Oral interpretation and language teaching's Fan Box

Search This Blog

Wednesday, April 25, 2012

Uncovering Steve Jobs' Presentation Secrets

Steve Jobs does not sell computers; he sells an experience. The same holds true for his presentations that are meant to inform, educate, and entertain. An Apple presentation has all the elements of a great theatrical production—a great script, heroes and villains, stage props, breathtaking visuals, and one moment that makes the price of admission well worth it. Here are the five elements of every Steve Jobs presentation. Incorporate these elements into your own presentations to sell your product or ideas the Steve Jobs way. 1. A headline. Steve Jobs positions every product with a headline that fits well within a 140-character Twitter post. For example, Jobs described the MacBook Air as "the world's thinnest notebook." That phrase appeared on his presentation slides, the Apple Web site, and Apple's press releases at the same time. What is the one thing you want people to know about your product? This headline must be consistent in all of your marketing and presentation material. 2. A villain. In every classic story, the hero fights the villain. In 1984, the villain, according to Apple, was IBM (IBM). Before Jobs introduced the famous 1984 television ad to the Apple sales team for the first time, he told a story of how IBM was bent on dominating the computer industry. "IBM wants it all and is aiming its guns on its last obstacle to industry control: Apple." Today, the "villain" in Apple's narrative is played by Microsoft (MSFT). One can argue that the popular "I'm a Mac" television ads are hero/villain vignettes. This idea of conquering a shared enemy is a powerful motivator and turns customers into evangelists. 3. A simple slide. Apple products are easy to use because of the elimination of clutter. The same approach applies to the slides in a Steve Jobs presentation. They are strikingly simple, visual, and yes, devoid of bullet points. Pictures are dominant. When Jobs introduced the MacBook Air, no words could replace a photo of a hand pulling the notebook computer out of an interoffice manila envelope. Think about it this way—the average PowerPoint slide has 40 words. In some presentations, Steve Jobs has a total of seven words in 10 slides. And why are you cluttering up your slides with too many words? 4. A demo. Neuroscientists have discovered that the brain gets bored easily. Steve Jobs doesn't give you time to lose interest. Ten minutes into a presentation he's often demonstrating a new product or feature and having fun doing it. When he introduced the iPhone at Macworld 2007, Jobs demonstrated how Google Maps (GOOG) worked on the device. He pulled up a list of Starbucks (SBUX) stores in the local area and said, "Let's call one." When someone answered, Jobs said: "I'd like to order 4,000 lattes to go, please. No, just kidding."

Olivia Fox Cabane: Charisma, Leadership and the Imposter Syndrome, Talks at Google

http://www.askolivia.com/ Olivia Fox Cabane stops by the Googleplex to discuss her latest book: "The Charisma Myth: How Anyone Can Master the Art and Science of Personal Magnetism". From Google Books: An expert in the fields of charisma and leadership, Olivia Fox Cabane has lectured at Stanford, Yale, Harvard, MIT and the United Nations. A frequent keynote speaker and executive coach to the leadership of major companies, she helps people increase their ability to influence, persuade, and inspire others. In The Charisma Myth, Fox Cabane breaks charisma down into its fundamental components, revealing the secrets to what charisma really is and how it works. From a base of thorough behavioral science, Fox Cabane extracts practical tools for business, giving you the charisma-enhancing techniques she originally developed for Harvard and MIT.

Visit msnbc.com for breaking news, world news, and news about the economy

Monday, April 23, 2012

Bera's Cheesesteak Truck: Gourmet Custom Cheesesteak in LA Read more: Video: Bera's Cheesesteak Truck: Gourmet Custom Cheesesteak in LA | eHow.com http://www.ehow.com/video_8175061_bera_s-custom-cheesesteak.html#ixzz1squepdHM

Hollywood, California, may not be the first place that comes to mind when craving a hot cheesesteak sandwich, but Bera's Custom Cheesesteak truck brings a bit of authentic Philly to its streets. Order up your own version of this comforting cuisine with Mike Weaver in this episode of Curbside Eats.

Streets of Thailand: LA's Gourmet Thai Food Truck Read more: Video: Streets of Thailand: LA's Gourmet Thai Food Truck | eHow.com http://www.ehow.com/video_8213320_streets-gourmet-thai-food-truck.html#ixzz1sqsynvtf

You can't get more authentic Thai food than from Streets of Thailand food truck in LA, officially endorsed by the Tourism Board of Thailand. Dig in to true Thai street cuisine right here on the streets of LA with Mike Weaver in this episode of Curbside Eats.

Biscuits and Groovy: Local Breakfast Food Truck in Austin Read more: Video: Biscuits and Groovy: Local Breakfast Food Truck in Austin | eHow.com http://www.ehow.com/video_8623438_biscuits-breakfast-food-truck-austin.html#ixzz1sqsCO9Uq

Biscuits and gravy form the foundation of breakfast dishes with a musical twist at Biscuits and Groovy food truck in Austin, Texas. Enjoy vegan biscuits and groovy food with Mike Weaver in this episode of Curbside Eats.

Frysmith: LA's Fresh Fries Truck

French fries are the delicious base for these unconventional curbside snacks served up at Santa Monica's Frysmith truck. Find out what's under the hood of your favorite food truck with Mike Weaver in this episode of Curbside Eats.

Sugar Shack Food Truck: Slow Smoked BBQ Goodness in Austin Read more: Video: Sugar Shack Food Truck: Slow Smoked BBQ Goodness in Austin | eHow.com http://www.ehow.com/video_8484111_sugar-austin_s-famous-bbq-truck.html#ixzz1sqoIWEKW

Texas and barbecue are a common pair, but the Sugar Shack puts an uncommon spin on the classics with white barbecue sauce and mustard-based coleslaw. Dive into brisket and sausage sandwiches on the streets of Austin with Mike Weaver in this episode of Curbside Eats.

Lobsta Food Truck: LA's Local Lobster Rolls

Lobster is a mainstay in North Hollywood, California, thanks to Justin Mi's Lobsta Truck, dishing out lobster rolls your way. Get a taste of this Valley favorite with Mike Weaver in this episode of Curbside Eats.

Comfort Truck: Eat Comfort Food in LA

Comfort Truck: Eat Comfort Food in LA Culver City's ultimate curbside comfort food is produced at Comfort Truck, serving up celebrity chef-caliber soul food at the roadside. Explore Culver City food truck cuisine with Mike Weaver in this episode of Curbside Eats.

Friday, April 20, 2012

Hands-on with Arqball Spin, the app that lets you create interactive 3D models

http://getpocket.com/a/read/155782740 Sometimes, standard two dimensional photos, even those taken by a 41-megapixel sensor, simply aren't enough to accurately depict a three dimensional object. Enter Arqball Spin, a free app that lets anyone with an iOS device create high-quality 3D models of whatever they like. Using the iPhone's camera, the app takes a series of images and uses some software black magic to create the finished product. The model, or "spin", can be cropped and adjusted (brightness, saturation and contrast) like a regular photograph, plus users can create custom annotations to identify or comment on specific parts of the "spin" as well. Viewers can then rotate the model 360 degrees and zoom in on any part that piques their interest. While it's currently an Apple-centric affair, support for DSLRs and other hi-res cameras (by uploading videos to the company's website for processing) and other mobile platforms is in the pipeline. The app works best if the object is situated on Arqball's stage, which rotates at an optimal three RPM -- the stage isn't available yet, but the company's going the Kickstarter route to get the capital needed to start manufacturing. Those who pitch in now can grab a stage for $60, and it'll cost $20 more if you want to wait until it's on sale. Of course, the app still functions if you want to hold your iPhone or iPad and walk around your subject, but you won't get near the quality result that you can when using the stage. Because the "spins" are hosted on Arqball's servers, they can easily be embedded on any website via HTML. By making photo-realistic 3D modeling so easy and accessible, Arqball sees this technology as a perfect fit for online retailers, educators, and, ahem, even gadget reviewers. While the app holds obvious commercial appeal, the company's not counting out casual users, and hopes to see a future filled with user-created 3D content. We got to see the app in action, and walked away thoroughly impressed with both the speed of the app and the detailed models it produces -- but you don't have to take our word for it, see a sample spin and our hands-on video after the break.

Arqball Spin at DEMO 2012 from arqball on Vimeo.

Arqball: Interactive Media Platform from arqball on Vimeo.

Interactive iPad Museum Catalog from arqball on Vimeo.

Magic Plan, vos plans plus jamais comme avant !