A new beta update has been released today for WindowBlinds customers and Object Desktop subscribers.  WindowBlinds is the tool you need to change the complete look and feel of the Windows desktop. New in 7.31 beta update: Adds support for transparent scrollbars on Windows 7 Explorer windows Updates for start button and high dpi Fix for IE sizing issue Fix for Opera repaint issue on scrolling Fix for blurred borders on large bordered skins Fix for U...

We have completed our annual customer report for last year.  Each year we send out a survey to our customer base asking them a host of questions so that we can better serve them. In exchange, we share the results of these surveys along with a report on what went right and wrong the previous year along with plans for the forthcoming year. We are pleased to present you the full report here: https://www.stardock.com/press/CustomerReports/Stardock2011.pdf  

Start8 has really taken off and has been featured in many tech websites as a great solution to bring a start menu back to Windows 8.  Start8 is still currently in beta and a new update is out today with various improvements. Start8 0.86 beta update: Adds control over Start menu size on Explorer desktop Small Tall Wide Large Fullscreen Adds option for WinKey to show fullscreen Metro desktop Download the beta update at the S...

We have released Beta 2 for the upcoming WindowFX 5 today.  WindowFX 5 lets Windows users add animated effects and advanced window controls to your Windows desktop! New in this update: Added new UI for animations to handle presets Added new blend options to darken inactive windows feature for colors, desktop, and custom image Added modifier for holding Ctrl when dragging to screen edge to stop using edge window resizing Updated wobbly windows to complete animation rather than sto...

Here’s a few skins that should make their way to your desktop!

Just about every month we send out a newsletter called WinCustomize Magazine which highlights some of the most important and popular news on WinCustomize.  This also includes top skins, tutorials, and anything else we think you might find interesting. You can signup and manage your subscriptions here. https://www.stardock.com/subscriptions.asp

Lets take a few moments and look at some of the desktop wallpapers that have recently come into WinCustomize.  There’s all types of styles and shouldn’t be too hard to find one to match your desktop look. ...

The latest edition of This Week in Skinning is up!  A new Master WindowBlinds skin, animated wallpaper, CursorFX themes, and more! https://forums.wincustomize.com/417597  

We are excited to announce the release of the first beta for WindowFX 5.  WindowFX 5 lets Windows users add animated effects and advanced window controls to your Windows desktop!  Features include: Over 30 animated effects for Windows actions Over 20 Start menu animations Customized window sizing options on drag Advanced window controls for visibility, sizing, and process information and more! Current Object Desktop subscribers can download Wi...

Welcome to another week and while you sip on that mocha latte this morning, come browse through some of the cool desktop skins and wallpapers from the past weekend.  I’m sure you will find a skin worthy of a place on your Windows PC.

ChaNinja has shared another fantastic Master Dream with WinCustomize this week.  Sentinel comes with several text and logo options, and works great on high-resolutions. https://www.wincustomize.com/explore/dream/3857/ WinCustomize subscribers get a 20% discount! 

Stardock has released Tiles 1.0 today.  Tiles works by creating a side-bar on a user’s display. At the top of the side-bar are labels for each page such as ‘My Tiles’ or ‘Documents’ or ‘Apps’. Users can then drag and drop programs, documents, or website URLs onto Tiles. When the program is inactive, it appears as an icon. When it is active, it appears as a live preview tile. The look of Tiles can also be customized further with additional themes, background images, and more . ...

Master Skinner ChaNinja brings us another cool Master Skin for DeskScapes called Dream Hacker (Gritty) PRO. “A "Dream Hacker" is someone who can extract information from a person and manipulate them by entering their subconscious mind through their dreams. The spinning top in the deskscape is an example of a "totem" which is an object used by dream hackers to check if they are within another person's dream or not. In the case of the top, it spins continuo...

Doc has been posting some great highlights from CES 2012, and I wanted to add to that by posting the keynote video from Steve Ballmer.  He goes through a variety of things such as the new great looking handsets for Windows Phone, but they also do quite a demo of Windows 8 with a new beta refresh coming in late February. Let us know what you think of this new look at Windows 8. Microsoft CES Keynote  

We’re still rolling in this week and catching up on e-mails and other goodies like that.  I wanted to stop over and feature some recent skins that have came in recently.  I know some have been asking about the Christmas contest winners, and I’m trying to get those out as soon as I can. ...