As you might know, I sometimes speak about Programming at conferences… One handy tool for speakers is to have a remote, which allows you to advance your slides without having to constantly hug your computer, looming over that space bar and staying at the edge of the stage 😅
After all, you’ve got to make use of the whole space, move back and forth… It keeps the presentation dynamic 👍
By the way, if you ever see me at a conference, don’t hesitate: please come and say Hi!
So for a few years now, I’ve had a solid R800 by Logitech. But recently, I discovered they released an even higher end remote that goes beyond the traditional 2-buttons-to-advance-slides set of features: Enter the Logitech Spotlight 🔦
The remote packaging and build feel high end, even the installer looks pretty
modern:
This remote only has 3 buttons, 2 of which are pretty classic: the largest one to move forward and a small one underneath to move backward.
But its secret sauce is the third button at the top of the remote (let’s call it the “spotlight button” 👻).
It is a sort of software-based laser pointer! With the remote’s driver installed, clicking the button dims most of the screen except a round area around your pointer. And the best part is, the remote has an accelerometer, so you can move the pointer (even if you’re not facing the screen).
This really feels like having a torchlight you can use to show specific parts of your slides. And since it’s all in the software, it displays on the projector and it will also show up in videos when your screen gets captured (or when sharing your screen during webinars for instance).
Yes, even screenshots!
Pretty neat 😄
The remote is powered by a battery that has a fast-charge feature: charging it for a few minutes in an emergency should give you 3 hours of use for your next presentation. The fuller you charge it, the longer it takes. Logitech claims a full charge would last you 3 months.
This is not a cheap gadget, but eh, it was my birthday not so long ago so I had a bit of an extra budget 😆 💰
Next step is to test it in real conference conditions later this year…