• Registered: 2007-11-08
  • Posts: 4

Topic: suggest adding clock to other widgets as overlay

It is convenient to see the time and date on the chumby and it would be convenient not to have to wait for a clock to pop up.  In addition, you can't repeat a widget in the sequence. I have 3 clocks come up in between the longer running highly text oriented widgets. That way I can get the time in at least 30 seconds...which is a long time to wait.  Some widgets have the time on top of the picture and text. It would be nice to have a clock overlay that all widgets play under. In other words, display a clock (maybe 1/2 transparent?) in the corner all the time while the widgets play.

2 Reply by gsr264 (edited by gsr264 2007-11-17 23:48:40)

  • Registered: 2007-11-15
  • Posts: 25

Re: suggest adding clock to other widgets as overlay

I may be wrong(I'm much more of a usability guy than a coder) but I dont see that happening. The screen real estate is so limited as it is that taking more for a clock would be a tall order. I think ultimately having a clock around will have to be up to the individual widget designer.

The way I see it, over time the widgets will get more polished (see the Spike TV Babe-a-lizer widget) and people will take things like a visible clock into account to make each widget a bit more feature complete and less of a 'one trick pony'.

I will say I would like to see more widgets that have a digital clock, regardless how small, featured somewhere on the widget. It's a nice functional touch that adds that extra utility to the widget.

PS- Since I mentioned the Babe-a-lizer, it'd be great if more widget designers took note of its 'zoom' function. Having that included in widgets like Facebook photos, Flickr, Photobucket...etc would be GREAT and add an extra level of polish.

  • muks
  • Busy Chum
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  • Registered: 2007-11-08
  • Posts: 113

Re: suggest adding clock to other widgets as overlay

I was thinking of the same thing too. There has to be an easier way to keep the clock running more often. The night mode is good but I can teven make out the time ...too dark.

  • From: Bethesda, MD USA
  • Registered: 2007-11-15
  • Posts: 124

Re: suggest adding clock to other widgets as overlay

Meanwhile, wall clocks are dirt cheap...

  • From: san francisco, ca
  • Registered: 2007-10-25
  • Posts: 32

Re: suggest adding clock to other widgets as overlay

No... I think a semi-transparent clock, overlaying widgets, could easily work; it'd possibly have to auto-detect what the hue range on the screen is, tho, to determine what color to make the clock's letterforms.

Or actually, better, a 10-15px high bar at the bottom of the screen that's 80%-opaque black or white, with the time shown in the middle... ?? Or, this could be set by the user to display in it whatever they want; if they want to view the Flickr widget, but need a stock ticker all the time, it could show the time, and stocks. If the user is a flaky artist like me, I'd set it to show the time, date, and day of the week. Or it could show local weather, too. So I guess, this would be a sub-widget of sorts... that would be shown atop whatever the set-widget is (if that makes any sense).

Alternately: what about enabling the user to set parameters for the top-button. Click-once= x, click-twice=y, etc. One click could show a clock for 4 seconds... 2, the control pannel.

ninavizz's Website

  • Registered: 2007-11-21
  • Posts: 9

Re: suggest adding clock to other widgets as overlay

I like the idea of an overlay clock.

What I've done is interspace every widget with a clock widget for 15 seconds.  That way I don't have to look at the chumby long before it shows me the time.