Presentation Products: Software -- THE Journal

DisplayPresentation

Presentation Products: Software

05/01/04

The newest version of SMART Board software (www.smarttech.com, 888-42-SMART) for Windows and Mac operating systems makes incorporating graphics into SMART Board lessons even easier. SMART Board Software 8.1.1 includes thousands of curriculum-related images in the categories of science, math, geography, history, technology and animals. The new "Gallery" allows teachers to group like images for easier retrieval, and they can also group templates with like clip-art images. New functional features include screen shade and spotlight functions, which allow teachers to hide part of the material on the whiteboard while highlighting other material. All of these features are in addition to SMART Board software's functions that allow teachers to control the board by touch, write over applications and record activity.

Designed to bridge the gap between data analysis and visual presentation, Xcelsius 3.0 by Infommersion Inc. (www.infommersion.com) offers teachers and students a new way to present data. Xcelsius essentially converts data from Excel spreadsheets into Flash-based interactive reports and Internet applications. Version 3.0 supports the newer functions of Excel 2003, including the use of XML, which lets users create and share formatted information over the Web or any network. This means that Xcelsius users can share and present data in real time. Available in both standard and professional editions, the software also allows users to export to PowerPoint or Outlook with a single click.

Instant Effects (www.instanteffects.com) has created OfficeFX, a software program that allows users to transform standard PowerPoint slides into rich multimedia presentations. With just a few clicks, OfficeFX creates multimedia presentations complete with 3-D backgrounds and foregrounds, realistic shading and lighting, interactive behavior, and transitions. The average student or teacher can easily create these interactive presentations by selecting an FXTheme - an interactive layered environment that transforms and envelopes user's content. OfficeFX currently contains more than a dozen themes to choose from, but with a complimentary software development kit from Instant Effects, users can create FXThemes for their own use or for sale on the open market.

E-Mail this page

Printable Format

Featured

Gartner: Desktop as a Service Spending on the Rise as Cost Optimization, Sustainability Drive Adoption

According to Gartner's 2025 Magic Quadrant for Desktop as a Service, while secure remote access remains a key driver of DaaS adoption, a growing number of deployments now focus on broader efficiency goals.
ED Grant Portal Target of Phishing Campaign

Threat researchers at BforeAI have identified a phishing campaign spoofing the U.S. Department of Education's G5 grant management portal.
Report Identifies Malicious Use of AI in Cloud-Based Cyber Threats

A recent report from OpenAI identifies the misuse of artificial intelligence in cybercrime, social engineering, and influence operations, particularly those targeting or operating through cloud infrastructure. In "Disrupting Malicious Uses of AI: June 2025," the company outlines how threat actors are weaponizing large language models for malicious ends — and how OpenAI is pushing back.
Google Releases Learning-Themed AI Mode Features for Search

Ahead of back-to-school season, Google has introduced new AI Mode features in Search, including image and PDF queries on desktop, a Canvas tool for planning, real-time help with Search Live, and Lens integration in Chrome.