Widgets on Windows!

Silly, not your house or vehicle windows -- I'm talking your desktop or laptop with Windows OS!

[Text was added to the image above; image itself was found here.]

I mentioned Rainlendar in a previous post, and I'm still using it to this day... but I wanted to find something a bit more, shall we say, up-to-date?  Rainlendar has been the exact same since I started using it in 2004 to help me organize my college work schedule.

I need something more for 2026.

I need something more for 2026, like an in-my-face reminder.

I need something more for 2026, like an in-my-face reminder that can work in tandem with Rainlendar.

So I scoured the Microsoft Store to find things that might be helpful (and free).  That's my goal: Free.  If you see a link that's been crossed through, it means it is most definitely not free, so you can skip that if you want to!

Desktop Widget Tools: Custom Calendar and Clock by Lavita Labs LLP seemed promising!  Marketed as "Free" I soon found out that it really wasn't.  If you're looking for free, don't bother with this one -- it's a gotcha app that wants your information for a free three-day attempt to lure you in.  Their Personal Digital Journal: Note Taker is also something that could have worked for me, but it is also marketed as free ...but is definitely not.

The Custom Desktop Widgets - Full Personalization app by Exceed Technologies LLC? Paywall.

What about Smart Widgets - Customizable Widgets by Smart Utilities? Sloppy seconds if you don't pay for anything, and I couldn't even alter the weather widget for my current position.

What about BeWidgets by BeXCool?  Well.  You can use a "free" selection, but in my opinion it's not worth bothering with....

Widgets - Desktop Gadgets by Retro Gameplay is decent, free, and ...very simplistic.  I still haven't figured out how to adjust the weather widget.

What about Desktop Gadgets by Chan Software Solutions? Nothing to write home about -- if you want a large clock on your desktop, this is perfect.  Weather?  No.  They also have Widget Launcher -- if you're interested in a five-day weather forecast widget, this is definitely one to look at for a freebie. (I'm keeping it just for the weather.) 

12Gadgets - tools for your desktop by 12g Inc. has a few decent freebies, but they are also very simplistic; if you want anything worthwhile, you have to pay for it.

What about Widget Pro by Good2Create?  As far as freebies, it's not a bad selection - the pro plan has a lot more to offer, but I'm just not willing to pay for things I can easily get by using the laptop itself (brightness of screen, volume, a clock to show time [I can see the time in the bottom right corner])....

The Widgets Box - Modern Widget Collection by EvlarSoft LLC has both a free plan and a pro (paid) plan available -- with a complimentary 10-day trial period for said pro plan, no credit card required.  Hard pass -- I'm not going to try anything I'm not willing to purchase.  Freebies aren't bad, but they aren't exactly good.

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Because I'm running on Windows 11, I do have an open option to use the laptop's widget function that has a large selection of features that I don't actually use -- it does have weather available for your area (okay, I don't really need the Widget Launcher application if I'm willing to open the Windows widget bar), and, because I recently added it to my meager amount of listening pleasures, it also has a Spotify widget so I don't have to bother with opening the actual program.

If you like keeping track of stocks or traffic or sports or whatever, they have those as well.  I'm not into that sort of thing, it's not something I bother with in life.

But there are, apparently add-ons.

WorkingHours: Time Tracking, Hours Tracker, Timesheet by T. Parti seems reasonable... but it isn't free immediately, therefore I cannot see it as a good thing or a bad thing... and because I don't want to get attached to it, I'm not going to even try it. (I know, I'm so wrong for not trying it when the pro plan is a one-time payment and not a monthly subscription like everything else I've already shown you... but eh.)

Pretty much almost everything else you can add ...you have to pay for, and I've come to the conclusion that there is nothing that will outpace Rainlendar.

Long may it reign.

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If you're looking at something to help you with your collection of PC games through Epic, Steam, Xbox, EAA, Origin, GOG, Ubisoft, Battle.net, and more... there's a widget for that as well -- One Game Launcher by Alex Shats!  I wasn't really looking for something to sort my PC games, but I'm glad I found it.  Hopefully it will come in handy for some of you, too.

Happy accident!

-- Mathie Tremas.

PS: Donations help me pay bills. <3

Also, who can I speak with through Microsoft to get them to not allow "Free" on third-party programs when they are CLEARLY a specific number of days free with a credit card attached to the trial period for a continued monthly subscription?  False advertisement is not cool.