Back in 2013, Google released a tiny HDMI device to widespread praise. No bigger than a run-of-the-mill flash drive, Chromecast allowed you to broadcast certain applications from your desktop or smartphone screen to your TV. Considering how easy it was to set up, and the R500 price tag, we didn’t think it could get any better than that. We’re rarely wrong, but this time around that was a pretty easy pill to swallow. This is the best Chrome function to date and trust us, you’ll want to see how this works. In its earliest stages, ‘Casting’ allowed users to stream a device’s screen to a TV with a Chromecast wireless adaptor plugged into the HDMI port. Soon after, Google released a second, updated model that added the possibility of connecting to audio-only devices via stereo cable and faster internal hardware to improve streaming to both TVs and stereo systems. Regardless of which model you had previous to last month’s update, individual apps needed to include Casting functionality, and even Google’s own Chrome browser required downloading and installing an extension before users could get the most out of the service. As an industry leader in user experience and design, the engineers at Google knew this had to be fixed. Their solution was a no-brainer, and may even be sitting in your browser this very moment. The Cast feature is now built directly into every updated version of the Chrome. Just click the three stacked lines that act as Chrome’s File menu and select Cast halfway down the menu. Click the arrow to the right of ‘Cast to’ and choose desktop, followed by which Chromecast device you would like to broadcast, and voilà -- your computer’s desktop will be duplicated on your Chromecast-enabled TV. Assuming you’re currently connected to a trusted wireless network, we invite you to give it a try right here and now. If you’re confused about why we would suggest such a thing when you haven’t had a chance to go out and buy the necessary hardware adaptor, that’s because several big-name TV brands are now installing this functionality directly into their televisions. You may have had this feature all along without even knowing it! Once you’ve mastered casting your screens and audio wirelessly, why not check out all the apps Google has highlighted specifically for this Chrome feature? From Rugby streaming to slideshow production, the Play Store has everything you’re looking for to step up your casting game. It’s amazing how something so useful and so accessible could go relatively unnoticed for so long. There are tons of wonderful and exciting features lurking around, even in software as ordinary as your internet browser and is in our opinion the best chrome function to date. For IT solutions big and small, there’s only one number you need to know, 011 435 0450, that will connect you direct to the entire team of professionals at Multi IT & Telephony Solutions. Please feel free to contact us for any queries you may have.

Many suffer from glossophobia, the fear of public speaking. Reasons vary, from traumatic childhood experiences to the inability to imagine your co-workers in their underwear. Enter Microsoft PowerPoint. This program helps visually depict a presentation, whether it be for a class project or a boardroom meeting, or to convince parents to buy your first car. With the nine following tips, you can maximise the efficiency and enhance your PowerPoint presentation. Start slide shows instantly The audience doesn’t want to see the speaker’s cluttered desktop or unread emails as the PowerPoint presentation is being set up. Simply name the file with a .PPS or .PPSX file extension and voilà! Bypass the editing mode and start the show with a double-click and end it with the Esc key. Pull back the focus with Blackouts and Whiteouts Audience members have the tendency to lose focus or drift away when presentations are longer than usual. If you suspect audience members are starting to lose focus, hit the B key for a complete blackout or the W key for a total whiteout. Then hit any key or click the mouse to return to the slides - this technique helps get the eyes back on you, where they belong. Say no to bullet points Both Steve Jobs and Tim Cook agree that bulleted lists aren’t the ticket. A better way to create lists is to drop each item in one at a time, if possible, next to a big image that is the main focus of your presentation. Don’t forget to talk about each individual list item, but not with bullets. Insert pictures from Flickr and OneNote Jazz up presentations by including images or memes that’ll make the audience laugh instead of doze off. Head to the Insert tab and select Online Pictures; you’ll see Office.com Clip Art, Bing Image Search, Flickr, OneNote and even Facebook. The vast pool of online imagery is now at your disposal. Chart animation The challenge doesn’t lie in inserting the chart into the presentation, but in making it interesting. Enter chart animation. After inserting the chart, click the Animations tab and activate the Animations pane. From there, click Add Animation. Pick an animated effect. Then, in the Animation Pane where you see the entry for the chart's animation, right-click and select Effect Options. This lets you customize sound and animation timing. But on the final tab—Chart Animation—be sure to change Group Chart from "As One Object" to "By Category." This makes charts display on-screen one element at a time as you click, with bars or pieces of pie arriving one after the other, as if each was its own slide. Kiosk presentations Kiosk mode simply plays your presentation on a loop without allowing any human intervention or desktop access. This is ideal for trade shows and kiosks that you’d find in malls. Simply click the Slide show tab > setup Slide show > and in the dialog box, click next to Browsed at kiosk. Duration, audio, animation and transitions are fully customisable. Extend music over multiple slides Why confine your favourite tunes to just one slide? Expand it over the duration of your presentation by clicking on the speaker icon that indicates the embedded audio. Look for the Audio Tools above the tabs on top. Now select the new Playback tab, and in the Start section make sure to check the box for “Play Across Slides.” And presto, the audio is played across the next few slides or until the music runs out. Duplication If you are constantly reusing the same element throughout your presentation, the good old Ctrl-C+Ctrl-V is fine, but Duplication is better. Hold Ctrl while you click and drag on the object to create an exact dupe, keep selecting and making dupes and they’ll all space themselves out evenly. You can even dupe entire sets of slides; simply select one or more slides on the left navigation pane, select Insert, click New Slide menu and select Duplicate Selected Slides. Animate, animate, animate Any element of a PowerPoint slide is animatable. Choose the element, go to the Animations tab, and at the right end of the Animations Gallery, click the down arrow to get "More." You can choose from many options about how an element appears, gets emphasis, or disappears—but for animated motion, go to the fourth section. If you pick Custom Path, you can get the object to do just about any wild motions you want on the screen before it settles down. Keep in mind that you don’t want an audience with motion sickness. PowerPoint presentations are complicated -- that’s a fact. So is how effective it becomes once utilised properly. If you have any further questions regarding our tips or how to execute them, or would like to know how else you can enhance your PowerPoint presentation, please feel free to contact Multi IT & Telephony Solutions. We’re more than happy to answer all of your questions. To ensure you always have the latest update of PowerPoint we would recommend using Office 365.

Love them or hate them, projectors are the modern day soapbox. They give you the platform to present your case to a wider audience without compromising your content. Like most hardware purchases, however, they’re accompanied by a list of measurements and specifications you likely have little experience with. If you’re in the market for some new projection hardware at your business, take a minute to brush up on the essentials here. Brightness If you haven’t had any hands-on experience with projectors yet, brightness will undoubtedly be the first thing you notice. Although no projector will ever match the brightness of an LED or LCD television, with some informed shopping you can easily mitigate this unfortunate drawback. A ‘lumen’ is a measure of brightness listed under the specifications of any new projector. Anything over 2,000 lumens should be appropriate for small-group presentations in a low-light room. For larger meetings with more ambient light, 3,000 lumens should be able to negate any added burdens. No need to go any higher than that unless you expect to host more than 100 viewers and let a little light into the room. Resolution While brightness may be the first thing you notice, resolution is probably the first thing you think of. Before deciding on a resolution, give some honest consideration to how essential it is for the projector’s intended use. If the plan is to set it up in the conference room for Excel budget presentations, WXGA (or 1280x800) should be plenty clear. This resolution is the most widely compatible with the dimensions of modern laptop screens and will making swapping the content source a piece of cake. However, if you have an existing projector and/or screen, you may want to stick with your existing XGA (or 1024x768) resolution. Of course, there is always the option for the gold standard. Whether it’s an over inflated budget or true necessity, HD (1920x1080) will provide you with the best possible resolution for your projections. Portability Behind their bolted-in conference room companions, portable projectors are some of the most popular for business professionals. In addition to brightness and resolution comparisons, make sure to examine how valuable portability is to you. Increased portability often brings a significant reduction in image quality and may not ultimately be worth it. If you’re forging ahead with a mobile option, some of which are small enough to comfortably fit inside your pocket, make sure whatever you choose has the ability to read data from a USB or SD storage device. There’s no reason to buy a model compact enough to leave the backpack at home unless you’re utilising all its added bonuses. This means you might have the option to purchase a mini-projector with a battery integrated into the device; just remember that it's unlikely you’ll have the picture quality or features to truly enjoy video and multimedia presentations. Extra Features What would any piece of hardware be without a few cool extra features? Top of the line projectors have a myriad of specialised add-ons that might be just what you need to make your final decision. We’ve already talked about USB and SD storage, but what about an iPhone or Android dock incorporated directly into the unit? And if that doesn’t tickle your fancy, cut the cords entirely with wireless-enabled projectors. Regardless of whether it’s one of these options, or something like internal storage capacity, always thoroughly test any special features before letting them factor into your final choice. There’s nothing worse than basing a decision on a total misnomer. Our customers often forget to utilise one of our most useful service options: hardware consulting. If you’re ever in the market for new equipment at your organisation, or need advice on how to get the most of what you currently have, don’t hesitate to ask. We’re an office full of gadget geeks who love the opportunity to talk about the latest and greatest the industry has to offer. Contact Multi IT & Telephony Solutions today!