Paradox Designs

If you want widgets or gadgets on your desktop, but aren’t running a newer version of windows, you are still in luck. Instead of downloading one of the many packages available (Google Desktop, Yahoo Widgets, etc), you can just use the one that has shipped with all versions of windows since 98. Active Desktop.

Sure it aint pretty, and it doesn’t have the special effects, but it does have flexibility. If you know of a website, you can add that website to your desktop. The best websites to add are those that are designed to be embedded into other sites, either via iframes, or by things that appear on web desktops such as iGoogle and NetVibes.

To add any website, simply right click on your desktop and select properties. Then click the Desktop tab, and click advanced. Switch to the Web tab on the dialog that pops up, and then hit the New… button. A dialog will pop up asking for a URL, enter the URL of the website you want to add, then click OK. Another popup will tell you it needs to synchronize. Click ok, then when the sync dialog pops up, quickly hit stop. This is the 21^st century, and most people have broadband connections. You don’t need to sync. Be sure the item is checked, then hit ok. Back in the main properties window, hit Apply or OK. You should see the items on your desktop shortly.

Some items i like to use are:

• Remember The milk list RTM is quite useful, and i would use it a lot more if its on my desktop. You can add it to your desktop with the following url:
  http://www.rememberthemilk.com/services/modules/googleig/
• Live Cloud Map This serves as much a purpose as most other desktop widgets, and is nice to look at. You can use one that has the day/night terminators on it with the following address:
  http://gmodules.com/ig/ifr?url=http://www.daylightmap.com/clouds/cloud_gadget.xml&up_zoom=2&up_show_daylight=1

  Or if you just want clouds, you can use this address:
  http://gmodules.com/ig/ifr?url=http://www.daylightmap.com/clouds/cloud_gadget.xml&up_zoom=2