We’ve already touched upon some of the best plasma widgets that are out there for KDE. While those may be enough to make your GNOME-loving friends jealous, it sounds much more fun when you get to brag about them on social media and IM. And, even though there are many apps that let you do that, nothing beats updating your social networks right from your main desktop. So, if you’re looking to add a social twist to KDE, read on as we list some social plasma widgets ( or plasmoids ) you can fill your desktop with.
Facebook Widget: Specially designed for Facebook junkies, this widget allows you to check your FB timeline, update your status, accept/reject friend requests and more right from your desktop. Though the widget simply shows the mobile version of Facebook, it does look good on the desktop, especially besides the RTM widget.
Google Plus: This next widget brings Google+, the fastest growing social network to your desktop. Although the plasmoid simply fits G+’s mobile version into a widget, I have to say that it works pretty well. Also, the widget, once installed, doesn’t look out-of-place, and blends in nicely with rest of the desktop.
FB Notifier: FB Notifier is a simple widget for KDE that displays the number of unread Facebook notifications. Though you can drop the little plasmoid anywhere on your desktop, the best place to install it is in your system tray. Once added, FB Notifier will show up as a Facebook icon along with a number representing the unread notification count. Clicking on the icon reveals a detailed list of the notifications. Worth installing if you hate opening up Facebook just for checking notifications.
Hyves Widget: This plasmoid brings Hyves, the popular Dutch social network to your KDE. Though I haven’t tested it myself, it does look quite good. Also, it might be helpful for Dutch users, who, according to the developer, use Hyves more than Facebook.
PidginPlasmoid: A port of the Pidgin screenlet, this plasmoid shows your Pidgin contacts on your KDE desktop. Though in its nascent stages, the widget does work pretty well. However, don’t expect it do anything more than displaying your contacts. The widget simply shows a neat list (thumbnails included) of your contacts so that you won’t have to open Pidgin every time just to see who’s online and who’s not.
Microblogging Widget: If you’ve used KDE, you must already be knowing about this widget. Once added, it will let you update your Twitter and Status.net status from your desktop. Since it has been around for a long time, it’s also the most stable and mature widget of this list.
Community: This plasmoid lets you connect with other Opendesktop users nearby. If you’re not a Opendesktop user, you can sign up for the service right from the widget. Though not as popular as the other social widgets, it’s pretty stable and mature for daily use.
How to install these widgets?
To download any of the aforementioned plasmoids, just right-click on the desktop or panel and select the option that says ‘Add New Widget’. Then, click on the ‘Get New Widgets’ button and select the option ‘Download New Plasma Widgets’. Next, a new window will pop up. In the search box, just type the name of the plasmoid you want to install and it will show up in the results. Once you install it, just go to the Add New Widget menu again and look for the plasmoid you just installed.
Connect with Techlaze
Talking of social media, if you like our site, do make sure you circle us on G+ and give us a little thumbs up on our Facebook page.
About Tech Laze
Pingback: Links 14/12/2011: KahelOS, Fujitsu Linux Phones | Techrights