Two apps I wouldn?t be without

Live Mesh

Microsoft has (finally!) done something right, and, actually, the did it quite a while ago.  Live Mesh is a service that brings cloud computing to new heights.  What it does is simple…and brilliant!

Instead of the dealing with the whole file sharing game (where you upload your files to a remote server for access when you’re away from your computer), cloud computing puts everything “in the cloud” automatically.  What makes Microsoft’s Live Mesh so great is that it offers both the security of file upload (your files aren’t in Neverland but reside on your computer) and the cloud.  This is achieved by selecting the folders/files that you wish to associate with your mesh.  These files are automatically synced to Mesh’s “Live Desktop.”  And, if you have more than one computer, you can choose to allow full and completely invisible synchronization between all of the computers that subscribe to your mesh as well as Live Desktop.

Here’s how it works.

• Register on Live and download the file, click here.
• Once the file is installed on your primary machine (i.e. home/office desktop), you’ll see the sign-in dialogue box.  I strongly recommend that you check all three boxes so that you don’t have to think about logging in and entering your password each time  you restart your machine.
• Next,  you’re going to select the files/folders you’d like to add to your mesh.  To do this, simply launch Windows Explorer and select (click once) on the file/folder you’d like to include in your mesh.

 

• Now, right-click and select “Add to Live Mesh”.
• The dialogue box will open.  Click, “Show synchronization options”.

• Select the appropriate rules for the synchronization.  I have never used the “Never with this device,” but you may find some reason for it.  If you do, please let me know..  ;)
• That’s it!  If you chose a folder, every time you save anything into that folder, it will automatically be synced with both your Live Desktop and any other machine on which you’ve installed Live Mesh!

Now, if you navigate back to your mesh, you’ll see your Live Desktop.  If you don’t see all of your files/folders here, give it some time as it may take awhile for the sync to complete.

Here’s a screenshot of my Live Desktop:

(You’ll notice that the laptop icon is grayed out.  This is because I don’t have my laptop online at the moment.)

 

PowerMenu

 

Ever wish that  you could keep a particular window “always on top” on your computer’s desktop?  Of course you  have!  We’ve all suffered the clicks of death, and, really, I don’t understand why Microsoft has never added this feature – it’s long overdue!  Anyway, here’s a nifty (and free) little program that’ll end your frustration forever.  It’s called PowerMenu, and you can download it here.

After you download and install it, you’ll see the little black arrow in your taskbar.

To use it, simply right-click on the window you’d like to keep on top and select “Always on top”.  The program also offers several other options, one of which is “Transparency” which can come in quite handy when you’re trying to work with, say, an Excel where you’re copying information from another window into your spreadsheet.  If you set the Excel window to “transparent,” you’ll be able to see the other window with your information underneath.