Wireless Control for Presentations? 51
Bifurcati asks: "I recently bought a Bluetooth enabled Powerbook G4 laptop, which comes with a trackpad. I often give Powerpoint presentations, so I'm interested in getting a wireless controller, to flip back and forward through slides without touching the laptop. Google turns up many options, e.g., Honeywell's, Beamplus and this doohickey. Another option is a combined mouse-controller, throwing an external mouse into the bargain. There are wireless mice (e.g., Logitech's) which need a USB plug-in, but are short range. Or there are Bluetooth mice, like the X-Wing, which are neat and have a 10m range, but seem to be a pain with battery life/charging. Another option is Logitech's Bluetooth Presenter, which is a mouse, PP controller and laserpointer in one (but costs $200!). So many choices! So I'm turning to good old Slashdot. All of you presenters out there, do have favourite remote control devices? What are your experiences with using them? What type of connectivity is the best (wireless, Bluetooth, something else?!) And what about devices that double as an external mouse, or even as a controller for movies, iTunes, etc?"
wireless controller (Score:2, Interesting)
Gyration wireless mouse (Score:1)
Gyration (Score:2)
We use the Gyration GyroRemote [cdw.com], which works quite well on the Trade Show floor. They use commodity AAA alkaline batteries, so you don't have to worry about keeping them charged.
--Mike--
Re:wireless controller (Score:1)
Looking at their products page, I must have the Ultra GT Cordless
Use your bluetooth phone or pda as a remote (Score:5, Informative)
Disclaimer: I've never tried this software as I don't have a mac.
What, you bought that shiny G4 and don't have $ left over for a BT phone/pda? Cry elsewhere you insensitive clod :-)
Re:Use your bluetooth phone or pda as a remote (Score:1)
Re:Use your bluetooth phone or pda as a remote (Score:1)
Re:Use your bluetooth phone or pda as a remote (Score:5, Informative)
Re:Use your bluetooth phone or pda as a remote (Score:2)
Re:Use your bluetooth phone or pda as a remote (Score:2)
Re:Use your bluetooth phone or pda as a remote (Score:5, Informative)
Re:Use your bluetooth phone or pda as a remote (Score:2)
Re:Use your bluetooth phone or pda as a remote (Score:1)
Re:Use your bluetooth phone or pda as a remote (Score:1)
A few months back I searched hard for a little utility that would automatically lock my Windows PC when my bluetooth Tungsten went out of range, but had no luck after much googling. I was even willing to do some of my own coding/scripting if a program had the right hooks, but never found that program.
Macs seem to get a lot of this stuff done right.
Re:Use your bluetooth phone or pda as a remote (Score:1)
Re:Use your bluetooth phone or pda as a remote (Score:1)
hmm this logins with bluetooth? I'm not sure if it logs out with it too, maybe???? Try it out let me know how it works, as I don't have any bluetooth phones.
Re:Use your bluetooth phone or pda as a remote (Score:2)
Re:Use your bluetooth phone or pda as a remote (Score:1)
I've seen it used both with an ericson t68i bluetooth phone, and with palm bluetooth pdas.
I suggest you try it.
Re:Use your bluetooth phone or pda as a remote (Score:1)
I use my SonyEricsson T610 with my Powerbook, Salling Clicker and Keynote (although I have tried it with Powerpoint and it works there as well). It's well worth the money.I get up to 10 meters of range when there are no walls separating me and the powerbook. It works flawlessly and has not malfunctioned even once.
It is also easy to customize what SallingClicker controls, since it is all done with Applescript. If you need it to do something fancier then the standard script
Cell phone (Score:3, Informative)
Re:Cell phone (Score:1)
what NOT to do.... (Score:4, Interesting)
;whatever you do, don't use a *wired* solution.
;i'm responsible for technology at a small college and we work on a tight budget (to say the least). i thought i'd save some money by implementing wired presenter mice with extension cables. now granted, these were the PS/2 variety--which you wouldn't use with a mac--but the wired mice get disconnected from the multimedia computers all the time, and its only a matter of time before the cords all short-out from abuse. the biggest issue w/ wires is the nightmare of someone (yourself included) snagging their foot on the cord as they pass by and yanking the entire laptop to the floor.
;do yourself a favor and stick with wireless. it's actually not more expensive in the long run. if i could go back and spend $150-200 per unit on a wireless solution, i would. it would have saved me (and our instructors) time, energy, headaches, and money (as i will now have to replace the ones we have) that we spent on the wired mice.
;TreeHead
off topic (Score:2)
Use a friend. (Score:5, Funny)
Faster response time, Batteries don't go down on you! and cheap to run (a beer or two).
Has the added advantage that if the audience doesn't turn up, you have someone to talk to.
Don't forget about infra-red (Score:2)
There are some cheap controllers out there intended specifically f
Re:Don't forget about infra-red (Score:2)
Re:Don't forget about infra-red (Score:1)
wireless mouse (Score:2)
I personally bought an apple wireless mouse for $65 at my local store and have been quite happy with it in presentations.
Re:wireless mouse (Score:2)
Re:wireless mouse (Score:2)
Re:wireless mouse (Score:1)
Keyspan Media Remote (Score:3, Informative)
Re:Keyspan Media Remote (Score:2)
Get the PP mouse! (Score:1, Informative)
Good Luck!
Bluetooth is best (Score:1)
Try RF (Score:1)
Gyration (Score:2)
The laptop sees it as just another USB device, so no fancy bluetooth stuff needed.
Don't use infrared; Keyspan wireless works well. (Score:3, Informative)
I've had great luck with the Keyspan Presentation Remote [keyspan.com] - it has a little USB wireless dongle which attaches to my PowerBook, and it works well with PowerPoint & Keynote.
It looks like a USB mouse to the system, so no additional drivers are required; it provides mouse-type functionality, so you can do remote demos, etc. I haven't tried it on Windows or Linux, but I'm pretty sure it would work in Windows with no drivers and in Linux if you have your XF86Config file set up properly (this should be tested, though).
Gyromouse (Score:2)
is what we use here for presentations.
Another point... (Score:2)
Get yourself a nice HMD (or build one) - mount the gyromouse electronics on top - and now you have a dead simple sourceless 2DOF head tracker. A baseless (and/or wireless) joysti
ATI Remote Wonder (Score:2, Informative)
I like the fact it has a direction pad for controlling the mouse and the media playback buttons, and four programmable buttons. There are plugins available for PowerPoint and WinAmp, personally I don't have them installed but the device still wo
Versapoint Communicator Remote (Score:2)
For a really cheap solution (Score:2)
Projector with a remote? (Score:3, Informative)
Targus Notebook Wireless Presenter (Score:3, Informative)
It works via USB and uses RF to control the mouse. It basically subs as a mouse and you can program the buttons to do different commands.
I like laser pointer that it comes with too.
I've used this before, it works nicely and I've liked Targus for their notebook companion items a lot. If you have warranty issues they'll take care of it right away.
Let me know what you think of it.
Streamzap PC remote (Score:1)
This won't help you with a Mac, but I bought a Streamzap [streamzap.com] for my home theater PC to control Winamp and myHTPC, and plan to get one here at the office to control PowerPoint [streamzap.com] for those folks who want to walk around when they do their presentations.
It supports a lot of apps [streamzap.com], and they're updating it all the time to improve existing supported apps and add new ones.
This may not help you with your powerbook, but it is an easy $39 solution for PowerPoint remote control.
Todd
Re:Streamzap PC remote (Score:2)
Crystal Graphics RF Remote (Score:1)