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Yahoo Updates Konfabulator
An anonymous reader writes "InformationWeek is reporting that Yahoo! has released a new version of Konfabulator, now rechristened 'Yahoo Widget Engine'. From the article: 'Widgets are useful to portals because they can draw users to their services directly from the desktop, without first having to launch a browser. By providing a more direct route, portals are trying to increase the use of their services, which are tied to online advertising. Yahoo rival search engine Google Inc. also offers widgets.'"
No. There are new widgets, updates to existing widgets, and engine changes. Read the version history for more details.
Bogtha Bogtha Bogtha
Well, no. But first of all... Google has widgets?
There's been a lot of widget-developer-friendly changes. See the version history for all of the 3.0 pages. The biggest change has been the introduction of a substantial number of Yahoo! related widgets. More than a few people have basically said Konfabulator/Widget Engine sold out to Yahoo, but to be honest, they're slick, useful widgets if you're the sort that depends on them.
The changes mostly have to do with an increase of speed (built-in XML parser), a better arrangement system involving frames (good things here, as opposed to in HTML) and a little smoother around the edges.
-Rob
Biblical fiscal responsibility
You're right, Konfabulator is a complete rip off of Apple's Dashboard. How dare those douche bags rip off and implement Apple's software years before Apple even get around to adding it to OSX?
In case you didn't get the hint, Konfabulator (now YWE apparently) predates Apple Dashboard. A lot.
Microsoft is also dabbling in widget's, or as they call them gadgets. There is a long video interview about the "gadgets" and their version of Dashboard.
Not to mention, there was a piece of software way back in the Windows 95 days named "Dashboard" by HP/Borland/Starfish(?) that did similar things, as well. The idea is nothing new, as the parent mentions, but you know, we all need another way to find out what the weather is outside. :)
I installed it. Maybe I'm just missing it, but the last version of Konfabulator is basically 99.9% the same as this. The tag line for this release should be:
All New! Now with Global Brand Awarness!
It seems like they walked into the Yahoo Marketing department and said "OK, Release a new version of Konfabulator. No, you don't need programmers."
There *are* some new Yahoo widgets but that's not news. Widgets are created every day.
Yawn.
Don't know if this is standard procedure, but I was pretty annoyed when, while installing the new version, there were no less then three attempts to integrate yahoo into my computer. Can't these portals release software without trying to take over your computer?
In the beginning the universe was created. This made a lot of people very angry and is widely considered as a bad move.
Google realizes this, and leaves the names be.
Yeah. Like when Google bought Keyhole and renamed it Google Earth.
FYI: You're a fanboy.
Apple's Desk Accessories (not Dashboard) came out in '84. I think that predates Konfabulator. A lot.
In case you didn't get the hint, Konfabulator (now YWE apparently) predates Apple Dashboard. A lot.
I got your hint. The problem with your argument is that Apple's Desktop Accessories pre-date Konfabulator by 21 years.
If you're going to argue history, try to have your facts straight.
-- I'm old enough to have lived through six different meanings of the word "hacker."
Yes. For Google Desktop sidebar. http://desktop.google.com/plugins/.
Carthago delenda est!
I'm a pretty serious konfabulator user, and I also write some widgets, which gives me a bit of insight into the inner workings and bugs. This is a pretty major upgrade, but mostly bug fix wise. The old 2.1.1 version was pretty buggy (javascript wise), although there were plenty of workarounds. The newer version has many less missing or incorrectly implimented javascript commands, although 2 minutes of testing revealed several major things they still havent fixed. If it were only the bug fixes, I would wholeheartedly recomend the upgrade, but as is, they added some obnoxious warning messages about using "non-yahoo supported" widgets, which discourages third party widget designers. You can't argue with free though.
I guess I am not seeing why you think Yahoo is aspiring to be OS X.
I assume of course that you know Konfabulator was released before OS X dashboard.
Having using both i prefer Konfabulator, thought that is of course a matter of preference.
And again, he probably meant to link to this one.
Uh, I was tempted to mod you down, but you DO realize that Konfabulator precedes the OS X dashboard?? There was in fact a decently big spat over whether the dashboard was a mere copy of konfabulator or not (see e.g. wikipedia)
I rather like the way it asks before running a new widget for the first time. That can help keep it from becoming another way that malware can run.
The obscure we see eventually. The completely obvious, it seems, takes longer. - Edward R. Murrow
No longer works in Windows XP X64 due to WinHTTP library. Way to go Yahoo!
Ubuntu- Linux for human beings.
It's there. Look for "Day Planner". It was formerly "PIM Overview", but they changed the name and gave it the ability to access Yahoo! Calendar information.
You might need to find a widget that's useful to you is all .. I use the word clocks all the time just because my family is scattered about the globe (got 6 in a row at the press of F12)and I need to know when is good/bad time to call them. :-)
Also find the flight tracker useful (cause I travel), and the calcutor (cause my math sucks
You should. Yahoo has refocused itself and is starting to be a serious competitor to Google. Things Yahoo has done recently:
Partnered with Six Apart to pre-install Movable Type on their small business hosting
Purchased Del.icio.us
Launched Yahoo Answers
Launched Yahoo Shoposphere
Launched a new version of Yahoo Maps
Launched Yahoo Blog Search
Launched Yahoo Podcasts
Purchased Konfabulator
Launched Yahoo My Web 2.0
Purchased Flickr.com
Yahoo will also soon be launching a new version of Yahoo Mail which will include AJAX/DHTML tech they got from their purchase of Oddpost, RSS, an API and additional design updates.
One can ask if Dashboard is a rip-off of Konfabulator and it would be a very good question. Apple swears up and down it was an independent creation...however...
"However" what? You're right, "one could ask," and the answer would be that Apple did, in fact, create widget-type applets first and independently for consumer operating systems. The year was 1982, and they were called Desktop Ornaments (later renamed Desktop Accessories) for the new Macintosh OS. As much as I used to like it despite is enormous memory footprint, I don't think Konfabulator was a gleam in Arlo Rose's eye in 1982.
I'm afraid to install it. Is it worth it? It looks like it's loaded with the typical Yahoo! superflous-ware.
I installed it because I got a message saying there was another "Konfabulator update" to my current version. I let out a small groan when I saw it had morphed into Yahoo! Widgets but so far except for seeing the Yahoo! name too may times during the install, Yahoo! is leaving me alone. Install screens now look more Corporate and less homespun Konfabulator-like but so far all my widgets still work and look the same and I haven't gotten any pop-ups, branding, or Yahoo messages.