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Ah, good old Dashboard. This feature of OS X is usually the most loved or most unknown part of the operating system for most users. Dashboard has a nearly limitless amount of uses. Some widgets are for fun, like hangman or Texas Hold'em Poker. Widgets can also help increase your productivity. Today, I am going to focus on some Dashboard widgets which can help increase productivity.

Widgets are great because they only require a button push to open. Web searching or specific internet tasks can be sped up greatly with the help of widgets. Here are 10 great widgets with a short description as to why it is helpful.


1. Dictionary - I use this widget all the time. Great when reading a homework assignment which uses scientific words which you might not know the meaning of. This widget also comes in handy when writing a paper. It has a build in thesaurus in case you can't quiet decide which word you want to use to describe what you are feeling. This widget comes built into OS X.




2. Calculator - Don't dig around your computer desk for that old solar-powered calculator. Use the calculator widget. This widget also comes standard with OS X.








3. Business - Do you often find yourself searching through the Yellow Pages? This handy widget will find any business you want. Just enter in what you are looking for and you will receive a number and address in no time. This also comes standard with OS X.


4. People - Pretty much the same concept as the Business widget. This works great when mailing party invitations. Don't search through the phone book for each name. Just type in the first and last name of the person you want and search. This widget comes standard with OS X.


5. CallWave Text Messaging - Send text messages for free to any cell-phone in the U.S. or Canada. This is great if you want to send someone a quick message, but you don't want go find your cell-phone. It also works with Address Book so that any name and number you have in that program is easily selectable. This widget can be found here.


6. Gas Price Finder - Need gas? Check the prices of all local gas stations before you head out. Could easily help you save a couple cents per gallon every time you fill up. This widget can be found here.


7. Google 2 in 1 - The ultimate Google addition to your Dashboard. This widget has a lot more features than the standard OS X widget. You have the ability to search maps, images, froogle, video services from Google. It also gives the recent news stories below the search bar. This monster search widget can be found here.


8. iStat Pro - Want to know how your Mac is running? Check out this widget with an impressive feature set. Check out your disk space, memory info, and the temperature of your system with this sweet widget. Extremely customizable. This widget can be found here.


9. Translator - I am currently in my second semester of Japanese. This widget is very useful when I need to find a word to use in an assignment. Translates into 13 different languages. Very helpful for anyone foreign language student. This widget comes standard with OS X.


10. Digg RSS Widget - Great if you like keeping up with tech news like I do. This widget checks the Digg.com RSS feed and gives you all the top stories through your Dashboard. Click on any story subject and a link to the story is immediately opened in your browser. This great widget can be found here.



I hope everyone finds these widgets useful. Obviously, this is is only a small list which contains some of the best widgets OS X has to offer. For more great widgets, check out Apple's website here. Feel free to tell me about your favorite widget by e-mailing me at TeenageFanboy@gmail.com or by leaving a comment.