While many Linux users cite the system's security against malware, the appearance of malware disguised as a screensaver reminded everyone that no system is 100% safe. Ubuntu users were quick to identify the virus, identify the perpetrators, and create a fix, but this isn't the first time this has happened, and will in all likelihood not be the last. The criticism in the community is directed squarely at the user base: "In general the lesson to be learned is if you want a secure system, don't download any software outside the official package sources without at least looking at the source code first."
posted by Marisa Stole the Precious Thing on Dec 21, 2009 - 99 comments

Apple's Album Art screensaver, recreated for Windows. I saw this on someone's Powerbook today and got jealous. Luckily, some developer decided to make this, for all the Windows users feeling left out.
posted by OverlappingElvis on Jun 24, 2008 - 14 comments

"SurveillanceSaver is an OS X screensaver that shows live images of over 400 network surveillance cameras worldwide." There is also a Windows version. Or check out the camera feeds without installing a screensaver (here are the feeds from Axis network cameras, for example). [Via.]
posted by milquetoast on Feb 23, 2008 - 31 comments

A detailed guide to the antics of that classic screensaver character, Johnny Castaway.
posted by chrismear on Jan 11, 2007 - 10 comments

breveCreatures is a screensaver (created using the open source simulation environment breve) that simulates the evolution of locomotion.
posted by brundlefly on Dec 11, 2006 - 27 comments

Electric Sheep: Collaborative Fractal Generation
Electric Sheep is a distributed screen-saver that harnesses idle computers into a render farm with the purpose of animating and evolving artificial life-forms.The project is an attention vortex. It illustrates the process by which the longer and closer one studies something, the more detail and structure appears.

You can look at some fresh samples or you can read the Interpretation, watch the Sheepumentary, post a comment, design your own or design them and post them to their server or download a copy and play along at home.
You can even get a copy of the source code to play around with if you're so inclined.

Me? I'm just gonna look at the pretty pictures.
posted by fenriq on Feb 1, 2005 - 17 comments

Bwahahahahaha - Take a shot back. Bill Gates promised to end spam. Now lycos is letting you take a shot back ala SETI. Get your copy and make love not spam.
posted by sourbrew on Nov 29, 2004 - 44 comments

Holding Pattern is a screensaver for Mac OS X that generates photo-realistic simulations of the view from a flying airplane window.
posted by Mwongozi on Apr 25, 2004 - 17 comments

Your screensaver is boring.
Electric Sheep(Linux, OSX) produces animated flame fractals rendered via distributed computation. n 0 time(Win) draws its data from things such as a custom word list, cached web site text, your favorites, or your cookies. The Bank of Time(Win2k-, OS9-) grows plants based on your idle time connected to the net. Dirty Fingerprints(Win) leaves fingerprints all over your screen, generated by user clicks on contributing sites. Or, if you really want, you can join in the effort to crack various encryption methods(most systems) at Distributed.net. Deskswap(prev. link) has unfortunately been offline for months, due to bandwidth issues.
posted by Su on Sep 22, 2002 - 18 comments

Cancer Research Project Be a part of the search for a cure to cancer: simply download a very small, no cost, non-invasive software program that works like a screensaver: it runs when your computer isn't being used, and processes research until you need your machine.
posted by ericost on Dec 10, 2001 - 17 comments

I'll show you mine... "DeskSwap is a multi-user screensaver that swaps images of the user's desktop with others using the screensaver."
posted by o2b on Sep 27, 2001 - 9 comments

Drempels Animated desktop wallpaper software. Floaty nebulous. Nuff said.
posted by hmgovt on Apr 30, 2001 - 10 comments

If you're using a non-windows computer right now, and you really miss that starfield simulation screensaver, don't fret, because someone has written one in DHTML and put it on the web. I like to imagine I'm a bored cubicle worker and stare at it for hours.
posted by mathowie on Jan 15, 2000 - 3 comments