We're only one month into the Windows Vista Gadgets Competition on Code Project, and already developers have exceeded our expectations in finding new ways to enhance the Windows Vista Sidebar experience via Gadgets. Some of the cooler gadgets include a daily Dilbert cartoon display and a tool that places your email Inbox at your fingertips. At this point we've already received dozens of contest entries and we're expecting even bigger things to come. It's pretty easy to make a gadget if you're a professional -- or even an amateur -- developer, and prizes ranging from cash to Zune player (not to mention promotion on the Code Project site) provide good incentive to take the plunge and try your hand.
If you're interested in building an innovative creation for Windows Vista Sidebar, check out the how-to articles here. And if you want to offer your opinion on contest entries, you can join the site and post your thoughts to the forums.
Here's a sampling of who've been recognized for their creations thus far:
How to call absolutely any .NET code from your Windows Vista Sidebar Gadget.
This article will show the different capabilities of the Windows Vista sidebar, including settings, fly-outs, different states when docked and undocked, and pulling in live data feeds over the internet.
Daily Dilbert is a simple Windows Vista sidebar gadget which delivers the daily dilbert cartoon on your desktop.
(*Note that there’s already an updated, improved version of this gadget posted.)
This article shows a Windows Vista Sidebar gadget that you can use to browse the APOD site and view previews of each day's picture.
WeatherSideShow - A SideShow application that communicates with a weather Web service.
This contest runs for the next two months -- keep an eye on the entrants and their innovations!