“In computing, widgets are components of graphical user interfaces (GUI) that the user interacts with, and also small helper-type applications.”
Got this definition from my Wikipedia widget 
which now resides on the Dashboard of my Tiger operating system. Widgets are pretty dang cool. Apple has done it again with a gimmick that’s so much fun you can’t resist playing with it. Tiger is, of course, the newest UNIX based operating system from Apple and two new features make it worth the $129 charged. (There are supposedly 200 new features. But, who’s counting?) The first feature is called “Spotlight” and allows you to sort of Google your own hard drive and find anything that’s on it. Spotlight is fast. It starts searching with the first letter you type. Searches email too. But Dashboard, the thing with the widgets is the most fun. As of today, there are about 250 to choose from. There’s even a widget to let you know when new widgets appear. Here’s how it works: click the Dashboard button and your selected widgets jump onto the screen superimposed over the desktop. Click anywhere on the desktop and they disappear. There's useful and useless widgets including one to help you keep track of French Saint's days or allows you to search the Qu'ran. 
Here’s what I’ve picked so far:
Dictionary/Thesaurus
Wikipedia—the people’s encyclopedia
Rabbit Radio—picks up NPR stations in your area, e.g. West Coast. Am listening to Prairie Home Companion as I type.
Calendar
My own Address Book
TV Tracker—shows our cable network schedule
Clocks—for as many time zones as you want
Weather—for as many cities as you have room for
A Notepad for keeping multiple entries
Timer—to see how long my laptop batter lasts
WiFi Hotspot finder
CNN RSS feed and search
RSS Feed for blogs
The Three Word Movie Review
Calculator
Hard drive space available widget
Amazon Search
I’m running out of widget room on my Dashboard. Should have got the great big screen.
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