Launch programs, websites, and Windows tasks using mouse gestures with gMote

[Osiris]

Description: gMote is a free program that allows you to record mouse gestures and associate them with applications, websites, and Windows tasks. You can then launch those whenever you need them by drawing the specific gesture associated with the program or task you need on-screen.
It seems that there is an increasing number of interesting launchers employing new, quick ways to launch programs aside from clicking on icons or shortcuts. Programs such as Launchy, for instance, as well as keyboard-shortcut programs, and now gMote's screen gestures. Here are more notes on this program:

• How it works: press control and shift simultaneously then draw your gesture with the mouse. A window will popup near the system tray after you perform a gesture that will display the number of the action associated with it or otherwise display a question mark if the gesture is not understood. Note, however, that if you dragged a shortcut and then deleted it, the association is lost.
• The gestures: have to be in one continuous motion (i.e. you can't take the pen off the page, so to speak). The program will alert you if the gesture you drew is too close to another one that you made previously in order to re-do it.
• The user interface: the user interface looks really good and is split into left and right panes; gestures are drawn on the right pane while the left pane lists the different actions. You can drag and drop shortcuts, executables, and bookmarks into the left pane to convert them into actions or you can browse to the applications manually.
• Accuracy: is generally good (i.e. the probability of it's mistaking one gesture for another does not seem to be a big one). You do, however, need to draw fairly accurately. Its a good idea not to make the symbols close to each other in the first place.
• Performance: gesture recognition can be a bit slow, at times leaving you wondering if the gesture 'took' or if the program didn't recognize it. That said you will quickly learn to identify those 'pregnant pauses' as what they are.
• Installation: nothing to install; just unzip and run. You will have to add to the windows start folder if you want to the program to start with windows (or use a startup manager such as Starter).
• Tutorial: the download includes an interactive tutorial that explains how to use the program (and is very well made).
• Resources used: takes up about 18 megs in memory, which is not a lot given the nature of this program (but is not very little either).

Wish list (or how this program can be even better)

• Volume functions (raise/lower volume, mute/unmute) are not included in the windows tasks list. I found this strange as (at least for myself) these are the ones I would have gone for before all others.
• It would be great it the program associated dragged shortcuts with their targets rather than the shortcuts themselves, such that the deletion of the shortcut does not break the association.

The verdict: an interesting, well designed program that can definitely enliven your computing experience. Its not an all-out replacement for your favorite launcher, but it can come in handy for performing certain tasks (e.g. showing the desktop, locking the PC), or for launching very frequently used programs/websites.

Launch programs, websites, and Windows tasks using mouse gestures with gMote Review & Download Link | freewaregenius.com