Desktop News Created using Geektool and BBC RSS Feeds

A hassle free way to read the headlines

Geektool is an application for Mac OS X that allows you to display images or text on top of your desktop wallpaper. There's a wide range of possible uses for Geektool, from displaying system information to the weather. I use it combined with a custom made wallpaper to display three BBC News RSS feeds on my desktop, from left to right: World News, UK News, Technology News. Other RSS feeds could also be used by changing the URL element of the script.

To setup the news feeds

  1. Download the Geektool app (available from the developer's site) and the news scripts from further down this page

  2. Launch the Geektool app and check the "Enable" tick box

  3. Drag a new shell Geeklet from the Geektool window to your desktop

  4. With the empty geeklet selected, click the elipsis icon next to the "Command" section in the Properties window

  5. Open the news script you'd like to use, copy and paste the text into the "Edit Script" box and save once done

  6. Repeat for additional news feeds. Adjust the font, colour and refresh time to suit your preferences


Downloads

A zip file containing the three news scripts is available to download by clicking here.
The custom wallpaper is available to download by clicking here or as a less vignetted version by clicking here.

These scripts are provided as-is, please use at your own risk.

about

I have a keen and wide ranging passion for design, from traditional elements such as page layout and typography to newer aspects of design, such as Graphical User Interfaces, which often overlap with my interest in technology. The little details fascinate me;
a trait which has helped shape my precise approach to design. Whilst primarily a designer, my enjoyment of creating things extends to other creative outlets such as photography and drawing.

Chris studied Graphic Communication at Loughborough University, graduating in 2012.

contact

Email: chris@chris-mclean.com

Phone: 07940 733833

All Content © Chris McLean