launcher

The more programs you have installed on your PC, the harder it becomes to find the one you want. That's why I've fallen in love with Launchy, a simple application launcher that saves you having to slog through your Start menu.

To use Launchy, you simply press Alt-Space on your keyboard, then type the first few letters of the program you want. For example, to launch Google Picasa, you'd type "pic" and then press Enter. (You may need another keystroke or two if other programs on your PC start with the same letters.)

Launchy also … Read more

Having something come to you is always better than having to go to it. Like Launchy for Windows and Quicksilver for Mac, Duh Button Launcher Plus and Initiate save you time by getting your apps open fast. OK, it's not like the Palm OS app launcher is an irrevocable time suck, but these apps just make the process smoother.

Let's start with Duh Button Launcher Plus, because it's the free one. With just a little bit of work, you can map a list of your favorite apps to pop up with the press … Read more

I was working on my Mac recently when a co-worker came up and asked me a question regarding a feature I wrote a while back. I turned back to my Mac, hit a couple of hot keys, and quickly found the piece in question. My Windows-using co-worker immediately asked me what the little program was that I brought up with the hot keys, and after a couple of key strokes, I proudly brought it up again: Quicksilver.

Quicksilver is one of those programs that is so useful I never even think about it when I use it. To open files, … Read more

Live out your fantasy of being an army commander with the USB wireless rocket launcher from ThinkGeek. Place the launcher within a 15-foot radius of your command center (that would be your computer), position the transmitting and receiving dish within sight of each other, and count down to D-Day saying, "Hasta la vista, baby." If you miss your target with the first missile, quickly send the command to reposition it and try again. You've only three foam missiles, so make careful use of it. To make the experience more complete, dig out your toy soldiers and station … Read more

What's faster than opening a new browser tab and typing in the URL? Opening a Web page with Launchy, of course.

Last week we showed you how to open all your media files, documents, and programs using the quick-start application (if you missed it, we've included it below). In this quick tip video, CNET editor Tom Merritt demonstrates, as only he can, how to open Web sites, start an online search, and create search commands with this must-have freeware.

Miss last week's quick tip? After the first video, stick around for a second to learn how to … Read more

The Windows and Mac operating systems are both intended to be easy to navigate so you can get to your files quickly. Ideally, once our computers are fully booted up it should only take us a couple of steps before we can start working (or playing, as the case may be). While Windows Explorer and the Finder are adequate for navigating apps and files, it still takes a few unnecessary steps before you can get started.

While both operating systems offer a quicker option than digging through folders--Windows has the Quick launch bar and Mac offers the Dock--they tend to … Read more

Those already using Launchy, a completely unobtrusive and utterly invaluable quick-app launcher, swear by it. Now they'll just swear louder.

It's often hard to improve on a good thing, but developer Josh Karlin has tried, and his efforts with this freeware gift to society have largely paid off over the last few releases. Most of the heavier-duty programming upgrades occurred in release 1.2.5, and Karlin has capped them off with a glossy finish in version 2.0.--a new look based on a new set of standards.

Sure, there will be some who will prefer Launchy … Read more

Power Downloader is a lifelong Windows PC user, but he has a lot of respect for those who use other operating systems. Power knows that it's not as important what kind of computer you use as it is the software you choose to run on it. He has even admitted to Kitty Kilobyte in the past that both Mac and Linux operating systems are as attractive as they are functional.

That's why Power Downloader was pleased with an e-mail he received from Kitty Kilobyte the other day with a special program for his Windows PC. Kitty explained she … Read more

When Power Downloader is hot on the trail of an Internet criminal, time is of the essence. If he needs to find specific computer information about his target quickly, he doesn't always have time to navigate through the usual Windows Explorer folders. Power knows spending a bunch of time trying to find the right folder or Web site can be the difference between making a capture and losing the trail.… Read more