"The Active Desktop interface lets you put "active content" from Web pages onto your desktop.
For example, you could put a constantly updating stock ticker in a handy place on your desktop or make your favorite online newspaper your desktop wallpaper.
You can make your desktop truly your own space by adding the active items you need to refer to on a regular basis: news, weather, sports, stock prices, or whatever you want to have at hand. Your desktop can now reflect you--your preferences and your style."