Microsoft Releases Beta Windows Media Center SideShow Gadget

[Pete Paxton]

<div class='os_post_top_link'><a href='http://www.theunwired.net/?item=beta-microsoft-releases-beta-windows-media-center-sideshow-gadget' target='_blank'>http://www.theunwired.net/?item=bet...sideshow-gadget</a><br /><br /></div><p><em>"Brilliant, one of my very personal hot topics is Microsoft's SideShow technology for Windows Vista which is a technology for distributing interactive content to connected small-screen devices, such as Windows Mobile smartphones. The content is created and managed by small software applications called SideShow gadgets. And while Microsoft finally released the long awaited SideShow application for Windows Mobile a while ago, even if yet available as an early Beta only, one of the most anticipated SideShow gadget wasn't available so far - a Windows Vista Media Center gadget to remote control the Media Center from mobile devices like smartphones."</em></p><p><img src="http://images.thoughtsmedia.com/resizer/thumbs/size/600/spt/auto/1215450300.usr11642.jpg" border="1" alt="" /></p><p>So now the Windows Vista Media Center can interact with your Windows Mobile device. The UnWired has some info on the recent Slideshow Gadget and how it interacts between Vista and the mobile device. As noted in the article, there are some bugs so remember that it's in beta form and use with your own risk.</p>

[Tony Rylow]

As soon as I saw this post, I just had to try it out. This is pretty awesome, and makes controlling my HTPC quite easy. It wasn't difficult to set up, took about 20 minutes to locate and download the required components and get everything installed. Once the plugin was set up in the SideShow control panel applet, it was simple.

What is needed:

1. Register with at http://connect.microsoft.com
2. Search the directory for Windows SideShow or it is under the Windows category
3. Go to your 'Dashboard' and click on Windows Side Show to get to the download link for the main sideshow files for Windows Mobile, in the package there is a install guide for installing sideshow and linking your windows mobile device.
4. To get the Media Center Add-In for Side Show, from the main link page in step 3, click on 'Click here to access these downloads.'
5. Before installing the Media Center Add-In, download and install the Windows SideShow Managed Runtime 1.0 from http://www.microsoft.com/downloads/info.aspx?na=22&p=1&SrcDisplayLang=en&SrcCategoryId=&SrcFamilyId=&u=%2fdownloads%2fdetails.aspx%3fFamilyID%3dca8e9272-68e8-4c0c-a239-560c21b66fca%26DisplayLang%3den

Now I'm watching a movie streaming over my Wireless N network to my HTPC and controlling it with a PocketPC (TyTN II). I haven't run into any bugs so far while playing around with this.

[Kacey Green]

now we just need a zune desktop software sideshow widget

[Twain]

I am unimpressed by Microsoft introducing an array of new beta products. They need to fix the stuff they currently have that doesn't work. For some reason, Windows Vista Sidebar no longer works on my computer. Neither does any website that uses Javascript (and let me tell you, there are many)!I don't know what happened, as I am very careful about downloading anything to my computer that I'm not familiar with. If it wasn't for Apple's stealth download of the Safari browser during an iTunes update, I would be dead in the water. That is the only browser already on my computer that works fully. Internet Explorer does not work properly.Anyway, I'll be really impressed when all of this stuff works... :^(Twain
See, I can't even choose a frowny face icon here!

[Rocco Augusto]

For some reason, Windows Vista Sidebar no longer works on my computer. Neither does any website that uses Javascript (and let me tell you, there are many)!

I would check your Internet Settings to see if you are disabling javascript. It sounds silly, but it happens and you could have accidentally installed something that enabled this feature.

You can also download and use Firefox 3 from Firefox web browser | Faster, more secure, & customizable (http://www.getfirefox.com). This is the browser that I personal use for personal browsing and web development. :)

[Twain]

Rocco,Believe me, I have been over and over the settings for Javascript in IE7 and tried everything. Not sure why both Sidebar and Javascript would be clobbered, but at least Safari seems to work fine though.Twain