Narrate and Share PowerPoint Presentations for Free

A presentation without narration is like a comic book without word-balloons: You get the general idea, but it's not nearly as informative or entertaining.

The MyBrainshark presentation-hosting service lets you add narration just by picking up your phone. All you do is upload your PowerPoint slide deck, then call a special number and start talking.

That gives MyBrainshark a definite edge over competing services like SlideShare. And you're not limited to presentations, either: The service also supports videos, photo slideshows, and even Word documents, meaning you can narrate and share just about anything you want. (Check out this sample: Vocal Skills for Presenters.)

There's also a podcast option: Upload an MP3 or record a podcast on the fly by dialing in.

When you're done, you can link to your presentation or embed it on your site. MyBrainshark also provides some great reporting tools, like total number of views, location of viewers, and so on.

Amazingly, MyBrainshark is free. I found it incredibly easy to use, particularly the call-in narration tools. This is definitely a must-bookmark service for speakers looking to share their presentations, businesses looking to promote products or services, or individuals looking to promote themselves. [via The New York Times]

More presentation-related posts:

Rick Broida On Twitter »
Rick Broida, a technology writer for more than 20 years, is the author of more than a dozen books. In addition to writing CNET's The Cheapskate blog, he contributes to CNET's iPhone Atlas.