How to launch programs in only 3 keys

ClifNotesNewsletters has a post on How to launch programs using only 3 keys.

It’s simple and speeds up getting started, and works for up to 36 programs.

VistaSwitcher – Speed Up Windows Alt-Tab

VistaSwitcher lets you Speed Up Windows Alt-Tab in Vista.

Main Features

• Outstanding UI, semi-transparent backgrounds and antialiased fonts
• Live window and desktop previews under Windows Vista and 7
• Task list with mouse-over selection
• Multiple task selection, tile windows vertically or horizontally
• Minimize, maximize, restore, close windows and groups of windows
• Compatible with UAC, works with elevated applications
• Small and fast, native 64-bit version available
• Multilingual user interface (Unicode based)
• It’s FREE for any use!  32 and 64-bit.

This is a beta version in development, so use at your own risk, and check back for updates often.

Signo for hotkeys

Signo is”an impressively complete hotkey manager that can handle pretty much anything you can think of doing with either hotkeys or textkeys and provides a large range of built-in functionalities you can easily leverage to boost your productivity.”

• Text actions: to copy texts automatically into your current application e.g. OutlookHtml actions: to do the same as above though in a HTML format; this also allows simply copying to the clipboard rather than to the active application.
• Open actions: automate the opening of files whether on your local drive or on the Internet. the Internet.
• Launch actions: automate the opening of tools and execution of DOS or Windows commands, including support for parameters.
• Ram actions: used to minimize the RAM usage of your applications, very handy if you sometimes run out of RAM with your setup.
• Win actions: multiple multi-screen actions such as fast switch and maximize, snap windows to the sides of your screen, tray applications, hide windows or task bar, etc.
• Capture actions: allows you to capture your whole screen, a window or an area you draw on your screen, to save it as an image in a file or your clipboard, or to send it to TFS or an image editor.

In addition, the tool allows defining multiple textkeys which are short words, 10 characters or less, that start with a #. Upon the word being typed the tool will automatically delete it and trigger the appropriate action.

Freeware from Kerkia.

Enso makes it easier

Humanized offers Enso, which “ lets you do common computing tasks easier and faster than ever before. You get a huge productivity boost and a simpler digital life. And now that Enso is free, it won’t cost you a penny.”

Freeware for XP, 2000 and Vista.

Walt Mossberg of the Wall Street Journal explains:

Enso is dead simple to use. You just hold down the Caps Lock key and type an Enso command, which is displayed in a translucent overlay. Once the command is typed, you simply release the Caps Lock key to activate it, and the overlay disappears. If you type fast, it all happens in a flash. For instance, to launch the Firefox Web browser, you just hold down the Caps Lock key and type “open firefox.” To look up the meaning of the word “proclivity,” you just hold down the Caps Lock key and type “define proclivity.”

HotKeyz from Skynergy for keyboard macros

ZDNet has a post on HotKeyz

Back in the ‘olden days’ people used keyboards without mice, and oddly enough, a lot of things could actually be done faster that way.  Some of them still can, in fact.

“You can work faster and more efficiently by using your keyboard instead of your mouse. HotKeyz is a keyboard utility that will boost your productivity and it is really fun to use. HotKeyz lets you easily create and maintain a categorized list of your hotkeys. Each hotkey, a key combination on your keyboard, will launch a command. You decide which commands go with which hotkeys. Version 2.7.2 has add setting to save settings and hotkey files to application data folder (Vista) and same folder as HotKeyz.exe (for portable on USB sticks or XP).”

For Windows 95/98/NT/2000/XP/Vista.  October 2008.  Freeware, with free registration required.

gMote (zip), from Handform

ZDNet has a post on gMote which “allows you to record gestures (mouse motions) and assign them to frequently performed tasks. Use gestures to bring up programs, Web sites, control your browser, media player, and clipboard. You can even assign your own key combinations to a gesture – make text bold by drawing a ‘B’, lock your computer with an ‘L’ – it’s fully customisable and free. Version 1.31 is a bug-fixing release.”

For Windows 98/Me/NT/2000/XP/Vista.  October 2008.  Freeware.

Registration required.

RemoteKeys for macros

RemoteKeys is freeware to “automate complex control systems, but also simple jobs like inserting text passages into Word and EMails, filling out (internet-) forms with recurring phrases etc. To do this simply click onto one of the 2500 buttons, which can be freely assigned and labeled. The macros can also be released by using the keyboard if prefered.
For those wishing to make full use of RemoteKeys, there are over 350 commands available, e.g. inserting the actual date into a text, opening program groups and ordering them on screen or even to automize Excel calculations. The buttons may be assigned with the help of the integrated macro recorder and an integrated timer can activate these buttons.
Additional features include an image memory and a clipboard history function. RemoteKeys is always at hand in the systemtray, can be individually configured (button-, form-, fontsizes and -colours), is network – able and requires no installation. (Engl./Ger./French with manuals)._.”

qliner hotkeys for keyboard macros

qliner hotkeys is an open source freeware keyboard macro program.

This lets you open programs, and do a number of chores without a lot of typing (except to set up a hotkey initially).

iMacros for Firefox

CNet has iMacros for Firefox which was designed to automate the most repetitious tasks on the Web. If there’s an activity you have to do repeatedly, just record it in iMacros. The next time you need to do it, the macro will run at the click of a button. Version 6.0.7.5 supports Firefox 3.1 Alpha 2, bug fixes and enhancements.

Freeware. Windows 95/98/Me/NT/2000/XP/2003 Server/Vista, Mozilla Firefox 1.5 – 3.0b2.

Keyboard shortcuts for Windows

Keyboard shortcuts for Windows is the official Microsoft list of using key combinations to do things quickly in Windows — often, more quickly than you can do them with a mouse and menus.

There’s more than one way to do a lot of things in Windows.

Vista Aero off and on

TechRepublic offers a Windows tip for turning Aero off when you are using a graphics-intensive application, to save computing and memory:

“Toggle Aero off and on

As you know, Aero is the fancy visual interface in Windows Vista that features the transparent glass design with cool window colors and neat animations. However, there are times when you may want to disable Aero to improve system responsiveness. For example, some games or other graphics-intensive applications may perform better with Aero disabled. Fortunately, you can easily do so with a shortcut.

To begin, right-click anywhere on the desktop and select the New | Shortcut command from the context menu. When the Create Shortcut wizard appears, type:

Rundll32 dwmApi #104

in the text box, as shown in Figure C, and click Next. Then, name the shortcut Turn Aero Off and click Finish.

You can then create a second shortcut to re-enable Aero. To do so, launch the Create Shortcut wizard again and this time type:

Rundll32 dwmApi #102

in the text box. Name this shortcut Turn Aero On and click Finish.

Keep in mind that when you turn Aero off, the process will happen without any fanfare. However, when you turn Aero back on, the screen will blink momentarily as Windows readjusts the screen display.”

Excel 2007 shortcuts

PC Magazine (June 2008) has a list of “11 Killer Excel 2007 Shortcuts”:

Ctrl-Shift-&	Apply the outline border to the selected cells
Ctrl-Shift-#	Apply the Date format with day, month and year
Ctrl-Shift-@	Apply the Time format: hour, minute, AM or PM
Ctrl-Shift-:	(colon) Enter current time
Ctrl-;	(semi-colon) Enter date
Ctrl-O	Hide selected columns
Ctrl-’	(single quote) alternate: cell values/formulas
Ctrl-H	Find and replace
Ctrl-F2	Print Preview
Ctrl-F6	next workbook
Alt-F8	macro dialog box

Firefox keyboard shortcuts

Here are some Firefox keyboard shortcuts:
Firefox Keyboard shortcuts

70+ Keyboard shortcuts to move faster in Mozilla Firefox from TechRepublic. Free registration is required for this PDF file.

KeyXL for keyboard shortcuts

KeyXL “KeyXL.com is the largest online database of keyboard shortcuts in the world.
Our keyboard shortcut database is searchable by software program and covers all the major operating environments including Windows, Macintosh, Linux and browser-based applications.”

Recommended by Gizmo’s Tech Support Alert newsletter.

Look, Ma — one hand!

Whether you have a temporary or long-term disability, it helps if you can still use your computer — even with only one hand, and sometimes it’s just simpler that way.

FastWrite allows you to type with only one hand and 9 main keys. Freeware.

Does Cousin It use AutoIt?

Remember Cousin It from the old Addams Family shows or movies?  Did he use a computer?  Oh, wait — we never saw his hands… so he had to use something hands-off, didn’t he?

Maybe he could use AutoIt, the “freeware BASIC-like scripting language designed for automating the Windows GUI and general scripting. It uses a combination of simulated keystrokes, mouse movement and window/control manipulation in order to automate tasks in a way not possible or reliable with other languages (e.g. VBScript and SendKeys). AutoIt is also very small, self-contained and will run on all versions of Windows out-of-the-box with no annoying “runtimes” required!”

AutoIt is intended to create your own programs to perform Windows tasks with little programs that simulate someone using the mouse and/or keyboard.

Recommended by Coolsites newsletter.

Google Pack up your troubles in your online software

Google Pack is a group of software helps with some very useful items.  Pick your own pack and download just the items you want.  All freeware, no malware included.

• Google Earth
• Google Desktop
• Norton Security Scan
•  Firefox with Google Toolbar
• Google Toolbar for IE
• Adobe Acrobat Reader
• Skype
• StarOffice (a complete office suite of software)
• Spyware Doctor
• Picasa
• Google Photos screensaver
• Google Talk
• RealPlayer

Shortcuts for IE 7

60 keyboard shortcuts to move faster in Microsoft Internet Explorer 7
from TechRepublic. Free registration is required for this PDF file.

Konfabulator for Widgets

What is Konfabulator? Konfabulator is a JavaScript runtime engine for Windows and Mac OS X that lets you run little files called Widgets that can do pretty much whatever you want them to. Widgets can be alarm clocks, calculators, can tell you your WiFi signal strength, will fetch the latest stock quotes for your preferred symbols, and even give your current local weather. You will need to download the Konfabulator software, and then select the Widget(s) you like. Note: Konfabulator requires Windows XP or 2000, or Mac OS 10.2 or greater — Select whichever download would be the appropriate one for your system.

Use at your own risk!

Neun und neunzig run commands…

Anyone remember the song “99 Red Balloons” by Nena, which in the original German was “Neun und Neunzig Luftballons”… never mind.

Here are 99 Useful Run Commands for Windows XP- but if you go to the top of the page, you get 156 run commands.