Windows Experience Blog : Windows SideShow

Windows Media Center Gadgets for Windows SideShow Released

Brandon LeBlanc — Tue, 21 Oct 2008 23:32:10 GMT

The Windows SideShow Team has announced that the final version of the Windows Media Center Gadgets for Windows SideShow is now available for download on Windows Live Gallery in 32-bit and 64-bit flavors!

Download: Windows Media Center Gadgets for Windows SideShow (32-bit)
Download: Windows Media Center Gadgets for Windows SideShow (64-bit)

The Windows Media Center Gadgets for Windows SideShow package is made up of the following 4 Gadgets for your Windows SideShow device:

Now Playing: View what is currently playing in Windows Media Center (includes playback controls)
Pictures + Video: Browse your Photos and Videos folders
Music: Browse your Music folder and play any song
TV: Look at what is on TV via the Windows Media Center Guide, Schedule Recordings, and View Recordings (in a Thumbnail view)

If you are a heavy Windows Media Center user and have a Windows SideShow device – these gadgets are a must-have. My main desktop PC is a Dell XPS 420 which comes with a built-in Windows SideShow display on the top of the system. It is great being able to walk up to the system to check and schedule TV recordings especially if I’m in a hurry and don’t want to sit down at my desk and fire up Windows Media Center. Quick access is awesome.

Control Windows Media Center with New Windows SideShow BETA Gadgets

Brandon LeBlanc — Tue, 08 Jul 2008 05:00:00 GMT

The Windows SideShow Team has announced the availability of 4 BETA Windows SideShow Gadgets that let you control Windows Media Center from a Windows Sideshow device. You can sign-up via Microsoft Connect to gain access to Beta Test these new Windows SideShow Gadgets:

http://connect.microsoft.com/InvitationUse.aspx?ProgramID=2380&SiteID=312&InvitationID=GPB-79MM-RFJ2

I believe this link works 1 time per Windows Live ID (You must sign-in with your Windows Live ID to access Beta Programs on Microsoft Connect). You can submit feedback to the team working on these Gadgets on Microsoft Connect.

Here is the breakdown of the 4 Windows Media Center BETA Windows SideShow Gadgets and what they do:

Now Playing: View what is currently playing in Windows Media Center (includes playback controls)
Pictures + Video: Browse your Photos and Videos folders
Music: Browse your Music folder and play any song
TV: Look at what is on TV via the Windows Media Center Guide, Schedule Recordings, and View Recordings (in a Thumbnail view)

I downloaded and installed the Windows Media Center BETA Windows SideShow Gadgets on my Dell XPS 420 which has a built in Windows SideShow device on the top front of the system (the XPS MiniView). It's pretty slick to be able to control Windows Media Center from a Windows SideShow device. I'm quite fond of the Now Playing Gadget myself and the TV Gadget. I utilize Windows Media Center as my primary DVR for recording TV. If you have a Windows SideShow device - definitely give these Windows SideShow Gadgets a try!

NOTE: These 4 Windows Media Center Windows SideShow Gadgets *are* currently in BETA.

Speaking of Windows Media Center - join Patrick Norton from Tekzilla tomorrow Tuesday July 8^th for the 3^rd Webinar (of 4 webinars total) on the new Extender for Windows Media Center from HP - the HP MediaSmart Connect. Click here to register for the webinar.

WinHEC 2007: Day 2

Brandon LeBlanc — Sun, 20 May 2007 09:03:00 GMT

On my second day at WinHEC I really wanted to make it a point to stop by the Expo Hall and take a closer look at all the really cool hardware. So I spent about two hours walking around the Expo Hall and talking with folks until the Expo Hall closed. Microsoft's Pavilion had numerous kiosks set up with product experts at those kiosks to answer any questions.

At the Microsoft Pavilion, I caught up with one of Nick's colleagues Matt Krueger who was helping show off some Mobile PC's that take advantage of Windows Vista and it's technologies.

After talking with Matt, I spotted the HD Media Bridge kiosk and Network Attached Storage kiosk right next to it. I got a closer look at the D-Link Xtreme N Duo MediaBridge units. Right next to the Media Bridge units was the Maxtor (now under Seagate) network storage device that are use Windows Rally. You can check out Maxtor's selection of network storage devices here.

During the Windows Rally keynote demo by Program Managers Glenn Ward and Jim Barber, they showed off a Windows Sidebar Gadget that worked with the Maxtor network storage devices using Windows Rally technologies. I was able to take some shots of the Gadget running on one of the kiosk demo PC's. I would like to see more hardware devices come with Windows Sidebar Gadgets that work like this Gadget does with the Maxtor network device. To be able check the status of a networked storage device and see how much storage space I have through a Sidebar Gadget is simply amazing.

Next I stopped by to take a look at a couple of SideShow devices including a Ricavision SideShow-enabled Windows Media Center Remote. This is one real slick remote. I was also able to check out a Digital Picture Frame too.

The Windows Vista Logo program had a huge presence this year at WinHEC. They had a very nice Certified for Windows Vista device showcase of some of the neat new devices out in the marketplace today that are certified. Ironically, I was using my Nikon D40 to take these photos which is also a Certified for Windows Vista camera.

Ben Reed was there talking with folks about certified devices. Ben has been blogging Certified for Windows Vista here on the Windows Vista Team blog for a few months now and has been producing some really neat videos on certified devices.

I also stopped by and chatted with the folks from AMD, HP, Intel, and a few others before the Expo Hall had closed. I had a great experience!

WinHEC 2007 ended for me that evening on a high note when we all went to Universal Studios Hollywood (thanks to the Windows Server Team) to celebrate the coming of Windows Server 2008.

Click here to see my entire WinHEC 2007 Photo Gallery.