PS3, certain actions you take while using any of the aforementioned programs will automatically earn you points. But you can also click the Ribbon Hero button to engage in challenges, i.e. learning activities, complete with hints. You can integrate the add-on with your Facebook account to compete or compare scores with your friends.

Click to View Embedded Video Clip

You can download Ribbon Hero for free at the Microsoft Office Labs website. Currently, it’s only available for Windows users (XP and above) with Office 2007 and above. Microsoft should release a similar program to teach users about keeping their computers malware-free.

[via Wonderland]

zmotion space presenter controls like a wii-mote

technabob — Thu, 28 Jun 2007 03:05:39 +0000

This wireless presentation controller lets you remotely operate your Windows computer using a similar interaction to that of the Nintendo Wii-mote controller.

The ZMotion Wireless Space Presenter looks like a super-slim remote control, but does a lot more than just flip pages in a PowerPoint deck. Using internal sensors it can measure your movements along all 3-dimensions, tracking them on your computer screen. It’s bundled with software that lets you type on screen and use it just like a mouse too. Since the controller uses RF communication, you don’t need to point it directly at your computer either.

The ZMotion even includes a built-in laser pointer so you can highlight your presentation on the big screen. It can be found on Korea’s EarlyAdopter online shop for KRW 158,000 (appx. $170 USD) including a USB receiver dongle, charger cable and a nice carrying case.

pcpal: the all-in-one presenter mouse

technabob — Fri, 26 Jan 2007 19:20:37 +0000

For those of us travel with our laptops for work, anything that can reduce the number of accessories you have to carry is a good thing. The PCPAL 3-in-1 Laptop Mouse aims to integrate a mouse, laser pointer and presentation remote control in a single slim device.

The PCPAL is even slim enough to be stored in your laptop’s PC card slot. The remote can be used to control PowerPoint presentations, and functions over RF, so doesn’t require line-of-sight. Priced at about $40, it’s worth a look if you do lots of on-the-road presenting.

[via Crave]