Does Unity have any widgets?

You can use KDE Plasma Widget (Plasmoids) This is screenshot my desktop using Plasmoids For catch that, just follow this steps

1. Install Plasma Desktop and dependencies

   sudo apt-get install plasma-desktop, plasma-scriptengine-python

2. Make launcher for launch the Plasma Desktop.
3. If you want to use it from startup just add it in "Startup Applications"

4. And then, make things look right. First enable GTK+ for Qt Application via :

   System Settings (for KDE) -> Appliaction Appearance -> Widget Style -> GTK+

5. Next, install Ambiance theme style for the Plasma

   System Settings (for KDE) -> Workspace Appearance -> Desktop Theme -> Get new theme

6. Finally, improve your new desktop with Unity+Plasma. For Launching and adding Widget, same like in KDE ^_^

7. If you want the Widget work in behind Desktop (like Dashboard in OSX)

   

8. And you will get like this in Ubuntu!!

   

Ok.. I get that things all from Install Plasma in Unity

I hope you look for like this

Install screenlets , then open screenlets-manager.

It allows you to run not only the Google gadgets you are looking for, but also gadgets and widgets from other frameworks (such as Super Karamba) :)!

No, it does not have any widgets you can place on the desktop.

The uninstall was probably because it was installed from a standalone deb and apt marked it as obsolete after the switch to the 11.04 ppas.