Detect the status of an exhaust fan

Could I use the code here Arduino Tachometer - Software | PyroElectro - News, Projects & Tutorials for the IR reflective sensor? I want to measure RPM like this (http://www.stumbleupon.com/su/9XvNYO/embedded-lab.com/blog?p=2425) but the site used a different controller. Also, could you suggest an IR module from sparkfun that I could use for this project?