As a follow-up to our popular list of 12 must-have Dashboard widgets, here are 8 more that are sure to appeal to just about anyone who loves trying these awesome little apps.
I used to think most people with Macs were not huge users of Dashboard aside from a few occasional quick peeks, but since our initial collection of “12 must-have Dashboard widgets for the average Mac user” has been so successful (over 200,000 views and counting!) I’ve come to realize there are a ton of Dashboard junkies out there. With that said, here are some of the better widgets I’ve come across recently, in no particular order. As always, let us know in the comments if you’ve got one to share that’s not here!
1. 0.99 iTunes Movie of the Week
Who doesn’t love a good deal? Every week iTunes offers a special movie rental for only 99 cents, as opposed to the regular $2.99-$3.99 price. Surprisingly, some pretty good flicks show up there. This widget showcases the current $0.99 rental of the week and updates automatically when a new one is announced so you don’t miss out.
2. StopDashboard
Dashboard is a resource hog, plain and simple. Most of the time it doesn’t bog your Mac down too much, but it can take away precious RAM and CPU cycles. If you’re not going to be using Dashboard for a while, why not kill it? Temporarily, that is. StopDashboard consists of a simple button that will end the Dashboard process until the next time you launch it.
3. Delivery Status
When you order stuff online, the vendor you purchased from usually provides a tracking number to follow your package’s whereabouts. Instead of going to the carrier’s website (UPS, FedEx, etc.) over & over again, try out Delivery Status to stay updated and keep track of your shipments.
4. App Update
Many third party Mac applications take advantage of a built-in mechanism that automatically checks for software updates, but not all of them. As a result, it can be a hassle to ensure your programs are always up-to-date. Unless, of course, you use App Update — a widget that examines your Mac and searches for newer versions of your installed software.
5. Widget Update
Along the same lines as App Update (and from the same developer), Widget Update checks for newer versions of the Dashboard widgets installed on your Mac. Staying up-to-date doesn’t get much easier than that.
6. Apple.com Daily Special
Especially during this time of economic uncertainly, everybody’s looking save money in any way possible. Apple has some fantastic deals on refurbished and previous-generation products, which can be delivered right to your Dashboard via this handy widget. You never know what might pop out at you with a nice discount!
7. To Do
To Do — the name says it all. For those times when you want to glance at your To Do list but don’t want to take the time to launch Mail or iCal, just show your Dashboard instead. This flexible widget allows you to view, add, edit, and delete your To Do items with ease.
8. iCal Events
I practically live in iCal because my forgetfulness often gets out of control. Without having it open all the time and seeing what my day’s schedule looks like, I would be lost. Or would I? Apparently not with the iCal Events widget. Since it shows all of your upcoming events (with times and colors to differentiate multiple calendars) for up to 14 days in advance, iCal itself can stay closed and a quick look at Dashboard is all you’ll need to stay on course.
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February 27th, 2009, 4:14 AM
Looking at iCal Events, I think iSlayer’s “Organized” is a sexier widget to look at – http://islayer.com/apps/organized/ :)