Handpicked Software » Presentation Tools

KeyCastr – Display keystrokes while recording screencasts

Fri, 05 Oct 2007 23:09:24 +0000

KeyCastr lets you easily display your keystrokes while recording screencasts. Very useful when demonstrating complicated keyboard shortcuts.

What’s New:
Version 0.7.3

This bugfix release corrects three problems with 0.7.2:

Preferences window animations take too long.
Keystrokes are visible while preferences window is open.
Bezel no longer steals focus.

Version 0.7.2:

Non-US keyboards now show arrows and other glyphs correctly.
Modifiers are now correctly shown for all keystrokes.
Space and tab now use standard glyphs.
Function keys are now correctly displayed.
The location of the bezel is now saved between launches.
The bezel can now be dragged around without the preferences window visible.
You may now specify a shortcut key to make KeyCastr stop displaying keystrokes.
An option to display only command keys has been added.
The preferences panel has been extensively reworked.

Developer’s website: Stephen Deken

TalaPhoto X – Quickly print or share your digital photo collection

Fri, 05 Oct 2007 23:09:24 +0000

Easy professional slide shows, photo printing and web pages. Can integrate and extend iPhoto.

Your digital camera is chock full of great shots but how do you quickly and easily share prints, web galleries and photo movies with your friends?

TalaPhoto is the elegantly simple yet powerful solution!

Quickly print snapshots and multi-photo pages
One click web galleries and photo shows with transition effects
Unique technology easily fits your image to the desired media
EXIF info and image level optimizations
Supports images, movies and QTVR
Extensive annotation and watermarking
Simple, flexible and elegant interface
Works with iPhoto albums and selected photos

What’s New:
Version 2.9.2

Improved numeric sort of imported filenames
Better handling of odd Exif data from HP cameras
Now properly saves registration code on Intel Macs
No longer includes old slide show music in new projects

Version 2.9.1

Universal Binary runs much faster on Intel Macs
IPTC support in EXIF display and annotations
Sort filenames numerically during file import
Can disable end user saving PhotoShow movies

Version 2.8.8

Support more EXIF file formats
Handles ‘music only’ QuickTime movies
Jewel Case layout size
Better error reporting

Version 2.8.4

Better error reporting and bug fixes

Version 2.8.3:

Totally new Music Timeline editor, builds slide shows and movies

Music tracks can be individually edited and placed with an image
Adjustable individual image durations
iPod Video compatibility
Detailed song and artist info

Higher quality movie images with settable JPEG compression

Faster image load times, sorted by filename

Imports both AVI and QuickTime movies

Annotation improvements

Watermark position is now settable to nine positions on image
Larger annotation font available to protect copyrighted images
Improved annotation text spacing in MultiPrint view

Expanded HelpFAQ includes detailed instructions for Music Timeline editor

Better error reporting

Variety of bug fixes

Developer’s website: Talasoft

NeoRemote – Control your NeoOffice presentations using Apple Remote

Fri, 05 Oct 2007 23:09:24 +0000

NeoRemote is a little tool that allows you to control your NeoOffice presentations using Apple Remote. It will also work with any other application that happens to use the same keyboard shortcuts. NeoRemote doesn’t have any user interface, it just sits quietly in the Dock, doing its job. When you’re finished with your presentation, and would like to go back to using your remote with Front Row etc., just right-click on NeoRemote’s icon (or control-click, or click and hold, if you only have one mouse button) and choose “Quit”.

If you have any problems running NeoRemote, or, even better, if you find that it works perfectly on your Mac and would like to say thanks, please contact the author, Jacek Fedoryński, at jfedor@jfedor.org. I would be especially grateful for any reports on whether NeoRemote works on Leopard. Do not hesitate to drop me an email if you have any other comments or questions.

Developer’s website: Jacek Fedorynski

Skim – PDF Reader and note-taker for scientific papers

Fri, 05 Oct 2007 23:09:24 +0000

Skim is a PDF reader and note-taker for OS X. Skim is designed to help you read and annotate scientific papers in PDF.

Skim includes many features and has a great user interface.

What’s New:
Version 0.9.2:

New Features

Make reading notes from .skim or .fdf files undoable.
Allow saving passwords for protected files in the keychain.
Organize bookmarks with folders and separators.
Add RTFD export templates and make snapshots and pages and their thumbnails accessible in templates.
You can now show a PDF snapshot in a split below the main PDF.
Drawer die-hards can now set a hidden default to let Skim use drawers instead of panes.
Add Spanish translation (thanks Alejandro C�mara Iglesis).

Bugs Fixed

Don’t use transparent background color text note editing, as the black background shines through.
Show progress sheet when reverting a document, so you access the document and crash during reload.
The contents pane is now always opened, unless the file has no TOC and you have chosen so in the preferences.
Remove the table of contents before reloading a document to avoid a crash.
Don’t animate page state changes in a presentation.

Developer’s website: C. Hofman, A. Maxwell, and M. McCracken

Desktopple – Menubar item hides desktop clutter for screenshots

Fri, 05 Oct 2007 23:09:24 +0000

Desktopple is for you if you’ve ever needed to take a screenshot and had to clean all of those icons from your Desktop before you could. Or maybe you needed to make a presentation and had to tidy up before hooking into the projector for the whole audience to see. Perhaps you just want to hide those messy Desktop icons so you can concentrate better on whatever task is at hand. Or, if you’re like us, maybe you just like a squeaky clean work environment.

With Desktopple, you can quickly and easily hide all of your Desktop clutter. A quick trip to your menu bar is all it takes, and those icons simply vanish from view.

Desktopple is a Menu Bar item. Launch it, and it will hang out in your menu bar waiting to do its job. Click it to hide or show your Desktop, or to get a list of all of your options. If you want Desktopple to launch when you login, simply add it to your Login Items in the System Preferences.

Desktopple Features:

Backgound Choices — Make your workspace your own. Choose to hide your Desktop with your regular Desktop image, a different image, a smooth gradient, or a solid color. The choice is yours!
HotKey Support — Set up a HotKey, and giving yourself a shiny, squeaky-clean Desktop is only a keystroke away.

What’s New:
Version 1.1:

HotKey support for hiding your Desktop
Hide your Desktop with your Desktop picture as well as a solid color
Preference to add Desktopple to your Login Items

Developer’s website: FoggyNoggin Software

SimpleView – Image/movie slideshow viewer

Fri, 05 Oct 2007 23:09:24 +0000

SimpleView is an image and movie viewer designed with simplicity in mind. Just choose a folder with pics/movies and SimpleView will display them for you.

Use the up/down arrows to navigate; Escape to quit. Pressing the appropriate arrow-key (left or right) rotates the picture (portrait < -> landscape).

Pressing F1 enlarges the picture/movie to full-screen.
Press help-key or F10 to set background color and whether or not to enlarge every image/movie to full-screen or loop the slideshow; gives a summary of shortcuts as well.

What’s New:
Version 3.0:

Universal binary
Fixed function keys not working properly (F1/F2/F3)

Developer’s website: Philipz

BigShow – PowerPoint player replacement slideshow

Fri, 05 Oct 2007 23:09:24 +0000

In an effort to free himself from PowerPoint, Aaron Hillegass has written an XML-based presentation tool using Cocoa. Thanks to Mark Dalrymple for the Lecture notes window.

Developer’s website: Big Nerd Ranch

FinderView – Finder controlled slideshow player

Fri, 05 Oct 2007 23:09:24 +0000

FinderView is an image viewer and slideshow player. Just use the Finder to browse your images and FinderView shows big or even full screen previews.

What’s New:
Version 1.1 adds the following:

new toolbar icons
100% view mode
zoom in and out
thumbnails
show all in folder

Developer’s website: Pathos

Presentation Prompter X – Feature-filled teleprompter

Fri, 05 Oct 2007 23:09:24 +0000

Presentation Prompter turns your Mac into a teleprompter — scrolling text smoothly at an adjustable rate.

Speakers, actors, reporters, singers, narrators, and others can use Presentation Prompter from practice to production.

Features such as two mode operation, fully-styled text, automatic text control, forward and reverse scrolling, scrollwheel fast-forward and rewind, bookmarks, images in documents, single screen mirroring, and a beautiful aqua interface set Presentation Prompter above traditional teleprompters.

The software can also be adapted to work with a variety of production styles and has customizable hotkeys and preferences to automate common operations.

What’s New:
Version 4.2:

Universal binary.
Spotlight content search improvements.
Plain text open and save encoding preferences (no longer requires UTF 8 encoding).
MS Word file usage improved.
Fixed an issue where Presentation Prompter would not launch.
Fixed a Hotkey memory leak.
Fixed an issue pertaining to the smooth scrolling System Preference.
Update checking is more reliable.
Fixed preference pane blurring.
Toggle Modes shortcut changed to Command-Control-T (previous shortcut conflicted with recent changes to OS X).
License Agreement updated

Developer’s website: NextForce Software

Front Row Enabler – Enables Front Row on any Mac running 10.4.5 or later

Fri, 05 Oct 2007 23:09:24 +0000

Front Row Enabler lets you enjoy Front Row on any Mac. It installs Front Row and unlocks the built-in support found in Mac OS X.

What’s New:
Version 1.5:

Adds support for Mac OS X 10.4.9.
Installs Front Row directly from Enabler.
Includes ctool to generate consistent MD5 checksums by ignoring prebindings.

Developer’s website: Andrew Escobar

Slides! – Full screen image slide show

Fri, 05 Oct 2007 23:09:24 +0000

Slides! is a full screen image file viewer for Mac OS X. Just drag some files into the Slides! window from the Finder or any other application that supports file drags, like OmniWeb and click “Start the Show.” When in the Slide Show, Move your Mouse to the bottom of the screen to reveal the Command Dock. From here you can Rotate and Flip the current image, as well as navigate to the next or previous image.

What’s New:
Release notes not available currently.

Developer’s website: Richard Knuckey

Apple Keynote – Presentation solution like Power Point

Fri, 05 Oct 2007 23:09:24 +0000

In Keynote, it is a snap to create compelling presentations with professional-caliber themes, razor-sharp text and beautiful charts and tables. Layer graphical elements over each other and fully adjust their transparency. Move from one slide to the next with cinematic-quality transitions. Build anticipation with stunning element effects. And do it all with unparalleled ease of use.

What’s New:
Version 4.0.1 addresses issues with builds and performance.

Developer’s website: Apple

Highlight – Virtually draw on your screen

Fri, 05 Oct 2007 23:09:24 +0000

Highlight is a tool designed with teachers and demos in mind: it helps you attracting the attention of your audience on what happens on the screen. It is designed to be as unobtrusive and simple as possible, while letting you express your communicating skills efficiently.

What’s New:
release notes not available currently

Developer’s website: Nothing In Particular

4D Keynote Builder – Integrate Keynote presentations with 4D database backends

Fri, 05 Oct 2007 23:09:24 +0000

4D Keynote Builder is a database-driven
Keynote presentation generating application. Designed
as an example of how to integrate with Keynote to build dynamic
presentations, 4D Keynote Builder creates a Keynote presentation
based on information stored in a 4th Dimension 2003 database. 4D
Keynote Builder available today uses real estate data and can be
modified to addresses any number of markets.

Developer’s website: 4D, Inc.

FreeMind – Mind-mapping software

Fri, 05 Oct 2007 23:09:24 +0000

FreeMind is a premier free mind-mapping software written in Java. The recent development has hopefully turned it into high productivity tool. We are proud that the operation and navigation of FreeMind is faster than that of Mind Manager because of one-click “fold / unfold” and “follow link” operations.

What’s New:
Version 0.8 release notes available here.

Developer’s website: FreeMind project

DiapOPict – Picture & movie slideshow creator

Fri, 05 Oct 2007 23:09:24 +0000

DiapOPict is a software which creates slideshows from a list of files (pictures or movies). It uses QuickTime. So you can use any format QuickTime is able to read.
3.0.2: While creating HTML slideshow, added an option to create a preview page, Updated HTML code to validate HTML 4.0 Transitionnal, Can now rotate all selected pictures.

What’s New:
Version 3.1.9:

Numerical sort
Fractional times
Fixed HTML code for embedded QuickTime movies

Developer’s website: Julien Salort

PicturePreview X – Multimedia viewer and slideshow creator

Fri, 05 Oct 2007 23:09:24 +0000

PicturePreview is a multimedia player, organizer, and slide show program that views, previews, and manages pictures, movies, sounds, and text. It uses Quicktime to support a wide variety of media formats. As a file manager, it copies, moves, and deletes files and folders with drag-n’-drop simlicity. It provides file information, file attribute editing, and basic filename search capabilities.

Developer’s website: Robert Steely

Slideshow Magic – Save image slideshows in QuickTime format

Fri, 05 Oct 2007 23:09:24 +0000

Slideshow Magic allows users to save their slideshow as a video in any QuickTime compatible format. Users can add audio tracks to their custom-made presentations, which could aid as a presentation tool, or just help to give the slideshow the feel of the old home movies your family used to make.

What’s New:
Verison 4.0.7:

Important: This is a massive maintenance update prior to the application being extensively revised for new features and interface redesign in the near future.
New Feature: Universal Binary!!
New Feature: Added numerous new codecs!
New Feature: Added codec descriptions to the documentation.
New Feature: Entirely overhauled recent files system. which now save on quit.
New Feature: Build button now centers instead of stretches.
New Feature: Mac OS X-native toolbars which remember view settings.
New Feature: Preferences file can now be next to the application (used in preference to one in Preferences or Application Data (Windows) folder)
New Feature: Koingo Core classes updated to current set.
New Feature: Online activation.
New Feature: Control/command click a row in the main list now toggles its selection.
New Feature: Sheets now displayed for prompting to save changes on close.
New Feature: Gradiented listbox with proper striping.
New Feature: Phone activation.
New Feature: New standard Apple Help files.
New Feature: Version History in update checker.
New Feature: Update checker now links to download URL.
New Feature: Update checker now shows progress.
New Feature: Update checker now retains last checked message and date.
New Feature: Purchase link now auto selects proper product on site.
Modification: Removed unnecessary periods from controls.
Modification: Updated copyright.
Modification: Now requires Mac OS X 10.3 or later.
Bug Fix: Flattening the movie now works and no longer corrupts the movie track.
Bug Fix: Menu drawing issues on Win32 corrected.
Bug Fix: Text in about window now centers.
Bug Fix: Menu handlers no longer fire multiple times on Windows.
Bug Fix: Recent menu no longer leaks memory on Windows.
Bug Fix: Version string on windows properly displays.
Bug Fix: Trial date now properly saves.
Bug Fix: Fixed botch control order.
Bug Fix: Can no longer open two of the same slideshow files at once.

Developer’s website: Koingo Software

QuickSlides – OS X replacement for KPT QuickShow

Fri, 05 Oct 2007 23:09:24 +0000

QuickSlides is a Mac OS X native replacement for KPT QuickShow LT. Simply drop the application in a folder of images and double-click it to run a presentation.

What’s New:
Version 1.0.6:

Fixed a memory leak that resulted in excessive memory use and crashes when running for long periods of time
Added support for HFS type codes
Optimized for additional responsiveness on slower computers

Developer’s website: Tigre Technologies

LiveSlideShow – Create slideshows with a combination of graphics, photos, and narration

Fri, 05 Oct 2007 23:09:24 +0000

LiveSlideShow allows you to take graphics and photos and turn them into self-contained slideshows, complete with narration.

What’s New:
Release notes not available currently.

Developer’s website: Totally Hip Software

iCalamus – DTP software

Fri, 05 Oct 2007 23:09:24 +0000

iCalamus is the new publisher for Mac OS X, presented by invers Software from Loeningen, Germany. The DTP program can be used lightly as a feather and offers newbies and pros in Desktop Publishing all kinds of freedom to publish your ideas. The unregistered version can be used as a lite edition, offering only one page per document then.

iCalamus has been developed completely new for Apple’s operating system and hasn’t much relationship to its cousin, Calamus SL, the well-known DTP program for Windows and Atari, but the name is similar. iCalamus is an excellent choice for all layout purposes from simple posters and business letters over complex layouted magazines up to books and scientific works. Complete Unicode support and the smart PDF import offer easy access to creating and layout work. The reasoned user interface with its low learning curve guarantees for fast success. iCalamus doesn’t limit your layout freedom by offering prepared layouts. Its practical tools offer all options for your own creative and productive layout work.

iCalamus is a modular program which will grow in future by external modules, even from third-party developers. Therefore invers Software will create an Open Development Area (ODA) and publish the plug-in interface. iCalamus has been developed in Objective C with intensive usage of Apple’s Cocoa library.

You can import all image and text formats which are supported by Mac OS X into iCalamus documents. Images from digital camera,s scanners or iPhoto libraries can be imported as well as whole web page content and PDF documents. Grab text content from large PDF documents easily for further text processing. Elaborated masking options and many predefined, partly dynamically changeable frame shapes offer freedom for creativity. Working in precise measurement units is the other side of the iCalamus world. Use virtual copies for multiple document elements and change them afterwards with a few mouse clicks.

Print output uses all printers which are supported by Mac OS X. Optionally output documents in various PDF formats (e.g. PDF-X, encrypted PDF, PDF Fax).

iCalamus requires Mac OS X 10.4.5 or later and is shipped as a Universal Binary in single language versions or as a complete bundle with the languages English, German, French, Danish, Dutch and Czech on CD or via download. The rich online help can be read also at http://man.icalamus.net/en/

What’s New:
Version 1.09 release notes available here

Developer’s website: invers Software

Apimac Slide Show X – Personalize your slide shows

Fri, 05 Oct 2007 23:09:24 +0000

Apimac Slide Show is a slide show and presentation tool for multimedia files, movies, sounds and images. It is fast to learn and easy to use and it’s available for Mac OS X and Windows. Apimac Slide Show lets you personalize a presentation, adapting it to the most varied needs. You are allowed to create presentations and slide shows that can be manually or automatically controlled. You can personalize the presentation environment with custom backgrounds or patterns, use multiple soundtracks during a presentation, and show images and movies along with their names. text.

Apimac Slide Show can handle a wide range of graphic and multimedia formats: QuickTime Movies, QuickTime VR Movies, MP3, MPEG, AutoDesk Animator (FLC), AIFF, AU, WAVE, DV, OpenDML audio files, and all the main graphic formats such as JPEG, TIFF, Pict, Photoshop, PNG, MacPaint, GIF, animated GIF, Windows Bitmap BMP and SGI. Apimac Slide Show is a must for anyone who wants to distribute presentations or collections of movies and images on DVDs, CD-ROMs or any other digital medium.

Free-standing presentations created with the program can be freely distributed through any media in unlimited quantities, without paying any royalty fees.

What’s New:
Version 8.0:

This release primarily add support for Universal (that means it’s made to run on both Intel- and PowerPC-based Mac computers) under Mac OS X and adds support for Windows Vista under Windows.

Version 7.2:

Implemented support for multiple displays with the possibility to
select a display for the audience with the show and one for the
presenter with control palettes and slide notes.
Implemented the
creation of free-standing slideshow presentations that not requires
QuickTime to run under Windows when using JPEG, GIF, BMP, MP3, WAV and
MIDI files.
Implemented slide notes which can be visible during the
presentation as slide legend during the show, and as presenter palette
editable in author mode.
New full-customizable info window with a
custom image, text (with font, colors, styles and alignement), web and
email links.
Possibility to automatically open a link at the end of
the show.
Slide legend improved with the possibility to show also the
slide’s note.
Improved the quality of presentations under Windows.
Improved the quality and performance of displaying previews in authors
mode.
Addressed all know bugs.

Developer’s website: Apimac

Boinx FotoMagico – Slideshow creator with iPhoto/iTunes integration

Fri, 05 Oct 2007 23:09:24 +0000

Boinx FotoMagico lets you create professional slideshows from your photos and music with just a few, simple mouse clicks. It sports a very clean and intuitive yet powerful user interface. High image quality, fast performance, and user flexibility were some of the design goals for this application.

Create the most spectacular slideshows:

Scale, move, rotate, zoom or pan around your images to highlight that part that matters the most.
Your slides fit together perfectly with the new, gorgeous transitions.
Provide more meaning with subtle titles here and there.

Perform a breathtaking show:

Your slideshow uses the best possible resolution of your presentation device.
Use large displays, HDTV screens and other high resolution devices.
Even on a VGA projector, your photos will look better with FotoMagico.

Your audience will want to take it home:

Burn DVDs of your slideshow with iDVD or Roxio Toast.
Put your slideshow on the new iPod.
Export in almost any QuickTime format.

Your audience will never fall asleep again.

What’s New:
Version 2.1.2 currently is a bug fix only release to resolve issues a few users have with version 2.1. Color correction now also works reasonably fast with graphics cards that do not have native Core Image support.

Developer’s website: Boinx Software

JPEGCleaner – Removes extra data from JPEG images

Fri, 05 Oct 2007 23:09:24 +0000

JPEGCleaner removes unnecessary data (meta-data, resource forks) from jpeg and gif files. This results in smaller files that are quicker to send by e-mail and require less storage space

What’s New:
Version 1.6.1: Updated the esellerate purchase engine.

Developer’s website: MMISoftware

Graphic Viewer – Image viewer & slide show

Fri, 05 Oct 2007 23:09:24 +0000

Graphic Viewer is a basic image file viewer and slide show program. Features include:

view images in many formats
save images in many formats
slide show
canvas resizing
image scaling
rotation in 90 degree increments
mirroring
inversion, convert to web palatte, convert to grayscale

Developer’s website: Craig A. Finseth