SLAG-FS is a gadget for Windows 7 and Vista that lets you play your music in full screen interface for maximum entertainment value.
Featuring support for Windows Media Player 11 and 12, SLAG-FS is designed for use on large monitors or televisions, so you can see and control your music without having to be at the keyboard. There are tons of different ways you can use SLAG-FS and it is totally free in every way.
Usually, when sitting at my computer, I have some kind of media playing in the background. Whether it is music, or video, movies, or spoken word albums, there’s always something playing in my home, and I know that many of my friends do the same thing.
Which is why I am always on the lookout for handy programs that will let me better interact with my media; enter: SLAG-FS, which is an acronym for Simple Little Audio Gadget –Full Screen. .
I have used things like Windows Media player or VLC player and even WinAmp player to have my tunes going while I do something in another part of the house. I may be working on grout in the bathroom, but I can still hear the music from there. The major problem, I have found, is that if I want information or any kind of data on a particular track that is playing, I have to get to the computer and go through tons of clicks to get to the info I want. SLAG-FS removes this annoyance.
Since it was designed to be used on large monitors, or even large televisions that act as monitors, SLAG-FS brings all the data you could possibly want on any given track to the forefront of the screen and displays it in a format that is both easy to view, and aesthetically pleasing. When you connect SLAG-FS to your huge flat screen in the living room, for example, you can be all the way across the room and see all the facts about the song currently playing.
It shows everything from album art to track play time, from genre information to playlist order as well. SLAG-FS was conceived with this in mind, so the fonts and the lines, everything about it is large and easy to read. This makes it useful for parties, as well as for those who may not want to search for their reading glasses (usually on their head) just to check what track number is playing.
Additionally, SLAG-FS is meant to be used with a wireless keyboard and/or mouse setup so you can not only see your music from across the room or party, but also control it. When you want to change tracks, or set up a new playlist, all this can be done easily from the wireless keyboard and mouse. Again, because it was designed for this, it far exceeds other options that I have seen for such things. Personally, I enjoy being the DJ at any party I throw and SLAG-FS makes it much easier and therefore more fun to do so. I don’t have to worry about setting up every little song on every little playlist because I know I won’t have to go to the computer to be able to see what I am doing and make changes.
SLAG-FS has a ‘normal’ mode and a ‘FS’ or full screen mode. Paraphrased from the developer’s website, here is a brief list of just some of the features it offers:
- In normal mode, the gadget is small and compact — but capable of filling the entire screen when you want it to.
- In normal mode, the gadget displays album art (with cool transitions), or, display animated visualizations.
- Click the album cover (or visualization), and the gadget expands to full-screen mode and shifts the visualization.
- Adjust the volume with your mouse wheel. In full-screen mode you can also use the + (plus) and – (minus) keys on your keyboard.
- Adjustable text size and screen size, with an Auto-Detect feature for both.
- You can also search for the title or artist field. This is a handy way of generating a playlist on the fly. For example, you can easily play all tracks that have the word “rain” in their title.
- By default, full-screen mode displays album art for the next six tracks. You can scroll to see other covers or click a cover to play that track.
- You can also drag files or directories into the gadget to create a temporary playlist and play the tracks instantly.
As you can see from the short list above, SLAG-FS has many of the same options and features as other media programs, with some of its own special ones added. If you’re looking for an alternative to what you have been using to play music on your computer, or if you’re looking to DJ a party at home, this is a great choice and the price tag can’t be beaten. There are tons of tips on the website to help you get the most out of SLAG-FS, and the developer is always adding more. Simplicity and function come together in this great little gadget to make a winner in my book.
Until next time, my friends.
