Mac OS X Hints has posted a perl script that Mac OS X users can run to automatically change their desktop background in response to high CPU load.

On a few recent occasions, I have had to catch and fix runaway CPU-hog zombie processes. Usually, I notice these after a being frustrated for a period of time by slow machine response times. Using the w command in a terminal shows that my CPU load is too high, but I often don't think to check that first. Wouldn't it be great to set up an ambient visual alert, to warn of such system issues in a non-intrusive manner? This is easy with a combination of cron, perl, and a desktop picture set to change every minute.

The script could of course be modified to change the desktop based on other types of events.

IconKits.com has released a new set of royalty-free icons for use in your application, web site, or other project. Developer Icon Kit Vol. 2 includes 80 fresh new icons in the super-smooth XP style. The icon kit os ready for purchase today for just $99 USD.

Today, InterfaceLIFT was mentioned on The Kim Komando Show, a syndicated radio talk show with 8 million listeners. Traffic shot through the roof this morning and almost crashed the web server until I made a few adjustments. InterfaceLIFT was Kim's Kool Site of the day for September 2, 2004.

Seeing the same thing everyday gets boring. That's why we get our hair styled differently or rearrange the furniture. If you work with computers, you probably stare at the same desktop for eight hours at a time. Today's site helps jazz things up. InterfaceLIFT has a number of different looking icons, wallpaper and themes for Microsoft Windows, Mac OS X and Linux operating systems.

For those new to the site, we offer desktop wallpaper, icons, and themes which are free to download and use to customize your personal desktop.

We update with fresh content nearly daily, so be sure to bookmark us and come back often!

AppleInsider has posted an interesting rumor that suggests that Apple will be implementing a scalable user interface in Mac OS X 10.4 Tiger. As a consequence of this, the resolution of the OS X's icon format may be boosted from 128x128 pixels to 256x256 pixels (a four-fold increase). However, these features may only be available to developers in Tiger and not exposed to consumers until a later release.

WatiWorks.com, a deskop icons and graphics site, today announced the opening of its online shop selling Flags of the World icons and graphics for download. Adding to the large collection of freeware on the WatiWorks.com site, the new store offers beautiful, high quality icons and graphics for both Mac OS X and Windows XP.

Previous World Flag icon designs by WatiWorks.com received great attention when first launched in 2002. The new collection is greatly expanded and features a complete redesign with all graphics provided in both glossy and matte styles. Each file set comes with ICNS, ICO, TIFF, GIF, PNG, BMP and JPEG formats in 128x128, 48x48, 32x32, 24x24 and 16x16 pixel sizes.

The latest freeware collection from Iconfactory artist David Lanham, Puft System is a soft, white, and subtle collection of system icons that are designed to work with the system customization software, CandyBar. These minimalist system icons fade into the background and make it easy to spot applications at work in the Finder or in the Dock. Puft System is available for the Mac, Windows, or as a ready-to-go CandyBar iContainer.

Over the past few days we have implemented several new features in preparation for migration of Xicons.com to InterfaceLIFT on August 1st. Most of the changes have been on the back end, but you may notice a few new things. Most notable are the new Artist Portfolio pages and the web-based content submission forms. The portfolio pages list all downloads from any given artist all on one page and now support artist bios. The new submission forms streamline the submission process and also allow submitters to edit various aspects of their InterfaceLIFT accounts including their name, email address, web address, and biographical information (for use on the portfolio pages). Soon we will be tying this in with InterfaceLIFT Pro, giving ad-free access to the web site for those who regularly contribute to the site. Another incentive will be announced in the coming weeks so stay tuned. We are constantly looking for ways to improve the site so if you have any suggestions or bug reports, please let us know. Click on the 'contact' link at the bottom of any page to reach us. --Jeff

CatScan is a new utility for Mac OS X which allows you to explore the hidden resources of any application or system folder through a drag and drop interface. Images, NIB files, and HTML files the utility finds are displayed as thumbnails which can be magnified simply by mousing over them. CatScan is available for $10.00 and was created by Mike Matas and Corwin Light-Williams.

Harlan Lewis of DigitalRamen has posted an indepth tutorial about using ThemePark to build interface themes for Mac OS X. The article aims to demystify the process of building themes. It covers the various theme formats, ThemePark's interface, some of the differences between Carbon and Cocoa, and of course the basics of assembling your own theme. It is a great resource for anyone who wants to build their own theme but has felt intimidated by the process and the amount of work involved.

John Gruber has posted a thoughtful look at the Dashboard vs. Konfabulator controversy in his weblog Daring Fireball. John sides primarily with Apple in their decision not to acquire the Konfabulator code for use in Dashboard, based on engineering considerations. He goes on to argue that the company had no real moral obligation to purchase the rights to Konfabulator given that it is not an original idea to begin with. For perspective, he also touches on the recent Sherlock 3 vs. Watson controversy. It is an interesting read no matter which side of the fence you are on.