May 25, 2009

Tons of programs are being designed for the iPhone every day, and quite a few are making life easier for public speakers. In fact, the Top 10 most downloaded Business Apps (today, anyway, since this list may change tomorrow) includes four voice-recording programs.

Here are five iPhone apps you’ll probably find useful before your next public presentation:

Speakeasy Voice Recorder allows you to record and playback verbal notes and reminders from your iPhone’s built-in microphone. If you get a burst of inspiration for a future speech at an inconvenient time to write the speech, speak reminders into your phone.

This app sounds like the perfect program for anyone like Michael Keaton’s character in the 1982 comedy “Night Shift.” Keaton played a self-described “idea man,” who carried around a tape recorder so he could record his crackpot ideas, such as feeding mayonnaise to tuna-fish, or creating edible paper to eliminate garbage.

QuickVoice Recorder is another popular voice recorder for the iPhone, which includes a voice-to-text email feature.

Evernote allows you to capture information in a variety of environments using multiple devices or platforms (Mac, PC, etc.), and makes this information accessible and searchable at any time, from almost anywhere.

This program allows you to capture To-Do lists, notes and research, Web pages, twitter messages or snap photos of business cards/whiteboards/wine labels and more.

Remote Desktop, by MochaSoft, enables you to have secure access to your work computer through wifi or the phones network (EDGE). Using your iPhone, you can connect to your Windows work computer and see the files, programs, and resources exactly as you would if you were sitting at your desk… but of course, squinting on a far smaller screen.

Speech Timer: This program is designed with the Toastmaster Timer (or any longwinded public speaker) in mind. This timer app will make your iPhone vibrate or sound when the flag changes colors.

May 5, 2009

If you’re an entrepreneur with that million dollar presentation ready to go, you have three days left to apply for one of the 30 slots at the 4th Annual Launch: Silicon Valley in front of the venture capital community.

Launch: Silicon Valley 2009 is designed to uncover and showcase products and services from some of the newest startups in information technology, mobility, security, digital media, next generation internet, life sciences and clean energy.

Startups interested in presenting their products at the June 9th event at Microsoft’s Mountain View, Calif. campus should send an executive summary of no more than 2 pages to Launchsv@svase.org by the deadline of May 8.

Companies with the top 30 proposals will be invited to leverage Launch: Silicon Valley 2009 as the springboard to launch their product or service, and to network with the audience of Silicon Valley’s top movers and shakers at the Pre-L:SV Event Party on June 8, as well as at the following day’s Launch event.

If you get selected to present, you may want to read How to Be a Demo God, a blog item a few years back by Guy Kawasaki, managing director of VC firm Garage Technology Ventures, and a co-creator of Launch: Silicon Valley.

In the blog item, Kawasaki outlines the top 11 things you need to do in order to be a Demo God.