The feature can be useful if you work with applications that provide independent windows, say a color palette in Adobe Photoshop, the project manager in C++ builder and basically any other window that you need from time to time but not constantly. You could for instance add and hide a notepad window on the right side of the screen and use it to write down comments, remarks or to-dos.

The application is very simplistic, it provides only two shortcuts to hide applications and an interface where you can remove panels again. Pressing CTRL ALT A adds the panel of the active window to the list of panels that are automatically hidden when you move the window near one of the screen edges. The window automatically docks to the screen and minimizes itself.

Please note that I said panel and not window that is added to the list that gets automatically minimized. If you do that for an explorer window all explorer windows will have that behavior. It does not really matter for Notepad or other applications that you usually only open once though.

The second option is to press ALT A if the Panel Hider window is active and your mouse hovers over another window. The application adds an icon to the system tray providing options to restore the settings and to remove panels from the list of windows that are automatically processed.

Once the window is docked to the screen you can reveal it by simply moving the mouse over the title bar of the window. Yes that is right, the title bar will still be visible but the rest of the window won’t be.

Autohide is a Firefox extension that lets you configure the full screen display mode the way you want it to be. If you do need the status bar for instance you can add it to the full screen display mode so that it is always visible while in that mode. All installed toolbars can be hidden or displayed depending on the choices that you make in the settings of Autohide.

Other options let you see or hide the Windows taskbar when in full screen mode or disable context menu entries. Autohide is a small extension with great impact on the way the full screen mode is displayed. Very useful if you tend to use this mode regularly.

Update: Autohide is now available under a new website address.

You may choose to always show the status bar or only on activity, you may hide all toolbars that are currently installed including the google and stumbleupon toolbar if they are installed on your system. The same can be done for the tab bar and the windows taskbar. Now, whenever you move your mouse over an hidden item (such as the menu bar) it becomes visible and you can interact with it normally.

The direct opposite of hidding certain items can also be configured which would be show always. If you can’t live without the tab bar and status bar you can select to have them always on. They never hide when you press F11 and go into fullscreen mode.

This application can benefit users with older displays and users who like to have all the information present on the screen.