Protect PowerPoint presentations ...

... from prying eyes. Leo Baschy, a research consultant at Nirvana Research LLC in Copperopolis, Calif., gives a lot of thought to the connection between graphical user interface design and security in common software applications. For example, he's working on technology that's designed to help people who put together PowerPoint presentations define the content according to its sensitivity. With that functionality, Baschy says, a CIO could create different versions of a presentation about his company's IT investments and the state of current projects for different audiences. One version could be a warts-and-all look for the board of directors; another could be aimed at internal users and highlight the benefits and changes that IT projects will bring; and a third might be used at external conferences. By defining the audience access rights in the PowerPoint program, the CIO could ensure that only the appropriate slides get flashed on the screen. (Which audience is in the room is something the presenter had better not forget, of course.) Baschy wouldn't speculate on when such a tool could become available.