Computer Tricks and Secrets

Short answer: The old one-click GIFDeck service no longer works, so today I turn a SlideShare deck into an animated GIF by screen-recording the slides and converting that clip to GIF, or by exporting the deck to images and stitching them together with a free tool like ezgif. Years ago there was a neat site that took a SlideShare URL and spat out an animated GIF. That service is long gone, and I would not rely on any clone promising the same. The good news is the modern methods are more flexible, work with any presentation source, and let me control quality and size. Why turn a presentation into a GIF at all? A GIF autoplays and loops in almost any context without a player: inside an email, in a chat, on a wiki, or in a documentation page. When I want someone to glance through a few slides without clicking into an embed, a short looping GIF is the least friction. It is not right for a 40-slide deck, but for a 5 to 10 slide summary it is ideal. How do I record slides and convert th...

Short answer: the easiest way to put a YouTube video in PowerPoint is Insert > Video > Online Video, then paste the YouTube link. For reliability when you present, you can also use the embed code, or download the video for fully offline playback. Here is every method and how to avoid the classic "it won't play" disaster on stage. Method 1: Insert > Online Video (easiest) In PowerPoint, go to the slide and click Insert > Video > Online Video . Paste the YouTube video URL and click Insert. Resize and position the video frame on your slide. This embeds a live player. It needs an internet connection to play during the presentation. Method 2: Use the embed code (more control) On YouTube, click Share > Embed and copy the code. In PowerPoint's Online Video dialog (or via the embed option), paste it. The embed code sometimes works when a plain URL does not, and lets you set a start time. Method 3: Download for offline playback (most reliable) ...