Thanks for the info, I had seen the emulator before, but I haven't spent any time with it yet, perhaps someday I will, but I have a lot of other things I'd like to finish first.
I haven't figured out how to get extender control yet, though I know it can be done; recently I just haven't had any time to spend on this (MCE Virtual Remote is a fun project, but it doesn't pay the bills, so it isn't my top priority right now).
If/when I figure it out, I will certainly add the feature, and let everyone know.
Just my $0.02.