John’s Background Switcher automates the process of displaying desktop backgrounds. It is a small and intuitive application that can take pictures from different sources and show them as wallpapers. After an initial setup, the application will run hidden in the system tray. Moreover, you can click its icon there to change settings or browse through the different backgrounds.
Probably the main advantage of this program is its support of a very wide range of sources. Thus, besides using pictures stored on your computer or a specific folder, it can also download images from online sources. For instance, you can configure the program to perform a Google image search using the desired keywords; then, it will download the pictures and use them as desktop background. In a similar way, if you provide the corresponding authentication info, it can access the pictures you store in Flickr, Facebook, Instagram, Vladstudio, and Picasa. An interesting option is using Last.fm, which can track the music you listen to and display artwork related to it.
In addition to picking a source for the pictures, you can also set other parameters. Thus, you can configure the frequency at which the wallpaper will change and choose a scaling method. Moreover, you can set the program to use multiple monitors, with the possibility of displaying different backgrounds on each of them. Finally, the program includes various picture modes, such as postcard pile, thumbnail mosaic, and Polaroid pile.
In general, John’s Background Switcher is a nice little application that can add life to your desktop. Fortunately, you can also use it from the command line.
v4.7 [May 17, 2013]
- This version contains support for 500px, Pixabay and last.fm. 500px is now the place to find the best high quality photographs (and photographers) on the internet, Pixabay is a repository of stunning public domain images and last.fm tracks the music you listen to and shows the artwork for songs and albums so expect an awesome looking desktop whichever source you choose! Also included is support for any tumblr RSS feed - you can now choose photos from any of the 100 million tumblr blogs there are. This version is available in French, German, Japanese, Spanish and Italian.
