Fireplace

The 1st of December kick-starts the cold and jolly season intrepidly. Decorations and winter-themed items are starting to pop all around and inside the house. A fireplace never fails to deliver when it comes to boosting up one's spirits during Christmas, yet not everybody can enjoy a real one. If you want the fireplace effect during the holidays anyway, there is a way to get it. A virtual bed of coals can be generated using Fireplace, a simple app that can transform your desktop or TV into a somewhat decent fireplace.

Fireplace is not a screensaver. It is a portable app with a GUI. Launch it generates a fireplace simulation including four hanged stockings with customizable text on them.

Sadly, the program's interface cannot be resized. Dragging the corners around or maximizing it is not possible. This is a huge downside considering that having unfilled space around the simulation is not a desired feature. Due to how the UI is shaped, it looks that a vertical monitor would fit it better. Otherwise, a matching wallpaper should do the trick.

The Help menu is the only entry on the app's ribbon. Access it to reach the settings. A new panel pops up, allowing you to input a word for each stocking, ranging between 4 and 9 letters. You can reduce the number of stockings or remove them entirely. Save the changes and restart the app.

Fireplace adds a basic fireplace simulation on your screen, along with editable stockings. While the idea is nice, the practical aspect would use some fine-tuning. A simple maximize/full-screen button will increase the program's efficiency up to 90%, for example.