Dress up your desktop

Since it's Friday, I thought that instead of my usual set of software downloads for (somewhat) practical use, I'd dig up some mindless, fun apps to make your computer unique. If you've been reading my column for long, you know that I'm a big believer in changing the look of your computer regularly. That's why I think it's time once again to toss out your old screensavers and get something new and cool on your desktop.

Like I've said before, screensavers are a great way to express individuality at work and can be a nice diversion when you take a break. Although screensavers are technically no longer necessary, thanks to current monitor technology, they are still a cool addition. But after a while, screensavers get stale, so even if you have a good one now, you may want to check out my latest collection just to give your computer a fresh new look. Here are three great screensavers I found recently.

Distant Suns - Grand Tour 3D Screensaver offers beautiful graphics as you take a tour of our galaxy in full 3D. As you explore the planets, you can view stats about each celestial body in the upper-left corner of your screen. (Free/Windows)

Karalon Screen Saver displays animated hardware and memory stats on your screen and is perfect for any self-proclaimed gear head's desktop. A bank of speedometers shows your processor speed, RAM usage, and other stats across the bottom of your screen, while other processes are measured on a configurable background. I like this one a lot, but that might be my inner geek talking. (Shareware/Windows)

Animated 3D Museum is my favourite of the moment and lets you watch as a cute little robot walks around a museum viewing images that you configure. This cute screensaver also offers some interactivity, letting you control the robot. This one is great for showing off pictures of your family and friends in a unique environment. (Shareware/Windows)

These are my three current favourite screensavers, but I'm always looking for more. Send me your favourites so that we can all keep our desktops looking cool.