Widgets are little applications that run on your computers desktop. I chose to use Yahoo's widget system because I find it very easy to use and it is cross platform for windows and mac.

1. download and install yahoo's widget application here:
http://widgets.yahoo.com/index.php

***Updated***

I highly recommend using this widget here if you have Yahoo widgets installed:

http://widgets.yahoo.com/gallery/view.php?gbw=1&widget=42031

you can add multiple sites, configure number in the list, refresh times and it shows a text preview of the thread on mouse over. Here is a screenshot:

http://img14.imgspot.com/u/07/161/01/widgetupdate.jpg

To add apug to the widget specify this as the feed:

http://www.apug.org/forums/external.php?type=RSS2

*you can right click on the widget to adjust color and opacity and additional options

I have something like that on my Windows Vista laptop; it is small gadget that displays the latest 100 threads (only 5 at a time) off the APUG RSS feed.

Some of the titles in the widget starts with odd code when displayed on my desktop and there is a strange shadow behind the text although it is not very cleanly visible in the attachment as on my screen. Otherwise - perfect! Thank you very much!

Some of the titles in the widget starts with odd code when displayed on my desktop and there is a strange shadow behind the text although it is not very cleanly visible in the attachment as on my screen. Otherwise - perfect! Thank you very much!

It looks like the XML isn't being parsed correctly. You and Sean might have different versions of the XML rendering engine (assuming that is how it is done on a Mac).

Some of the titles in the widget starts with odd code when displayed on my desktop and there is a strange shadow behind the text although it is not very cleanly visible in the attachment as on my screen. Otherwise - perfect! Thank you very much!

Yeah i noticed some weirdness on a few titles will have a look..

Sean, can you tell me what program or code the widget is written in? I installed the APUG widget and it works really great. In fact I installed a shipping widget and put in the shipping number from Badger and it brought it right up. That's great when you consider I couldn't get the UPS site to identify the number or my password! The only thing I have to figure out is why it brings the APUG thread up but not fully maximized.
Thanks,
Curt

The wedget is working but doesn't refresh, what is needed to use the RSS? I did subscribed but I am not sure what software supports it.

mine seems to be refreshing, but keep in mind it only shows newly created threads not posts. If you want to hack into the code there is a yahoo widget that allows you to uncompress the widget and the re-save it after changes..

Hi Sean, would it be possible to get the Widget text a little wider or resizeable?:D

Curt

You might be able to find a RSS widget that is customizable, then just direct it to use the apug rss feed: http://www.apug.org/forums/external.php?type=RSS2

If you have an iMac, there is a screensaver called 'RSS Visualiser', in the options for that screensaver you can choose which RSS News feed you have saved in Safari for it to show. Mine is set to show the APUG RSS feed.

Ps. It looks like this (http://smg.photobucket.com/albums/v223/Minitar1/Video/?action=view&current=DSCF0814.flv).

I found a great new widget so have updated this thread with details:

I highly recommend using this widget here if you have Yahoo widgets installed:

http://widgets.yahoo.com/gallery/view.php?gbw=1&widget=42031

you can add multiple sites, configure number in the list, refresh times and it shows a text preview of the thread on mouse over. Here is a screenshot:

http://img14.imgspot.com/u/07/161/01/widgetupdate.jpg

To add apug to the widget specify this as the feed:

http://www.apug.org/forums/external.php?type=RSS2

*you can right click on the widget to adjust color and opacity and additional options

It says you can have 50 threads but it only has the number of threads that the widget you created. Is that how yours works?

Curt

It says you can have 50 threads but it only has the number of threads that the widget you created. Is that how yours works?

Curt
I currently have the max at 20 for apug's feed, do you think we need more than that? I'll have to check to see if it would impact the server, probably not..

I am new and am not very familar with computer technical site.
Would you please explain me in a simpler language that what exactly Widget does b4 I install it.
Thanks