CNET Editors' review
AOL's Video Gadget streams video content directly to your desktop through the sidebar dock. The tiny screen can be enlarged to a reasonable viewing size, like most Vista gadgets, with a single click.
Like most sidebar gadgets, this one is small. But it also crams a lot of functionality into its tiny frame. There's a link to the AOL Video Web site on the top-left. On the top-right, there's an icon to e-mail the current clip to a friend and a color wheel to choose among 12 skins. Mousing over the main screen reveals a panel to pause the video, adjust and mute the volume, watch the previous clip, browse categories, and skip to the next clip. Below that is a ticker scrolling the clip name. The gadget doesn't look cluttered and the layout is pleasantly intuitive.
Each of the five video categories contains 10 clips. News and Business show a smattering of U.S. and international stories, ranging from hard stories to tech and stocks to "Tree robs bank" goofiness. Movies only shows trailers, Comedy has funny shorts, and Music plays music ads--uh, music videos. Unfortunately, you can't record or save the video, nor is the queue adjustable by the user. It's useful if you like streaming video, but there's definitely room for improvement.
Publisher's Description
From AOL:
Now you can enjoy the latest videos on the Web without having to surf the Web to find them. The AOL Video Gadget brings the freshest clips right to your desktop. From news and music videos to movie trailers and more, you'll always have our 10 latest videos in each category, constantly updated and in high quality, so you're never stuck watching choppy or out-of-date clips.
The AOL Video Gadget's sleek, user-friendly design looks good on your desktop while making it easy to find, watch and share videos. If you're hooked on the latest online videos, the AOL Video Gadget gives you a whole new way to satisfy your craving.
Version 1.0.1 may include unspecified updates, enhancements, or bug fixes.
What's new in this version: Version 1.0.1 may include unspecified updates, enhancements, or bug fixes.
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All versions:
3.4 starsout of 23 votes
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Current version:
2.8 starsout of 8 votes
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My rating:
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Results 1-5 of 5
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"I THOUGHT IT WAS GREAT GADGET, MAYBE MORE WILL BR RELEASED."
Version: AOL Video Gadget (for Vista Sidebar) 1.0.1
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"Useless, unable to download"
Version: AOL Video Gadget (for Vista Sidebar) 1.0.1
Cons
Needs debugging. Seem s to be incompatible with Windows XP
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"Good for the desktop"
Version: AOL Video Gadget (for Vista Sidebar) 1.0.1
Pros
Small and Compact Size
Cons
Only 5 Channels
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"Could not get it to install"
Version: AOL Video Gadget (for Vista Sidebar) 1.0.1
Cons
Downloaded the zip file. Tried to open it with no success. Did i do something wrong?
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"Can�t dowloaded."
Version: AOL Video Gadget (for Vista Sidebar) 1.0.1
Results 1-5 of 5
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