Black's Web

Wow, I just learned about the Lightbox Extension for BlogEngine.net.  Two simple files to copy to your web server for install.  URL: Lightbox Extension

But to use it you need to edit the HTML of the post and wrap each image tag with the anchor tag:

<a href="/blog/image.axd?picture=picture.jpg">
<img src="/blog/image.axd?picture=picture.jpg" /> 
</a>   

Ok, I guess I can live with that... but as I learned more I found out about Live Writer.  Live Writer is an part of a suit of apps from Microsoft for their Live web application.  But you can choose to install only Live Writer.  Live Writer is a sweet UI for composing blog posts, lots of convenient features.  On of these features is the you can add images to your post by browsing images on you pc, add them to the post and it will resize them (small size for posting) and large size that is linked to by the anchor tag.  And when you publish your posting, the post, and all images get uploaded also.  Click on an image to see the Lightbox effect.

Windows Live Writer is a desktop application that makes it easy to publish rich content to your blog.  URL: Live Writer

Publish to most major blog services

Including Windows Live Spaces, SharePoint, Wordpress, Blogger and many others. Don't have a blog yet? Writer will help you set one up!

Create a compelling blog easily

Insert photos and videos, maps, tags and lots of other cool content, all in a snap. Powerful editing features include tables, spell checker, and quick hyperlinks.

Preview before you post

Writer shows you what your blog entry will look like before you post it, using your blog's templates and formatting.

Compose your entries offline

Publish them later, when you get back online.

UPDATE:

I leaned of LightBox 2 extension for BlogEngine.NET and an updated version of LiveWriter from Peter on his blog, thanks Peter.

    LightBox 2 extension can be found here.
    The latest Live Writer can be found here.

Tags: live writer, light box

Windows only: Mount more than one Gmail account as a remote disk drive with free utility Gmail Drive Config. It works with Gmail Drive, which we've covered in the past. Yes, it's all very experimental, I did encounter some annoyances, and Google could probably make it all go poof with a few keystrokes from some command line prompt in Mountain View. Rest assured, you'll always be able to access any files added via mounted drives through Gmail proper. But I got two accounts set up and working as network storage in just a few minutes. Here's how.

Install Gmail Drive, if you haven't already. Check out our Advanced file and attachment management with Gmail post for details. Your Gmail account will show up as a mounted drive under My Computer in Windows Explorer, categorized as "Other" below any Network Drives.



Set up another Gmail account, if you haven't already. I signed out of my main Gmail account, and clicked Sign up for Gmail under the login box. I simply used my current username plus ".files" to create a Gmail account specifically for file storage. Be sure to set an alternate email address so you get a copy of your login details just in case.



Now download Gmail Drive Config from Convivea. It's a simple executable, so just click "Run" from the browser or double-click the gmail_drive file in your downloads folder.




It should show the initial drive you set up. Simply click Add Drive to add another by entering a new name for the drive and a different Gmail address.



The new drive will also appear under My Computer in Windows Explorer. Double-click it to enter the password. Rinse and repeat to add up 999 Gmail accounts.


Note: I tried to add a Gmail account for a Google Apps for Your Domain address with no luck. Not only did it not work, but even after much fiddling, I couldn't properly Edit or Remove the entry from the list of accounts in Gmail Drive Config. Also, when trying to remove an account, I was prompted with a dialog and system beep to close all instances of Explorer. Not a dealbreaker, just a little annoying. But at the current price, who's complaining? Gmail Drive Config is a free download for Windows.

Tags: gmail, online storage, computer system

Windows only: Free application MZ Ultimate Tweaker is a system modification tool that covers the gamut of system tweaks, putting everything from performance to display tweaks just a few clicks away. The application is very similar to the TweakUI Windows XP PowerToy. But apart from all the minor modifications it can make to your system, it also comes loaded with several useful utilities worth checking out.

Those utilities include an advanced shutdown scheduler, startup manager, services manager, and registry backup tool.

All of the utilities are available as separate downloads from the MZ Ultimate Tweaker web site, so if you just want an à la carte utility, you can grab it as a standalone. Utlimate Tweaker also includes a few snake-oil utilities promising to speed up your computer, so stick with the useful ones. Regardless, MZ Ultimate Tweaker gives quick and easy access to tons of worthwhile Windows modifications, so if you're a junkie for a good tweak, give it a look.

Tags: computer system