Okay, all you Linux/Apple-friendly skeptics, bear with me, but this article is about Microsoft Windows.  Unenlightened computer users like me are still in its thrall.  The latest Windows OS, Vista, has a desktop feature called the Sidebar on which you can load Gadgets, which are functional icons like clocks, radio channels and RSS feed readers.  The Windows Live community site offers downloadable Gadgets.  As I was trolling through the offerings, I came across the Spirit Detector Gadget.

I take it that the developer, ShaunNZ, is a fellow skeptic.  The Gadget looks like a simple, green radar screen on a black background with an arm that sweeps every five seconds ... and, not surprisingly, that's about it.  The Settings menu has the following parameter options and instructions:

Detect the Presence of:

• Elvis
• John Lennon
• Great Uncle Fred
• Easter Bunny
• Santa

Sensitvity:

• Very High
• High
• Moderate
• Low
• Very Low

Notes:

Lowering the sensitivity will help eliminate the possibility of false positives.  However, it may fail to activate when the spirit signal is very weak or masked by other signals.

Spirits can be quite tricky, often hiding in awkward locations, so don't forget to check under the desk, behind the curtains, in the next room, even outside on the street.

To date, my detector has not gone off, although I have not taken it out to the street yet.  I now have it set for "Easter Bunny" and will do an emergency update if something happens next weekend.  To milk the joke some more, have a look at the reviews.

Reviewers who got it:

sweet_laura
WOW!!! how amazing! it just told me im dead and its right lmao

She Says with an Evil Grin
It works so good, its scary!!! This thing went crazy, Started buzzing and flashing then it sucked my roommate into the monitor!!!! Anyone know how to get her out?????? HELP!!!!!

Reviewers who didn't get it:

Jayce McCormick
Well, it is entertaining but fake. It can't really detect spirits so don't be scared if it tells you elvis is by your desk.

Patrick
Like it. BRILLIANT! But i've had it on my computer for about a mounth and it still hasn't done anything.

Spidey
objective? somebody knows what do this spirit detecter gadget??, i have run it all day and nothing happens :S