Slideshow Remote

Giving a presentation isn't always fun, per se, but it doesn't have to be difficult. My main gripe with PowerPoints is simple: making a PowerPoint progress without darting back to my laptop every five seconds usually requires a friend or teacher tapping patiently on the "Enter" key. Slideshow Remote from LogicInMind finally puts the controls in your hand, and allows you to focus on what a presentation should really be about: presenting rather than wrestling with technology.

In order for the app to work, you'll need to download and install the Logic Server application. I initially had some trouble getting it to work, but their support team is very helpful. I had Skype running, which apparently uses the same port as Logic Server, so I had to close it. No biggie. Pairing your device with Logic Server is simple after that; once paired, your iPhone will automatically connect upon opening the app, though you can always add more networks. Note that a WiFi network is required, and Slideshow Remote takes advantage of Apple's Bonjour service, so you'll need that too.

So, once you have the application working...now what? The first order of business is to open your PowerPoint file and start the show. An image of the current slide will appear on the screen (assuming that you're in the "Main" tab).

Click over to the "Controls" tab and you can accomplish basic functions: next slide, previous slide, first slide, and last slide. Navigating to next and previous slides can also be done with a simple forward or backwards swipe, or, for the next slide, a simple tap. This allows for eyes-free control of your slideshow, which can be a huge boon. There are also "Start" and "Stop" buttons on the control screen.

In addition to simply controlling your presentation, Slideshow Remote has a few extra features. One is a timer, which provides a handy meter if you need to keep your presentation within a time limit. The other is a "Notes" view, which presents your PowerPoint notes in a discreet, easily accessible format. I must admit that the notes function never really made sense to me; after all, you don't want to stare at the screen while giving your presentation. But keeping your notes in the palm of your hand? Now they're actually usable!

Slideshow Remote isn't perfect. For one, it's Windows-exclusive; secondly, the fact that a second piece of software is required is a (necessary) annoyance. Setup isn't completely seamless, and it may take a small amount of tweaking to get everything working perfectly. The controls available in the app aren't exactly complex, either.

But what more do you really need? Slideshow Remote is meant to accomplish one task: remote control of your PowerPoint presentations. And it does that rather well. While I certainly wouldn't rely on your presentation hall to have an open WiFi network that you can use, it could come in handy in plenty of situations, and Slideshow Remote is just the app for the job.