Widget ("Gadget") Ideas and Updates

As you may have heard me make mention on the Gax Chat recently, I have been busy brushing up on my XML (among other things) for a couple of gadget ideas that I think would serve the site stupendously. First, let me give a simple explanation of what a widget (otherwise known as "gadget") is:

A Widget is a portable piece of code that performs a specific function or set of functions, usually displaying information important to the user, and usually located as a small applet on the user's desktop.

Secondly, let me list my Widget ideas (both fully fleshed out design wise by myself):

1. Game Server Monitor: This widget would serve as a window that can dynamically update server information for any game server you wish it to. Information would include server name, number of players, current map, current ping to you, etc. Initial games supported in the .8 (alpha) release will be Source (CS:S, TF2, HL2DM, etc.) and Infinity Ward (CoD4, CoD2) servers. Hopefully by beta (.9) most major current servers for FPSes, RTSes, and MMOs will be included (except those whose servers may not be queried for legal reasons). Expected bugs for alpha and beta include, but are not limited to, the widget not functioning on non-Windows platforms (the chances of this aren't huge, but aren't small either). I expect to release alpha by the second week of April, and hopefully beta soon after.

2. Gax Picks Viewer: This widget would mainly serve as a customizable RSS feed viewer for gaxonline.com. The feed would link to either the "Today on Gax" profile (my somewhat defunct podcast of Gax content) or a specially created feed/profile established for this widget. With this widget, I (or another Gax aggregator, such as user "Q"), would take our picks and place them as links into posts on "Today on Gax"'s (or some other) profile. The widget would then "harvest" the RSS feed of the profile, allowing the user of the widget to display "thumbnails" or full versions of the content linked to that profile, meaning the user of the widget would be able to browse the best of Gax directly from their desktop, and quickly remove the windows as necessary- (I imagine this could catch on as a "work-safe" version of Gax, since I won't link to "Gax Girl" or any questionable content). Expected bugs would be the same as above, since this widget will be produced in the same environment. Alpha release will be dependant on the speed of the release of Game Server Monitor, as I hope to finish that widget before this one.

I wanted to make the Games Server Monitor because after extensive searching, I couldn't find anything like it in widget-form. I do realize that the "Gax Picks Viewer" won't be anything new or original, but I do hope to build my skills by making it, and perhaps make something that fits more closely the needs of Gax users :) .


Maybe you'd like to help out with these endeavors ;) ? I'd truly appreciate it. Let's detail what I could use, based on need:
(If you want to help by submitting artwork or beta testing, please send me a message or email me: Paqman2k5@gmail.com.)

REALLY NEED:

1. Original artwork to be used as the graphical interface portion of these widgets. Both will require:
A 75x70 pixel Icon for the widget "Dock"
A Logo. (probably about 300x150, or similar size. Ratio is negotiable.)
You will be fully credited for your work, but not financially compensated (unless this turns into a profitable venture- we can work out an agreement for potential future revenue. Sorry!)

2. Willing beta testers for the following OS/Browser configurations:
(These widget are originally being designed in XML via NotePad on a WindowsXPx64 SP2 machine and FireFox 2 browser for use with Yahoo! Widgets (found at www.widgets.yahoo.com)

Windows:
Vista/IE 7
Vista/FireFox 2
XP SP2/IE 7

Mac:
OSX/Safari 2
OSX/FireFox 2

Linux:
Anybody

COULD USE:
The coding expertise of anyone who has built UPD/IP packet envelopes with XML/SOAP to submit server queries, to make sure I don't mess it up.

IT WOULD BE NICE TO HAVE:

Money to do this, lol