Microsoft finds new use for screensavers | Hacker News Reader

Microsoft finds new use for screensavers

apcmag.com

10 pointsbaha_man12 comments

My wife's screensaver looks for photos on her drive and puts them on the screen, each for 10 or 15 seconds. She's found several photos she'd forgotten and realised she wanted in this way.

Very useful - could be made more "intelligent" about it all.

Isn't this a bit of a security risk, though? What if there were pictures on your drive you didn't want other people to know about, just to have it displayed for the world to see?

They're not productizing this any time soon. Read up on Gordon Bell and the MyLifeBits project.

I wouldn't imagine Microsoft would charge for this themselves.

But software that reminds you of things for senimental life-lookback type stuff definitely has its niche.

Imagine if your computer reminded you that you created ${my_first_game}_core.h on a specific date?

But software that reminds you of things for senimental life-lookback type stuff definitely has its niche.

Absolutely. I'm sad this won't be productized soon (or ever.)

Discussions about Microsoft tend to go a particular direction. I simply wanted to temper any Microsoft-will-by-default-show-my-kids-the-porn-I've-watched witch burning.

I think this is more for personal use (at home) and if you use it at a office, you must be certain that you dont have anything non safe for work :)

And at home you must be certain that you don't have anything non safe for wife.

The Google Desktop Sidebar has a little picture slideshow that shows random pictures from any where on your machine, or from folders you select. You can disallow certain folders, too, if you have images you'd rather not have showing up on your Desktop. I like it for the same reasons; it brings up images and entire vacations I hadn't thought of in a long time.

I'm sure other people have made random images screensavers, haven't they? It doesn't seem like a new idea.

glSlideshow has been in xscreensaver since 2003. And some of its hacks have been able to use a directory of images when they need a source for a lot longer.

I see some kid finding his dad's porn collection through this screensaver.

TrueCrypt

Apple TV does this while listening to music. Its great seeing 20 random pictures flying around on the screen at once.

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