As the workforce becomes more mobile, the tech industry continues to create new tools and technologies that help your workers remain productive on the go without having to lug 100 pounds of gear around. Netbook and notebook computers continue to get smaller and lighter, but can still be cumbersome to haul.c
Both RIM and LG have unveiled new products that enable you to deliver presentations directly from your mobile phone without the need for a computer.
BlackBerry Presenter
The BlackBerry Presenter from RIM works with BlackBerry systems running version 4.6 or higher. As Al Sacco points out in his review of the BlackBerry Presenter, it is virtually identical to the Impatica Showmate device, which has been available for some time. The primary differences are that the BlackBerry Presenter can deliver higher resolution images, and it works more seamlessly than presenting with the Showmate.
You don't need a computer to deliver a presentation with the BlackBerry Presenter, but you do need a monitor or projector to connect it to. Once it is connected and turned on, you can wirelessly present Microsoft PowerPoint presentations stored on your BlackBerry.
The BlackBerry Presenter app for the BlackBerry device turns your BlackBerry into a Bluetooth remote for controlling the presentation as you speak. Simply navigate through the presentation by choosing Next Slide or Previous Slide from the BlackBerry Presenter app.
Your speaker notes embedded in your PowerPoint presentation will be available for you to read on your BlackBerry, and you are free to roam in a range of about 10 meters from the BlackBerry Presenter. You can also set the BlackBerry Presenter to loop through the slides at timed intervals as you speak, or as a display presentation for a product demonstration.
LG eXpoM
The LG eXpo is a Windows Mobile 6.5 smartphone available exclusively from AT&T. It was the first 1GHz smartphone available in the United States--using the same Snapdragon processor found in the Google Nexus One. It has fingerprint scanning technology for improved security, which is important when carrying sensitive information on your mobile phone.
The LG eXpo can be equipped with an optional Pico projector that snaps onto the back. Weighing in at under two ounces and small enough to fit in the palm of your hand, the LG eXpo and projector are certainly much easier to transport than a laptop and traditional projector.
All you have to do is snap the projector on the back of the LG eXpo and set the device on a level surface. The pico projector will beam an image equivalent to a 66-inch diagonal display.
The LG eXpo offers two distinct advantages. First, it doesn't require an additional monitor or projector. The LG eXpo and pico projector are the complete projection display solution in the palm of your hand.
Second, you are not limited to Microsoft PowerPoint presentations. The pico projector is basically just an external display of the LG eXpo screen, so it can be used to view PowerPoint presentations, Excel spreadsheets, email, Web pages, or a game of Tetris.
There are also two disadvantages. Because the LG eXpo is part of the projector, you can't roam about while presenting and wirelessly transition to the next slide. You have to set your presentation to change slides at preset intervals, or sit there to manually change slides when the time comes.
The other downside is that you have to be an AT&T wireless customer, whereas the BlackBerry Presenter could be used with any provider. The optional projector for the LG eXpo retails for $179.99, which is less than the $199 RIM is asking for the BlackBerry Presenter.
Tony Bradley tweets as @PCSecurityNews, and can be contacted at his Facebook page .
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