http://www.yourtechtamer.com/blog/2010/10/has-your-computer-ever/
I could probably complete that line 100 different ways, and someone or someones would answer ‘yes’. We are all too familiar with the quirks of computers. Why does something behave this way on one computer, and that way on another computer? Sometimes the answer is obvious, sometimes not so obvious.
While I enjoy doing presentations (either in person or virtual), I tend to stress on ones that involve my computer, a projector or virtual sharing tool like WebEx or GoToMyPC, and/or Powerpoint. Why? Because something always seems to go wrong. Maybe the setup takes longer than expected. Maybe the projector refuses to display the screen. Maybe my assistant hits a key on my keyboard at an inopportune moment (some of you know that my ‘office assistant’ is a 16 lb. cat who believes that it is her God-given right to sleep across my keyboard whenever she chooses – I know, I know…shut the door to the office with the cat on the outside…got it!). Regardless, ‘stuff happens’. I’m sure that each of you has your own ‘moments’ and stories.
One issue that can happen all too often is that the presentation is going along just fine (maybe you’ve avoided the setup gremlins altogether), and you pause to answer a question, or review a topic in more depth. All of a sudden something catches your eye on the screen. You turn back to look at your computer screen and the photos from the last family camping trip in Yosemite are scrolling across the ‘big screen’. Oops…forgot to turn off screensaver. Or perhaps, the screen has gone black. WHAT THE HECK!!! It was probably the Windows ‘power saver’ settings kicking in to gear.
I just came across a nifty utility that will assist in bypassing such embarrassing moments. It is called ‘Mouse Jiggler’, and it simulates mouse movement, so that your computer thinks that you’re tapping away at the keyboard, and the computer stays ‘awake’. Its a tiny utility that can be downloaded from http://mousejiggler.codeplex.com/. Read about it here: http://tinyurl.com/254abqc. I think that I’m going to like this little guy :-)…I’m hoping it will save me from some embarrassing moments – be they in person or virtual ones!
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