Apple Hunts 'Tiger' Widget Designers

In an effort to build up its Widget repertoire before Mac OS X 10.4 makes its official debut next year, Apple is holding a contest to attract would-be designers. Widgets are small applications such as clocks or calculators based on standard JavaScript and HTML, which will run within Apple's Dashboard, a new feature of its forthcoming operating system upgrade, code-named Tiger. The Dashboard appears as a transparent layer over the desktop at the click of a key.

Only members of Apple's Developer Connection network with access to Tiger beta builds are eligible to join the contest. Widgets will be judged on technical excellence, innovation and ease of use, according to the official rules. Contest submissions will be accepted until January 5, with the winner receiving a 40GB iPod.