Where do you download the application? I am trying to get the application so i can start to code for it!!
I am a software developer and I'd like to use the HP TouchSmart hardware for a product that I'm developing. However, there's only one catch - - - I need to be able to change what happens when the user presses the HOME button there on the lower-right corner of the screen. Is that possible? Is there a control-panel option to change that? I was playing with the system at Best Buy today but I couldn't find such a setting.
November 4, 2008 1:42 PM
Well, my software is all web-browser-based, so what I'd REALLY like, is for the HOME button to launch Firefox and go to a specific web-page. Can someone please tell me if that's possible? Is there a control-panel setting that let's you adjust what the HOME button does? Or an HKEY setting I can adjust?
November 4, 2008 4:43 PM
As far as I know there isn't a way to change what that button does through a control panel applet or similar. There might be a registry key setting that would do it, but if there is, I haven't seen it.
I needed to do a similar thing - I had an alternative to the HP Touchsmart software that I wanted to run instead when you click the button.
Here's how I did it (note that I'm not responsible if it breaks your existing software - it worked for me, but it may not for others!)
Firstly, navigate to 'c:\program files (x86)\Hewlett-Packard\Touchsmart\smartcenter 2.0'
Find the file 'smartcenter.exe' and rename it to 'smartcenterold.exe'
Now, if you're a programmer, create a small C# or vb.net program that when launched, starts the program or website you want to actual use instead and then exits itself. Call this program smartcenter.exe and put it in the folder above.
So, what happens now is that when you click the home button, the touchsmart runs the small program you created because it thinks it's te smartcener app, but instead, ur program loads the real program you selected instead! A complete hack, but it does work.
Obviously, it will break the windows start menu entry for smartcenter, but you can change that and point it to smartcenterold.exe instead. Also, it may break HP's update check for the Smartcenter, but I haven't tried that yet.
Hope it helps!
November 4, 2008 7:13 PM
Alright! Now we're talking - - - that's exactly what I want to do.
Drats, I don't know C# or vb.net. So if I just want Firefox to go to a specific web-site address, what would you recommend? If Firefox is already open, I certainly don't want to fire up a 2nd instance of Firefox. Could I somehow save a bookmark of my website and have it get launched somehow by a fake smartcenter.exe file? I have a plugin for Firefox to make it go into "kiosk mode", so I'm all set to go full-screen.
November 5, 2008 8:52 AM
gouldtv said: Alright! Now we're talking - - - that's exactly what I want to do. Drats, I don't know C# or vb.net. So if I just want Firefox to go to a specific web-site address, what would you recommend? If Firefox is already open, I certainly don't want to fire up a 2nd instance of Firefox. Could I somehow save a bookmark of my website and have it get launched somehow by a fake smartcenter.exe file? I have a plugin for Firefox to make it go into "kiosk mode", so I'm all set to go full-screen.
gouuldtv - In my case I was launching an alternative program which was easier for me to do than what you need to.
Leave it with me and I'll have a play atound and see if I canwhip something up. I'll get back to you if I find something...
November 10, 2008 10:03 AM
I, too, am a web developer and not very savvy on .NET.
Isn't there an inherent control that can be called to launch the internal "HP" browser (that's used from within the TouchSmart software)?
Ideally, I'd like to write my apps to where they stay within the TouchSmart software, instead of hopping out to a new app/browser.
Also curious if anyone has done any FLEX and/or AIR apps and got them working within the TouchSmart sw?
November 10, 2008 3:57 PM
Well, I'm still in need of a way to tell FireFox to navigate to a particular URL. OR, just have Firefox navigate to it's default homepage (which I'd set beforehand). It sounds like it's got to be a solution involving an .EXE file. So how does one write an .EXE that tells Firefox to go to a new URL, vs. launching a second instant of Firefox?
November 11, 2008 10:32 PM
gouldtv,
Have you received a solution to your problem yet? If not I can compile an executable to do what you want. Let me know.
November 12, 2008 8:27 AM
I have not received a solution yet, so yes, I would LOVE it if you have a solution that would work. It sounds like I'd need a .EXE file that will tell Firefox (which may already be opened), to change it's URL to go to it's homepage. (without opening up a new tab)
November 12, 2008 1:46 PM
Unless there is a command line argument for letting Firefox know it should navigate the current page to back to its home page, I can't provide that. What I can give you is an exe with a config file to let you specify the application and also its command line arguments. For example:
C:\Program Files\Mozilla Firefox\firefox.exe
-new-tab http://www.google.com
Will this work for you?
November 12, 2008 3:22 PM
Yes, that would work great - - - Using your technique, I'll just hard-code the URL, which is fine.
Though when I try the -new-tab param, it still opens a new tab. What I'd like it to do is open the URL without opening a new tab (replacing the browser window that's already there). Perhaps the param got mangled in this blog somehow.
November 12, 2008 3:51 PM
The only other option that I believe Firefox allows is -new-window. This will open a new instance of Firefox. Aside from that, I don't think they offer the feature you are looking for. If you'd like I can have the code search for the Firefox process and kill it first before executing your app path and command args.
November 12, 2008 4:34 PM
How about a "target" window-name for Firefox? So I'd name the target window "main", and then perhaps a command-line method to target "main" as the destination for the new URL. Think that would work? If not, then I think I'd best try the kill process you mentioned. Just not sure what the delay would be with firing up another instance of Firefox while killing off a previous instance.
November 12, 2008 4:52 PM
I don't think the Firefox API is open to the community so doing what you are asking above is probably non trivial. It would probably require some win32 api calls with SendMessage directly to the window pump. Since I do not know what messages FF is looking for I can't go that route. I could use a window spy I guess but this seems like overkill for what you need. I think any delay would be minimal. The latency you'd be comparing is not the request time, because they would be the same. The latency you'd need to calculate would be the amount of time it takes FF to start. In either case its probably in the order of milliseconds.
November 12, 2008 5:49 PM
gouldtv,
Here is the link:
http://cid-b5ff6b7eb25726fe.skydrive.live.com/self.aspx/Public/SmartCenterOve...
Let me know of any issues. This application is generic enough for anyone to use to change what the Home button does on the TouchSmart. View the README in the zip file. Also, please view the License.txt file included as well.
-Joe
November 12, 2008 10:19 PM
updated: November 12, 2008 10:22 PM
This is great! Almost there! Two issues:
1) Now when I press the Home button, the app launches, but it says that the "publisher is unknown", and asks me if it's ok to run the app first. Is there a way I can avoid that popup?
2) I must not have the "data inside the CDDATA" formatting right - - - do I just put the url for firefix inside that area?
(I can't seem to get xml to show up in this posting, so I can't show you what I have. But let's say I want Firefox.exe to launch to www.google.com)
November 12, 2008 11:49 PM
You can probably right click on it, Select Properties, Select the Compatability tab, and check the box to Run as administrator. As for the formatting, you would just put the url into the CDATA field. If you want a new tab, then you would put -new-tab http://www.google.com or -new-window http://www.google.com Does this explain better?
November 13, 2008 2:22 AM
Sorry, I also forgot to mention, you should right click on the exe, Select Properties and then click the Unblock button. Then you can uncheck the Run as administrator option.
November 13, 2008 9:40 PM
Sooo close! It must be yet another checkbox that I'm missing. I've tried the "Run as Administrator" checkbox, and I've clicked the "UnBlock" button, but I still keep getting the "Unknown Publisher" popup. This doesn't happen for you?
For me, it says "this file came from another computer", next to the "unblock" button. Then, I click unblock, and hit APPLY. However, when I right-click on the file again, and select Properties, the Unblock button is still visible, making me think that the "unblock" didn't "take".
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