Add A Calendar To Any Desktop Wallpaper

@krkeegan: It's a thin tree branch, actually, made thinner by compression ;)

Anyone else notice the hair in the sky at the top of the photo?

Thank You Lifehacker! I'm using it at work!

I'm familiar with Rainlender and Samurize and have used them to do a desktop calendar at home.

This solution, while requiring some effort, is perfect for *work* where I can't install anything, and the desktop background image is about the only thing I can change on the whole computer. This is honestly one of the first Lifehacker tricks that I've been able to utilize at work instead of just bookmarking it for when I get home. I can't even double-click the time to see a calendar because the Date/Time changing is locked down too.

Now I can see a calendar without pulling up Outlook. I just whack Win+D to see it, and Win+D again to pull my windows back up.

My only beef is that it doesn't have a feature for creating 12 different images all at once for each month... I manually made a few for the next 4 months and Google-Reader-starred the site for future reference.

Psonar

I used to use Active Desktop Calendar and recently switched to Rainlender2. The skins are awesome and its free.

JuniorAndTorrie

@metalmarious: If you have gimp: [www.naturfotokalender.de]

Site and interface is in German, but you can stick in English calendars.

I prefer Active Desktop Calendar. It's very customizable and I can sync the calendar and notes with outlook.

shevopato

@SnowingCookies: For those who don't want an extra program running in the background, how about that?

Many people rarely see their desktops, but still find having a desktop calendar useful, and don't want a program eating up RAM (however little/much there is).

@mricyfire: I use Rainlendar also, seems similar to iCalendar as a commenter mentioned above with additional features like events and ToDo's.

Stephanie Khuu

Rainlender2 with a little transparency works for me, plus my desktop changes at least once a week or every 5 minutes with display fusion...

mricyfire

I like the simplicity of it, very clean. I did one of surfing on the east coast of Australia and another of the Hagia Sophia in Istanbul, Turkey: [www.poweredbytofu.com]

@Phoshi: "a lot of extra customization apps" ???

What part of "just install Rainlendar" equals a lot of apps? I only see just one, Rainlendar.

Sometimes not wanting to cook but still wanting hot food means that you choose to use the microwave instead of the stove-top range. The results may be slightly different, but it sure makes arriving at your chosen destination a heck of a lot easier.

iCalendar... it's interactive too. With Events and TODO's. Seems to be perfect for me.

cgarduc

"If you're a fan of the embedded calendars you see in our Featured Desktop series but aren't into installing a lot of extra customization apps, Big Huge Labs has a tool that embeds a monthly calendar in any wallpaper image"

Couldn't you just install Rainlendar2?

RockVJ

@interficio: Indeed. Thank you.

@sharfah: 2 things wrong with it
1. its a web app, I prefer a desktop app
2. I have to do it every month

metalmarious

@sharfah: Only if you only change your desktop wallpaper 12 times a year.

Me? I'm sticking with Rainlendar.

dagwud

So I have to do this every month?

@Gonzie: The whole point of the article was for those who "aren't into installing a lot of extra customization apps".

interficio

@vinylkemist: Downloaded the image from Interfacelift and tried the upload option and it worked fine.

no thanks, got geektool for this, amongst other things

i've been using this tool for years, and have always been satisfied with the results. some of their other photo tools are quite fun as well.

I've often used Webshots to put a calendar on my desktop (and the calendar updates every day to highlight the current day) but you can't pick fonts and colors like this and ultimately, it's a pretty ugly calendar on a high-res wallpaper.

Trying to use this with a wallpaper on Interfacelift via image URL and it only generates a completely black wallpaper with the calendar on it. Doesn't seem to use the image URL.

Maybe I'm strange, but I just click on the time/date on my taskbar and call up the built in calendar...

wardawg

Desktop calender is nice, download the free version:

[tinnes.org.uk]

tonynyc

Nice, but I prefer to just use Yahoo/Konfabulator and forget about it. Still, as Psonar mentioned, this would be perfect in the office where everything but the wallpaper is locked down.

iDesire

@sharfah: You could make 12 at the same time, save them, and just switch them each month. So, in the long run, is it simpler to do this for each month, and have to redo it if you change your desktop, or to install a program that will automatically place the calendar on your desktop?

Simple, I like it. Thanks!

John's Background Switcher also incorporates this functionality, and places a calendar in your specified desktop location.
[www.johnsadventures.com]

I like the look of this - is there an application that allows greater control (3 month calendar) and such?

VanniCaeneus

@Psonar: That's a good idea you have, I mean the 12 calendar months at a time thing. I don't think they'll implement it though. I suspect they want to maximize the number of visits/clicks they get. I could be wrong but maybe that's part of their business plan. If you go for twelve months at a time, they might not see you again for a year... or they may fear such a thing.

paintbox

@RockVJ: Sorry but you need to read the article again. This is for people who don't want to have to install extra software just to have this available. The site's features are basic, true, but they're all I need. Same with other people as well.

paintbox

@metalmarious: So what if it's a web app? You don't have to live and breathe it. Just visit a few times and add some calendars for a few months in advance. Do a whole year if you want. Try out a few wallpapers per month.

paintbox

I use this and I recommended it to someone else who was just as pleased with the results. I also embedded calendars for a few months in advance. Not that I had to. I just felt like it. It's a good service.

paintbox

@outre: Neat idea... I didn't know HTML could be a desktop... is that using Active Desktop or anything special or do you just select an HTML file instead of an image?

Any templates or advice that you'd like to share? My HTML coding skill would create a pretty rough looking calendar... I googled "desktop calendar HTML" and got tons of results (mostly blocked by work)

Psonar

@krkeegan: "hair in the sky" That would make a good song title. I now challenge any Lifehacker to write the lyrics.

paintbox

Nice tool. Am now sporting a calendar on my desktop.

ElectroBoy

Now see I do something simular to that by creating an HTML document using a desktop background and then setting the HTML document as desktop.

Looks interesting, I'm definitely gonna check it out.

Ilia Draznin