Yahoo has acquired software “widget” engine Konfabulator in a move to spur third-party developers to devise new applications for the Internet giant’s services. Yahoo plans to run the widgets via XML feeds.
Yahoo has acquired software “widget” engine Konfabulator in a move to spur third-party developers to devise new applications for the Internet giant’s services. Yahoo plans to run the widgets via XML feeds.
That would be great, imagin, the same widgets in Linux, Mac and Windows.
…..the same widgets in FreeBSD, Mac and Windows. Yahoo is a FreeBSD shop.
This is great news. I really enjoyed trying it out when it wasn’t free, and will now definitely be putting it on every machine I have.
Very handy tools!
Explain what is the use of Konfabulator. The Widgets either do not work (BBC and CBC tuner) or are miniscule and unreadable (Most calculators and clocks)
And now my question is, if this how this will affect Plasma?
this must be a cold shower for Plasma developers, cause now every desktop will have access to this, so the integration of Plasma in the next KDE wont be as atractive as before.
Yeah, kinda
But then again as Konfabulator is currently not available for Linux (it’s a Win2k/XP MacOSX program) surely it will encourage both KDE and GNOME to inovate and implement a cooler version.
Interestingly this is a bit difficult for Apple – Konfabulator used to be a solely Mac App – they only created the Win32 version when Apple announced widgets in OSX 10.4, so if they hadn’t have done that this takeover may not have taken place, as let’s face it – Yahoo are buying the technology to do this on Windows primarily.
You are right, but they only need to port it to X, so porting it to it would make it available in every Linux/FreeBSD even OpenSlaris desktop, and I don’t see it that hard.
the thing about Apple should have bought the technology is dead on I think. This would have made the widget feature for OS X only for at least the next 6 months, maybe longer (not counting the kinda-like-konfabulator apps like Stardocks Desktop X)
Plasma and Konfabulator don’t really do the same thing. Plasma is a replacement for the desktop, the system tray, the taskbar, the whole shebang. It’s not just floating little bits of JavaScript. It’s fully programmable (C++, Ruby, Python, and yes, JavaScript) doohickeys. Plus, if done well, Plasma will probably be less of a hack than any Linux Konfabulator. Their design docs for Plasma are all about doing things “right”. If they can stick to their principles, they shouldn’t have to worry.
I agree, but Plasma will integrated only with KDE, while this could be integrated to very X desktop, there I see its advantage.
Konfabulator compares to (super)Karamba/Gdesklets, not Plasma, which is an extension of the idea intended to be the basis next generation desktop shell for KDE (ie. all desktop widgets will be javascript driven/internet aware Konafabulator like widgets).
This does seem like a natural fit, a content provider and a cool delivery method.
I just hope they do allow third parties (and competitors) to use it also.
I wish it was google who bought them though
This is great news and a really good idea. I installed it on both computers here this morning. Obviously Google are looking down the Mozilla route and Ask Jeeves have said they’re considering that too. Yahoo are also increasing support for alternative browsers and now they adopt Konfabulator which, I’m sure, will spur Google on to doing greater things with the Mozilla platform.
Which leaves ….. MSN – late to the party again! Oh, that’s right, they’ve got the patent laden Avalon & Indigo for true multi-platform friendliness. Hoorah!!!!
What will google do….
They will acquire Kapsules (http://kapsules.shellscape.org) i bet.
or maybe they’ll acquire avedesk, samurize, dotwidget, rainmeter, @zePod or any other of the great widget engines currently availible
forgot the urls
avedesk http://www.aqua-soft.org/board/showthread.php?t=23384&page=1
samurize http://www.samurize.com/
dotwidget http://www.k23productions.com/products/dotWidget/
rainmeter http://www.ipi.fi/~rainy/index.php?pn=projects&project=rainmeter
@zPod http://lefool.chez.tiscali.fr/
more info on the skinwiki http://www.skinyourscreen.com/skinwiki/index.php/Category:Widgets and http://www.blizzle.com/
Kapsules…
….with loads of widgets available.
http://kapsules.shellscape.org/
based on .NET? (always in beta stage)…….i think i’ll pass 🙂
Yahoo are also increasing support for alternative browsers and now they adopt Konfabulator….
I disagree. Parts of Yahoo are still broken in Opera. Everything used to work fine til they started redesigning to use more CSS.
I hope the “clones” that pop-up from Yahoo’s new business strategy don’t just buy applications like Kapsules and the like.
No offense, but they’re pretty weak and don’t offer anything new or interesting.
It might lead to better applications of competitors started from scratch with their widget engines.
Wonder if there will be a linux version. Because personally some of the widget software I’ve seen for linux blows. (read gdesklets)
I use samurize [ http://www.samurize.com/ ], does the same, uses a lot less resources (4mb here) and has a great editor.
konfabulator uses only around 6MB on my machine (with about 10 widgets loaded).