How to Share Business Presentations from Your iPhone or iPad (1)

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It's easy to share a business presentation from your laptop: Just plug your machine into a projector or a large external monitor. But why lug around a heavy laptop when you can present directly from your iPhone or iPad? With the right apps and equipment, it's easy to share a presentation stored on your phone or tablet with a small or medium-size group. There are a few different ways to do it. You could use one of several Lightning adapter cables to attach a newer iPhone or iPad to a projector, or even directly to a large monitor or TV display. Another option is to use iOS' built-in support for Apple AirPlay, a feature that lets you stream content wirelessly from your iPhone or iPad directly to a TV — but to make it work, you'll need to purchase an Apple TV device. And for the adventurous, there is a way to mirror the screen of an older iPhone onto a TV using a 30-pin-to-HDMI adapter, but only if you're willing to jailbreak your phone. Not every solution is right for every user, so read on for five ways to share business presentations from your iPhone. 1. AirPlay If you're looking for a hands-off solution for wireless streaming of video presentations, slideshows and other content you’re your iPhone or iPad to a TV, AirPlay is it. But you'll need to meet a few requirements to use the feature. First, you'll need a device running iOS version 5 or higher. That includes the iPhone 3GS and all later iterations, or any iPad. You'll also need an Apple TV set-top box, which is sold separately for $99. Apple TV is a device used primarily to view movies and TV shows, but it's also handy for business presentations because it lets you mirror your iPhone's screen onto a TV. To use the feature, set up your Apple TV and navigate to the Settings menu, and then activate AirPlay. Assuming the Apple TV and your iPhone or iPad are connected to the same Wi-Fi network, your iOS device should automatically identify the Apple TV. Finally, activate AirPlay on your iPhone or iPad to start presenting. 2. Projector Older projectors usually connect to computers via a VGA port, while newer projectors mostly connect via an HDMI port. However, the iPhone has neither of those. But if you have a newer iPhone (5 or 5s) or a newer iPad (4th generation or iPad Air), there are still ways to link your iOS device directly to a projector and beam your business presentation onto a wall. To do so, you'll need to purchase an adapter — either a Lightning-to-HDMI or Lightning-to-VGA, depending on the type of projector. Using a projector has definite advantages over connecting your smartphone to a digital display, the most important of which is that it allows you to display your business presentation at any size, and on just about any wall or flat surface, giving you the versatility to address larger groups.