LiveGadgets.net: Blah, Blah, Blog

Beijing 2008 Olympics Medal Count Gadget

donavon — Fri, 15 Aug 2008 14:45:58 GMT

Are you someone who follows the Olympics every hour of the day? Or maybe you just want to keep and eye on who???s leading in the medal count. Either way, the Beijing 2008 Medal Count Vista Sidebar gadget may be for you. It updates every 15 minutes throughout the day and shows the top 5 countries gold, silver and bronze medal counts. Click on the country name or flag to view detailed medal standing on Beijing2008.com.

Click here to download the gadget.
You will see this warning below. Click Save.
After the gadget downloads, open Windows Explorer to the location that you saved the gadget.
Double click on the file downloaded file Beijing2008.gadget to install the gadget onto the Windows Vista Sidebar.
You will see another warning. Just click Install.

Do you have a company that needs a gadget written? Contact LiveGadgets.net today.

ReStyle | MIX08

donavon — Wed, 06 Feb 2008 21:07:20 GMT

I will be judging the MIX08 ReStyle contest again this year (formerly know as ReMIX). I was one of the winners in the first ReMIX MIX06 contest with my Mix'86 design and was a judge in last years ReMIX MIX07 contest.

I am joined by CSS Design Experts Molly Holzschlag and Christopher Schmitt.

The Traffic Gadget is Back!

donavon — Fri, 25 Jan 2008 14:23:39 GMT

OK, it's formally called the Live Search Maps gadget, but that's a mouthful so most people simply call it the "traffic gadget". The traffic gadget was taken off the market for a few months for "security reasons" (not unlike like the Tylenol scare back in the 80's). In any case, it's back!

Microsoft came to my company LiveGadgets.net and asked us to develop a Windows Vista Sidebar gadget to display local area traffic. It was very popular with people living in one of the supported areas. Then (as previously reported by Kip) a problem was uncovered that had to do with the way that the Virtual Earth API JavaScript was loaded into the gadget. It was loaded over a non-secure (non-SSL) connection. This made it susceptible to MitM (Man-in-the-Middle) attacks. An evil person (such as a terrorist or a mime) could inject code that would run on your machine under the same rights as the local logged in user. The offender could then easily delete files, steal personal information etc. Even though the situation was highly unlikely, it needed to be addressed (which should show you how concerned Microsoft is with security).

The new gadget not only loads the VEAPI via an SSL connection, but manually loads the markets.js file and parses the heck our of it (using a regular expression) looking for malware or any other unscrupulous items.

What else has changed? Visually, I've updated the icons but that's about it. Basically, the new version is a lot like Vista SP1: not much in the way of UX improvements, but a whole lot of improvements going on all "under the hood".

Although not specifically attributed to the new gadget, there have been more cities added since the gadget was introduced about a year ago. The new cities include: Indianapolis, Las Vegas, Minneapolis, San Antonio and Toronto. When more new cities are added, they will automatically appear in the gadget (i.e. no update required).

Will there be any features added down the road? I can't say. Seriously, I'm under NDA and can't say :). But if you have any suggestions, please let me know and I'll pass them along to the powers that be.

In the mean time, please enjoy the new safe and secure traffic, um, Live Search Maps gadget! It can be download here now.

New Windows Home Server Blog

donavon — Fri, 07 Dec 2007 20:13:50 GMT

This is not related to gadgets at all, but I wanted to announce that I have started a new blog that deals with hacks and upgrades to Microsoft's Windows Home Server.

Go check it out. It's at www.HomeServerHacks.com. Right now I have an article about adding another hard drive to the HP EX470 and I'm working on a step-by-step "how to" article about upgrading the wimpy 512MB to 1 or 2 GB.

Office Tips & Tricks Sidebar Gadget

donavon — Thu, 25 Oct 2007 19:56:09 GMT

I recently finished a gadget for the folks at Microsoft over in the Office Tips and Tricks department.

This little gadget offers helpful hints designed to simplify everyday tasks. You will get a different tip delivered to your desktop each day.

You can download the gadget from Microsoft's gadget gallery. Remember, as with all Sidebar gadgets, it requires Windows Vista.

Donavon West, Microsoft MVP for 2008

donavon — Mon, 15 Oct 2007 18:34:46 GMT

Donavon West was recently honored by Microsoft as a recipient of the 2008 MVP Award (Most Valuable Professional).

Thanks to all of the people at Microsoft who nominated me as I strive to promote Windows Live Development. This will be the second year that I have received this prestigious award and I am honored that I have been chosen again. - Donavon West

Here is a link to Donavon's MVP profile.

Windows Live Gallery Plaque

donavon — Tue, 25 Sep 2007 19:55:17 GMT

About a month ago I received my Windows Live Gallery Plaque. You know, the one that was mentioned in this blog post more that a year ago (just ribbing your Bruce!). It sits proudly on my desk below my Channel 9 guy (see reflection left of plaque in image below).

Say It! Version 2.0

donavon — Tue, 25 Sep 2007 04:14:14 GMT

Say It! is the wildly popular gadget that allows you to perform text-to-speech right from your Vista Sidebar. Today we released the next evolution of the gadget that countless thousands have already enjoyed. Say It! Version 2.0 provides even more features to help you waste your day, including:

Multiple voice support!
History.Scroll backward/forwards.
Change voice volume.
Change voice rate (i.e. talk faster or slower).
Voice toolbar
Customize the default greeting text.
Automatic Update keeps your gadget up-to-date.

To download this free gadget, or for more information, go to http://LiveGadgets.net/sidebar/sayit

Adding another Voice to Windows Vista

donavon — Sun, 16 Sep 2007 17:28:43 GMT

Many people using LiveGadget's Say It! gadget have asked "how to I get it to speak in a different voice?" Say It! uses the Text to Speech technology built into Windows Vista. Therefore, is speaks in what ever the default voice is on your system. For may of you, this voice is named "Microsoft Anna".

Fortunately, there is a way to add a second voice to Vista. If you are running Windows Vista Ultimate or Enterprise Edition, you can add "Microsoft Lili" by installing the Chinese language pack. Here's how:

Click Start and type "Windows Update" in the search box.
Click "View available updates".
Check the optional update named "Chinese (Simplified) Language Pack".
Click Install.

That's it. If you are using Say It! version 2.0, you can now switch voices right from the gadget. (Users of version 1.0 must go to the Text to Speech section of the Control Panel and switch the default voice).

MSDN Magazine Article

donavon — Thu, 13 Sep 2007 16:42:46 GMT

I just realized that I didn't post a blog entry about my article "Build Your Own Windows Vista Sidebar Gadget" that appeared in the August issue of MSDN Magazine.

This was my first magazine article and it was a lot of fun to write. It did take quite a bit of time but I'd love to do it again. If I could ever find the time, I'd even consider writing a book on Sidebar Gadgets.

You can download the completed gadget from gallery.live.com.

New Website Launches Today

donavon — Wed, 29 Aug 2007 16:10:29 GMT

Today the new LiveGadgets.net 2.0 website debuted. It sports a new Web 2.0 look.

The Gadget Gallery tab also pulls the RSS feed from gallery.live.com, so the gadgets will automatically be updated when a new gadget is submitted and approved.

But the biggest news of all has to be the new LiveGadgets.net logo!

Live Gadget demo on Soapbox

donavon — Mon, 21 May 2007 15:55:14 GMT

I was poking around on Soapbox today and ran across this demo (posted by Mike Gannotti) of two Windows Vista Sidebar gadgets that I wrote for Microsoft: Live Search and Traffic by Live Search Maps. Check it out!

Video: Live Search Vista Sidebar Gadget Demo

Interview with Microsoft Partners

donavon — Mon, 21 May 2007 15:31:33 GMT

I was recently asked by the Microsoft Partner Program to showcase my company, LiveGadgets.net, and how I use Windows Vista in my business. As I'm a big fan of Vista Sidebar, I was only too happy to oblige.

Check out my video as it appears on Soapbox...

Video: Demo Microsoft Vista OS!

Come on. Settle down class.

donavon — Fri, 27 Apr 2007 15:02:31 GMT

Check out this blog post on MSDN about a creative use for my Say It! gadget.

Mother's Day Gadget

donavon — Fri, 20 Apr 2007 17:58:11 GMT

Add this Mother's Day gadget to your Windows Live Space. It's the painless way to show Mom your love. Mother's Day is Sunday May 13, 2007 in the United States.

You can customize the gadget with various body part images. You can also choose your own tattoo and title graphic. Then add you own message to complete your "Virtual Mother's Day card".

The gadget was designed by Lionfish Creative and developed by LiveGadgets.net.

And the winners are...

donavon — Sat, 14 Apr 2007 04:14:52 GMT

The Remix MIX contest winners have been announced. Three grand prize winners will receive a trip to Mix'07 in Las Vegas April 20th - May 2nd. They are:

Horror Flick by Ian Muir

Nox by Sandra Krantz

Teenage Daydreaming by Ryan

The ten honorable mentions who will be receiving a Zune prize pack are:

Elegant Mix by James Ricks

AniMIX by Zach Rivera

Cool Mixt by Umasankar Arumugam

Quadricolor by Guillaume

Mix Light by Krisztian Hadi

Web Two Point oh! by Maxime Garneau

Olives and Oranges Remix by Lloyd Viente

Flair by T. Carnright

Mixtification by Sandeep Sood

Pure Blue by Jason Polete

Contratulations to all of the winners. I'll hope to see Sandra, Ian and Ryan in Vegas in a few weeks.

Meet the Remix MIX'07 Judges

donavon — Wed, 11 Apr 2007 18:17:52 GMT

The Remix MIX contest is over and it's time for the judges to do their thing. It won't be easy as the remixes were very good this year.

As you know, I was one of last year's winners with my remix titled Mix'86. This year I was chosen as one of the judges. You can see all of the judges and read their bios on the Mix Blog.

Here are a few examples of remixes that I've done just for fun.

Let the Race Begin (a political experiment)

donavon — Wed, 21 Feb 2007 18:56:29 GMT

The 2008 presidential race is in full swing. LiveGadgets.net thought it would be interesting to write a set of gadgets to support the front runners (Democrats and Republicans). The following gadgets are available for Windows Vista Sidebar, Live.com and Google home pages, Windows Live Spaces and as code snippets for your personal blog and/or website.

You can vote for your candidate in a "virtual straw poll" by downloading his/her gadget. A total is kept and displayed.

Traffic by Live Search Maps gadget

donavon — Fri, 16 Feb 2007 13:53:47 GMT

If you are running Windows Vista, you can download the Traffic by Live Search Maps gadget and always know at a glance what traffic conditions are in your area.

The Traffic by Live Search Maps gadget was developed for Microsoft by LiveGadgets.net

Order Windows Vista from Amazon.com

donavon — Thu, 25 Jan 2007 13:52:10 GMT

Click here to order Windows Vista from Amazon.com and receive up to $20 off on selected versions plus free shipping. Windows Vista ships on January 30th but Amazon is accepting pre-orders so you will be one of the first to experience the "Wow"!

Also... If you have a Windows Live Space, you can earn commission selling Windows Vista through the Amazon.com Associates Program. Read more about the gadget and download it to your space to start earning $2, $20, even $50 or more PER DAY depending on your site traffic.

Mix'07 Countdown Gadget

donavon — Mon, 22 Jan 2007 14:21:17 GMT

Microsoft is hosting a 72-hour conversation, and you're invited. Countdown to Mix'07 starting April 30th at The Venetian Hotel in Las Vegas with this handy gadget.

As with the Windows Vista Countdown gadget, the Mix'07 Countdown gadget is also available for Windows Vista Sidebar, your Live.com home page, your Windows Live Space and your Google home page too!

It's easy to get. Just click on the individual links below to install the gadget.

learn more Click here to Add to Live.com

Add the Mix'07 Countdown web gadget to your Live.com homepage.
learn more Click here to Add to Spaces

Do you have a Windows Live Space? Add the Mix'07 Countdown Gadget to your page. It is designed to fit perfectly in the narrower left and/or right hand columns of a Windows Live Space.
learn more Click here to Add to Sidebar

If you are already running Windows Vista, you can add the Mix'07 Countdown Gadget to your Windows Sidebar. You'll know, with just a quick glance, how long you have until the opening day of MIX07!

Sidebar Installation Instructions:
1. Click "Add to Sidebar" above to start the download
2. Save to your local hard drive.
3. After the file is downloaded, double-click the file to install onto the Sidebar.
Click here to Add to Google (coming soon)
What could show your love for all things Microsoft more than adding Mix'07 Countdown gadget to your Google home page!

Get on the Bus, Gus!

donavon — Mon, 15 Jan 2007 18:15:22 GMT

Track the journey of the Windows Vista bus tour as it crisscrosses the East coast of the United States January 16-24th. The gadget plots the location of the bus on a map using data collected from a GPS unit located on the Vista bus.

As with the Windows Vista Countdown gadget, the "Where's the Vista Bus?" gadget is also available for Windows Vista Sidebar, your Live.com home page, your Windows Live Space and your Google home page too!

It's easy to get. Just click on the individual links below to install the gadget.

If you're looking to add a bus tracker gadget to your own web page, copy/paste this:

<div style="position:relative;width:130px;height:152px;">
<script src="http://download.gallery.start.com/d.dll/1~1~881~6809/VistaBus.js" type="text/javascript"></script>
</div>

learn more Click here to Add to Live.com

Add the Windows Vista Bus web gadget to your Live.com homepage.
learn more Click here to Add to Spaces

Do you have a Windows Live Space? Add the Windows Vista Bus Gadget to your page. It is designed to fit perfectly in the narrower left and/or right hand columns of a Windows Live Space.
learn more Click here to Add to Sidebar

If you are already running Windows Vista, you can add the Windows Vista Bus Gadget to your Windows Sidebar. You'll know, with just a quick glance, where the Vista bus is!

Sidebar Installation Instructions:
1. Click "Add to Sidebar" above to start the download
2. Save to your local hard drive.
3. After the file is downloaded, double-click the file to install onto the Sidebar.
Click here to Add to Google
What could show your love for all things Microsoft more than adding Windows Vista Bus gadget to your Google home page!

The Vista Countdown gadget is Everywhere!

donavon — Tue, 09 Jan 2007 16:40:23 GMT

Not only has my Windows Vista Countdown gadget been shown during Bill Gates keynote address at CES, installed on over 20 thousand Sidebars and thousands of other Live.com, Spaces and third party websites, but it is also on display in the lobby of Microsoft Switzerland. Click here to add it on your own website.

LiveGadgets gadget featured at Gates' CES Keynote Address

donavon — Mon, 08 Jan 2007 04:31:41 GMT

"Featured" may be a bit of a stretch. Ok, it's a monumental stretch. LiveGadgets wasn't mentioned. In fact my gadget wasn't mentioned and "gadgets" came up only in passing. But there it was, in the upper-right hand corner on the screen, prominently displayed first on the Sidebar, during a presentation on the new digital photo features in Vista. It was my Windows Vista Countdown gadget (barely).

I'm unaware if it will be on Vista demo machines on the floor during CES or not. Maybe someone who is attending the show can let me know.

*** Update ***

Bill just can't get away from demoing my gadget! :)

Cool Blue Neon Custom Xbox360 on eBay

donavon — Sun, 10 Dec 2006 23:58:31 GMT

I've decided to auction off my one of a kind Xbox 360 with 100% of the sale price of this item going to Ronald McDonald House Charities. But that's not all, I made a few phone calls to some friends at Microsoft and they tossed in a few items as well.

*** UPDATE ***

The Xbox combo sold for a cool $620 to a lucky bidder in Chicago.

Windows Vista Countdown gadget

donavon — Mon, 20 Nov 2006 17:13:18 GMT

Windows Vista is almost here! (January 30, 2007 to be exact.) Help celebrate the arrival date of the most anticipated OS release in history with the Windows Vista Countdown gadget (see it running on the sidebar on the right).

The gadget can go on your Windows Vista Sidebar, your Live.com home page, your Windows Live Space and now your Google home page too! Put it on one or all of these spots to display your excitement.

It's easy to get. Just click on the individual links below to install the gadget.

If you're looking to add a countdown to your own web page, copy/paste this:

<div style="position:relative;width:130px;height:142px;">
<script src="http://download.gallery.start.com/d.dll/1~1~485~4304/VistaCountdown.js" type="text/javascript"></script>
</div>

	learn more Add to Live.com Add the Windows Vista Countdown web gadget to your Live.com homepage.
	learn more Add to Spaces Do you have a Windows Live Space? Add the Windows Vista Countdown Gadget to your page. It is designed to fit perfectly in the narrower left and/or right hand columns of a Windows Live Space.
	learn more Add to Sidebar If you are already running Windows Vista, you can add the Windows Vista Countdown Gadget to your Windows Sidebar. You'll know, with just a quick glance, how long until Windows Vista is released! Sidebar Installation Instructions: Click "Add to Sidebar" above to start the download Save to your local hard drive. After the file is downloaded, double-click the file to install onto the Sidebar.
	New Add to Google What could show your love for all things Microsoft more than adding Windows Vista Countdown gadget to your Google home page!

Live.com to Support Google Universal Gadgets

donavon — Mon, 13 Nov 2006 04:42:48 GMT

Is the Live.com team working on support for Google's universal gadget manifest format? You can't load a Google gadget manifest yet, but there are signs that it's not far off. If I'm right (and I'm sensing that I am) you should be able to use any of the plethora of gadgets available at http://www.google.com/ig/directory on your Live.com or Windows Live Spaces page not too far down the road.

Read the entire story on LiveSide.net.

Live Clock is still ticking!

donavon — Thu, 02 Nov 2006 20:13:11 GMT

Microsoft's Gadget Gallery today made their "featured gadgets" section open to third party gadgets. Up to now, this space had been populated by Microsoft authored gadgets.

And what is the #1 featured gadget, you ask? Why it's nothing other than my very own Live Clock.

Windows Live Contacts Control Beta 0.2 Released

donavon — Mon, 09 Oct 2006 19:35:34 GMT

As reported by Danny Thorpe, Microsoft has released it's next version of the Windows Live Contacts Control beta version 0.2. It has significant improvements over it's predecessor, most notably speed. The new version loads contacts using a completely new method making it load light years faster than version 0.1.

Congratulation to Danny for his hard work on this release.

Live Spaces: The challenges facing gadget developers

donavon — Wed, 04 Oct 2006 02:51:46 GMT

Today I started blogging on LiveSide.net where I just published by first article titled Live Spaces: The challenges facing gadget developers. It talks a little about the problems facing gadget developers when writing gadgets for Live Spaces and Live.com.

That's Mr. MVP to you... :)

donavon — Sun, 01 Oct 2006 17:14:09 GMT

I first got an email over a month ago stating that I was nominated for the 2007 Microsoft MVP Award. Well, today I received this email (below) and it's now official. I'm so excited!

Here is a link to my profile on the Microsoft MVP website.

Donavon

Dear Donavon West,

Congratulations! We are pleased to present you with the 2007 Microsoft MVP Award!

The Microsoft MVP Award is our way of saying thank you and to honor and support the significant contributions you make to communities worldwide. As a recipient of Microsoft's Most Valuable Professional award, you join an elite group of technical community leaders from around the world who foster the free and objective exchange of knowledge by actively sharing your real world expertise with users and Microsoft. Microsoft salutes all MVPs for promoting the spirit of community and enhancing people's lives and the industry's success everyday. To learn more about the MVP Program, visit: www.microsoft.com/mvp.

Your extraordinary efforts in Windows Live Developer technical communities during the past year are greatly appreciated.

Sincerely,
Candice Pedersen, MVP Program Manager
Eric Sassaman your MVP Lead

Running "Web Gadgets" on Sidebar

donavon — Sun, 03 Sep 2006 20:22:26 GMT

Last week I updated by Vista to Pre-RC1 build 5536. I thought I'd go back and try to see if the iframe restriction had been lifted for Sidebar gadgets; it had. This didn't come to much on a suprise as I know this was how web gadgets were going to run on the Sidebar (something that the Live.com team had promised since the beginning).

LiveClock manifest in hand and 5 minutes later, viola! Below is a screen shot of a web gadget running on Vista Sidebar. This is quite possibly the first time this has been done (outside of Microsoft, of course). As you can see, there are still issues (such as the nasty looking white background and some unwanted padding) but hey, what do you expect in 5 mins! :)

Start a Party mashup

donavon — Sat, 19 Aug 2006 01:14:36 GMT

Today Microsoft released it's Windows Live Contacts Gadget, along with a cool Start a Party mashup demo.

I was fortunate enough to be involved in both of these projects and am excited to see them finally ship!

Windows Live Sidebar Gadgets?

donavon — Thu, 17 Aug 2006 13:12:59 GMT

When I run a gadget locally (i.e. and not within the Live.com environment), a "View Source" reveals something very interesting.

The TITLE element is set to "Windows Live Sidebar Gadget" and the binding type is "Start.SidebarGadgetApp".

Hmmm... Could this be a hint at things to come? I've tried to run Live.com "web" gadgets in Vista Sidebar in the past, but unfortunately the public Beta 2 5384 doesn't allow iframes. It looks like the Sidebar team will probably lift that restriction so that "Windows Live Sidebar Gadgets" can run.

New Live.com Code Drop

donavon — Fri, 11 Aug 2006 04:14:50 GMT

On Aug 9th, the Live.com team released new code that dramatically different under the hood. It is meant to unify the "Live Framework" JavaScript that runs on Live.com and now on Live Spaces.

As you can expect, there has been quite a bit of fallout and many gadgets now fail or look messed up. Live Clock is a classic example. It was written during the dawn on Live.com (November 2005) and relies on some "internal only" variables. Well, wouldn't you know it, but these variables are NOT in the new code drop. A new Live Clock will be released soon.

It also doesn't run on Live Spaces as module.GetBindingParams() is not implimented.

Live Clock on the new Gallery

donavon — Wed, 02 Aug 2006 02:58:33 GMT

The world famous Live Clock gadget has been submitted to the new gallery.live.com. I am now eligible for a limited edition plaque! Wooooo hoooooo! Pictures of the plaque will be posted the second it comes in the mail.

For the next few weeks we are offering a special incentive to qualified contributors that have already created a Gadget on Microsoft Gadgets (in English and for use in the US, UK, or Australia). If your item is accepted on the Windows Live Gallery site by August 25th, you will receive a special limited edition Windows Live Gallery thank you plaque to display proudly on your desk.

Read the entire post

New Gallery for Microsoft Gadgets

donavon — Tue, 25 Jul 2006 17:17:44 GMT

Yesterday Microsoft unveiled it's new gallery for gadgets, search macros, desktop add-ins, etc. It's called gallery.live.com.

Unfortunately, all of the gadgets on microsoftgadgets.com need to be resubmitted to be in the new gallery. Also there is a new requirement that live.com manifests be names gadget.xml (just like Sidebar gadgets) and it appears that they will be hosted on Microsoft's site. This would imply that they will run "inline". More on this as the facts unfold.

Sidebar Gadgets

donavon — Sun, 23 Jul 2006 01:52:24 GMT

As you may have seen, LiveGadgets.net has started working on Vista Sidebar gadgets as well as Live.com gadgets. I know it's still early (as Vista isn't scheduled to ship until 2007) but if your company needs a Vista gadget, send us an email.

Here is a screen shot of a weather gadget that we wrote. It uses the MSN weather service to get it's current and 3 day forecasts.

Click on the Vista Sidebar tab for more information.

dev.live.com is "Live!"

donavon — Fri, 09 Jun 2006 16:00:00 GMT

Microsoft's new developer site for the Windows Live platform went online for the first time today at 9am PDT. I'm excited and wish them well with this new website!

Home Town Girl Does Good

donavon — Fri, 24 Mar 2006 13:53:39 GMT

Teri Carnright is one of the Remix contest winners. Not to take anything away from her impressive Remix entry, but apparently last week was a slow news week in Chattanooga, TN (her home town). This article appeared explaining all about her contest win. Scott Davis from Microsoft and I were also quoted making the two of us only minor celebrities.

So the next time you visit Chattanooga, your list of must sees should include one of my favorites the Incline Railway at Lookout Mountain AND Remix winner Teri Carnright. :)

*** Update *** Here is Teri's email response to my post. LOL. Way to go Teri! I understand that her article in the Tech/LifeStyle section even appeared above the article titled "New Microchip Advances in the Field of Musketry" ;)

And Donavon - it was a whole slow WEEK here in Chattanooga - there was a mention of me on the Sunday paper front page, a mention and photo on the Monday front page, and then another mention and photo on the Tue front page, along with a HUGE front page display of photo & article in the Tech/LifeStyle section.

Remix Winners meet at Mix

donavon — Wed, 22 Mar 2006 03:36:12 GMT

I got a chance to meet the other Remix Mix winners and Scott Davis (the ReMix Mix Master) on Sunday night. T is as cool as she appeared on the mix06 website. Sandra is as quiet as she appeared and just as cool. I understand there are mostly goats and bicycles on her small island in Sweden. Both are very talented individuals. And thanks again Scott for your patience. It was great to have met all of you.

Pictured above (L-R): Donavon, Sandra and Teri.

*** Update *** Here is Teri's blog entry.

The Remix Mix Contest Winners

donavon — Tue, 14 Mar 2006 17:52:46 GMT

I just got a call from Microsoft about the Remix Mix contest. I WON!!!! You can also read the official announcment. The 3 winners are:

Sandra for "Mixmas Tree"
TCarnright for "Retro Vegas"
donavon for "Mix'86"

Here is a screen shot of my winning entry:

I also also told that the judges were impressed with my Comix06 entry. Two of the judges stated that they had never seen the MS Comics font actually pulled off successfully on a website. :)

As I stated in an earlier blog entry, the prizes include a ticket to the Mix06 conference, air fare and 3 nights at the Venetian in Las Vegas. PLUS a cool Mix inspired Xbox360 (yes I've won 2 Xboxes in as many months for those of you keeping score :) The first one I gave to a local Ronald McDonald house, but I'm keeping this one!

More Xbox Stuff for the Ronald McDonald House

donavon — Tue, 14 Mar 2006 14:13:02 GMT

Scott Davis of Microsoft heard about my Xbox360 donation to my local Ronald McDonald house and wanted to help. Here is what he posted on the Mix06 blog site (scroll WAY down in the comments).

Donavon - Four wireless controllers, 10 games and 4 one-year subscriptions to Xbox Live! are on there way to the Ronald McDonald House in Falls Church with a hat tip to you in the letter.

Thanks so much Scott for you generous contribution!

Maybe I can get a few more people/organizations to send donations? If you wold like to help, please use the address below:

Ronald McDonald House
3312 Gallows Road
Falls Church, VA 22042
Phone : 703 698-7080
Fax : 703 698-7745

or visit the Ronald McDonald house website to find a house near you.

One Last Remix

donavon — Sat, 11 Mar 2006 15:14:31 GMT

Ok. I couldn't resist submitting one last remix before the contest ends on March 13th. This one is a sequal of sorts to my Mix'86 submission. It is Windows desktop theme and is titled "Bliss06".

A Comic Book Inspired ReMix Mix Entry

donavon — Mon, 06 Mar 2006 21:36:16 GMT

I decided to take a stab at submitting another entry in Microsoft's ReMix Mix contest. My latest submission is titled Comix06 (as in "comics"). It is a comic book inspired theme and even includes an animated Bill Gates!

Again a vote of 5 stars would be appreciated. And leave me your comments as well. I'd love to hear what you think. Click on the image below to view the entry on Mix06.com

The New Sprint PPC-6700 Phone

donavon — Tue, 28 Feb 2006 00:23:28 GMT

I have a new phone! I have a new phone! And not just ANY phone, mind you. It's the new PPC-6700 from Sprint. It sports Windows Mobile 5.0, a slide out keyboard and EV-DO broadband data access. PC Magazine calls it "The best Windows Mobile PDA/phone we've seen so far".

Now all I need is a PPC version of live.com. ;)

Mix '86

donavon — Thu, 16 Feb 2006 20:04:10 GMT

I entered the Remix MIX contest sponsored by Microsoft. The prize is a trip to Vegas for the Mix.06 convention including air, hotel at the Venetian and admission to the conference. Plus a pimped out Xbox 360.

Click on the image below to see my DOS retro inspired Mix '86 entry. Notice that its Lucky 13!

I'd appreciate it if you would go vote for it and please be kind and give me 5 stars (cuz I'm such a nice guy).

XBox Donated to Ronald McDonald House

donavon — Sun, 12 Feb 2006 05:30:59 GMT

I blogged earlier about the fact that I won an Xbox 360 in a contest sponsored by Microsoft. I also stated that I'm not really a game player. I pondered on what I would to with my new prize (I understand that they are fetching a pretty penny on eBay).

I finally decided to donate the game box where I felt it could bring some joy to some unfortunate kids and their families: my local Ronald McDonald house. I also tossed in a copy of NBA 2K6 Live, Project Gotham Racing and an extra controller.

Here I am with Ronald (left) and Rita (right) from the Fairfax Virginia Ronald McDonald house.

Pimp my Xbox 360

donavon — Sun, 12 Feb 2006 04:56:34 GMT

Microsoft is holding a contest to "remix" the MIX home page (ala CSS Zen). Three winners get a ticket to the MIX conference and a one-of-a-kind, MIX-themed, Xbox 360.

Images of the pimped-out Xbox 360s were recently released. I'll post some more pics after I win mine. ;)

Torino 2006 Olympic Medal Count Gadget

donavon — Sun, 12 Feb 2006 04:25:42 GMT

Cheer on your country and watch their progress at the winter games in Torino Italy with my Torino 2006 gadget.

A mash-up of feeds: an images feed overlaid with a current medal count feed. Both courtesy of the friendly folks at MSNBC.

Download and comment on the gadget here: http://microsoftgadgets.com/forums/2900/ShowPost.aspx

Super Bowl Commercial Gadget

Tue, 07 Feb 2006 19:17:17 GMT

Some people watch the game. Some the commercials. I watch both. Just in case you missed them, here is a gadget that will let you view the Super Bowl commercials.

There is also a link to the gadget on MicrosoftGadgets.com.

Remote TV Recording Gadget

Thu, 26 Jan 2006 13:15:42 GMT

I've been out at Microsoft's Search Champs v4 for the past 2 days and having a great time meeting some of the people I've read about on the Internet and seeing some cool new Microsoft technologies. Yesterday Sanaz Ahari (of Live.com) demonstrated a cool new gadget to be released "soon" that will let you control your Windows XP MCE 2005 PC (Media Center Edition) to record television shows. And while I wish I would have written this, I thought is was so cool that it should be posted. I can't share some of the other cool stuff we learned as the bulk of the sessions are under a NDA, but this information and the screen shot was shown in a non-NDA demo session.

Hive.net Interview

Thu, 26 Jan 2006 03:08:26 GMT

This could be tagged as "Shameless Self Promotion" but The Hive (one of Microsoft's community sites) today released an interview they did with me about gadgets. In it I talk a little about my experience with developing gadgets. It also allowed me to publicly thank Adam, Sanaz, Steve and Kris for their support.

Search Champs v4 Attendees

Thu, 19 Jan 2006 22:10:57 GMT

The list of attendees to Microsoft's Search Champs v4 was announced. Matt Paines is hosting the list with links and bios. Returning champs Chris Pirillo, Buzz Bruggeman and Joe Janes will be there.

It's In The Stars!

Thu, 19 Jan 2006 04:49:28 GMT

I was born in late April so I'm a Taurus. Look what my horoscope said this morning when I loaded it up on my Live.com desktop. I'm destined to write gadgets! :)

When it Rains it Pours

Mon, 16 Jan 2006 13:11:13 GMT

Look what I just recevied in my inbox a few minutes ago from the administrators of Microsoft's The Hive community site:

You have been selected as a winner in the The Hive Gadget Contest for your gadget The Hive Multi-Gadget in the category of creativity... and you will be awarded a Creative Zen Micro Portable Media Center... Congratulations!

This is the second gadget contest that I've won today! This time it was for my The Hive Multi Gadget. Thanks to everyone at Microsoft for this prize and for selecting my gadget as the winner.

LiveClock: Best in Show

Sat, 14 Jan 2006 21:50:04 GMT

I'm pleased to announce that last night my LiveClock gadget (pictured below) was selected as a winner of Microsoft's "Build a Gadget for an Xbox 360" contest announced on November 1st of 2005. My entry was chosen as one of three winners from a field of nearly 150 other gadgets.

While I'm thrilled to have won, I don't really play video games so I'm not quite sure what I'm going to do with it. :)

Costello: Best in Show

Wed, 11 Jan 2006 05:14:00 GMT

I know that this isn't about gadgets, but... Congratulation to Costello the Alaskan Malamute for winning Best in Show, Best Owner/Breeder/Trainer and the Viewer's Choice Award at the 2006 AKC/Eukanuba National Championship held this past weekend (Jan 14th and 15th) in Tampa Florida. I owned a Malamute for many years and I can truely say that they are wonderful dogs!

Microsoft Search Champs

Fri, 06 Jan 2006 00:10:45 GMT

I'm very excited to have been invited by Microsoft to attend the fourth Search Champs to be held on the Redmond campus January 24-26, 2006. I know very little about the event outside of what I have read in these quotes but I'm honored to have received an unsolicited invitation.

Search Champs is an invite-only event where we bring together a small group of people to start a conversation about the future of Search and Windows Live. In short, we bring you to Redmond, introduce you to the product teams, and host several day and night sessions to give us your feedback and thoughts. Our desire here is to learn how we can do things better and to build connections. We want to be good citizens and provide a face behind the products.

One of the most successful programs was Search Champs, which included about 30 of the world's most influential technology enthusiasts from the field of search. Invited to Microsoft in October, they were given a special in-depth preview of the beta release and encouraged to provide detailed input on how MSN could improve the service, both in the initial release and beyond. -- Quote from MSN Search Launch press release in February of 2005.

Run Google Modules on Live.com

Thu, 29 Dec 2005 02:34:00 GMT

I am in development of a gadget that will allow you to run practically any Google Module on Live.com. It's called "gadget/ig". For more information visit the gadget/ig section of my LiveGadgets.net.

Announcing my new Gadget Website

Thu, 29 Dec 2005 02:34:00 GMT

I'm pleased to announce the grand opening of my new website: LiveGadgets.net. Stop in, take a look and let me know what you think. I plan on keeping it updated with articles and links to important gadget resources. I also have a Gadget Gallery where I show off some of my gadgets. I think that the Preview button next to each gadget is especially cool the way it pops up over the main screen.

The entire site is loaded as one HTML file and used DHTML, CSS and JavaScript/AJAX to change tabs. I also have a back end RSS proxy written in C# (similar to the one used on Live.com).

Enjoy,
donavon

Gadget Project Template for Visual Web Developer 2005

Sat, 05 Nov 2005 15:55:00 GMT

This article will explain how to install and use the Gadget Project Template that I have written for Visual Web Developer 2005. The template provides the framework to write gadgets more easily and efficiently. It removes the busy work and lets you concentrate on the creative and design aspects of your gadget.