Prezi, Zooming Presentation Editor

If you can sketch an idea on a napkin, then Prezi is the presentation tool for you.  Adam and I just gave our first Prezi-ntation using this “zooming presentation editor”, and it went off really well.

Prezi is a different way of thinking about presentations – not at all like traditional slideshows made in Powerpoint or Keynote.  In fact, Prezi is more like an interactive Flash video, but without having to use the Adobe Flash or know about timelines, paths or layers.

Prezi starts with a blank slate and you map out a presentation as orderly or disorderly as you want.  You can use frames to anchor areas to include photos and text into, similar to a single slide in a traditional slideshow.  Create the path which you want the presentation to travel in, by hooking assets (frames, images, video, PDF files, text) with anchors.

Click on the screenshot to view the Internet marketing class project for our client Surf City MX (@surfcitymx):

The toolbar/menu is also unlike a traditional desktop software.  And the “transformation zebra” – the blue striped concentric circles of the logo – isn’t immediately intuitive.  But if you take the short tutorials (complete with Hungarian accent), it’s pretty easy to pick up.  Here’s a look at the tool-cluster:

I like Prezi because it’s a different way to engage your audience with presentations.  Powerpoint and Keynote come out with new animations and other visual candy with each release, but you can’t get away from the old transperancy on an overhead projector frame.  Prezi is all online – no installation of software, upgrading or toting files on a thumb drive.

There are still things lacking in Prezi such as the selection of themes, the ability to customize your own theme.  I’d like to see Prezi allow embedding of video, images or text from the Web, much like Tumblr.  What if it could take a URL and have the screen shot appear on the Prezi with full navigability?  And hopefully a link to embed Prezis elsewhere on the Web (think YouTube videos).  All in due time, I hope.

Prezi is still in private beta, but you can apply on their homepage to be a tester.  Try it out if you can!

Help Name Node 3, ISS

ACCORD. Type this in as an entry to name Node 3 of the International Space Station (ISS) at NASA’s contest page here.  Then help me spread the word!

NASA’s one criteria: “The name should reflect the spirit of exploration and cooperation embodied by the space station, and follow in the tradition set by Node 1- Unity and Node 2- Harmony.”

It’s only fitting, especially given the definitions of unity, harmony and accord from thefreedictionary.com.

u·ni·ty n. 2. The state or quality of being in accord; harmony.

har·mo·ny n. 1. Agreement in feeling or opinion; accord: live in harmony

ac·cord v. 1. To cause to conform or agree; bring into harmony.

My dad’s a rocket scientist so I’ve had fascinations at one point or another about the Space Shuttle, Galileo Satellite, and the International Space Station (ISS).  So much so that I used to collect all of the STS mission posters and patches.  Yeah, call me a geek.

I remember participating in the naming contest for the shuttle Endeavour in 5th grade.  We didn’t win, but I have another chance to name a space space-bound object!

25 Reasons Why…

I did my obligatory post on the randomness of me:

1. It did not say that I would have bad luck for seven years if I didn’t do it.
2. The first person that tagged me is someone I don’t know too well, and I felt like I got to look into his soul. So I wanted to share back.
3. Whatever I wrote on this list, I would be remembered for at my memorial service – not the 25 skeletons in my closet, which are reserved for those who I’ve shared those experiences with.
4. And because as much as I’d like to say I’m a trailblazer… I am a conformer.

OK – I’ll end there.  25 Random Things is the only fad I’ll succumb to… Until the next one from a friend – who I may or may not be friends with in real life – tags me in Facebook and inspires me all over again.

The District

Ala Laguna Beach, Newport Harbor and The Hills, comes The District: Ever wondered what it would be like if the makers of MTV’s hit “The City” made a reality show about Obama’s first 100 days?  Wonder no more… New webisodes on Monday’s:

This is pure genius from Newsweek: They’re definitely b’arack-in’ the youth, a demographic that is probably more apt to read blogs than news magazines.  And it’s a great way to recap the week’s events at the highest level of government.  I’ve never been a regular reader of Newsweek, but they have me following for at least the next 100 days.

Now where’s the “Fan” page for The District in Facebook?  Get on it, Newsweek!

Hattip to @starlah for the original tweet.

Officially a Blogger

Does this make me a bona fide blogger?  A ping-back from Washington Post about my link to their op-ed:

A good way to find fellow bloggers with similar interests who may not be widely recognized on the blogosphere (like me).