Displaying Web Content on Your Desktop
The desktop background isn't limited to static images; you can embed a browser window in your desktop to display self-updating web information such as weather reports, stock prices, and news (Figure 4.8 ). An always-on internet connection such as DSL or cable works best, but a regular dial-up modem works too, in a creaky sort of way.
Figure 4.8. Some stock quotes, sports scores, and a weather map on the desktop.
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1. Choose Start > Control Panel > Appearance and Themes > Display > Desktop tab > Customize Desktop > Web tab (Figure 4.9 ).
Figure 4.9. Use the Web tab to display web pages on your desktop.

Figure 4.10. The live content's source can be a web page, local file, or network file.

Figure 4.11. This Microsoft web page contains live content designed especially for desktop display, including an investor ticker and weather map. Click Add to Active Desktop to add a particular item; then click Yes to confirm.
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Figure 4.12. Click OK to accept the vendor's default update schedule. Click Customize to start the Offline Favorite Wizard and specify your own schedule for updating content.

Wallpaper Image Formats
Any image to be used as wallpaper must be in one of these formats:.BMP or .DIB (Windows Bitmap).JPEG or .JPG (Joint Photographic Experts Group).GIF (Graphics Interchange Format, also called the CompuServe graphics format).PNG (Portable Network Graphics).HTM or .HTML (Hypertext Markup Language)
<238 is the language used to code web pages. Custom-design the l file to fit your screen, because it won't have scroll bars and its text and links will have to contend with desktop icons. Position options aren't offered fo240 backgrounds; a236 file always will display as full-screen and centered.A wallpaper graphic can be any size on disk; the file-size limit of earlier Windows versions doesn't apply to XP.To delete a web-content item:
1. Right-click an empty area on the desktop; then choose Properties > Desktop tab > Customize Desktop > Web tab.2. Select the item that you want to delete; then click Delete.
Tips

Figure 4.13. You can drag a web page onto your desktop directly from your browser.

1. Right-click an empty area on the desktop; then choose Arrange Icons By > Lock Web Items on Desktop.If this box is checked, uncheck it. Now you can modify web content.2. Point to the item's top edge until a border pops up from that edge (Figure 4.14 ).
Figure 4.14. Web-content items are displayed as (slightly nonstandard) windows.
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Figure 4.15. You can move, resize, close, or maximize (but not minimize) web-content windows. The Full Screen button becomes the Restore button when the window is maximized.

Tip

Figure 4.16. Check the items that you want to update (synchronize).

To display a web-content item's properties: Point to the item's top edge until a border pops up from that edge; click the down arrow in the top-left corner; then click Properties.or Right-click an empty area on the desktop; choose Properties > Desktop tab > Customize Desktop > Web tab; select an item; then click Properties.or Choose Start > All Programs > Accessories > Synchronize; select an item; then click Properties.
To change a web-content item's update schedule:
1. Display the item's properties.2. On the Schedule tab, set the item's update schedule (Figure 4.17 ).
Figure 4.17. You can specify that updates occur manually or automatically and add, edit, or delete automatic schedules. Your computer can connect automatically at the times set for updating.

Tips

Figure 4.18. Unchecking this box hides the web document's summary information and suppresses the Schedule and Download tabs.
