It's unfortunate that occasionally we have to be the bearer of bad news. BoXXi, one of our most talented skinners will be leaving the scene for a while. I'm sure he would have prefered a quiet exit but that would be a waste. It's hard to believe that he'd not even used a PC until a couple of years ago. Since then his work has consistently shone (https://www.wincustomize.com/skins.asp?AuthorID=194), including winning the DBS competition. I have only recently got to know BoXXi, bu...

I've noticed a continuing trend to make DesktopX themes for a variety of resolutions. I understand the inclination to do this, it appears easier to just switch resolution, move some objects and resave. However, it is in fact a poor long term strategy if you intend to improve and update your theme. Think about it - every time you tweak the theme you need to do it several times, at each resolution! DesktopX provides functionality to allow to to scale objects relative to the screen...

The Force is evidently still strong with the Star Wars legacy - Jedi is the chosen "religion" for thousands of people in Britain, according to newly released census results. The 2001 census reveals that 390,000 people across England and Wales are devoted followers of the Jedi "faith" made famous by the blockbuster films. Could Yoda appear on R4's Thought for the Day? Census officials bowed to pressure after a massive internet campaign to include Jedi on the list of chosen reli...

Games on DX? Why not! The new features of DesktopX really allow huge potential in this area, and I don't just mean embedding a Flash game on your desktop. Just uploaded is a take on the simple game where the computer displays a sequence then you have to repeat it. The sequences get longer. Just go on as long as you can! You can find this game here: https://www.wincustomize.com/skins.asp?library=3&SkinID=2728

Scripting may seem daunting if you need to tweak something to your needs in DesktopX. Yesterday, I received an email from Marcel Wijnberger in the Netherlands saying he wanted a Dutch newsfeed. Despite almost no scripting experienceHe decided to experiment and almost immediately it worked. Why? XML. The structure of XML means that script based on XML is very transferable. To quote: "I just changed the url ... and to my total surprise: it works !!!!!! I have now a tickertape with the...

The curse of Web services has struck. The service used by many of the DesktopX weather objects, and some meters appears to have died. The weather objects have now been updated and the meters will be soon. As such, please update any weather objects you have to avoid problems. DX2 Weather ( https://www.wincustomize.com/skins.asp?library=3&skinid=2725 ) DX2 Weather (Animated) ( https://www.wincustomize.com/skins.asp?library=3&skinid=2828 ) Mattahan Weather ( https://...

Your PCs cache is usually a good thing, but where DX objects using XML feeds are concerned it can be a pain. The reason for this is that most users don't set their PC to check for a new page each time, but rather reload from the cache, especially if it's the same day. Fortunately there is a solution! The logical solution is that you ensure that the DX object checks for a new page every time. The best way to do this is to actually send the user to a different page every time....

DesktopX Pro allows you to share the power of DesktopX with your friends and family. DualZones is an example for those who need to work across two locations. It provides time and weather information for both locations. Click a location to set it, and click the top right temperature to toggle Celsius and Fahrenheit. The DesktopX version is available here ( https://www.wincustomize.com/skins.asp?library=3&SkinID=3153 ), and a stand alone EXE is available for those who want to shar...

Boring Buttons "I've upgraded my Windows 2000 Professional installation to Windows XP Professional, but I can't see the new XP style of buttons and so on. I still get the same flat Windows 2000 look, though my Start button menu layout has changed. Did I miss an option when I ran the upgrade, and do you have any recommendations as to how best customise the default setup of Windows XP, as while I quite like the new look-and-feel I think it could stand some improvement." No, you...

I frequently get asked questions by International users regarding DesktopX often in their native language. Now, I'm OK with a few but it's obviously that it's not easy for those who's native language is not England to understand the manuals. If anyone is willing to undertake a translation of the DesktopX manuals into other languages, a years Object Desktop subscription/extension is on offer. If you are interested mail me directly (martin@stardock.com) rather than replying here and ...

Because DesktopX is capable of so many things, it is impossible to provide step by step instructions in the Guides how to achieve all you may want to achieve in DesktopX. The aim of these "Interviews" is to provide instructions on how to achieve certain things in a fun way, and introduce those that are maybe a little less familiar with developing using DesktopX to some of the techniques than can be used.

A new object to introduce users to DesktopX is now available. Whilst obviously we recommend that you actually read the main documentation to maximise your enjoyment of DesktopX this will provide a few tips and tricks to get you started.

Two new DesktopX Interviews are available that discuss the creation of 'dials' and 'faders'. You can get to them via the DesktopX Resources page.

DesktopX is an amazing tool. For $20 you get software that can do pretty much anything on your desktop. DesktopX is NOT just eye candy, it can be an awesome productivity tool. The problem is that it's just not as popular as it should be. The main issue is the lack of really useful objects. There is some real creative talent out there and a few developers really push the boundary, but personally I get a little depressed when every other object uploaded is a clock, calendar or weather o...

Have you ever run an application and wishes it looked differently? Have you ever wished that you could lock down features of an application? Have you every tried DesktopX? DesktopX has the power to hook into applications and change how they work and look. Using it's access to the exposed object models of applications, DesktopX can interact with your favorite applications. This allows to to readically transform the look and feel of applications whilst also controlling which feature...