Mesa Dynamics today announced the official release of Amnesty Widget Browser 1.0, the Mac OS X utility for running Dashboard widgets directly on the desktop.

Widgets loaded in Amnesty Widget Browser run completely outside of Apple’s Dashboard environment, maintain their own preferences and feature expanded capabilities such as adjustable window level (desktop, standard or floating) and opacity. Widgets can also be arranged into multiple virtual workspaces that can be called to the screen at any time.

This independence from Dashboard also means Panther users can — for the first time — get in on the widget experience, using Amnesty Widget Browser to run many third-party Dashboard widgets. A library of widgets (including the MacDailyNews Dashboard Widget) is bundled with every copy. Amnesty Widget Browser’s performance in Panther nearly replicates its user experience under Tiger (with the exception of Apple”s default Tiger widgets, which are neither available nor supported under Panther).

A 30-day trial version of Amnesty Widget Browser is available for download at http://www.mesadynamics.com/amnesty.htm and requires Mac OS X 10.3.9 (Panther) or Mac OS X 10.4 (Tiger) or later. A single user license of Amnesty Widget Browser is available for $19.95.

Related MacDailyNews articles:
Amnesty Widget Browser for Mac OS X Tiger, Panther adds multiple Dashboard Widget ‘Layouts’ feature – June 15, 2005
ExtremeTech picks ‘MacDailyNews Widget’ among ’20 Favorite Mac OS X Tiger Dashboard Widgets’ – June 14, 2005
The Detroit Free Press: Widgets, widgets, everywhere! – May 24, 2005
Amnesty Widget Browser for Mac OS X Tiger (and Panther!) allows Widgets to run free of Dashboard – May 19, 2005
MacDailyNews Dashboard Widget for Mac OS X Tiger released – May 07, 2005
Amnesty Widget Browser for Mac OS X 10.4 Tiger allows Widgets to run free of Dashboard – May 03, 2005