For anyone who gives presentations on the go, an app like SlideShark can be a tremendous asset. With it you can pack PowerPoint slide decks into your iPad, then plug the latter into a TV or projector for easy, laptop-free slideshows.
Last September, SlideShark made its way to the iPhone. And this week, the app learned an even more impressive new trick: broadcasting.
SlideShark Broadcasting works just like it sounds, sharing your presentations over the Web to everyone you invite to view them. Attendees don’t need the app or any kind of SlideShark account; they can join your presentation via the Web, a tablet, a phone, or pretty much any Internet-connected device.
This is as practical as it is cool. Suppose you’re pitching a product or service to a handful of execs, but the marketing manager can’t make it because he’s stuck in the back of a taxi in midtown traffic.
Instead of delaying the meeting or relying on others to fill in the guy who’s making the decision, you can invite the manager (either beforehand or on the fly—your custom URL stays the same) to “dial in” on his phone, tablet, or laptop. It’s like WebEx, but especially for presentations.
Another neat perk is the way SlideShark provides basic meeting analytics after the fact, like how many people attended and what slides were the most discussed.
So, what will this capability cost you? Although SlideShark itself remains free for the app and basic service, broadcasting requires a SlideShark Pro or Team Edition account (which allow for up to 10 or 25 attendeeds, respectively). Not sure this feature alone is worth the upgrade? Users of Free and Plus accounts can try broadcasting free (with up to three attendees) through May 31.
You can see it in action, after a fashion, in the following tutorial slideshow, which explains how broadcasting works while demonstrating its capabilities:
As always, if you’ve found a solution you think works better, tell me about it in the comments.