If you’ve ever made a presentation using your laptop or tablet, you know that sometimes there are challenges, especially when you’ve got audience interaction and you need to pull up supporting documents quickly. As the Inside Microsoft Research blog reports, there’s a new app that can make it easier for you to control your presentation. With Office Remote, a collaboration between Microsoft Research and the Microsoft Office engineering team, it’s as easy as pressing a touchscreen.
“Office Remote turns your phone into a smart remote that interacts with Microsoft Office on your PC,” says Bert Van Hoof, an Office group program manager. “The app lets you control Word, Excel, and PowerPoint from across the room so you can walk around freely during presentations.”
Starting Nov. 18, you can download a beta version of the app from the Windows Phone Store. You’ll also need a Windows Phone 8 device, Office 2013 (all versions except Office 2013 RT), a Bluetooth-enabled PC and the installation of a desktop add-in for Office Remote on PC. Then, open the Office document you want to project, pick up your phone and begin your pitch.
“With Office Remote,” Van Hoof adds, “you can start your PowerPoint presentation, advance the slides, see your speaker notes, and control an on-screen laser pointer with a touch of your finger — all from your phone. You can also navigate between Excel worksheets and graphs, and control data slicers from the palm of your hand. And you can scroll through a Word document or quickly jump to specific sections or comments.”
Check out the Inside Microsoft Research blog to read more about Office Remote and the ongoing collaboration between Office and Microsoft Research that enables more natural, seamless interaction across multiple screens and devices.
You might also be interested in:
- If you’re shopping for a Nokia Lumia smartphone, don’t miss these special deals
- Grab a Web page with IE using a gesture – or your voice – on Xbox One
- These are the Office Champions: Bloggers share how Office 365 helps them manage their lives
Athima Chansanchai
Microsoft News Center Staff