Improving Home Technology ( Part II)

Have you read part 1 of "Improving Home Technology" and completed all the tips? This is Part 2, a continuation of the first article to complete the 97 tips to completely arm yourself for the best home technology experience you can have!

54 Open exotic attachments easily. If you frequently receive e-mail attachments, consider installing a tool like e-ttachment Opener (DataViz, 800-733-0030, www. dataviz.com; $49), which makes it a snap to open files created in applications you don't own.

Pump Up Your Presentations

Overhead transparencies and slides aren't enough to captivate an audience in the digital age. So prepare yourself with these tips to make your next presentation a real showstopper.

55 Rent it-don't lug it. If you frequently speak before large audiences at hotels or other conference centers, build your presentation around tools you can rent onsite such as LCD and overhead projectors, flip charts, televisions, VCRs, and so on. Just don't forget to call ahead to reserve them.

56 Bring backups. Always keep extra copies of your presentation on disk and on paper just in case your files get corrupted or lost. Other emergency must-haves are an extension cord, phone line, and remote control software like Artisoft's CoSession Remote 52 (www.artisoft.com; $119 for the two-PC version) so you can call back to the office for crucial files you may have forgotten.

57 Animate it. Add oomph to your next client meeting with four free animated PowerPoint 97 templates. Download copies of these and other PowerPoint enhancements from the Microsoft Web site at www. microsoft.com/office/enhpowerpoint.asp.

58 Share your slide show. Microsoft's PowerPoint Viewer 97 lets PowerPoint users share documents with anyone, even those who don't have the software. This downloadable utility is available at www.microsoft.com /office/office/viewers.asp. To make your Freelance Graphics (www. lotus.com) slide shows portable for electronic mailing or sending to someone who doesn't have Freelance installed, use the Save and Go option, which compresses your PRZ file together with a Mobile Screen Show Player.

Correct ergonomics, such this picture shows, is crucial to better health and posture.

Credit: Mark Sheehan

Copyright: Mark Sheehan