Ken Leebow turned me on to Konfabulator and I’m very impressed. Konfabulator is the fabulous program with the funny name that basically powers any number of desktop widgets. Everything from analog clocks, to sports/stock tickers to phases of the moon are all possible with Konfabulator. If you’re the type that downloads a ton of freeware/shareware in the ever-increasing effort to tweak your desktop experience, this is the software for you.

I have a bit of a Mac-envy, so playing with software originally designed on and for Mac OS X is a bit of a thrill. While the widgets are running I can almost convince myself I’m on a Mac. OS X Tiger’s Dashboard feature seems remarkably similar to Konfabulator’s widgets paradigm, so with all the talk online this week about OS X Tiger, this is my small fix before I buy the Mac mini. I’m not 100% sure this will be my next technology purchase, but some form of Apple computer will be my next home computing mainstay. Our iPod was just the beginning of our Apple love affair.

Prior to any Mac-purchasing, however, are two more pressing high-tech buys: a new digital camera and a new cell phone. We’re leaning toward the Nikon Coolpix 7900 as a replacement for our aging, slow-lens-having, battery-eating Minolta DiMage F100. We’ll be giving up some manual controls, but gaining better battery life, much better flash performance, smaller size and 7 megapixels. I can’t argue with a litany of improved features, plus we need quick startup and shot-to-shot speeds to keep pace with the demands of our 2-year-old primary subject.

Any technology that allows for cuter pictures of Raelyn is a no-brainer.

Lastly, I need a phone. Not because my current phone is terrible, but because I’d like to have the latest and greatest gadget I can get in my greedy little hands. My wish-list:

I want email capability.
I want to be able to record and playback video.
I want a PDA.
I want bluetooth.
I want the Treo 650.

My dad currently has this phone and I’m incredibly covetous. As an added bonus, it takes secure digital memory, the same format used by our existing and potential digital cameras and our video camera. With the portable memory, the Treo could even double as an iPod replacement for me. The one problem is the $500 MSRP that only drops to $400 with a 2-year contract from Cingular. Not exactly cheap. In fact the Mac mini is the same price. Go figure.

So even if I don’t purchase any new “stuff” in the coming months, I still have my bright, shiny Konfabulator to hold my attention. Who knows, maybe I’ll even develop my own widget to help me overcome my never-ending need for bigger, better electronics.

Watch this space for details