Want a Wii? Try a Widget
We've wanted a Wii since before Xmas. The problem of course is locating them.
Yesterday I read a post on the Cult of Mac Blog describing a Wii Finder Widget.
From the widget creators site:
What the hell...I figured I had nothing to lose...so I downloaded it and installed it on my Mac."Stay on top of Wii inventory like never before with the Wii Finder Widget. The Wii Finder Widget, available for both the Apple OS X and Microsoft Windows XP platforms, alerts you when Wii are in stock at an online retailer so you don't to keep checking yourself. On Macs, the Wii Finder Widget runs in either Dashboard or Yahoo!'s Widget Engine. On Windows XP, the Wii Finder Widget runs only on Yahoo!'s Widget Engine."
5 minutes later I had purchased a Wii on Amazon for $249...and 5 minutes after that they were all gone.
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I use widgets often, but what really appeals to me is that idea that online retailers should have a widget creation tool on their sites. It would be great if you could go to a site, select what products you are looking for and what price you are interested in paying and poof...instant widget ready for download. Then, when what you are looking for is available, you get an instant notification. The key here is not having to spend time building something from scratch.
In fact, I would love to see a Web 2.0 company that would allow you to put in parameters of interest to you, and then build a widget on the fly. I mean really...widgets are just a collection of HTML, JavaScript, and CSS. No reason a web interface couldn't build it for you...a widget factory if you will.
Most people don't have time or the knowledge to actually build widgets, but a site that did it for you would be awesome.
Anyone know of such a tool?
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Favorite Mac Widgets
Countdown Calendar - Simple calendar countdown for a future date
iStat Pro - Monitor your system status...great for network data
Airport Radar - Look for open wi-fi networks
NextMuni - If you live in SF, this tool is great for knowing when to leave the house for the next train
TypeCast - Great tool for previewing Fonts.
What are your favorite widgets for Mac/Windows?