Showing webpages as a screensaver in Mac OS X

Question

Is there a way to show a collection of web pages as a screensaver in Mac OS X? Among other things I would need this app to be able to maintain sessions and either share them with Safari or Chrome or let me interact with it to log in. The goal is to show a rotation of status pages, like New Relic, Linode's LongView, etc, etc as a dashboard for everybody to see. I don't mind spending money to buy a solution.

I tried:

• websaver: https://code.google.com/p/websaver/ but not only it allows one web page (I need several, in rotation) but I also couldn't figure out how to access its session to log in into the dashboards I want to show.

• Website Wallpaper: almost there, but it only allows one page instead of a set of rotating ones. Another issue that I just found is that after restarting, it loses the session.

I wanted to try:

• WebSaver (different to websaver), but their web site has been down for a more than 6 days already: <link removed - spammy website>

• Desktopr (from Sandwichlab as well), but it's only available for US accounts in the App Store.

Answer 1

Since there was not easy, straightforward or complete solution to this problem, I decided to create it: Screensaver Ninja.

The Mac OS X version was already released and the Windows version is being crowdfunded.

Answer 2

It's screen-saver's purpose to quit as soon as you touch your machine, so it's highly unlikely you will find a screen-saver with this functionality.

Maybe what you are looking for is enable kiosk mode on your machine after x time? I haven't used any kiosk apps on OS X before, but it looks like there are a few available in the app store.

Answer 3

Desktopr should work just fine on almost every website you can think of. You can set your desktop up to show anything from YouTube videos to your favorite blog feeds.
Multiple Sites: Desktopr doesn’t just allow you to set one website as your desktop, you can have a whole list of sites. Basically, you craft your list the way you want it and set the duration for each site. Dekstopr will then automatically switch between the options in the list based on your settings. The Desktopr menu bar icon allows you to enable and disable “Browsing Mode,” which determines whether or not you can interact with the web page. With Browsing Mode disabled, the site is locked and clicking on the desktop is just like clicking on your wallpaper: all the icons are fully selectable, etc. However, with Browsing Mode enabled, clicking on the desktop allows you to interact with the site just as if it were in a web browser.

Website Wallpaper enables you to set any of your favorite websites as your mac desktop. Without leaving your desktop, you can read the first-hand news, check your newly received emails and watch the hottest videos on YouTube. You can also set those amazingly cool websites as your mac wallpaper or even screensaver.
You have to spend some dollars to buy it.

Answer 4

You may want to check if websaver (the one from google code) check it's config file at startup only or continuously, if changing the config file while running works to change the web page to display, you could make a scheduled task to modify/replace the config file.

You usually can't interact with a screensaver as it would wake the computer. You may want to get a software that allow a kiosk mode as it would keep cookies (sessions) and would be able to rotate, or create a sort of kiosk mode yourself on a specific session, rotating the page using scheduled tasks to kill the browser and relaunch it with the next page, it would allow you to interact with the computer as a screen saver won't let you do this.

Answer 5

Edit for my answer is appreciated. I don't think it's clear.

Edit : More Complete Solution !

Google "Mac OS X hints" and "10.4: See multiple feeds over time in RSS screen saver ".

One poster made a perl script using rss screen saver that enables rotation.

Feed43 allows you to convert any web page in rss

P.S.: Vote up if you think it's complete !

Solution : Use something like this program : WindowBox

There is a Screensaver integrated into Mac OS X called RSS Screensaver. It should be pre-installed on any Mac OS X computer.

Here is an helpful article by LifeHacker : Google "lifehacker" and "make-your-idle-screen-useful-with-these-fun-functional" together.

Life Hacker and TechNet have many useful guides.

If you really need a screensaver that will allow you to add any site, you might use a few alternative sites like alternativeto. They allow you to find similar products. A well constructed search on the alternative sites or on google may give the result you want.

Here are additional resources for thought taken from : http://www.hackmac.org/forum/topic/328-facebook-notifications-on-as-wallpaper/ and an interesting book page : http://books.google.ca/books?id=vrGbAgAAQBAJ&pg=PA127&lpg=PA127&dq=hack+rss+screensaver&source=bl&ots=zXBBPh-sxG&sig=RSzZ85jo9RmuY3toWVR5URLTatM&hl=en&sa=X&ei=fnvkU-CGKJCdyASK9IHQAw&ved=0CGsQ6AEwCA#v=onepage&q=hack%20rss%20screensaver&f=false

You can use services like Feed43 to enable rss to sites that don't have any. You would use afterwards this on your rss screensaver on your Mac Os X. If it doesn't help, at least you'll get a much wider choice. :)

The Book posts a script snippet allowing one user to change his desktop images on mac with websites. It is a Perl Script so it is easy to pick up. I am too lazy to post it. Further google search with terms mac + perl + screensaver would definitively lead to the results you want !

I hope the question is solved !

P.s. : I searched like a pro. Congratulates myself.

As I understand, the problem consists in those steps :

1. Accessing the sites
2. Displaying the sites

3. Add the Sites to the Screen Saver.

4. Refresh (Screensaver every 5 minutes (?))

You want to use Applications but Code can be fine.

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Google Search Suggestions :

1. how to set a screensaver as a site --> Basic Research
2. view news with screensaver --> Code Snippets. Possibility to find what your search for.
3. site:superuser... [Your Question]
4. Alternatives + Screensaver program for suggestions.

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Fine Programs :

web-page-screensaver

Live Screensaver Creator

Web Saver

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There's a Few Programs like WineBottler that allows you to run other OS programs in Macs. I really like those programs. I should start a download party another time.

P.S. : Download Party --> Acquire many utilities in one day. Test them. Uninstall 1/3 to 2/3 of them. You'll end up with someone you like and that is very useful. Enjoy !

++++

Code Master :

If you want to build code, you would need to follow those steps :

1. Access the sites.

2. Run a Background Application that takes over your screensaver to display websites.

                                       **OR**
   

   Convert the Websites into images and put as screensaver.

Conversion : You can use the output of a command as input. There are few languages that may help. Batch-Bash or Visual Basic can handle the task easily.

Note : I am sorry if I couldn't forward you to certain programs. The Choice seems to be wide. Having an example of your old screensaver or making a table of features you expect could help. I am not using any of those programs. I can't suggest something I never used.

Edit for my answer is appreciated. I don't think it's clear.