12 Tips for Creating Better Presentations

From using cool Auto Correct options to Formatting beautiful diagrams and graphics, learn 12 quick ways to create better presentations here.

Hello everyone!

Brainy Betty is back from her sabbatical and do we have goodies coming up next month! We're working on an exclusive free Educators Pack download chockfull of templates, backgrounds and downloads for our newsletter subscribers and website visitors. Don't miss it!

And now through September 30th only, SAVE 80% on Crystal Graphics Ultimate Combo and get every single tool you'll need this year for perfect and powerful presentations!

Top 10 Tips for PowerPoint 2007

Register for and watch this recorded event online at Microsoft to learn the insider top 10 tips for PowerPoint 2007! It's free, informative and 58 minutes of learning you can do at lunchtime while you eat your sandwich!

2 New Graphics Tutorials

You can find the 2 new graphics tutorials as promised free at the Brainy Betty site.

The first explains how create the reflection/picture frame effect while the second explain the 4 color effect.

You can view all the Brainy Betty tutorials on this page.

PowerPoint 2007 Graphics Tutorials!

At the end of this week, I'll be posting a series of PowerPoint 2007 graphics tutorials so you can easily create graphical slides like the ones below and add some pizzazz to your presentations!

Quick Poll:

Does your company use social marketing?

I.e., do you have a Facebook Fan page; do you use Twitter, are you on LinkedIn? Do you use amateur viral videos?

 

Take the poll.

How to Make Your Computer Start Faster

 In the flow of spring cleaning, yet? Learn how to get rid of old software, reconfigure "pushy" programs, and clean up the registry for a faster start of  your trusty old system!

How to Make Your Computer Boot Faster

For preventative maintenance tips, look here. Make it autopilot!

Have you signed up to follow Brainy Betty on Twitter yet? You might win a 30 minute presentation revamp or personal consultation with her! Just follow her by looking up her Twitter name "brainybetty", natch! :)

Or, if you need a presentation makeover right away, call our friends at Crystal Graphics for a FREE Estimate!

 

Technorati Tags: computer,fast start,faster startup,system registry,BIOS,splash screen,old software

7 tips for working securely from wireless hotspots

Wireless hotspots are changing the way people work. These wireless local area networks (LANs) provide high speed Internet access in public locations—as well as at home—and require nothing more than a notebook PC with a wireless card. From coffeehouses to restaurants, airports to hotel lobbies, hotspots are ubiquitous. They are the de facto connection method for travelers and remote workers to access the Internet, their e-mail, and even their corporate networks.

Hotspots range from paid services, such as T-Mobile or Boingo, to free connections at your local coffee shop or library. But they all have one thing in common: These are all open networks that are vulnerable to security breaches. And that means it's up to you to protect the data on your PC. Here are a few tips to make working in public locations more secure.

7 tips for working securely from wireless hotspots

More of Crabby's favorite Office tips - Help and How-to - Microsoft Office Online

I adore Crabby Office Lady. She reminds me of "Maxine" from the Hallmark cards. All of us seem a bit crabby these days, so this is apropos, I think.  :)

Here, she's listed some great tips for a variety of Office programs from Word to Excel to PowerPoint and Publisher (all different versions 95 and up) to make life easier and more efficient when working with these applications.

Also, if you're a Brainy Betty fan, we have a new series of free tutorials coming up that will debut in April that showcase the use (and efficiency!) of Crystal Graphics products. Our first tutorial, "Using Presentations to Go" makes it easy for anyone to create presentations on the most common topics using pre-populated slide "shells" which contain the outline, places for you to fill in text and prompts - all professionally designed on gorgeous templates.

I don't know about you - but I'd pay $49 for someone to hand me a bunch of almost finished, logically laid out professional slides for my presentations where I just need to go and fill in the details. Saves me time. SO many presentations are standard issue for many of us.

Have a wonderful spring week, everyone!

More of Crabby's favorite Office tips - Help and How-to - Microsoft Office Online

The PowerPoint Live Template Contest: American Idol Meets Slide Design

Brilliant artistry, crazed contestants, and
famous judges all on display in annual
competition to create conference template

For the fifth consecutive year, the PowerPoint Live User Conference is holding its Design-a-Template contest, with a free trip to the fall event being awarded to the person whose work is chosen to serve as the conference template.

The conference has received over 300 entries across the last four and a half years, spanning all software versions and many design motifs. The contest’s legacy includes brilliant work by exceptionally talented people, as well as a bit of comic relief by those who just wanted to be part of the experience...not unlike those who audition for American Idol.

“We have had our share of pranksters” notes conference host Rick Altman, “and that has prompted us to assign the roles of Randy, Paula, and Simon to our own judges. Mostly, though, we have seen truly incredible work submitted and even feel as if we have been responsible for watching a few stars be born.”

The judging panel is comprised of a select group of conference regulars, including Richard Bretschneider, Senior Program Manager for PowerPoint at Microsoft, slide:ology author Nancy Duarte, indezine editor Geetesh Bajaj, prominent slide designer Julie Terberg, and several other members of Microsoft's Most Valued Professional team of support specialsts. Evidently, the specific roles of Simon and Paula remain a closely-guarded secret.

“The challenge to this contest,” says Altman, “is the requirement that our slide design serve as the backdrop for all of the great ideas and visuals put forth by our presenters. In order to be a contender, a design needs to wear well for eight hours a day across three days. Contest participants want to be noticed, we get that, but their designs need to succeed in staying subtle and playing the supporting role. That's not so easy.”

Deadline for entries is Friday, June 5 and the contest is open to anyone.

•

Contest rules:
http://www.pptlive.com/contest.htm

Gallery of past winners and entrants:
http://snipurl.com/ppt_contest

Conference website:
http://www.pptlive.com

Online link to this article:
http://www.betterppt.com/press/contest_mar12-09.htm

Contact:
    Rick Altman
    Conference Host
    925.600.PRESENT (600.7737)
powerpointlive@altman.com

PowerPlugs: Ultimate Combo for PowerPoint - 80% OFF Until March 31st! WOW!

At a whopping 80% OFF, this is possibly the very best deal you can find for your PowerPoint use this year! I have this program myself and it's worth every penny.

There are 17 different aspects to the program including transitions, backgrounds, music, video and more and the plug ins make life so much easier to incorporate all these things into fantastic presentations.

One question I get asked very single month on Brainy Betty is "How can I get my music to play across slides and then how do I save it all so it works on other PCs?" Well, this program does that for you automatically - not to mention it gives you access to thousands of royalty free music clips as well.

The offer ends March 31st, so I'd act quickly! Just click the link below to go directly to the site:

PowerPlugs: Ultimate Combo for PowerPoint - Home Page