MacAdam    

The IR Remote Control delivered with new Macs is cool and anybody using Microsoft PowerPoint for his presentations would think about using it to control the PowerPoint Slide Show. Though it is not natively possible, here is how you can make it work with iRedLite utility.

1. Download, Install and Run iRedLite
2. Open iRedLite editor (Tools->Show Editor)
3. Add a section (press + in the left pane [Remotes and Sections]) and name it PowerPoint
4. Add a library (press + in the right pane [Libraries]), name it PowerPoint and select it
5. Add a group (press + in the right pane [Groups]) and name it SlideShow
6. Add an AppleScript Action (press + AppleScript in the right pane [Actions]) and name it Start/Stop
   Press "Edit Action" Tab and paste the following code
         tell application "Microsoft PowerPoint"
             set mySSS to slide show settings of active presentation
             set show type of mySSS to slide show type speaker
             set sShow to run slide show mySSS
         end tell
7. Select this new Start/Stop action
8. Select the PowerPoint Section in the left pane
9. Press the Play button on the left pane remote control drawing
10. Add the Start/Stop action to this button (pressing the + in the lower left corner)
11. Select the Current App->Cursor Movement->Right Action
12. Press the Next button on the left pane remote control drawing
13. Add the Right Action (pressing the + in the lower left corner)
14. Select the Current App->Cursor Movement->Left Action
15. Press the Prev button on the left pane remote control drawing
16. Add the Left Action (pressing the + in the lower left corner)
17. Press Save

There you go, open iRedLite, select PowerPoint then open a PowerPoint Presentation.
You can start the slide show using the Play button and browse the slides with the Next and Previous buttons