Now, I'll admit that I'm definitely on the outside looking in of the blogging/web 2.0 community.  While I manage very large sites with a ton of users and reach, I'm still on the periphery.  Why?  Well, I live in Michigan.  Not exactly a state known for it's thriving IT industry.  If you go beyond IT services that support manufacturing companies, you can probably count on one hand the number of companies doing anything significant with online communities or digital media.

Yes, I'm a bit of a victim of geography here, and even though it's all online now, it's all IM, Twitter, email and blogging, proximity is still important.  So when I see events like Gnomedex coming up, I'm interested because it could be one of the few opportunities I have this year to actually network with other people working in my field.  And in this nebulous profession, professional networking is king.

Gnomedex struck me as an interesting conference to attend with its focus on blogging, podcasting and other personal media, the stuff that's really sweeping the 'net at the moment.  The really interesting tech and approach to information distribution that will become pretty standard for regular users in 5 years is what this conference focuses on now.  And there are some pretty impressive names attached too, with folks from CNN, Amazon's AWS initiative, Google and a selection of people to know around the blogging world.

I'd love to go.  It would be a wonderful opportunity to meet people, get some new ideas for JoeUser/WinCustomize/ImpulseDriven.  Plus I think it would be a blast.

But I won't be going.  Why? 

It costs a damn fortune!

The conference, just to get in the door, costs $600 (if you've attended a Gnomedex in the past, you get a $50 discount).  Now, that's a pretty hefty price to begin with, but what if you're from out of town?  Well, then you have to factor in plane tickets and a hotel.  I just did some quick checking via travelocity, and looked over the hotel list close enough to the conference so I wouldn't have to rent a car...

Leave August 21st, return August 23rd:

• Plane Ticket: $373
• Hotel: $389 (before tax, this was one of the cheap ones)

That brings the base cost of the conference to $1,362.  Funny enough, that's how much I paid in taxes this year.

Unfortunately this doesn't include the incidental costs like dinners, drinks with folks you meet at the conference, or anything you may need to pick up while there.  From what I've been told about Seattle, and about these sorts of conferences, I could probably safely add another $300 or so to the bill.  So now at a conservative estimate I've passed $1,600.

Of course I could do things like find someone to split a hotel room with, and probably just not do the dinner/drinks thing, but after a point the cost cutting gets in the way of what these conferences are about: meeting folks in the field.

I could probably swallow the travel costs if the conference pass didn't virtually double the cost.  It almost seems like the pricing is setup to keep out people who aren't either on that side of the country already, or who don't have a corporate card to cover the costs.

Maybe someday there will be a tech conference here in the midwest....

Yeah, right.

I have talked about Jing before, and it's one of my favorite free apps for capturing screenshots and video of your desktop.  TechSmith released an updated version for Windows users yesterday.

Updates include:

• Capture selection should start more quickly
• History should be open more quickly
• Memory 'leaks' cleaned up
• Over all memory usage decreased
• Automatic selection of 'sub windows' restored

Download: Jing 1.5

MyColors from Stardock is something you probably have been reading a lot about recently.  The new MyColors Theme Manager has a slick new interface, and should now work seamlessly with other customization components such as Object Desktop.  A question I am often asked is..."what is the difference between MyColors and something like WindowBlinds?"

Well are are some fundamental differences, but remember that MyColors uses the technology from products like WindowBlinds and IconPackager.  The real big difference is MyColors is basically an all-in-one solution for customizing your desktop.  Whereas with applications like WindowBlinds and IconPackager, you use each application independently and pick and choose the themes and skins you want to use.  This is not a bad thing at all, but MyColors offers an ease of use, especially for people who do not want to have to install multiple pieces of software to personalize their desktop, or are not that familiar with desktop customization.

MyColors includes all the skinning technology, so all you have to worry about is which themes you want to use.  MyColors themes typically include a new visual style, icon package, wallpapers, and several gadgets like media players and weather displays.

MyColors Theme Manager

You can check out MyColors by downloading the MyColors Theme Manager with the free Quest theme.  As you see in the screenshot above, MyColors has an easy to use interface which shows you a list of your installed themes, and a large preview area where you can apply the selected theme in your list.

To add a new theme to MyColors simply click the "Add Registration" button, and enter your e-mail and registration code in the box seen in the screenshot below.   You can get new themes by browsing the MyColors library.  Once entered, your new theme should show up in your list. 

Adding registrations to MyColors

Need more skins?  Not a problem.  Click the "More Themes" tab and browse some of the sample themes, or click the "View More" button and that will open a link to the full gallery page where you can choose from the many themes that are available.  There are themes that are licensed by the NBA, NHL, and Collegiate sports teams.  In addition there are holiday, automotive, and "Inspired" themes for you to choose from.

MyColors "More Themes"

If you need to return to the default Windows desktop, it's as simple as selecting Windows Desktop in the list and applying it.

One of the best features about MyColors is it will notify you, and automatically update both your MyColors theme manager, and the installed themes.  So if there is an application update, or a fix or addition to a theme, MyColors will update it for you.  Best of all, MyColors is based on years of desktop customization technology, and does not hack or patch your system files, so you don't have to worry about your themes not working when Windows updates are installed.

MyColors Aquamarine Theme

For more information on how to easily transform your desktop into how you want it to look and feel, then visit the MyColors web site.

Link: MyColors

 

Doesn't it seem like this Friday took extra long to get here, or is it like that every week?  Well anyways, it is Friday and it's time for another edition of TWiS.  This was a big week as Object Desktop 2008 was released, and remember, anyone with an active subscription was automatically updated for free.

If you haven't seen it already, go check out the latest edition of This Month in Dreams.

Now for this weeks picks!

	Organic for CursorFX by Xiandi The last few weeks I have been featuring several different skins from the Organic series, and this week we have another stunning addition.  I hope a WB skin is in the works.
	Sunny Beach in Dreams by AlexMorgan This is another Crysis based .dream, but I especially like this one as it has a day and night version.
	Mulberry for IconPackager by Jennifer Chang These are really nice icons.  There are only 15 folder icons included, but I hope she plans a complete package of these.
	Metal Glass for ObjectDock Backgrounds by Mirsguy This is a great mix of metal and glass for a great set of dock backgrounds.
	Approach of the Dark Planet in Wallpapers by DEVJIT This is a really nice wallpaper, that caught the eye of a few of us last night.  Great work.
	Things of somesort in Wallpapers by ahabkaba This is just a really cool wallpaper, almost more of an art piece.  Fantastic work on this.
	White System ver1.0 for WindowBlinds by 1MrPAul1 This is a nice and clean skin, which as the author says, is good for everyday use.

Thanks to all the artists for their work this week, and a special thanks to Elvee, Tim, ShelbyGT, and others in IRC #stardock last night who helped pick a few of these.  See you next week!

 

Object Desktop 2008 was just released, so I created a screencast which walks you through what is included with both Object Desktop 2008, and Object Desktop 2008 Ultimate.  Each application gets a brief overview, along with a look at Impulse.  This is great for anyone who might not be too familiar with the popular applications that are included.

Link: Object Desktop 2008 Guided Tour

Another month has come and gone, and Summer is rapidly approaching.  Typically, that is a slower time for skinning, but the way things have been going we might just keep this momentum going!  Now for the past month or so you have heard me talk about the 3rd WinCustomize Skinning Contest. 

Well the contest is over, and the winners have been announced.  Congrats to everyone who entered, all the entries were outstanding and hope to see more from everyone.

Now for this weeks picks!

	StealthOS DX Bar 1280 for DesktopX Themes by PuterDudeJim StealthOS is one of my all time favorite WindowBlinds skins.  PuterDudeJim has created an awesome DX Bar that matches perfectly.
	Poubel Red Sky in Dreams by brenopoubel Brenopoubel is back again this week with another fantastic addition to the .dream gallery.
	Artifice for ObjectDock Backgrounds by philmar83 Artifice was the winning WindowBlinds skin in the 3rd WC Community contest, and the only thing my desktop was missing was a matching set of tabbed docks.
	Organic for ObjectDock Backgrounds by Xiandi This is based on the Organic IP, and these compliment it beautifully.  I can't wait to see what else comes from the Organic idea.
	Sidebar Player for Vista Sidebar Gadgets by MikeB314 This media player is designed for the Vista sidebar, and although it's "basic", it's a perfect fit for the sidebar.  Great job.
	On Chesapeake Bay in Wallpapers by kenwas This wallpapers puts a beautiful scene on the desktop.  Be sure to check his personal page for more great works.
	No Load Limit Xion (DS) for Xion by zakai1369 Here is another Xion skin made to match the popular "No Load Limit" WindowBlinds skin.  Nice work.

Great job to everyone featured this week.  Keep an eye out soon for the next edition of This Month in Dreams as well.  See you next week!

The end of the month is near....again!  Time goes by so fast these days, and it seems hard to keep up with all the skins coming in.  Good thing you have TWiS to look forward to every week.

Speaking of the skins on WinCustomize, be sure to check out the latest article and screencast on navigating the WinCustomize galleries.

Now for this weeks picks!

	Federation for Bootskins by Grilka A Star Trek bootskin.  Need I say more?
	Chip Circuit for CursorFX by TOMPCpl TTOMPCpl is really turning out some fantastic cursors.  His latest has a "computer" feel to it.
	Weather Lab 6.0 for Vista in DesktopX by Vad_M This is an incredible gadget.  There is just too much to explain to make sure to check this one out.
	Poubel Vista in Dreams by brenopoubel I can always count on brenopoubel to come up with some fantastic landscape based .dreams.  Great work on this one.
	Dark Shine for IconPackager by sunx This was an entry in the '06 GUI Champs.  This icon pack has a beautiful, detailed design that will go great with many WindowBlinds skins.
	No Load Limit Backgrounds for ObjectDock by WebGizmos Here is a perfect set of matching dock backgrounds, both tabbed and side docks, for the new "No Load Limit" WindowBlinds skin.
	Unearthly Reality in Wallpapers by PhoeniXLengenda This is a really stunning wallpaper.  Great job.
	Summer nights in Wallpapers by Richard Mohler Another beautiful wallpaper from Richard Mohler.  It's a real nice scene, which should make some of you in colder environments a bit warmer.
	iPhonix for WindowBlinds by othersnow This is a real nice and simple skins for Vista.  It works well, and is pretty simple on the eyes.  Nice work.

Another great feature week!  This weeks wallpaper gallery was especially full this week, and there were so many more I wanted to feature.  Take some time and take a quick browse through there, I'm sure you will find something awesome.  See you next week!

 

 

 

WinCustomize gets an incredible amount of visitors each month, and a great many of them are new or first time users along with the regular community members.  Now whether you are a new member or a long time member, navigating through the galleries of WinCustomize might not be fully known by our users.

With that being said, I wanted to give an overview on how to navigate the galleries here on WinCustomize.  We have a wide range of galleries from wallpapers, cursors, WindowBlinds skins, and much more.  We also have categories for these galleries that can make finding what you are looking for a bit easier, but not everyone is aware of how to do this.

Gallery Navigation

Clicking the Gallery button in the main navigation header will take you to the gallery page.  Obviously, you can go directly to your gallery of choice by clicking the specific gallery on right, but we will get started in the main gallery page to show off some of its features.

Main Gallery Page

At the top of this page we have more links to common pages like cursors, visual styles, etc.  Below that we have some other sections where users can get a better view of certain skins.

• Newest: This section will show the latest skins submitted to the public gallery.  A preview is shown of the latest six skins, and clicking the newest skins link will take you to a full gallery page showing the latest skins.
  
• Most Popular Skins: Here you will find the most popular skins by downloads.  At the top of this page you can sort by specific library, and from the last 30 days, the "hall of fame" or from yesterdays count.
  
• Recently Featured:  Skins are often featured on the front page of WinCustomize.  This section allows you to sort through the skins that have been featured.
  
• Recently Updated Skins:  Skins that were recently updated are displayed here.
  
• Top Skinners:  Clicking here will show you the top skinners in various categories, and you can select different viewing options from the menu at the top.
  
• Top Master Skins:   Master Skinners on WinCustomize can sell their skins.  This section shows off some of the most popular Master skins.

Most Popular skins

Navigating through Categories

One library that this will be very useful for is the ObjectDock gallery, so I will use this as the example, but the other galleries function the same way.  Under the main site navigation you will see the breadcrumb links.  You will see these in all the galleries on WinCustomize.

Category links

Next to each text link you will notice the arrow buttons.  Clicking one of these will open a menu allowing your a variety of sub-category choices depending on which you click.  Lets say you are looking in the ObjectDock gallery, and want to find a nice set of tabbed dock backgrounds for ObjectDock Plus.  Clicking the arrow next to "ObjectDock" will give me the menu seen below.

Sub-categories

By selecting the "Tabbed Backgrounds" link, it will filter the gallery to show only tabbed backgrounds.

Filtered gallery results

You don't have to stop there either.  You can filter it even more with settings like amount of downloads, newest, ratings, etc. 

Even more filters

Sorting Galleries

So we have gone through how to navigate through the different sub-categories in the gallery sections, and now we will cover just sorting through the galleries.  By default, when you enter any of the galleries on WinCustomize you will see the skins in order of the newest first.  This is great, but clicking the drop-down menu above the gallery will give you more sorting choices.

You can sort the galleries by:

• Downloads Overall
• Downloads Today
• Featured Skins
• Last Updated
• Newest Skins
• Skin Name
• Skin Rating

Gallery sorting options

WindowBlinds Advanced Filters

With the addition of WindowBlinds 6 and Windows Vista skinning, the WindowBlinds gallery has an added filter that will show WB skins that are WindowBlinds 6 ready, Vista ready, or both.  Clicking one of these three links will filter the galleries appropriately.

WindowBlinds gallery filters

You can also know which WindowBlinds skins are WB6 or Vista ready by looking for the icons as seen below.

Edit Displayed Libraries

On the right side navigation of WinCustomize, you will see links to some of the various galleries.  By clicking "edit" you can easily add or remove galleries from that list so you can see only the galleries you are interested in.

Changing displayed libraries

Simply select or deselect the check buttons for the gallery you want to change.

Conclusion

Hopefully this guide will help you navigate through WinCustomize more easily, and help you find the skins you are looking for.  If you still have questions or suggestions, please feel free to visit the forums.  More guides on other parts of WinCustomize will also be available soon.

Navigating WinCustomize Screencast

 

Version 6

 

I have to admit, I'm pretty excited about SkinStudio 6. Which is surprising in some respects because I was deeply involved in the design of SkinStudio 1 through 5.  With SkinStudio 6, the WindowBlinds team wrote it with my part being mostly that of providing input rather than design direction. 

SkinStudio 1 through 5 was designed to provide a quasi-Corel Draw style user interface.  The design worked out well in the early days when WindowBlinds wasn't that powerful.

Here is what SkinStudio 5 looked like:

 

As you can see, it got pretty complicated by version 6.

By contrast, SkinStudio 6 looks like this:

The difference is application designer versus task oriented design.  That is, with SkinStudio 6, the skinner simply walks through a series of steps and at the end has a finished skin. 

How this will affect the skinning community remains to be seen. But we now have a way for people to easily make their own skins. And best of all, SkinStudio is FREE.