Tech for the rest of us: Widgets

Technology is getting more and more complex, but at the same time, amazing technological benefits are available to us average Joe's without too much fiddling around. That is what this column will be covering.

Every Monday, right here on WalletPop, I'll feature an easy-to-use hack, gadget or service that can really make your life better, saving you time, or saving you money. Geeks, technophiles and early adopters have plenty of other places to look for hot new technologies to try. Here you'll find technology for the rest of us.

What the heck is a widget, and should you be checking them out? Well, widgets are small pieces of code that run a small, specific service (a small application, or a data feed from a third party website) for you. Some people call them applets.

Since the kind of service a tiny widget can serve up to you is limited only by the coder's imagination, the widget ecosystem, particularly in the last several years, has really exploded. And while there are a lot of useless widgets out there, there are also a host of widgets that can save you time and money and add to your life.