DeskShade

DeskShade allows you to keep your Mac's desktop tidy. It does this by putting a nice image over your desktop icons.

The files will still be there, they just won't be visible. You can either use a desktop wallpaper to cover all your clutter or use a video file. Many formats are supported and video playback is very smooth.

DeskShade will run on the system's Menubar, and you can access both the Desktop Central and the preferences from there. You, too, can establish hotkeys for DeskShade's main features. The Desktop Central is the window where you choose how you want to cover all the items on your desktop. Here, you can select one of your system's wallpapers or add a photo album. There is iPhoto integration as well, so you can pick from one of the photos in your library.

Another interesting feature of this app is the screen lock feature, DeskLock. You can set a hotkey to lock your screen or you can set the application to automatically lock it after a time of inactivity has gone by. The default value is 10 minutes.

In short, DeskShade is a great way of keeping your desktop tidy, even though it only covers the mess for you.