I was sent an email from a Microsoft team forum regarding a new Beta program for Windows Vista Sideshow on everyday devices. I'm not sure if this is new or an extension of the Go Gadgets beta that closed a while ago. You can sign up here

Hopefully if the Vista Media Center gadgets are released by MS we would be able to control Media Center from pretty much any device. Currently already released by MS is the WMP11 SideShow gadget.

I think this is different than the GoGadgets project, but I'm not entirely sure.  Hopefully this beta will work with x64.  Great find, thanks for the link.

Wow, this looks promising!  It's so sad that SideShow devices/emulaters have been developed more by third parties in this fashion then through Microsoft's official channels.

Just to pitch in really quick regarding ThinkRemote Community Edition (i.e. this thread)...

We've been working with Dan's team at Microsoft for a year or two on SideShow-related projects--and the new Community Edition of ThinkRemote is pretty exciting for us.  If you have requests for any additional platforms, please let me know!

Here's a quick list of announced platforms:

• Apple iPhone/iPod Touch
• Windows Mobile phones
• Java-enabled phones
• Nintendo DS
• Nintendo Wii
• Playstation Portable (PSP)
• Playstation 3 (PS3)
• Web browser

Also, I know that some of you are home control fans--so you'll be happy to know that we're working on a bit of a home control add-on in conjunction with ThinkRemote.  More on that later.

Chris
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Chris Walker, VP/CTO
ControlThink

This really is great! I can't believe it has taken so very long for sideshow devices to be developed. They have so much potential. I have been waiting for a good sideshow remote for media center for so long now.

I am really excited about this. I signed up. I am interested in testing iPhone and windows mobile devices.

Chris Walker:

If you have requests for any additional platforms, please let me know!

Hi Chris, great looking software!  I just signed up for it.  If possible (and not sure it is), I'd love to see a Zune client.

Hi Chris,

When we saw the Zune XNA announcement the other day, we were so excited--and promptly started down the road to a Zune client.  Then we found out that the WiFi can only be used for Zune-to-Zune sharing.  So no Zune client for now...

BTW, we will be using some of the "expert" testers to give us feedback on the UI (both PC- and device-side) as well as refine the connectivity in the platform.  We're really trying to make every part of the system high-quality...

Chris

P.S. On a related note, I just picked up one of the Sony TP Media Center which I'll be using to run the software from my home--and using it on a half dozen various devices that I travel with...  I'm very excited.

This looks very promising and would be better than the $350 Ricavision remote that keeps on getting dated out and dated out.  Luckily, I placed my order for that remote back in december for the then LOW price of $274, but I am definitely looking forward to seeing this come to these devices, specifically the iPhone, it never leaves my pocket.  Chris, Are you planning on implementing the iPhone SDK coming out soon??? or is it a web app based program.??

mtnbikrfreak:

This looks very promising and would be better than the $350 Ricavision remote that keeps on getting dated out and dated out.  Luckily, I placed my order for that remote back in december for the then LOW price of $274, but I am definitely looking forward to seeing this come to these devices, specifically the iPhone, it never leaves my pocket.  Chris, Are you planning on implementing the iPhone SDK coming out soon??? or is it a web app based program.??

I wouldn't give up on the remote yet.  I played with one of the remotes at CES, and Ricavision is definitely creating some cool hardware there--which you can leave on the living room table (important for the non-single folks)...

Right now, the iPhone support is a WebApp.  We're really hoping to have a native app as well--since we're so big on ease of use (and with the WebApp you have to either worry a bit about firewalls or hook in through ThinkConnect).  ThinkRemote is a major product category for us, so you'll see lots of development there...

Chris

I think this is a great idea, the lack of Sideshow devices means that developers are not bothering writing the gadgets.

I have also played with the Ricavision remote (I recorded an interview and video with them) it's a nice remote but $350 is way to much

A native Nokia S60 client would be good.

I have a nokia internet tablet that would be IDEAL.  I think it's an N770 or something like that.  There is a french developer that has a pretty slick interface running on one at www.mceguru.com , but his development time has been pretty slow.  I guess it could work with the standard web method, but something native to the device to make use of fullscreen support would be really cool.  These things can be had pretty cheap now, and there are newer versions as well.  I think they are the best size for a whole house touchscreen remote.  Just my 2 cents.

I would like to see support for the Nokia 770 & 800 series Internet Tablets. I currently have several devices that could be used to test this out on (WM Phone, Wii, PSP, Laptop). But the one device I would like to see it on the most is my Internet Tablet, which I bought for the sole purpose of turning into some sort of Media Center remote and have yet to do so in a fashion that the wife would accept.

I'll agree with the previous poster, a version for the Nokia tablet platform would be great. This is something I've been looking for for a very long time - I'm another one of those who joined the interminable wait for the Ricavision remote...

I follow TGB regularly, but very rarely post, but this thread just grabbed my attention! I've signed up for the Beta, but not received any email notification that i've been accepted. I've also got quite a few devices to test this on, really excited about this project, it could be what we've all be looking for.

Max