Google Desktop Gadgets and Yahoo Widgets About desktop widgets on PCs and TVs

You may not want to open up a web browser to check the weather forecast, get Facebook notifications or see the news headlines, and there's now a simpler way to access internet content live from your desktop.

Desktop interactive mini-applications, often called widgets, sit on your PC's desktop in a movable sidebar and give access to news, weather, social networking, and photo and video sharing websites.

TV manufacturers are also starting to offer web access on LCD and plasma TVs, as computing and TV technologies converge. Panasonic, Samsung, Sony and Philips are releasing internet-capable TVs (IPTVs) that offer consumers access to news, weather, sport and social networking websites through on-screen widgets. Which? has a summary review of the emerging trend of internet-enabled TVs, featuring models from LG, Panasonic, Philips, Samsung, Sony and Toshiba.

The most widespread widget applications are predictably developed by two major search engines – Yahoo and Google. This guide shows you how to download, install and customise Yahoo Widgets and Google Desktop Gadgets.

Widgets provide an easy way to access frequently used websites, but installing too many could cause your desktop to get cluttered and slow down your computer. Read Which? reviews of more than 40 laptops and netbooks to find a model with a large screen and powerful processor.

Both Yahoo Widgets and Google Gadgets offer similar features, and the choice may depend on which company's products your prefer and use most often. If, for example, you use Google Docs, Googlemail/Gmail, and Google Calendar, then you might be better off using Google Gadgets on your desktop.