| "One more thing" reveals even more Keynote 3 hints of what's to come... | | Date Created: 13 Oct, 2005, 10:30 AM |
 So we can stop guessing for now as to what was behind Curtain #1 at the San Jose theatre where Steve Jobs took the wraps of Apple's latest developments.
Once more, his magician's sleight of hand was observed, having the various rumour and mainstream sites second guessing if it will be a new Video iPod or new PowerMacs and Powerbooks.
No one discussed iMac updates, although it was always on the cards that an updated iSight camera was next in the innovation queue, and some have suggested it be built into the iMac. While the current iSight has some degree of rotation in the X and Y axis, the iMac itself will need to be rotated, perhaps on a "lazy susan"-type stand which is available currently. My guess is the iMac may well become the PC of choice for those involved in telehealth and continuing education.
While many were looking forward to announcements of new products, those of us in the Keynote community were eagerly anticipating either further displays of new Keynote features being demonstrated or possibly even a mention of an update being available.
We got the former, further confirming that the latter is on its was, perhaps for January's MacWorld. This would replicate how Keynote 2 was delivered: first by example at the U2 iPod release, then a few months later in San Francisco as part of iWork.
Today's event offered a few more tantalising glimpses of what Keynote 3 holds in store for us. |
 If you click on the slide, you'll see one of the new transitions, which I'll call the curtain panels.
This is a 3-D effect which separates the screen into vertical panels and rotates them to reveal the next slide.
Steve Jobs used this several times, and I thought I noted two different effects.
The picture I have here (clicking it enlarges it) simply shows panels turning to reveal the sllde behind. But I'm sure I also saw a Cube-like effect such that the next slide rotates in as well. We'll also have to wait and see whether the effect is only vertical or a fixed number of panels, but it's a nice effect familar to most who observe motion billboards on their travels or in sport stadiums. |
At the iPod nano launch, we also saw the "fly away" effect where a VISA card flew off the iTunes Music store graphic.
Today, we saw its inverse - the "fly-in" build, used to great effect to show the release of iTunes 6 just a month or so after the last update to iTunes.
Below you can see it commence the "fly in" from behind a new video iPod. |
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| ... and here you can see it continue its travels, to the point where it will obscure the iPod - a very neat effect: |
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In particular, you should note how Apple has continued the mirror/shadow effect from iChatAV (which we saw again in action with the iMac demo.) by looking under the iTunes 6 graphic and seeing its shadow.
It's a subtle effect which another software company would probably see as unnecessary coding, but Apple's attention to detail makes this part of the effect almost unnoticeable, except that it does give the effect greater presence. No - it is an understated, almost out-of-awareness effect which is exemplifies Apple's DNA.
Finally, Apple made a big deal out of the red curtains in its media invitation to this event, offering a metaphoric hint at what was in store, and we saw Steve Jobs use the same graphic effectively in narrating his four Act play. We saw a repeat of the slide splitting and drawing away to stage left and right, which is actually possible to do in Keynote 2 quite easily. Here's how:
1. Take two screen shots (Command-shift-4) of the selected slide, half of the slide in each shot.
2. Place the two halved together in one new slide, such that there appears no "seam".
3. Select the left half, and use the "build out" feature, employing the "move out" build. The left panel needs the "right to left" direction, and the right... well, you know.
4. Select "Automatic builds", and make sure your two builds work automatically with each other. Then it's just a matter of selecting the right speed in (3) to generate the most realistic effect.
5. Make sure you "send to back" the graphic you want revealed when the curtains pull away.
I assume Keynote 3 will allow you to do this in one step, not the four I have suggested.
Steve Jobs also showed a "curtain down" effect, a vertical reveal not seen in Keynote 2. Presumably, there will be a curtain up, too. You can see it here: |
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I'll have to look at today's keynote one more time to see what I missed (the video streamed beautifully - I must have been one of the first to log in because as I write the stream is lousy).
But it is great to see Keynote undergo further development, and I am guessing there are more builds and elements (perhaps new templates) we have not seen during these two past Stevenotes.
I do want to see greater appreciation of the audio capacity of Keynote. Jobs has no use for this during his keynotes, but for the rest of us, using movies and sounds to create multimedia shows is a great advantage. Just yesterday I was helping a tech. journo. friend prepare a Keynote for the first time, and we employed sound and video.
I really wanted to reliably cue in and out the audio but it was a tedious process applying the same techniques as for graphics. It's doable, but hard to time the audio precisely, as there is no preview frunction. And it would be great to have audio fade in and out capabilities.
That said, Office 12 for Windows is set for release next year, with a Powerpoint version likely to include more bells and whistles than previous versions.
Which will demonstrate once more, that "more is less". We will see PPT users employ more transitions and effects, delivering less enjoyable and effective presentations.
They just don't get it, I'm afraid.
My journo. friend saw how much effort I put in to creating his slide effects so that it looked like less was happening, allowing his content and message to shine though. Keynote works like that for me - it elicits creativity and new ways of thinking about data and information, and then gets out the way.
Finally, Steve Jobs continues to demonstrate what a masterful showman he is. He models for the rest of us how to give a memorable and impactful slideshow.
Nowadays, my anticipation of his showing new products is matched by the anticipation of his showmanship, to see what lessons I can learn. |
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