Windowed Slideshow Software?

Posted by: Mach

Windowed Slideshow Software? - 09/03/2006 11:48

My company has had me traveling for the last couple of months for internal meetings. I have met alot of people but am terrible at remembering names. A bad thing in my current job.

So I thought I'd download pictures from our company directory and put them in a slideshow with name, title, and notes annotated. I'd like to be able to do a slideshow but not as a screensaver or desktop. I'd like to have a sidebar or ideally a resizable window that floats on top that randomly rotates through the pictures. Google Desktop has something like what I'm looking for but no annotations.

Does anyone know of a software package that will do this for Windows XP?
Posted by: Roger

Re: Windowed Slideshow Software? - 09/03/2006 12:44

Quote:
am terrible at remembering names


Can't help you with the software, but I find that what works for me is to repeat the person's name back to them as soon as you're introduced. You can usually do this fairly subtly, and if you look at their face while you're doing it, I find it helps me associate the name and face more easily.

Another trick is, when you're in a meeting, to sketch the conference table, and write names in the various places. That way, you won't have to worry about forgetting a name and being too embarrassed to ask for it again.
Posted by: Mach

Re: Windowed Slideshow Software? - 09/03/2006 13:07

All good ideas. I've gone as far as to actually sketch the people's faces but through training courses that we've been running, I've met 500+ new people since January. My mnemonics quickly fell down after the first training session.
Posted by: tfabris

Re: Windowed Slideshow Software? - 09/03/2006 14:32

Quote:
I find that what works for me is to repeat the person's name back to them as soon as you're introduced. You can usually do this fairly subtly, and if you look at their face while you're doing it, I find it helps me associate the name and face more easily.

I try this all the time. Never works for me.
Posted by: boxer

Re: Windowed Slideshow Software? - 09/03/2006 14:35

My first boss kept a card index of everybody he met in business, supplier or client, noted everything that they said in meetings, a quick word picture of what they looked like: Partner's names, jobs, interests - Children's names, ages etc. etc. and never ever threw anything away. He also used a press cutting service to keep abreast of their careers in trade magazines.
At the time, I was young and had a good memory, but I've always wished I'd done it (especially now, it would be simple on a PC). Now I've retired I'm prepared to admit that I've missed out on substantial business opportunities because I haven't tracked people as they succeeded in their careers.
Posted by: Cris

Re: Windowed Slideshow Software? - 09/03/2006 14:41

I use ProShow to do my slideshows, and although it's ideal for what you want, it does output to some interesting formats, eg web, flash or exe. Maybe you could then use these files within another solution?

Cheers

Cris.
Posted by: julf

Re: Windowed Slideshow Software? - 09/03/2006 17:20

Quote:
At the time, I was young and had a good memory, but I've always wished I'd done it (especially now, it would be simple on a PC). Now I've retired I'm prepared to admit that I've missed out on substantial business opportunities because I haven't tracked people as they succeeded in their careers.


I have a couple of friends that are true wonders of business networking. I do admire them, but recognize that it is not for me. I just can't be bothered enough - I prefer to live with the lost business.
Posted by: ithoughti

Re: Windowed Slideshow Software? - 09/03/2006 19:01

Index Card simulator:

http://ndxcards.com/index.asp

Might be your solution. There is a 'photo card' feature that lets you insert a photo, type descriptions etc and associate keywords. I'm not totally sure that it does a slideshow, but it might.
Posted by: gbeer

Re: Windowed Slideshow Software? - 10/03/2006 00:48

Quote:
My first boss kept a card index of everybody he met in business...


I seem to remember reading some where that this was called a Farley file. Supposedly after the chap who first did it. It was referenced prior to meetings and such so he could impress people by knowing to ask about the wife and kids by name and such.

Wiki to the rescue. And I have read Double Star so that's most likely where I saw it.