I've been using Windows Vista for a while now, and have become increasingly attached to the Windows Sidebar (it sits on the right hand side of the screen, and contains little tools and basic applications). Until yesterday, my Sidebar consisted of the following things:
On Wednesday, when I visited Long Eaton school, Alan Richards mentioned the "Say It" gadget, which converts text to speech. And he talked about a teacher who'd simply typed in "Come on. Settle down class" into the gadget, and just kept hitting Enter until they did. Okay, it's a whimsical way to solve the historical issue of teachers and sore throats, but it made me smile. So now I've got the gadget sitting on my Sidebar. I think I'm going to annoy some colleagues....
Get the gadget here
I'm the author of the "Say It!" gadget. A friend sent me a link to this post. I've received so many positive comments/emails about this silly little gadget. I'm glad to hear that people are enjoying it.