If you follow me on twitter then you probably know that I like Anime. If you don't follow me, you should, then to let you know. I like Anime.  Recently, a friend in #alt.net channel on freenode.  Was helping me with a script to do some specific renaming to strip out extra crap from anime I download.

Anyway, I have a network share on my anime folder so I can access it from anywhere on my network and watch.  Well last night without thinking I just opened up PowerShell CD'd to the network share and ran the script, since I have full control set on the share.  After the shows were renamed I closed it and went about finishing Bamboo Blade.

Later I realized I browsed a network share in PowerShell.  That is SOOOOO freaking cool that you can do that.  Here is an image proving it:

Basically, I am starting in my "My Documents" folder on my computer and CD'ing to the remote computer and it works.  Then I do a pwd for the path, and viola it works.

This is cool to me and might allow some cool scripts to be run for copying local files to remote servers with a simple click.

When I get the script a little more refined I'll go ahead and post it up with a blog post.

Here is a silverlight video of it in action. 

For a long time I have been against launchers like Launchy not because I thought they were bad, but because I thought they were useless.  Anyway I decided on day that I would give it a shot.  After figuring out how to use it and using it for a couple of months now I can honestly say.  I like it.  I also miss it when I am on another computer without it.  It has become and main part of how I use the computer without me realizing it.  When I had to redo my computer I didn't have Launchy installed and constantly kept hitting the buttons to use it.  I also realized how much time I save using it.  It is definitely a tool that increases productivity.

So, since I was wrong and I admit it I will do a walk through on setting it up and configuring it for you to use.  Please, download the app and give it a shot it really is a good product.  Best of all it is free.

Install Steps (most are just visual with my config options please read what is typed)

Visit http://www.launchy.net

 

When going to download area you will be forwarded to SourceForge to finish the download.

 

Next is the Install it is just a typical next next next install please these are the screens for it.

 

Now we are done so lets configure and use it.

 

Configure

I am just going to show a couple of screenshots and am going to explain basically what they are and what to do.  I'll let you explore the rest.

At this point Launchy should be running.  To use launch all you need to do is:

ALT + SPACE

That will bring up something like this: (could be different as there are different skins)

At this point just right click with your mouse and choose options.

A new window should appear and looking like this:

Basically to configure this to launch you applications in the directories area you need to add all the directories you have have applications you want to use.  I personally do:

• C:\Program Files\
• C:\Documents and Settings\Buddy\My Documents\Programs
• C:\Windows\System32\

Once you are done with that you should go back and on each direcotry you have chosen go to the left and choose file types you want to launch in each.  I usually chose for each.

• *.exe
• *.lnk
• *.pdf

Once you have those done hit the Rescan Catalog button and it will scan all the folders and sub-folders making an index of you applications to launch.  After that just hit ok and you are good to start using Launchy.

Once you get done go ahead and to ALT + SPACE and start typing the application name.  It should look like.

 

If you decide to download and install it please leave a comment with what you think.

I normally don't post stuff like this, but sometimes they are just too good not to. Enjoy.

One bad thing about me is I have several avenues of communication open to me.  From e-mail, IRC, IM to even Twitter.  My favorite though would have to be IRC, but there is one little snag.  I haven't found a "good" IRC client which as the UX (user experience) I am after.  There are a lot of GUI ones available, but the UI is wonky to work with and in windows that is pretty much it.  In *nix you have the opposite most IRC clients are command line based.  However, I will say the command line based ones give me a better UX than most GUI ones.  So until I find a good GUI one that I like I am stuck with what is available for windows.  Since, the command line based IRC clients are closest I was ecstatic the other day to find out that IRSSI is available now for windows.  So in honor of my great happiness of finding it I want to dedicate a post to setting it up and using it.

Step 1: Get IRSSI

First, we need to download IRSSI. Be sure to get the windows version of the binaries.

 

Step 2: Install IRSSI

Installation is pretty easy just download it and run the self-extracting executable.  I usually put it in a programs folder in my My Documents.

Step 3: Run IRSSI

Once you have it extracted proceed to the folder you extracted it to and run the irssi.bat file.

Step 4: Configure and Join IRC Server and channel

Pretty much all you have left to do is set your default username by typing

/set nick nickname

Then to join a server and then a channel

/server irc.freenode.net
/join #alt.net

When you have that done it should look like:

Now you should be able to chat with people.  For more configuration stuff visit IRSSI documentation page.  Specifically, the Startup HowTo.

Hope to see you in IRC.

I am here at the Tulsa version of the Installfest it is a lot of fun to meet and talk with people here.  We have quite a good turn out with a lot of enthusiastic people, and I can't wait to hear what people think of VS2008. I have taken a few pictures so you can enjoy in the experience too.

From left to right:
Randy Walker
Jay Smith
Chris Koenig - Microsoft Developer Evangelist - e-mail: chris.koenig _at_ microsoft.com

I hope to add other bloggers that blog about the Installfest

Tulsa Developers Study Group
David Walker

Hope you are enjoying your event.

 

I don't normally post stuff like this, but after watching this video all I have to say is WOW.  Be sure to watch the WHOLE thing it gets better the longer it goes. 

H/T Mac Tyler

http://youtube.com/watch?v=lLYD_-A_X5E

There are a couple of tools I have wanted to look into writing for my blog(s), but have no idea how to program for the MetaBlog API that most blogs now implement.  This was really perplexing to figure out how I was going to go about making my tools.  Luckily, I found someone who already was a step ahead of me and made a .NET library for the MetaBlog API

MetaBlogAPI Library 

This is going to make life so much simpler in the future.  I just want to say thank you to the guys at TagTooga for making this library.

If you make anything using this library post a comment as I am sure this will enable more people to do tools for blogs now.

Well I got one for my computer. I figured it would be a lot cheaper to get a controller over an X-Box 360, i’ll get one someday, so I can make games work with it.

The thing is pretty cool works great been playing games with it testing it out. I think I am going to like it. Next order of business is to get it working with my game i’ll see about posting some code, basic code, to get a game controller working.