Widget Madness

 

I just discovered widgets, and have placed some on my 'dashboard'. Currently, I have a Sodoku widget, a 'this day in history' calendar, up to the minute local weather, reverse phone number look-up, and this very application on which I'm typing the blog post you're reading...

So, just what is a widget? I'm not sure. It's supposed to make you more productive. But instant access to Sodoku, blog-posting mechanisms, tools to help stalk people, and fun facts (such as the English novelist John Galsworthy having born this day in 1867) seem more like procrastination aids than efficiency boosters.

Apple defines a widget as the following: "mini-applications that let you perform common tasks and provide you with fast access to information. With a single click, Dashboard appears, complete with widgets that bring you a world of information — real-time weather, stock tickers, flight information and more — instantly. Dashboard disappears just as easily, so you can get back to what you were doing."

I'll let you know how I feel about widgets after a trial week or two. First, I have to finish that Sodoku on my dashboard, though...