Moonlight is an open source implementation of the Silverlight plugin designed primarily for Linux and other Unix/X11 based operating systems. Starting in September of 2007, Microsoft and Novell announced a technical collaboration which included access to Microsoft’s test suites for Silverlight and the distribution of a Media Pack for Linux users that contained licensed media codecs for audio and video.

This month, Moonlight will begin offering support for the Microsoft Media Pack 1.0., according to this post on the ISV Developer Community site. Here’s a look at what else can be expected in that November release:

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I can’t believe I didn’t know this existed! As I blogger, I live in Windows Live Writer almost as much - if not more - than I live in email. So how did I not know that there’s a Windows Sidebar gadget just for Live Writer? Awesome. This is my new must-have for all my Windows machines. 

The Windows Live Writer Gadget provides shortcuts to routine tasks performed in Windows Live Writer. With the gadget, you can create a new blog entry, open a previous blog entry, or even open the Windows Live Writer options right from your Vista Sidebar. You can even drag and drop items right onto the gadget, too, including images, and URLs, image URLs. Each time you drag and drop an item, the gadget will open up a new blog entry in Live Writer with the relevant details already inserted.

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Most people are familiar with Common Craft, even if they don’t realize it. The company is known for making videos that explain things, often technical things, “in plain English.” That is, they explain concepts that some people have trouble understanding, like wikis for example, without using all the technical jargon that can confuse. Not only that, but they also paint a pretty good picture about why you would want to use the technology, too, by imagining realistic scenarios of how your life could be positively impacted by whatever new-fangled thing they’re showing you. Most people discovered Common Craft when they encountered either either the RSS in Plain Engligh video (a great attempt at explaining Really Simple Syndication), or the uber-popular Twitter in Plain English video, which was a bonafide viral hit. Recently, the Common Craft team was hired by Microsoft to help explain the changes at the new Live.com. I think they did a pretty good job, don’t you? Click though to see the video.

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