Mac OS X dashboard widgets are small applets built for specific tasks, like checking weather, pulling in information from websites etc. They are smaller than any full-fledged application, use less resources, and yet get the job done just as well for simple tasks.
Mac widgets are placed on the dashboard, that can be invoked by pressing F12. However, this means that you cannot keep an eye on that stocks widget or your site monitor all the time.
Here, we show you a useful hack to drag Mac dashboard widgets onto the desktop. This requires executing a command in terminal, but do not worry, it is easy enough for even the least tech-savvy.
Open Terminal (type the first few letters into Spotlight). Copy paste the command below and hit enter.
defaults write com.apple.dashboard devmode YES
Log off or restart your Mac for the above command to take effect.
This enables you to put your widgets on the desktop. To do so, hit F12, click and hold the widget, then press F12 once more to get away from dashboard. You can click and hold a widget, then hit F12 to invoke dashboard, and then let go of the widget to bring it back onto the dashboard.