Remote Clicker
I’ve been giving quite a few presentations lately, and my style means I am clicking about 600 times in 12 minutes. People keep suggesting I get a remote so that I am not locked in front of my machine. What pushed me over the edge was doing a presentation at IIW yesterday where the table holding my laptop was low enough that I had to bend over to click the mouse.
Searching the web for clickers, I came across Salling Software, and their Salling Clicker for Mac. It is software that you put on your phone, or similar device. I have a Treo 650 (another rant there) — so I thought, “Hey, why get another device?”. There is a trial mode so you can see how it works. After figuring out how to get photos off the Treo without it puking about lack of memory, I got the software on the Treo.
As those that know, I am not easily impressed, but this app is quite cool. It will control iTunes, Powerpoint, Keynote, iPhoto, video and a few system functions. Remoting Mail and NetNewsWire don’t work so well (likely because of the amount of data I have). It is all done with scripts, so keeners could add other items.
The cool part was when moving through the Powerpoint slides, your notes show up on the Treo. I can’t wait to integrate that using it into a talk. Screen grab of some of the items …
I am using a small free app called Romeo which is installed on the phone.
Comment by Sab — November 5, 2005 @ 2:08 pm
Romeo looks nice, but looks like it works on Sony Ericsson and not my Treo. Here is a link for anyone running an SE phone http://www.irowan.com/romeo/about.html.
Comment by Dick — November 5, 2005 @ 3:16 pm
The "Lessig Method" of presentation
http://presentationzen.blogs.com/presentationzen/2005/10/the_lessig_meth.html
Comment by Dimitar Vesselinov — November 19, 2005 @ 6:54 pm
I really appreciate your work. I only recently stumbled across your stuff via podcast. Interestingly, I heard your Podcast through ITConversations and your CTO through…eric rice? Is that right? You do a great job representing your company. You do.
Comment by Chris Brogan — November 22, 2005 @ 2:39 pm
thanks!
Comment by Dick — November 22, 2005 @ 2:46 pm
Exactly what I needed. After adopting yours/Lessig’s style I’ve been getting standing ovations. This remote control and my Nokia phone will take those even further!
Comment by Sean Kelly — November 30, 2005 @ 1:15 pm
Sun Apr 2, 2006 at 1:08 AM « The Long Tail of the Power LawIdentity2.0 Illusion of ControlSeeing and hearing Dick Hardt’s “600-mouse-clicks in 12 minutes” presentation is a must: it is the most formidable elevator pitch I https://technopod.wordpress.com/2006/04/02/id...
Trackback by Anonymous — April 2, 2006 @ 1:08 am
Hello Dick. I watched your keynote on Identity 2.0 today and loved it. Thanks for the insight into the world of indentity 2.0.
Funny because as I watched and noticed the massive number of clicks you must have had in that presentation I couldn’t help but think two things: 1 great presentation and 2 you need the Salling Clicker.
I have been using it for months to control apples new frontrow on my old(er) G4 powerbook (hehe). I absolutly love freaking out my kids and wife when they use the computer and I am in the other room by picking songs for them on itunes remotely.
Keep up the great work.
Comment by Christian Gehrke — May 24, 2006 @ 8:07 am
I got a Salling Clicker shortly after giving that presenation. Now I use my Treo all the time to advance slides.
Comment by Dick — May 29, 2006 @ 9:13 am
Dick,
600 clicks in 720 seconds? Watch out for RSI! I have a similar propensity for zillions of fast-moving slides flowing with a stream of verbal diarrohea. I tried using my phone (Sony Ericsson K750i) but wasn’t happy with the feel of it and got interrupted twice in mid-flow despite the "divert goddamn EVERYTHING" setting.
I now use a teeny Kensington wireless presenter, which has better range than the phone and is pretty much invisible in my hand. Works perfectly with both PowerPoint and Keynote. http://us.kensington.com/html/4390.html
Comment by Rowan Manahan — October 9, 2006 @ 2:38 pm
I have found both my Treo 650 and Nokia e61 have worked pretty well — and I don’t have an extra device to carry around — and most stages are not big enough for me to get too far from the computer!
Comment by Dick — October 10, 2006 @ 1:55 am