Author Topic: "Mail and/or RSS reader" screensaver? (Read 25636 times)

Amadawn · « **on:** January 30, 2006, 08:03 PM »

Hi,

I've been looking for a screen saver that would be able to connect to my mailbox (Outlook Exchange) and perhaps tell me if I have some new mail on it. I'd also like one that could show RSS feeds and one that could show a clock/calendar. Hopefully free/donationware, so that I can test it before. Does someone know about such a program?

Thanks in advance!

Amadawn

mouser · « **Reply #1 on:** January 30, 2006, 08:04 PM »

id like to know an rss screensaver as well, looking forward to the replies.

allen · « **Reply #2 on:** January 30, 2006, 08:55 PM »

http://rssmore.com/
http://www.nuparadig...Toys/RssScreensaver/
http://www.cool-scre...rs.com/onlinews.html

I haven't tried any of them, yet -- rssmore looks the most promising to me, though.

Amadawn · « **Reply #3 on:** January 30, 2006, 09:33 PM »

Thanks allen.

I tried nuparadigm in the past but it did not work for me because I am behind a firewall. I'll check if the others work! Thanks!

Angel

hamradio · « **Reply #4 on:** January 30, 2006, 09:46 PM »

In vb.net express 2005 their is a starter kit screensaver and it looks like it has the ability for rss feeds...havent tried it out tho.

hamradio · « **Reply #5 on:** January 31, 2006, 12:00 AM »

Okay tried it out it appears to do ok for some feeds. I might work on doing some stuff to it later on will just have to see.

tinyvillager · « **Reply #6 on:** January 31, 2006, 01:22 AM »

You need MSN Desktop search to use it but...

http://screensaver.msn.com/

With the new MSN Screen Saver (Beta) you can:
Personalize with background photos and news and weather information from MSN® or any RSS feeds from websites you choose.
Search the Web and click news headlines directly from the Screen Saver.
Stay connected with MSN Hotmail®, MSN Messenger, and MSN Spaces. Track how many unread Hotmail messages and current Messenger conversations you have, and display blogs and photos from your friends’ MSN Spaces.

Actually if you read the bottom of the page it states you don't need the Toolbar,i don't know

Updated in previous releases
The MSN Search Toolbar is now optional (v1.0.0810)
Some weather update and zip code issues resolved (v1.0.0810)
Improved help pages (v1.0.0810)

allen · « **Reply #7 on:** February 02, 2006, 11:12 AM »

RSSmore has its shortcomings, it's young -- but it does a decent job with most feeds. It's donation-ware, too

m_s · « **Reply #8 on:** February 02, 2006, 01:18 PM »

I tried the MSN one, and actually it's quite nice, and you don't need the Toolbar anymore either. If only you could have it check gmail instead of hotmail...

Amadawn · « **Reply #9 on:** February 02, 2006, 04:57 PM »

I tried the MSN one, and actually it's quite nice, and you don't need the Toolbar anymore either. If only you could have it check gmail instead of hotmail...
-m_s (February 02, 2006, 01:18 PM)

I think that it is possible to set an RSS feed to your Gmail account...

Angel

allen · « **Reply #10 on:** February 02, 2006, 05:45 PM »

Gmail does have an RSS feed--as long as the screensaver supports SSL/authenticated feeds. There's a good chance the reader, in most cases, is using MSIE's rendering engine and xslt to grab/show the data -- so as long as you're logged into gmail in IE, the reader should be able to grab the gmail feed.

nudone · « **Reply #11 on:** February 11, 2006, 08:03 PM »

I'd also like one that could show RSS feeds and one that could show a clock/calendar.

samurize is free http://www.samurize.com and will do a million and one things thanks to all the people writing plugins for it. there is an RSS plugin for it called RSS-Samurize which i've been playing around with for the last 5 minutes.

i've got donationcoder and digg RSS feeds coming up at present.

you could create a samurize screensaver that displayed RSS feeds, a clock, a calendar and several other meters or bits of information or even images. okay, it's not a click, click, done type of solution but if you want customisation then it's worth spending a few minutes or an hour or a day with samurize.

nudone · « **Reply #12 on:** February 12, 2006, 05:28 AM »

okay, this isn't the most sophisticated screensaver ever but it didn't take long to create - it's just an example of what you can do with samurize.

i'll probably upload a final version when i've finished adding calendars and other meters - not entirely sure what samurize can do with the screensaver functions but it's got options for bump mapping and other crazy stuff.

mouser · « **Reply #13 on:** February 12, 2006, 06:00 AM »

that is pretty cool nudone!
looking forward to downloading it when you get it done.

jgpaiva · « **Reply #14 on:** February 12, 2006, 06:02 AM »

I like the idea of putting cody the bird next to the rss feed!
Impatientlly waiting for that screensaver, nunone

nudone · « **Reply #15 on:** February 12, 2006, 06:12 AM »

i better get on with it then - i was getting side-tracked again.

just to clarify: you'll have to install samurize before you can use the screensaver. i'll try to include a quick setup guide later...

mouser · « **Reply #16 on:** February 12, 2006, 06:40 AM »

I like the idea of putting cody the bird next to the rss feed!

agree - that's the best part

nudone · « **Reply #17 on:** February 12, 2006, 01:40 PM »

download and install samurize (i've used the default paths and settings)

locate the folder that you've installed samurize to i.e. C:\Program Files\Samurize

extract the contents of the 'samurize stuff v2' archive into the Samurize program folder mentioned above. this will add various configs, scripts, plugins and images that i've used.

(please be aware that i would like to have credited the authors that wrote the scripts and plugins but as the Samurize homepage doesn't appear to have a search function i can't find who the authors are. i couldn't even download 'fuzzy clock', it's just something i've had for a few months so i already used it. if i can i'll try to update this with all the appropriate details at some point - hopefully with a better screensaver.)

now run 'samurize' if you haven't already started it.

from the system tray you can load in a config file, try 'RSS Desktop.ini' this will place a small rectangle on your desktop with the DonationCoder RSS feed inside it - double click on it to open up the related webpage (i've actually made it link to 'unread posts').

now for the RSS screensaver:

open 'display properties' and then the 'screen saver' tab.

choose 'samurize' from the drop down list.

click the 'settings' button - the 'samurize screensaver settings' dialog will appear.

click the 'edit' button and choose the 'RSS Screensaver.ini' or 'RSS Screensaver DC.ini' then click 'okay'.

try a preview if you wish to test if things are working.

i'd recommend adjusting the timings to your requirements - i think the screensaver moves to a random location every 30 seconds at present.

to edit the samurize screensaver or other configs, you can right click on the 'samurize' icon in the system tray and select 'Edit config file...'

if it's your first time with samurize it probably won't make a lot of sense within the editor but it's simple enough to learn through trial and error - just keep plenty of backups.

now, this is a bit of a mess i admit, i got an error whilst trying this method out on a fresh install of samurize and yet everything worked perfectly the second time i selected the 'RSS screensaver.ini'.

i hope this, at least, provides a bit of stimulation and entices you into trying more configurations with samurize. i haven't really scratched the surface in demonstrating what samurize can do(maybe i've slightly tickled it with a soft downy feather from one of cody's more intimate parts.)

i'd love to say more but there's a whole website and forum dedicated to Samurize so i suggest that anyone interested goes there.
Samurize news: http://www.samurize.com/modules/news/
Samurize forum: http://www.samurize.com/modules/ipboard/

i'll probably make another screensaver (or several) when i have time, so i'll make another post if i do.

(edit: i've changed the original zip file to 'samurize stuff v2' which should now have a 15 minute frequency for RSS feed checking.)

mouser · « **Reply #18 on:** February 12, 2006, 02:15 PM »

works great here!!
yes i got same error on first use and not after that.

One thing - its set to update the RSS feed every 100 seconds - that's really pretty high and could be a drain on the server if everyone leaves it at that. can i suggest that future versions set default poll rate to once every 5 or 15 minutes?

mouser · « **Reply #19 on:** February 12, 2006, 02:16 PM »

beautiful work nudone!
a must have accessory for hardcore dc'ers.

ps.
you can use the bigger screensaver ini for the desktop too right?

nudone · « **Reply #20 on:** February 12, 2006, 03:30 PM »

sorry about the 100 seconds update - i think i must have overlooked that when testing if it worked from a fresh install - i'm 99.9% sure that i wouldn't have set it to update as frequently as that. i'll check in a minute - but there are a few things that update at different time intervals - i thought i put 300,000 ms or something for the RSS update (i.e check once every five minutes) maybe it doesn't save that information in the configs????

the RSS screensavers are just samurize configs so they can be used as desktop items too - i was hoping these would just serve as an example that it could be done. i didn't go to great lengths with the calendar version as i'm sure everyone has their own requirements for this sort of thing - again, there are just too many things you can do with samurize.

i apologise for the 100 seconds mistake anyway, i'm now going to check it out.

nudone · « **Reply #21 on:** February 12, 2006, 03:34 PM »

whoops. looks like i just neglected that 100 seconds update part - maybe i had it set differently in another config when i was messing around.

i've removed the original archive and uploaded a new zip file 'samurize stuff v2' that should have a 15 minute interval between checking the RSS feed. see above for the link.