Top 5 favorite new features of

PowerPoint 2013
5. Switching accounts / SkyDrive
integration
Ill admit, I really wasnt crazy about the
idea of logging in to Office initially. I
also admit that this isnt the most
exciting or even impressive feature, but
it is one that I am thankful for. As
someone with several Microsoft
Accounts, a couple Office 365 accounts,
and therefore many SkyDrive accounts,
it was a bit inconvenient having to go to
the web, sign in to a SkyDrive account,
and then download whatever file I
needed. I really love being able to
quickly switch between profiles to
quickly access files in the cloud right
from PowerPoint.
Having two Microsoft Accounts gives me
a nice little fence to separate my
personal and work files. All I have to do
is click on Switch account to access
my other accounts.
If I didnt want to separate files via
multiple Microsoft Accounts, I can also
just add two different SkyDrive accounts
to one profile. In other words, I sign into
PowerPoint with one Microsoft account,
but add all my SkyDrive accounts by
clicking on Add a Place from the
backstage open screen.
The only thing I dont like about this
second method is that at first glance
there is no way to distinguish between
my two different SkyDrive folders. As
you can see in the above picture,
PowerPoint only displays the user name
(which is the same) next to each
account. On the Open screen, I would
love to see the email address display
below the name like in the Accounts

screen. Other than that, this is a

wonderful addition, one that makes me
utilize my free cloud storage more than
ever before, and limits my need to
remote desktop into my work
computer.
4. Threaded comments
When collaborating with others, it is now
a lot less complicated to follow
conversations. Comments are now
threaded and a lot easier on the eye.

3. Play From and Motion Path

End
Technically, these are two separate but
similar features that tie for third place in
my book. I work with a lot of animations,
and these two new additions have
saved me a ton of time when working
with and creating them.
Play From
The old Play button in the Animation
Pane is now a Play From button,
allowing you to preview a portion of the
animations on a PowerPoint slide.
Simply select an animation in the
animation pane before pressing the Play
From button.
Motion Path End
When drawing motion paths,
PowerPoint now ghosts your object so
you can see exactly where that object
will appear when the animation
completes, so no more guessing!
2. Color Picker

PowerPoint now includes a color picker!

Better late than never, right?
The Eyedropper tool is found in the
Shape Fill drop menu located from both
the Home tab and the Drawing Tools
Format tab. To select a color on the
slide, simply click on the Eyedropper
button, and then click on the desired
color. To select a color from outside of
the PowerPoint application window, click
and drag.
1. Presenter View
The presenter view received quite the
overhaul. It now is much darker, so
presenting from behind a computer
screen will not create a creepy glow.
It also includes three resizable panes: a
slide preview, a next slide preview, and
a notes area. To resize any of these
areas, simply hover your mouse over
any of the divider bars, then just click
and drag.
Personally, I dont need to see my
current slide or the next slide. So my
view usually looks like this:
In the above picture, Ive completely
collapsed the current slide view, resized
the next slide view to a teeny-tiny
thumbnail, and maximized my notes
area to act as a kind of teleprompter.
There are also a lot of tools at your
disposal that were once buried in hardto-reach menus. All buttons are touchfriendly sized, making it easier to
navigate a presentation from a touchenabled monitor or tablet. The only
problem is that these buttons appear in
the Current Slide pane, so if you are like
me and minimize that area, they are no

longer easily accessible; however, you

can still get to those options by rightclicking.
Also very useful, you can now jump to
any slide or section in your presentation
by clicking the Slide Sorter button (the
one next to the pen tool) or by rightclicking and selecting See All Slides.
Your view will change, but your
audience will still see your previously
selected slide. As you select a different
slide, your audience will just see a
flawless transition to a new slide and will
never know you are presenting out of
order.
But perhaps the best addition to the
presenter view is the ability to zoom into
a portion of a slide.
Simply select the Zoom In button
(Magnifying Glass icon), hover your
mouse over the area youd like to zoom
into, and click.
The Bottom Line
Now, whether any of these features are
worth the upgrade price depends on the
individual. Personally, I feel the changes
to the presenter view alone are worth
the upgrade. The upgrades to
animations are also nice. Some of my
colleagues, however, feel otherwise,
and I can certainly see their point of
view. After all, they dont really use
SkyDrive, they almost never use
presenter view, and they rarely use
animations. But for those who travel and
present a lot, PowerPoint 2013 is a
refreshing step in the right direction.

Types of Mechanical
Engineering Degrees

Biomedical Engineering
Degree

Mechanical Engineering Degree

A Mechanical Engineering Degree
involves the design of mechanical
systems. These systems assist
industries such as: manufacturing,
aeronautics, nanotechnology, nuclear
power production, heating and cooling.
A primary focus is
on thermodynamics, structural
analysis, materials science, and
kinematics. This is arguably the
broadest of all engineering degrees
available today and takes in a wide
range of engineering disciplines.

Biomedical engineering combines the

study of medicine and biology.
Biomedical Engineers apply their
design skills to biological and medical
sciences. They do this to assist in
advancements in healthcare treatment
technology. They develop and
maintain diagnostic devices. Devices
that include EEGs, MRIs, and other
imaging machines. Physicians use
these machines to diagnosis their
patients medical problems. This is a
fast moving industry and while
challenging can be a rewarding career
path to take.

Aerospace Engineering
Degree

Biomechanical Engineering
Degree

An Aerospace Engineering Degree

involves the study of air and space
travel. This might include military
aircraft design and development, along
with commercial airline design and
satellite technology. The terms
Aerospace and Aeronautical are both
often used interchangeably, yet there
are key differences between the two.
Aeronautical Engineering relates to
craft that remain in our atmosphere,
while Aerospace Engineering refers to
aircraft that venture outside our
atmosphere. Most programs in the
United States have changed their
names from Aeronautical to Aerospace
over the past couple decades, but
there are still some programs that go
by the historical name.

Biomechanical Engineering is the

study of organisms and mechanics
and how the two solve problems in
combination. This is a growing industry
and practical applications include
environmental challenges such as
waste control and keeping our
waterways free from pollution. It
shares close ties with Biomedical
Engineering and Agricultural
Engineering, as you might expect.
Automotive Engineering
Degree
As the name implies, automotive
engineering involves the design and
production of vehicles. The automotive
industry is hugely diverse and requires
engineers to work in areas such as
mechanical design, performance,

manufacturing, electrical engineering

and systems management.
Types of Civil Engineering
Degrees
Civil Engineering Degree
Civil Engineering involves the
development of infrastructure such as
buildings, railways, roads construction,
bridges and general construction
project management. Civil Engineers
also play an important role
in rebuilding projects, such as in the
event of a natural disaster. Civil
Engineers may work in the private or
public sector at any level. This is a
very broad engineering degree.
Environmental Engineering, Structural
Engineering and Marine
Engineering are all specialties of Civil
Engineering.

Structural Engineering
Degree
Structural engineering is a specific
branch of civil engineering, and
specializes in the design of different
structures, including houses,
commercial buildings, art museums,
stores, and more. It is important for
structural engineers to understand the
construction of buildings and the
effects of natural factors such as
erosion, corrosion, wind, and water to
ensure buildings and structures are
safe for a very long period of time. At
some universities, structural
engineering is a concentration offered
within a civil engineering degree.

Architectural Engineering
Degree
Architectural engineers work in the
construction, planning, and design
phase of projects. In conjunction with
other team members, the focus is on
building structure and interior design.
This includes: Heating, Ventilation, Air
Conditioning, Electrical, Fire
protection, Lighting, Plumbing and
other systems specific to the the
project. In some areas natural
disasters such as earthquakes and
hurricanes have special consideration.

Types of Electrical Engineering

Degrees
Electrical Engineering
Degree
An Electrical Engineering Degree
involves the study of energy. Energy is
available in various forms such as
electrical, hydro and natural sources
such as wind and solar energy. An
Electrical Engineer develops
technologies to assist with the
practical application of such energies.
Electrical Engineers design
components for electronic equipment,
communications systems, power grids,
automobiles, and more.
Computer Engineering
Degree
Another industry that continues to
expand is of course the Information
Technology (IT) industry. This involves

both computer sciences and electrical

engineering. Successful graduates
may find themselves in
Telecommunications, Networking,
Software Application Development, or
Manufacturing. This type of degree
has good future potential as most
industries rely on information
technology.
Electronics Engineering
Degree
Technology and specifically,
electronics, have changed the way
most of the world lives every day.
From the revolutionary computer to the
latest mobile phone technology that
fits in your pocket, we all use
electronics every single day.
Electronics engineers are needed to
design and build electronic equipment.
Most electronics engineers work with
circuits, switchboards, and other
electronic configurations to design and
build these devices.
Robotics Engineering Degree
A robotics engineering degree has a
primary focus on automation and the
use of machines to assist with
repetitive tasks such as those found in
manufacturing. Robotics engineers will
typically design robotic technology and
develop maintenance systems to help
achieve optimal efficiency. this is an
area with expected growth of up to
15% in the next five years.

Microelectronic Engineering
Degree
If you have an interest in electronics a
Microelectronic Engineering degree
might be of interest. Microelectronics
is a subset of Electrical Engineering
with a focus on the word Micro.
Microelectronic Engineers specialize in
the development and design of small
electrical devices. Used in a wide
range of industrial applications. As we
move away from bulky electronic
devices such as the first mobile
phones and desktop computers. We
develop smaller more convenient
electronic devices. As a result the
demand for microelectronic engineers
is high. Microelectronic engineers also
assist in the technical writing aspect of
a project. As well as perform tests to
verify product conformance.
Types of Chemical Engineering
Degrees
Chemical Engineering
Degree
As the name implies, Chemical
Engineering is the practical application
of chemistry. This type of engineering
degree involves technology that
utilizes chemical reactions to solve
problems. A chemical engineer creates
new products, including: Cosmetics,
foods, pharmaceuticals, beverages,
and cleaners from raw chemicals. this
is a very broad engineering degree
and allows for a number of different
forms of employment. It is also one of
the most challenging degrees
available.

Types of Geotechnical
Engineering Degrees
Petroleum Engineering
Degree
A petroleum engineer handles the
extraction of oil and gas from beneath
the earth. They are also involved in
developing new extraction methods
and technologies including new
methods that are more efficient and
less damaging to the
environment. Petroleum Engineering is
one of the highest paid engineering
positions available. Petroleum
engineers play a significant role in
locating reservoirs beneath the earths
surface for gas and oil companies.