PowerPoint and Presenting Stuff

PowerPoint and Presenting News: February 3, 2026

This issue focuses on building confidence through clarity, structure, and the right tools. We begin with a conversation with Rick Altman, author of a new book on virtual presenting, where he shares practical advice on how to crush your next online presentation and connect with audiences in a digital-first world. We then turn to visual planning, exploring how Gantt charts created with the empower add-in for PowerPoint help transform complex timelines into clear, credible stories that align teams and reduce uncertainty. Finally, we look at common workplace fear factors and how thoughtful communication and transparency can help overcome them. Together, these insights show how confidence grows when ideas are well planned, clearly visualized, and confidently delivered.

Stay updated with the latest tutorials, tips, and news on PowerPoint and presentation techniques.

Filed Under: Ezine
Tagged as: Ezine, Indezine, News, PowerPoint

Crush Your Next Virtual Presentation: Conversation with Rick Altman

    Rick Altman is the author of over a dozen books on presentations and graphics and is the host and creative director of the Presentation Summit, the world’s most prominent learning event for virtual presenters. He owes the success of this book to his daughter who allowed him to take over her childhood bedroom and convert it to a Zoom studio.

In this conversation, Rick talks about his new book, Crush Your Next Virtual Presentation.

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Filed Under: Interviews
Tagged as: Books, Interviews, Online Presentations, Rick Altman, Virtual Presentations

Create a Gantt Chart in empower for PowerPoint

empower Charts is a PowerPoint add-in that simplifies the creation of a broad range of chart types, including bar charts, pie charts, and line graphs, while ensuring alignment with brand guidelines. In addition to standard charting capabilities, the tool supports project management visualizations such as Gantt charts. This feature allows users to build timeline-based graphics directly within PowerPoint, offering a practical alternative to external applications or manual formatting.

Learn how to create Gantt charts using empower in PowerPoint.

Filed Under: Charts and Diagrams
Tagged as: Add-in, Charting, Empower, Gantt Charts, PowerPoint, Tutorials

PowerPoint and Presenting News: January 20, 2026

This issue explores how tools and perspective reshape your presentations. We begin with a look at PPTXtreme add-ins — powerful extensions that unlock new creative and productivity possibilities in PowerPoint. Then we take a step back to examine presentation advice inspired by the iPhone, reminding us that simplicity, focus, and user experience matter just as much as technical polish. Finally, our conversation with Lux Narayan of StreamAlive highlights how livestreaming and real-time engagement are redefining audience connection. Together, these stories show that whether you’re enhancing slides with add-ons, borrowing design wisdom from everyday tech, or expanding into live formats, great communication evolves with both innovation and intention.

Stay updated with the latest tutorials, tips, and news on PowerPoint and presentation techniques.

Filed Under: Ezine
Tagged as: Ezine, Indezine, News, PowerPoint

Presentation Advice from the iPhone

By Jerry Weissman

The colossal success of the iPhone and its big brother, the iPad, are due in large part to their superior technical functionality. But equal credit must go to the high-concept design of Apple products—and even to Apple packaging—driven by Steve Jobs and his chief designer Jony Ive. While Ive left Apple after 27 years to start his own company LoveFrom (take a moment and check out the comma on the homepage of their website), I was privileged to be in the audience for one of his last presentations in which he described his attention to detail on the look and feel of every product that bears the Apple logo. Ive provided even further insight about his approach in a Wall Street Journal interview about LoveFrom, explaining that one of his first hires was a full-time writer: “to help conjure into words the ideas that his team of graphic designers, architects, sound engineers and industrial designers come up with for its collaborations.”

Image: Yay Images

I discussed Apple’s excellence with veteran Silicon Valley CEO and Board member Bill Portelli, who observed that there are three basic qualities of their design that could be applied to crafting a story:

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Filed Under: Guest Posts
Tagged as: Apple, Guest Post, iPhone, Jerry Weissman, Presentation Design