The Stuff That Goes Wrong
at Training Sessions
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When you open something new from far away, it usually has one of those little silica bags inside to keep things dry. Stamped on the bag: DO NOT EAT. Why? Because someone tried to eat one, of course. For similar reasons, you'll see the most resourceful trainers carrying a backup of their presentation on CD, another backup on a USB thumb drive, with an online backup on standby. Why? Because there was that one time when the laptop croaked, the CD wouldn't play in an associate's laptop, and they lost the thumb drive. You can never be too careful. It is during such trying times that I ask myself, what would MacGyver do? MacGyver was a genius at getting himself out of scrapes, using only the items at hand. And those four words, I found, were the key: "the items at hand." The most important things to remember--and to back up--are "the show must go on" items. For example, if the "Our Company Rocks" giveaway T-shirts fail to show up, the show can still go on. But if you're doing a product presentation, you're gonna be needing some products and/or a presentation on said products. To that end, make doubly sure the following arrive with you (DON'T check them as baggage, rookie):
- Laptop
- Projector
- AC Cables for laptop/projector
- Backups of the presentation
- Audio, video, VGA connections
- Adapters for both ¼-inch jacks and mini-jacks used with hotel PA systems
- Microphone (if not supplied at venue) and the full assortment of connections
- Extension cords, outlet strips
- Backups of all cables/adapters
- Extra batteries for everything
that uses batteries
- Presentation remote control
- Backup projector bulb
Now, when things go wrong (and someday they will), emulate MacGyver and make do with the items on hand. Fortunately, you'll have at least what you need for a non-sucky performance. If the laptop inexplicably and suddenly descends into a death spiral (and someday it will), great time for a break, right? Slam one of your backups into a colleague's laptop and go on with the show. If the remote or microphone batteries die, or the projector bulb expires, you're ready. Even if your performance is afflicted with the Mother of All FUBARs--the complete loss of electricity--you can still make it work, if some of your props made the trip, if you can tell a good story without using PowerPoint as a crutch, and, like MacGyver, you trained for this and know what you're doing.
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The Albums In Rotation
at Sell-Through Solutions
Computers get worked HARD around here--creating PowerPoint presentations, writing content, editing video, making pretty pictures in Photoshop. It's all very creative, no? Well, the perfect backdrop to the creative process is some stellar music. Find out what's spinning the hard drives at the STS office lately, by clicking here. |
For Blackberry, Treo,
and Pocket PC Owners...
 Some Personal Information Managers (PDAs) are set to receive HTML newsletters as Text-Only. Without HTML's larger fonts and colorful graphics, the newsletter appears on the PDA screen as a relentless torrent of tiny words. To read the newsletter as it was meant to be seen, forward it to a PC or Mac email client (Outlook, Outlook Express, Mac OS X Mail, Windows Vista Mail, Entourage, etc.) that can read HTML, and set the email client to view images and links. Report any problems viewing the newsletter here. | |
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Greetings, CE Industry Titan!
This is a great time of year. The products promised at CES are starting to arrive. Daylight Savings Time (Extra Golf Time) comes early this year. Spring is busting out all over!
Whatever you're making, selling, or servicing, we wish you success!
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Commentary by
Charles Thompson:
Music Download Services
Screw Everybody 
No, no, that can't be true. Music download services (RealPlayer, iTunes, Napster, etc.) are fun, right? For who, exactly? You're paying a lot more than you should for a measly 128kB file. The artist gets screwed, too. And the sound is wack, to be generous.
We tunnel into the seamy underbelly of the record industry's latest rip-off business model--and show you where to find the real bargains in music.
Ride the high horse with us, and
revel in the righteous indignation.
Get the full article here.
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The Best HD Picture 
If you're one of the lucky ones who improved your video this year (new HDTV, HD-DVD, Blu-ray), don't forget the gift that keeps on giving: ISF (Imaging Science Foundation) calibration of your display. You think your TV looks killer now? Get it calibrated, and you'll be ashamed you didn't do it sooner.
Just because your HDTV needs no convergence, features a "Movie" mode, or has a "6500K" button, don't think that it doesn't require calibration. All displays--LCD-based (LCoS, D-ILA, SXRD), Plasma, DLP, CRT, one-chip, three-chip--benefit hugely from calibration. The ISF calibrator will go deep into the TV's nether regions, adjusting inner settings to microscopic detail with sophisticated tools, light years beyond what you can do with the TV menu or a calibration disc. They'll plug in so much test gear, your media room will look like the bridge of the Enterprise.
While you're at it, make sure your calibrator lines the inside of your display's box with Duvetyne or a VeLux-type masking. These are stealth materials that are so black, when you look at them, you'll think you're asleep. Most non-flat panel TV inner casings--both front and rear projection--are gray or black plastic with some reflectivity. The masking cloth eats all that stray light bouncing around in there, providing wow-factor contrast that you must see to believe.
Find an ISF-certified calibrator
in your area at www.imagingscience.com/ |
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Going to EH Expo? 
Take a few minutes to meet with Charles Thompson. Make plans to pump up your training team skills, or to create new training presentations for 2007 and beyond.
Call 404-723-2700 before or at the show, to set up a quick meeting.
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