The New Apple Designed Dashboard Widgets in 10.4.4

These were very loosely touched upon during the Keynote on Tuesday, but as Steve Jobs mentioned the new update to Tiger features 4 new widgets from Apple and 4 updates to already existing Apple widgets. Here's a brief run down of them.

1. The PhoneBook widget, although not changed at all it has been renamed Business to differentiate it from the new phonebook widget entitled People.

2. New People widget, see above, searches the white pages of US phonebooks for phone numbers and addresses for private persons.

3. The Calendar widget has gotten a complete makeover, but no new functions. I think I liked the old one more.

4. "The Stocks widget", according to Apple, "can now display price graphs for a week or a month; also, font size and spacing have been adjusted."

5. New Google widget. There were already plenty, but here is one more created by Apple. Searches take you to a google web page.

6. New ESPN widget. Probably the most useful of the bunch, select a sport on the back and get live scores as well as scrolling news.

7. New Ski Report widget, works like the weather widget. Type in the ski resort on the back and get a listing of open trails, current temperature, snow amounts, and conditions. Works internationally.

8. The Address Book widget has also received a change of appearance. Now works like a search bar, type in a few letters and get a list of corresponding people/businesses. Click one and you will be taken to that particular "card". I think this is an improvement actually.

K. Panda