Random Technology Ramblings

When I first started to play with Vista I had no clue why anyone would want to have or use the Sidebar, the programming model sucks, it eats CPU… on and on.

Well I have been converted! A local partner speakTECH has been working with a local customer Move on a great gadget that has shown me the light ;).

Go to labs.move.com and get the “Realtor.com Search Gadget” or the “Move.com Search Gadget” beta gadgets. Once you run one of them they will start to show you listings of properties in your selected zip code and other criteria you will start seeing photos of all of the properties in the MLS that are for sale and you can get more detail.

OK so you say “what is the big deal I am not looking for a house” ok but if you were how likely would go to move.com or realtor.com to get a house? I will tell you, much more! This would reach to any type of product or service that you can think of. Example why doesn’t a grocery store have a gadget that shows you there sale products? Why doesn’t Netflix have one that shows you what they have new or what is in you list? And on and on…

So what about the developer story? Well it is now a little better now thanks to Tim Heuer, he has created a Visual Studio sidebar gadget templates. With the template you at least don’t have to start from scratch.