Filed under: Software, Widget Watch, iPhone
iPhone Gridgets: Widgets for your iPhone
Did you ever want a Dashboard-like launcher for your iPhone? Gridgets is it. It's a beautifully styled application launcher from CulturedCode that works and looks very much like its inspiration. Gridgets remembers which widgets you've chosen to display between your visits. When you return, it looks exactly like you left it the last time you were there.
Currently, Gridgets includes a couple of dozen Widgets ranging from games to reference materials to a to do list to local gas prices. I find the BrickShooter game absolutely addictive and the GasApp widget is proving to be an extremely useful on-hand tool. Gridgets is simply lovely to look at. It combines lickable design with OS X-inspired ease of use to create a wonderful iPhone interaction experience.
To add widgets to your display, click the gear icon. Standard Dashboard-style closebox "X"'s appear, as does an "add more widgets" plus icon.
Clicking the plus icon allows you to choose from Gridget's generous--and growing--widget library. Selecting a widget changes each plus into a check mark. Click Done to confirm your changes. Gridgets offers three tabs: popular widgets, all, and "custom". Popular includes a small selection of items that have earned wide use. All provides the exhaustive list of available widgets. Custom allows you to enter a webpage URL and add it to your Gridget display. Developers are invited to visit the Gridgets backpages to interact with developers and submit new items.
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Reader Comments (Page 1 of 1)
AlanG said 5:01PM on 7-16-2007
How is this different than MockDock that was reported here a week ago?
http://www.tuaw.com/2007/07/09/mockdock-for-your-iphone/
I love MockDock. It gets better almost daily.
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Josh said 5:22PM on 7-16-2007
Or AppMarks, or Mojits, or Applists, or LaunchPad, or...
So many it's almost sickening. They're pretty much all the same anyway.
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loren said 6:02PM on 7-16-2007
Yeah, I'm pretty sure there's now more launchers than apps.
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YodaMac said 6:05PM on 7-16-2007
While you are correct in that there seem to be a plethora of iPhone "Apps" apps (which is a good thing!), after trying some of them out today for the first time, I notice some important (to me) differences:
Some of them don't allow you to order the icons yourself - they are simply put in order for you and you cant change it (Gridgets, MockDock, Appslist)
And some have a fairly minimal amount of Apps to choose from. And submitting an App for approval is not very immediately satisfying - and sometimes can only be done by the program's author.
So far, I'm finding Mojits to be the best all around iPhone "App" app for me. It has quite a few to choose from, and the ability to organize them how you wish. (still that darn submit thing though for new Apps...)
As for Gridgets, I like the ability to simply add in a new App's url & icon url. (although cut/paste on the iPhone would improve this tremendously) but am disappointed that you cannot re-order your Apps to suit yourself.
As long as all these folks keep improving their iPhone Apps apps, I'll hope to eventually find one that answers all my needs... until then, keep the reviews coming. Thanx.
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Ben said 6:25PM on 7-16-2007
Wow, this is the first launcher I might actually use... Good job!
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YodaMac said 6:56PM on 7-16-2007
Well, after playing with AppMarks a little more, I think that it has now "replaced" Mojits and Gridgets on my iPhone.
Not only can you re-arrange the icons like Mojits (very very important to me), but you can easily add more apps simply using their urls (like Gridgets)- and you can somewhat customize the icon if you don't like what AppMark finds. (that part could be better though)
You DO have to "sign up" for it, but I suppose that's how it remembers how you set things up. I found it easy to actually use my desktop mac to cut & paste in urls to add the Apps I needed, then when I use it on my iPhone - those apps are there! :)
Also, I have signed up for more info on LaunchPadHQ, as that appears to be one of the more professional looking iPhone App apps being worked on (due out "soon").
Thanks again for helping us sort through the vast iPhone App wilderness. :)
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bugula said 7:37AM on 7-18-2007
can someone explain to me what the point in all of these launchers even is? it's nothing more than a graphical representation of a handful of bookmarks.
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sam beckham said 12:26PM on 9-18-2007
this will clear up the bookmark v. functional icons-- http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yETCLqtSVCg
that shows you how to install the apps without the clutter.
it's excellent and looks like a screencast.
-s
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