Presentations Come Of Age: Ventuz Technology

I'd wager there are few people reading this who haven't suffered at least once from the modern malaise they call "Death by PowerPoint"  Now not wishing to unfairly malign the Microsoft presentation package – even the least forgiving audience member would grudgingly agree that it's the crapness of the presenter that kills you, not the software (and accompanying slide transitions, sound effects and ridiculous animations) – but it's a sad fact of life that where a yawn-worthy demonstration goes, their software often lurks behind.Thankfully there are companies like Ventuz Technology, who blend together touch, gesture and proximity-sensitive interfaces controlling multiple interconnected displays, with a software package that allows static and dynamically updated information to be presented in 2D and 3D.https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jg0zHPyLRfQ Microsoft has been making heavy use of their expertise, with their CeBIT presentation relying on the light-barriers to trigger movement through the showreel, while at the Vista launch interactive presentations built around the Ventuz software backbone allowed viewers to explore the OS using touch control.Long Zheng over at istartedsomething caught up with Ventuz product manager Christian Schmidt, and found out exactly how the company envisages their technology facilitating the presentation of information:

"Presentations no longer need to be linear and frankly boring. Many science fiction movies in the past two decades have shown so many different types of what could be possible. Most of these ideas can actually be realized nowadays. Take Minority Report for example. With a Holopro Screen, a Cyberglove and Ventuz, you could (easily) recreate that interface"

It makes for an interesting interview, and well worth a read no matter which side of the laser-pointer you usually end up on.Q&A with Christian Schmidt, Product Manager from Ventuz Technology [istartedsomething]