Christmas morning.  The anticipation is palpable.  Rushing into the room, gazing at the spread, tearing the paper off, and then getting down and playing with the new toys.  It is a great feeling. To be honest, when a great, new Windowblind skin shows up on Wincustomize.com, the feeling is much the same.  I see the new preview, check out the full screenshot, download the blind, then apply and start putting the blind through its paces.  I just love checking the Star...

I dig gadgets. I really do. Well, okay, I lie. As someone who has DesktopX installed, I think objects are vastly inferior to widgets. I see the plus of objects not needing DX installed, blah, blah, blah. But for those of us who have DesktopX already, gadgets just really, really suck. Oh, and as an aside, it would appear I feel like whining today. Why do I think gadgets are inferior to widgets? There are a number of reasons: 1) They don't auto-install. A small point, sure, but ...

I have tried and tried to get into the widget craze.  I really have.  I try just about every widget that gets released (with the exception of all the weather ones that are made to match a certain skin).  In addition to all the DesktopX widgets I have tried, I have given just about every other widget program out there a fair test drive. I have used Konfabulator (now Yahoo! Widgets), Kapsules, dot Widget, EZPod, AveDesk, Samurize, and maybe even a couple others I can't recall.&nb...

So, I love some of the nice gadgets that have been made. But one thing that keeps me from using them is most don't seem to have the ability to respond to F9/F10 to hide them or make them come to the front. Is this not a possibility with Gadgets? Or is it something the creator has to include in?

There is no other way to put it. I have ADHD when it comes to customizing my desktop. I can't keep it the same way for more than a few days. Literally. I change my wallpaper, cursor, icons, WB, and OD+ settings at least 2-3 times a week. Even when I get a particularly sweet set up that I think I am going to like for at least a week, within a day or two it is changed. I need to take action and stop it. It bothers even me (hence I call it a disorder). But there are just so many grea...

I really love the look of the new Silica widgets. Excellent work. By question is this: Will there ever be a Silica Weather widget? Yes, I know there are already too many weather widgets. But as nice as the silica widgets are I would love to have a matching weather widget (just like I love the unified look of the "Core" series). Just curious.

Is there a guide anywhere on how to make shadows for WindowFX? I have looked through the OD documentation (but may have missed it). I have looked in the folders of shadows I have, but don't know what the .wbd or .wfs files are or what they do. Any pointers would be appreciated.

This is a geek rant. Yes, by writing this I am totally revealing to the world that not only do I care about the subject, but that I think enough about the topic to decide to write a rant about it. So, yes, this is a geek rant, by a geek, and will probably only be relevant to other geeks. Geeks freaking rule. It isn't any surprise that I enjoy customizing my computer. I love downloading and trying to goodies, widgets, icons, cursors and most of all visual styles. And lately I have ...