by Donald Burnett
Big thanks to Jeff Sandquist for the tip-off on this one. One of the Microsoft guys has been at it again, you can now place "gadgets" in your Windows Start Menu, it's Called Start++ and it's thanks to one of the ultra-cool Microsoft employees Brandon Paddock. What are you waiting for you can download it right here.
Release 0.7x of Start++ not only lets you put gadgets, but now iPhone Applications, yes you heard that right, iPhone applications. Since Apple decided to keep the iPhone Web 2.0 friendly Brandon found a way to incorporate these right into Start++.. There are more all the time, if you want a big list and want to play with the iphone application manager check out the iPhone Apps manager by Matthew Peach. You will be surprised at how useful this whole thing is.
Here is the Scobelizer again Wiki Immortalized in the START menu..
One of the reasons I think Brandon is ultra-cool is he also thinks about others. He is actually involved in trying to save Aids Oprhans in Uganda.. The license for Start++ is careware and requires a donation: In the license it states:
"The software on this site is made available for free, however I ask that if you find it useful that you make a contribution of any size to Tusubira - the Uganda aid organization I helped start with four UW students last summer. I and 10 other volunteers be visiting Uganda with Tusubira at the end of this summer to work with the Ugandan organization "Save The Aids Orphans" (STAO). All advertising revenue on this site and BrandonLive.com is currently going to help cover travel expenses for students on the team.
If you choose to donate, your contribution will be used to help our current project, expanding the STAO orphanage in Mafubira, Uganda - or to purchase food for the orphans living there... Tusubira is a registered 501(c)3 non-profit organization, contributions are tax deductible. "
How cool is that, if you don't support his efforts well shame on you. This is a great thing he is doing, and it's a discrete way to save the world one person at a time.
If you are interested in how easy it is to set-up gadgets in Start++ please check out this interface, pretty easy huh?
1 comment:
Hi Don! Thanks for the kind words =) I do feel I should point out that Windows Gadgets are actually different from what I've been calling "Start Gadgets" for Start++.
While the idea is similar (using HTML and Javascript for "mini applications") - the current Windows Gadgets platform isn't really designed to be hosted in other places.
It is, however, something I will look into more for future versions. Right now the design targets iPhone Apps and any other web pages that are useful.
Anyway, I'm glad to hear you like Start++! I'll be working on it more when I get back from Uganda in September :)
Ciao
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