Earlier quoted context omitted.
ActiveX? https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/ActiveX
No, this: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Active_Desktop Kind of related, it was a COM control you could stretch over your whole desktop, that received push notifications. Also, I believe it was TOTALLY secure. Edit: Dang it, I missed where they said "and it made ie the king of browsers." -- Yes, ActiveX
I was 8 when Active Desktop came out -- I used it to put Neopets on the desktop of my computer.