Have you seen the BBC website à la Netvibes ?

The old and serious British Broadcasting Corporation (BBC) has just revamped its web site.

And it is a success! You have a Webpage similar at our Netvibes page. Of course the news feeds are just coming from the BBC but you can move, edit, delete, replace and add them as you could do in Netvibes, the home page specialist.

You can also choose between more than 10 colours for the background.

I am sure it is just the beginning of a slow revolution.

Only problem is that you can save your settings but just on the computer you are using and it will not survive if you cancell your cookies...

I want an option to read all my RSS feeds with an images in my Netvibes page

I want an option to read all my RSS feeds with an images on the side if existing.

Look this capture of the Netvibes Universe of Laurent Binard (Founder of Wikio):



all the feeds are published in details with an image on the side. And I want the same !
Is this made by Wikio ? I do not care I want it for all my graphic sites, Design, Fashion, Photos, DVD, Music ... You name it, I want it.

Please Mr Developers do something ! ;)

New Invite Friends option for Netvibes Ginger

There is a new option in the Contacts section of your Netvibes Ginger: it's the Invite Friends.

With this option you could send an email to friend to invite to join. But you can not write or modify the message.

At time of writing, the function does not seem to work... I let ypu know

NetEx Tip: get the MY WALL widget to let others write you on your Netvibes Universe

With the new Widget called MY WALL you can let others (friends or at least Netvibes users) to write a Message (1000 signs) on your Message Board.

It was conceived for your Netvibes Universe (public) page but you can send a copy to your private page and check from there your Wall. You can also write yourself from there.

Some friends , (as Fiuz ;) ) have copied My own Wall to their Netvibes page and by doing so are able to write from there on My Wall ;)

A nice and long waited (since Ginger testing) widget.

You can of course edit: title, number of messages, dedicated image, short comment.

What is missing ? Perhaps the possibility to include a little image ...

NetEx Rating : 4****/5 so I publish it here on my my Really ESSENTIAL WIDGETS tab in my Universe where you can get it by "SEND TO MY PRIVATE PAGE" option or
by clicking here:

What future for Netvibes ?

What would you do next if your international Web Startup had already reached today:

• 2.5 Mln Monthly attentive unique and international users with potentially 2.5 Mln Public Universes
• 2 Mln different RSS feeds
• 110.000 different Widgets with access to all email, search and social services platforms
  
• a not patent registred and too easy to copy script
• in a very competitive market full of small and big players ?
  

I do not know the answer that Tariq Krim, CEo and Founder of Netvibes, will give, but here is mine:

1. I would try to get the maximum out from the CONTENT provided by the Users themselves!
2. I will give my users the best possible web experience
3. I will push for maximum integration with other web services
4. Enlarge user base with focused and exclusive services
5. Reinforce the Netvibes Brand
   

First moves:

• Offer one of the Best Content Search of the Web by integrating the feeds collected by users and their Universes in the Netvibes Search Data base.
  
• Add a TAG system to the Netvibes Universe (just 5 fields inspired by dmoz.org)
  
• Give more freedom to users with the layout (offer a column free tab option; more varied and appealing themes, more icon to choose from,....
  
• Encourage users to create and administer specific Focused Universes centred on let's say: Sports, Local News, Scientific topics, Educational, Games, Photos, Music ... that could be used by "less expert users" as their first start page.
  
• Create a new rich "internal" Netvibes Channel exclusively dedicated to its users with exclusive content and services and dedicated to the promotion of already existing (in Netvibes) content
  
• Launch a big user survey to understand what are the needs of actual and future users.
• Offer more Netvibes users focused services as : direct friends messaging, boardmessage widget for the Universes, Universe backup, email alarm in the upper menu, feed reader with image,...
  
• Create a new Friend' category: Best Friends (like in "real" life) that will be allowed to share a "private" Universe (let's call it: Galaxy)

All that has a Price and some targeted ads well positionned and planned could easily be accepted for such a great service still to come !

Whow, now I need some rest: let's check what my Netvibes friends have done in the meantime ;)

If you like the of theCLEAN NETVIBES Widget up there click here for the CAT version:


or here gor the DOG one:

2,545,000 monthly visitors for Netvibes in January 2008 according to Comscore stats

In a new post by TECHCRUNCH on the war between the personalized homepages, Netvibes is credited of 2,545,000 Monthly visitors in January 2008 by Comscore.

With 3,3% market share of the Personalized Home Pages sector, Netvibes is the First Independent Home Page and 10 times bigger than the other competitor Pageflakes.
The 3 big My player (Yahoo 56.9%, IGoogle 26.4%, Msn, 10.1%) are well behind but AOL/Netscape (3.3% with 2,705,000) is very near...

The all market is measured at 83,228,000 monthly visitors.

To give an idea, for the same period, Comcast measured Facebook at : 97,792 million unique visitors in December, 2007.

ComScore measured the total Internet Audience just for the USA for Januray 2008 at: 183,239,000 and the Total European Internet audience at: 229,690,000 for end 2007.
So the total for USA+EUROPE is = 412,929,000 monthly unique users.

That means that the market for Home pages is maximum 20% of the total Internet market (as Asia and South America are excluded ;) )

New Parser Widget perfect for my Airport Flight information tab on my Netvibes Universe

I was expecting this widget since the beginning of my Netvibes page.

I wanted to grab a just a piece of a website page. In fact I was looking for the Arrivals or Departures from a chosen airport. But I just needed the landings not the ads ;) or the multiple options for travel fares, car rentals, ...

I could not use the Page Web widget from Netvibes because the data I was looking for were not in the upper left corner ... and this widget has no "padding" option. (And when I requsted if it could be added, Netvibes answered me that they had more urgent matters)

So , I could just get my links and check manually outside Netvibes :(

But this new Widget: AUTOMATIC PARSER from Twisterss is simply what I needed !

So easy to use, and I have tried many "self-called" magic widgets!

For me it is a 5*****/5 Widget : a must have if you need frequent updated data not available sous RSS feed.: graphs, timetables,...

UPDATE: here is an other very positive review from Widgetlab.com:

If this reads as something familiar or known is because it is..this is the way Clipmarks or Listas from Live Labs work.

The only difference is that they do not have the High Spread Distribution model offered by the UWA platform from netvibes and that is reason enough for this to triumph over them and also because neither Clipmarks or Listas Offer any comparable Widget to users from the data collected in their respective services.

This Widget generator service is just the kind of thing that could finally lure some users from their competition and it is now just a matter of seeing how the new Netvibes Engine (ginger) works for them.

Here is the description on the Netvibes Developers Blog who has introduced it to me ;)

"Built by Netvibes user Tristan “Twisterss” Groléat, it features a state-of-the-art HTML parser that allows users to pull just about anything out of any web-page, as long as it can be found using the DOM.

The instructions are sparse, and the usage is quick to grok:

1. Enter the URL of the webpage
2. Select the information you are interested in on the preview of the page: one block or many blocks of the same type
3. Check that the widget really selects what you want
4. Confirm your selection
5. The widget displays the information you want, and refreshs it automatically every 20 minutes."

The only modifications I can ask at the moment are:

1. the option for a SCROLLING up & down for a web page to long like my London Heatrow
2. the option for a SIZE (W x L) for the final widget
   

Of course, it depends on the original page to work. So I have arranged an INTERNATIONAL AIRPORT FLIGHT INFORMATION Tab on my Universe:

At the moment I have: New York JFK Airport Arrivals, Brussels National Airport Arrivals and London Heatrow Arrivals. I am not able to get the French Paris CDG .
If NY and Brussels are Ok, the London Heatrow is too big and not well centered but is working.

New Print option in the WebNote of Netvibes' Ginger release

With the new Ginger, there are small changes coming one by one ...

The last I spotted is the option "PRINT THIS MODULE" in the WEB NOTE WIDGET.
This module allows you to take your own notes directly in your Netvibes.

You get it from: ADD CONTENT/ESSENTIAL WIDGETS/Webnote.

The print starts alone but be carefull as if when you edited your Webnote module you had chosen size:small it will be printed really, really small (must be size 3-4).
Even the Big Size is just a 7-8 !

I was waiting this fonction since the begging and I would like to have it to print my all Netvibes page, or at least a Tab at the time...

UPDATE Sat 23 :( = The option has desappeared ... hope it comes back soon !
UPDTAE Mon25 :): Option is back ! LET'S KEP IT !!

Sorry, just a test for showing images in my Netvibes

Sorry, this is a test to check how I can force my Netvibes feed reader to show my images in the widget. I am trying to insert an tag but will Blogger allow this ? and feedburner ?
Let's see...

Minor but interesting Changes to Netvibes' Ginger outlook

While the migration continues from omd Coriander release to the new Ginger, Netvibes has just made some minor changes except for the SPONSORED WIDGETS SEARCH RESULTS that I discussed yesterday.

1. New Add Content with sponsored widgets search results by category
2. In Add Content: if you search for Widget, there is a new Feed: KEEP TRACK OF THIS SEARCH. looks interesting ...
3. in Activities: I do not see the nice monthly calendar that was on the right side. It was useful to search for previuos activities (even if the day by day search was quite boring ;))
4. There is a search activities (that I have not seen before, but who knows perhaps was already there. It is helpful to find an old message or subject but it searches only your own activities private or public. If you want to know what a friend of you did you have to click on his avatar.
   
5. New Bottom of page Info about Netvibes (finally is centered ;) )
6. In general more graphical look
   

Just added a 5 star post rating widget on my Blog ...

It will appear at the end of every post.

You can use it with no loginin, registration or anything else.

The widget come from OUTBRAIN.

Thanks in advance ;)

Netvibes presents first Sponsored Widgets Search Results

The First Sponsored Widgets are now on display in the ADD CONTENT (Updated) and the Ecosystem of Netvibes.

As I was posting yesterday, Netvibes' CEO, Tariq Krim, has decided to reserve the first 3 Widgets search results or Widgets category results to Sponsored Widgets.

The sponsoring starts already in the Netvibes' Ecosystem Homepage with 2 Widgtets highlighted.


What is strange is to see the Slide Slideshow sponsored and also 3rd in the results ;)

But it is inside of the ecosystem, that the sponsored widgets appear: 3 in the first row.
Check here the Business category:



Here also, the sposored widgets are highlighed and market Sponsored as I was asking yesterday. That way it will be easy to jump to the real results ;).

I still think that an "open and ethical service" as Netvibes will have much better revenues sources than "Sponsored Search results".

And I agree with what another user, Chris, commented on my yesterday' post:
"Sponsored search results...sounds like the web circa 1997" ...

To conclude, I would still recommend Netvibes to improve their Search results.

If you are looking for the Widget Sport Category you will see this:
2 Sponsored Widgets: one for the News of the World Newspaper with just 1 over 4 tabs on Sport and the Kentuky Derby horseracing widget. As they are sponsored I will not discuss their interest.
But look at the first "real result": the VELIB Widgtet !!! Well, if you are not from Paris, France you will probably not know that is not a Widget on Cycling as a Sport but a Where to find widget for the a public bicycle rental programme in Paris, France ??!!

Incidently, is a very good widget if you are in Paris and it was done by Philippe one of my favorite widget designers ;)

Netvibes to sell search widgets results

In a new Video (in French for the Figaro News Blog), Tariq Krim, Founder and Ceo of Netvibes gives more details about the future sources of revenues for his company.

As I have reported in a previuos post about the 3 main sources of Revenues, Tariq Krim was pointing:

"3. Netvibes is going to be a "Widget Market Place" and will offer better positioning in their search to "Sponsored Widgets."

The news is that the "Search for Widgets" offered by the new Ginger update in the Add Content menu will present in the First 3 positions the Paying Widgets.
That implies also the end of the Ecosystem as we know it now.

I am not opposed at sponsored search results, in principle, but from an "ethical company like Netvibes" I would like to be sure that:

1. the Sponsored results should be clearly identify as such
2. that they will be limited to the first 3.

That way, I could always jump at the 4th as I always done untill now ;)

For a more severe comment on the problem of sponsored result searches (à la Yahoo) and on the Search from Netvibes at the moment, read my other post.

My Newly Updated List of the Best Universes by NetEx

Hi,

here is the newlyU UPDATED LIST of BEST UNIVERSES by NetEx with links: (order is just practical... ;) )

1. Best Layout 3***: KARINE: fresh, colourful, miam miam. Should be asked to create more Netvibes Themes ;)
   
2. National Content: GERMANY by Novesia: stylish with humour. Very good Tab title and content . I want more like this ;)
   
3. National Content: The Netherlands : a stilish and complete Universe by Rotvibes
4. Nice Layout 2**: CROUSTIGLAM: nice, fresh, would like to have an empty Tab just to look at the wallpaper ;)
5. Content Web Design, Fints, CSS, layouts ... by Me So Horny: hundreds of feeds...
   
6. Content Web2.0, Mktg, Management,... : complete
7. Content Local Community Universe: a premium Universe for a small community. We need them !
8. Content: FIDIS Consortium (Future of Identity in the Information Society) with LSE, INSEAD, IBM...
9. Content: French Juridiacal Database Universe: if you need it...
   

OLDER

1. Content Guitar Tabs + Aurora Borealis predictions: a strange mix
2. Good French only Feeds by Founder of Wikio : all feeds with picture: I like
3. Nice Brazilian Food TAB: miam miam
   
4. Large CHoice of Feeds: a lot in many different fields
5. NetEX07 Award for Best Serious Layout: will have to improve to maintain title ...
6. NetEx07 Award for Best Unserious Layout: very good, could perhaps add some cartoons
7. NetEx07 Award for Best Headline Picture: New York, New York...
8. Nice Layout: I like dark background ;)
9. Swedish Content: but an image with snow
10. NetExp07 Award for Best Arty Page ***: I just liked it
11. Miss Netvibes: Verenice (and she can sing too) !
12. Content: Medical Library Toolbox: a very good job and professional !!
13. Best Commercial site: Jajah
14. Content: News and Blogs on the European Union: if you are interested
15. Content US PRESIDENTIAL Elections ***: Best content so far by a pro
16. Content: Web Entrepreneur: we all know one ;)
17. Content: All on Netvibes: Yes, my universe, but at the moment is the best ;)
18. Content: Official Netvibes Universe: check and compare with mine ;)
19. Content: First Sex Universe: check it if you have your parents permission ;)

After the success of the last BEST UNIVERSES 2007 Awards I decided to share with everyone my preferred Public NetvibesUniverses so here my New tab: "Best Universes by NetEx".

It is just a personnal choice to show other users work, taste, efforts and findings.

I am still looking for good and rich content (not just copy/paste or just feeds) coupled with nice, original design. Everybody is still "under construction" and I am sure we will have interesting discoveries.

I have a Message Board for you to drop me an Universe URL (yours or one you liked) or your comments and I will check it... But wait untill you have something solid to show.

Thanks Netvibes !

Enjoy!

The Most Important quality for a Netvibes' User ?

The most important quality for any Netvibes' User, no matter his(or her) age, social group, nationality, sexual orientation, political preferences,... is the ability to READ.

Yes, the pleasure, the necessity, the addiction to READ is the most important quality of any Netvibes user.

Every Universe I have visited is packed with Hundreds of feeds on every subject: WEB, TECH, SPORT, POLITICS, NEWS even GOSSIP and FASHION and DESIGN ....

But it is not an "EASY READING": the Netvibes' User has a lot to read, small text, often just the title of the feed will move him to go deeper. Subject are arranged in Tabs for similar content, but it is so easy to add a feed that feeds are filling tabs and tabs ...

Many speak about Over-Reading and they admit to have selected the Read All button. Because new feeds are always coming in and everyone of them could be "The news" you are waiting or not waiting...

It is also a solitary reading. You have your own feeds, disposed in your preferred way. You choose your own sources. Of course you can Tag, share, send and copy them to friends and family but the order, the choice will not be the same.

I have to go, 145 feeds have come while I was writing this ;)

WHO IS THE AVERAGE NETVIBES USER ?

The Average Netvibes user can be described today (before full upgrading to the Netvibes Ginger release with its new social approach) and accordingly to the poor public data available (my own poll) as:

• Mainly Male (87%)
• Aged 25-35 (47%)
• Working or studying in the Internet and/or Technology field (65%)
• Logining to Netvibes more than once daily (92%)
• Using Netvibes at Home (95%) and at Work (87%)
• Looking to be part of a “Wide Netvibes Community” (59%)
• Have more than 6 Tabs in their page (68%)
• Using widgets for :

1. Checking Emails (81%)
2. Reading Feeds (76%)
3. Checking Weather (66%)
4. Writing WebNote (58%)
5. Checking their Facebook account (53%)
6. For other uses (52%)

That result is consistent with my experience visiting other users' Public Universes already available: a vast majority of Males users, a lot of WEB 2.0/ TECH tabs, a lot of feeds and blogs of the Universes owners.

At the moment, in what is still a beta testing, quite a large group of users seems coming from France but that is not surprising as Netvibes is based in Paris.

But consider that for the month of January 2008, according to Compete.com, Netvibes had 600.000 unique visitors just for the US market with a total of 4,2 mln visits from unique visitors while competitors Protopage and Pageflakes are at a much lower level.

(To have a global view, Compete.com for the same period gives the following numbers for Myspace.com (67mln visitors with 1,021mln visits) and Facebook.com (31mln visitors with 352 milions visits)).

If Netvibes Team has better and more reliable data, we would be pleased to publish them ;)

WHY I LOVE NETVIBES

In this widespread Valentine mood, I would like to explain why I love Netvibes :

I Love Netvibes because:

1. Netvibes is a very good service ! Convenient, evolutive, open
2. The small Team behind it is competent and committed.
3. The Boss and Founder, Tariq Krim, has experience, charisma and “the vision” for his service and, at the same time, is open minded and fully dedicated.
4. Experienced Venture Capitalists have invested in the project.
5. Netvibes, as a service, is evolving day after day.
6. The Community of Netvibes users is friendly and collaborative.
7. I have the impression, like many other users and developers, to be able to influence the development of the service
8. I have not seen better ;)
9. I am sure we will have a even better service in the future
10. ...
    

PS 1: The big upgrade is coming ....

PS 2: If you have a better Logo , please, let me know ;) This one is mine but it sucks ...

PageOnce with Netvibes could become my Single Social Interface ?

Hi,

A new service called PageOnce is also in his beta ;)

They say: "Simply select your personal accounts from social networking, email and travel to entertainment, banking, credit cards and much more and add them to your personal page."

You can retrieve information from many banking, social networking, airline, email, and shopping accounts such as Citibank, Facebook, American Airlines, Gmail, and Amazon.

PageOnce takes the information appropriate to each account (once you give it your username and password, of course) and displays it in a Netvibes-like layout.

According to TechCrunch :

"Netvibe’s founder Tariq Krim (asked) whether they planned to provide this functionality, said that Netvibes is already discussing the possibility with several account providers supported by PageOnce."

PageOnce seems to have the leg up since they’ve already proven that they can aggregate this sort of information. But since they rely on their own efforts to expand support for an inexhaustible number of accounts, a more decentralized approach with Netvibes as the focal point and account providers as the widget developers themselves could win out in the long run."

In conclusion, PageOnce with Netvibes or netvibes with PageOnce could really become my long waited Single Social Interface. ;)

new Valentine's Theme for your Netvibes page !

Hi,

Do you want a Valentine's Theme for your Netvibes page ?

Be careful ! It will install itself and if you want to return to your old settings you will have to do it by hand !!

If you want the Valentine's Theme click here

How to place a Widgtet in the Popular Search of Netvibes' Ecosystem

Hi,

The Netvibes' Developers Blog has published their "guidelines" to conceive a popular widget and this post completes a comment I made there.

A new widget to ensure maximum popularity, should fits more that one quality; one is good, two is great, three takes the cake. Four is unheard of yet, and five wins you something:

1. Useful / Needed

2. Pretty / Cool / Personalizable

3. Timely

4. Viral

5. Local

Then they give also this advice about the positioning of Widgets in the Netvibes Ecosystem :

".. each widget category is sorted by popularity by default, with two others sorts being available (most recent, and Premium Widget, which is a special type of widget, created by Netvibes). So, since you cannot rely too much on the novelty of your widget - or the lack thereof, since new ones come every day -, your aim as a developer is to keep your widget as high as possible in the popularity scale."

But How to bring a Widget to the Top of the popularity scale ?

Look at this widget (not mine ): ALL MY GOOGLE SERVICES
it is very good. Perhaps the best in his category as I posted yesterday.

Now, it is competing with “old” widgets. If I search Google in the Ecosystem (http://eco.netvibes.com/search?q=google) the Top 3 have more than 20.000 downloads… The AllMyGoogle with 435 will never be able to recover to see the sky ...

The MOST POPULAR SEARCH should work for comparable time laps...

Then, POPULAR is not well mesured by DOWNLOADED or INSTALLS.
I myself downloaded a lot and deleted also a lot since then.

Good Mesure would be: IN USE or even USED in the last … days.
Even BEST RATED could be more helpfull then just downloaded.

In the end, The ECOSYSTEM Search, as it is now, is just reinforcing old Widgets giving no visibility to new widgets.

That way it prevents Netvibes users to access to them and in consequence that could lead for them to a “less good” experience…

On the other hand, as written by GigaOm, that would give space for an AdSense model that allows widget makers to pay to place their widget more prominently on the Netvibes site.

So, Widget Producers will have to pay for better placement (good for revenues) but the Search result will not be better for Netvibes’ users (bad for users) !

It is the Altavista/Yahoo search model (pay just for presence) against the Google one (pay to be near pertinence).

We know the winner...

Ginger' Netvibes officially launched on Febraury 19

Hi,

my yesterday' post was wrong :(

The official date for lauching the New Ginger release open to all should be February 19 according to PCMagazine who publishes also a review on Ginger.

With the following conclusions:

Pros:
+ no ads
+ public pages available
+ high integration with other Web applications
+ all major mail supported

Cons:
- at times loads slowly (but was a Beta test ...)
- some usability oddities in interface ( but was ...)
- fewer themes than other start pages

What will be your reaction ?

"All My Google Services" : the best widget so far 3***

Hi,

visiting the Universe of Philippe, I checked his "WIDGETS I MADE Tab" and I found a few widgets but one is really impressive: ALL MY GOOGLE SERVICES.

In one widget, you can Check and Use your Calendar, GMAIL, Search, Gtalk, Maps, Notebook, Documents, Google Reader, You Tube, News and Picasa, all Google Services.

If you do not need or use one, you can unsuscribe to it. It is small and efficient.

I can read and send emails. Perfect if you need to write an email or take a note, inside your Netvibes. (I do)

No login is required if you have done it before.
(So the problem is that I will not show it in my Really Essential Widgets Tab of my Public Universe as it will show all ;))

Thanks Philippe! That is a useful Widget. I will check your others widgets too.

Rating: 3***/3

Valentine's Day will see the arrival of the Netvibes Ginger release for all Users ?

Hi,

Will the Valentine's Day see the arrival of the Netvibes Ginger release for all Netvibes' Users ?

I have not the answer, but now the Private Beta looks quite alright, the number of bugs is small and the the new options and services are working fine. And it was announced by the Galactic Team... for February.

So, who knows ?

You need an Invite for Netvibes Ginger upgrade ?

Hi,

If you are one of the many still looking for an Invite for the Beta Testing of the Netvibes Ginger upgrade go to the Netvibes FACEBOOK Group and ask for one !

"A lot of invites have been given out recently, but some of you may have been out of luck. If you haven't got your invite yet, don't hesitate to send me a message and you will get one quickly.
Thanks!"

Good luck !

Looking at Alltop.com and builded my own Fashion Tab on Netvibes

Hi,

Looking for Content for Netvibes, I saw this new site created by Guy Kawaski (creator of Truemors) Alltop.com:

It is a nice looking Human Aggregation Content display of feeds presented by categories: Celebrities, Egos, Fashion, Sport, Tech ...

It has some interest for a New User of RSS,ATOM, FEDS, CONTENT...

Well, if you want to start somewhere to look for feeds you do not know already is Ok, but I still try to understand the interest for the Website owner... It is so easy to get away with the content ;)

I liked the Fashion theme, in fact I was thinking at what could interest my wife ;), so I just checked the 46 Feeds available and imported the Best in My Netvibes page (in one click with the FireFox plugin).
In just 10' I builded my own FASHION tab in my own Universe.

Then I added: some more feeds, a colour for French (Blue), Italian (Green) , German (Purple) and English (Blue) feeds, some search, videos and a shopping widget and here You can check here my new FASHION by NetEx Tab: http://www.netvibes.com/netviberexperience#FASHION_by_NetEx

The only advantage for Netvibes to present such kind of Content Pages would be to prevent its own users to get out of Netvibes searching for Content.

So, If you are looking for Good Fashion Feeds and RSS check this FASHION by NetEx Tab

Breakfast with my Netvibes on my Yuno PC Mug ?

Hi,

Week-end time and on the illustrated widget of the YANKO DESIGN blog feeds from my new "DESIGN ! "Tab of my Netvibes Universe I saw this amazing concept from Designer Jason Farsa .

This Image represent my vision of Netvibes today

Hi,

I was looking for "the image" that would represent my vision of Netvibes today and here I found it:

an Artificial island builded in the sea, not yet finished but ready for new occupants that will bring, build or rent here their own houses.


For a huge animated image of the same DUBAI Palm Tree island go here.
For more detail on the islands here is the wiki page.

1000 new invitations left for Netvibes Ginger release: MOVE FAST !

Hi,

there are 1000 new invitations for the Ginger Update.

GO here fast: http://blog.netvibes.com/?2008/02/08/155-new-features-on-ginger-1000-invitations-for-beta-testers

Hi,

While we wait for The Big Update why not give a look at the WEB TREND MAP for 2008 ?

Netvibes is on the Innovation Line near Twitter, Slashdot and Wired... and at 2 stops from ... GOOGLE ! check it on the PDF .

A new update (big!) of Ginger is coming...

Hi,

just heard that : "A new update (big!) of Ginger is coming" ...

Google robot already found 745 Netvibes Universes & Modules

Hi,

if you make a search with Google with the string: "site:www.netvibes" you will find today 745 Universes and Modules

My Universe, http://www.netvibes.com/netviberexperience is there. And yours ?

If you do not want to check all the results just add also your Universe' name in the search box ;).

I have a lot to choose from for my Best Universes by NetEx.

Total number of Modules (Multi-Feeds Content Widgets from Media sources) is 203.

Netvibes Practical Uses: Reputation Management & Dashboard Building

Hi,

In my search for "Practical Uses" of Netvibes I just found a series of interesting posts about :

1) REPUTATION MANAGEMENT Tracking: is the process of tracking keywords related to staff, products or even service names to see who is talking about you online, as a live service.

Glen Allsopp gives a step by step approach based on Google Reader but you can do the same with Netvibes ;)

2) DASHBOARD BUILDING: to do your job and seem to stay on top of the blogosphere.

Sam created a mashed up widget dashboard powered by Netvibes, Yahoo Pipes, AideRSS, Dapper, and a few others to allow him "to rewire the web to work for me".

Final suggestion: using Clearspace as my single collaboration platform, nothing has made me more productive than my dashboard. Now…wouldn’t it be nice to have both my dashboard and Clearspace mashed into one thing.

Dawn Foster from Metablog gives a step by step approach in integrating Netvibes, Pipes, AideRSS, Dapper for an Intelligence dashboard full of practical tips and details:

• Powering modules with Pipes
• Leveraging popularity to drive focus
• Making feeds where none previously existed

I will try all this because I have now too many feeds to track just for Netvibes ...

Build your own Reader of Feeds with Image: 3***

Hi,

I wanted to offer to my readers the opportunity to follow my Netvibes Experience Blog with feeds and one Image as I had seen in this Wikio Universe widgets in my selection.

But my feeds are processed by Feedburner and there is not this option (I should check again...). Anyway, I looked on the add content of Netvibes but found nothing.

So I went to WidgetBox.com and I found their "Bildget" service for Blogs. In 2 minutes I built the Widget you can see here.

(Tip: to use it on your Netvibes page, just the Add Content and get the Essential Widget : Html. Then copy/paste the code you get in WidgetBox/Get Widget/Get Widget Code)


It is bigger then the usual Netvibes feed reader as I choosed a larger version to be able to show the first image of any post, but I like it.

You can get The NetEx Blog Widget here for any platform you like or you can see it working on my Universe here and then send it to your own page.

If you know a blog that you like that shows nice images (artistic, advertising, photos,...) and you would like to see an image, that's the way to have it !! You just need the Url.

Look at the Image on the Top to compare the Clean and sober version by Netvibes and on the right my version with image...

Rating: 3***

Best User Interface: Multi-Touch Screen by Perceptive Pixel. Whow!

Hi,

I just discovered (thanks Tariq) the Best User Interface with the Multi-Touch Screen by Perceptive Pixel

The company was founded by Jeff Han in 2006 and they develop and market the most advanced multi-touch system in the world.

Actual main uses: military (:( ) , TV stations, ...

A good review from FastCompany writes:

Han's touch display, by contrast, redefines the way commands are given to a computer: It uses both movement and pressure--from multiple inputs, whether 2 fingers or 20--to convey information to the silicon brain under the display.

The screen is not only smudge resistant but durable--or as Han says, "peanut butter--proof"

"Han's machine is faster--much faster--because there's nothing between me and the data: no mouse, no cursor, no pull-down windows. It's seamless, immediate, ridiculously easy. No manual required".

THE PERFECT USER INTERFACE!


Check the Official Video here on YouTube

Netvibes Add Content Search not perfect ;)

Hi,

A small post to note that the Netvibes Add Content Search has what I think an another little problem.

If I want to search for a Widget with the string : "Paris" and I have chosen in the settings: Country=United Kingdom and Language=English I will have 109 results:


but if you choose another setting like: Country=France and Language=English you will have now 373 results !! More than tripled!!


Why? I do not think that there are many good explanation as I could be a Greek living in UK speaking English and with the desire to go to Paris or a French living in UK speaking English and wanting to have content on Paris...

Update with links of my selection of Netvibes Public Universes

Hi,

here is UPDATED LIST of BEST UNIVERSES by NetEx with links: (order is just practical... ;) )

1. Content Guitar Tabs + Aurora Borealis predictions: a strange mix
2. Good French only Feeds by Founder of Wikio : all feeds with picture: I like
3. Nice Brazilian Food TAB: miam
4. Large CHoice of Feeds: a lot in many different fields
5. NetEX07 Award for Best Serious Layout: will have to improve to maintain title ...
6. NetEx07 Award for Best Unserious Layout: very good, could perhaps add some cartoons
7. NetEx07 Award for Best Headline Picture: New York, New York...
8. Nice Layout: I like dark background ;)
9. Swedish Content: but an image with snow
10. NetExp07 Award for Best Arty Page ***: I just liked it
11. Miss Netvibes: and she can sing too !
12. Content: Medical Library Toolbox: a very good job and professional !!
13. Best Commercial site: Jajah
14. Content: News and Blogs on the European Union: if you are interested
15. Content US PRESIDENTIAL Elections ***: Best content so far by a pro
16. Content: Web Entrepreneur: we all know one ;)
17. Content: All on Netvibes: Yes, my universe, but at the moment is the best ;)
18. Content: Official Netvibes Universe: check and compare with mine ;)
19. Content: Biggest Offer: 42 Tabs , OMG !
20. Content: First Sex Universe: check it if you have your parents permission ;)

After the success of the last BEST UNIVERSES 2007 Awards I decided to share with everyone my preferred Public NetvibesUniverses so here my New tab: "Best Universes by NetEx".

It is just a personnal choice to show other users work, taste, efforts and findings.

I am still looking for good and rich content (not just copy/paste or just feeds) coupled with nice, original design. Everybody is still "under construction" and I am sure we will have interesting discoveries.

I have a Message Board for you to drop me an Universe URL (yours or one you liked) or your comments and I will check it... But wait untill you have something solid to show.

Thanks Netvibes !

Enjoy!

Only ADD "relevant" CONTENT is more than 3 clicks away in Netvibes'Ginger

Hi,

Now the ONLY THING that Netvibes does not allow me to do in less than 3 clicks is to ADD RELEVANT CONTENT for all my neds.

The matter is important as you know that all Wevsite owners try to apply the "three clicks rule" which states that" no important piece of information should ever be more than three clicks away from anywhere else on your Web site"

The "ADD CONENT" of Netvibes' Ginger is where I have the biggest difficulties to find in less than 3 cliks the "Relevant Feed, Widget or Content" I want.

That is an old problem with NETVIBES Search :( , and my solution in the great majority of cases is outside Netvibes... with Google Search.


* At the moment, with Ginger "Add Content" I do not have the Local Content selection of feeds that I had with Coriander. It that was not perfect but was a start...

Netvibes should solve this by:

1) insert a new button LOCAL CONTENT in the Add Content and:

• offer an option to choose the Location you are looking for (and not only the one where you said you were living at the Registration)
• integrate all the Feeds, widgets, tabs and Universes that are "relevant" to the location. This can only achieved with a much better Netvibes search

2) replace the Add Feed button with a SEARCH FEED one in the Add Content:
this new button will search Feeds (rss, atom, xml, rdf) in the Netvibes Database (much larger than the one proposed now) and also in the Web. This will keep user in the page.

3) completly rethink the BROWSE CATEGORIES.
If i select the Sport Category (with these user settings Local content: UK land anguage: English here is the result:

As you can see no "relevant" result for any Uk sport lover because no Relevant National Feed is there with news about the Premier League Football, Rugby, Tennis, Golf ... Oh, yes, I could check the 424 feeds, 18 at the timeshoping to find the right content. It would take me 24 cliks and assuming 1 second to read each feed title It would take me 7 minutes to find what I want, IF IT IS THERE ... No good value for my time :(

But if you go on a Google.co.uk widget and you ask for: url +sport +rss you will have: BBC, SKY Sport, Yahoo! Sport feeds in 1-2-3 position !! in ... 3 seconds. Convincing ;)

But as Netvibes is opening up for a "non-geek" audience those aspects are a key to success or failure. My sister, my colleague, my friend John (who know nothing about feeds, widgets, rss, html, blog...) need to find everything fast and easy at less than 3 clicks away to use at full capabilities Netvibes.

At the moment, the SEARCH for CONTENT gives the wrong impression that it is used to promote chosen content (by Netvibes) at the expenses of Better content for the user.

But the "relevant" Content is the key for success. If it was true for Google it will be true for Netvibes.

Rember Back in 2000 when Google was fighting against Altavista (who ?) and Yahoo Google' boss and founder Sergey Brin declared " When somebody searches for 'cancer' , should you put up the site that paid you (as Altavista and Yahoo) or the site that has better information (Google)? Brin is betting better information will win the day. " And Brin was right, no ?


(My previous posts were: things I can do in Netvibes with 0 (no) clicks , with just 1 click , in 2 clicks and in 3 clicks)

published the Best of LONDON (UK) on my Netvibes' Universe

Hi,

I just published on My Universe, the Best of LONDON (UK) a Full TAB dedicated to London (UK) that I had already published in the Netvibes Ecosystem (do you remember ?) .

It is much easier to check for yourself the all TAB working in my Universe then just reading a list of feeds like it was before. I also can publish my WebNote with links with very useful websites that have not any rss/atom feed. (it was not possible before).

My Best Of LONDON (UK) Universe' Tabs contains:
News, Blogs, Maps, Weather, Links, Searches only and already set for LONDON (UK)

Check here my Best of LONDON UK new Tab and send me ideas and other widgets.

I added a large Image at my profile in my Netvibes Universe

Hi,

with some basic HTML code I managed to publish a big image for my profile/Update Status of my Netvibes Universe. Every time I over it with my Mouse the image shows up !

Would be nice to have it as an official possibility in the profile because now I can not Update my status with any other message.

UPDATE: The operation is not saved by netvibes :( so I can only show you the image.
But the concept could be interesting...

In just 3 clicks in Netvibes' Ginger I can ...

Hi,

And now I arrive at the things that Netvibes' Ginger release allows me to do with just 3 clicks. (My previous posts were: things to do with 0 (no) clicks and with just 1 click or in 2 clicks) :

1. Suscribe to any Feed I was sent to (that means importing in my page the feed widget from that source) if the Suscribe RSS/Atom Feed is on the Page of media or blog...
2. Add any Widget (feeds, search, images, games...) I like from any Netvibes Universe to my own Universe or private page (send to option)
3. Email or copy any Widget I like from any Universe (send to option)
4. Add a Friend for any profile of any Universe I visited with search or any other means
   
5. Add a Friend for any Follower of my Universe
6. Check all the Friends and Followers that any of my own Friends has. And see they are already my Friends (checked in green) otherwise I can add them as Friends
7. Send a message on the "Netvibes only twitter style instant messaging" with my profile/Update status
   
8. Check past Activity day by day (mine and of friends) thanks to a calendar.
9. Add any widget/content offered by Netvibes in the Add Content also with search (NB: not the 100.000 but only a selection by Netvibes).
10. ...
    

In 2 clicks with Netvibes' Ginger I can ...

Hi,

In 2 clicks with Netvibes' Ginger I can:

1. Add 16 of the Essential Widgets (from +Add Conent
2. Check 12-16 Widgets in the Featured Widget Category ( from +Add Conent/Browse categories)
3. Add a feed if I know it(+Add Conent/add a Feed)
4. Follow link to original Feed selected by Friends and Star it (make favorite with a comment) (*Activities)
5. Check my own Public or Private Activities (*Activities)
6. Follow link to My Friends' own Public Universe (Contacts)
7. Check who are my Followers (Contacts)
8. Sarch for new Friends of mine by searching my email contact lists (Contacts)
9. Search Universes by name (min 3 letters) (Contacts)

For previous posts: with 0 clicks and with 1 click.

To be continued ...

With 1 click in Ginger's Netvibes I can do...

Hi,

After my previuos post about things I can do with no click at all from my Ginger release Netvibes' Page here the List of Things I can do with just 1 click :

1. Read any of my Feeds either in my page or in a new window of my browser.
2. Read any of my Emails in a new window.
   
3. Write a message or a note in the widgets like message Board, twitter, webnote, ...
4. Follow a link in a new window.
5. Launch a video, a podacst, an mp3 or any other application
   
6. Watch an image in real size,...
   
7. open any other TAB of my Private Netvibes Page (with a click on the Tab) and then read, check, look at all its content (see previous Post)
8. check a Selection of 6 Content Widgets done by Netvibes based on my Country selection. (just click +Add Content in the Upper Menu)
9. Go to my Public Universe, a special page open to all visitors. Also there I will be able to check with no other click the first Tab.(click on O Go to my universe in the Upper menu)
   
10. read all my Friends' Activities: what single Feed they each "starred" with a comment, or what they have wrote in their own Status Profile using it as a Instant messaging service. (just click on * Activities in the Upper menu)
11. check how many Friends and Followers I have and see the avatars of the first 8-12 Friends (click on Contacts in Upper menu)
    
12. look at my own Status in Profile
13. go to the help page with the FAQ from Netvibes.
    
14. do a new search in any search widget or search just on all my Netvibes page with all its Tabs ! In this case all Feed, news and Email widgets will be searched and the terms searched will be highlited while the no result wisgets will be collapsed! Impressive and useful.
15. change the title of m page ;)
    

to be continued... For posts: with 0 clicks and with 2 clicks.

List of things Netvibes' Ginger allows to do without a single click

Hi,

Here is my long List of things that the Ginger release of Netvibes allows me to do, today, with not a single click, after launching my browser:

(Let's just assume that it is my own PC and that I have signed in to Netvibes before (with the option "remember me" on this PC and that I have set in my browser Netvibes as my homepage. Let's also assume that I have "prepared" my Netvibes page before for a later use with the right settings.)

• read all the content of my first Tab of my Private Page :
  

1. I can read all the titles and first lines of my Feeds from Media, Websites, Blogs, ...
   
2. Look at Weather forecast for today and the 3 following days for as many cities in the world I have chosen.
3. Have the Local time for as many cities I wanted.
4. Have real-time traffic maps for any city that has such a service (Paris, London, Brussels,..).
5. Read the objects of all my emails even on differenaccounts under different users
6. Check my calendars
7. Read my personal notes, to do, reminders,... with phone numbers, addresses, links, dates
8. Read messages from others on a message board that is in my Public Universe
9. Read a feed for of each of my Friend's Public Netvibes Activities and also mine (if you choose the option)
10. Read Twitter and other social messaging services messages
11. Read all kind of Data (Exchange rates, web traffic, graphs,) if they have been inserted in an appropriate widget
12. look at fresh of the day Search results for: news, web, blog, videos, images on any subject you choose and fromany search engine I want
13. I can look at all the fun widgets that i have put on my page (rabbits, cartoons, images, definitions, ..)
14. I can listen to a mp3 player or web radio that opens as I my netvibes page is launched

• I can see the number of feeds unread for each other of my tabs, if I have selected the option that charges also the other Tabs while looking at the first one.

Well that is my list, if you have other ideas please tell and I will add ;)

To be continued ... For posts: Things to do in Netvibes with 1 click.

New "Best Universe by NetEx" : my selection of Netvibes Public Universes

Hi,

After the success of the last BEST UNIVERSES 2007 Awards I decided to share with everyone my preferred Public NetvibesUniverses so here my New tab: "Best Universes by NetEx".

It is just a personnal choice to show other users work, taste, efforts and findings.

I am still looking for good and rich content (not just copy/paste or just feeds) coupled with nice, original design. Everybody is still "under construction" and I am sure we will have interesting discoveries.

I have a Message Board for you to drop me an Universe (yours or one you liked) I will check it... But wait untill you have something solid to show.

At the moment I have 16 Universes selected. I use the Add Content/Essential Widget/ link widget from netvibes that shows a litte thumnail of the site but I think it slows down the page so I might change. Any way, by clicking on the mini widget you will go to the selected Universe.

Thanks Netvibes !

Enjoy!

A better way to leave a short message on my Universe: wEb mEssAges widget

Hi,

this post is the follow-up of a previous one on the best way to let others leave me a short note on my Public Universe.

My favorite is a Widget called : wEb mEssAgEs and is hosted by WidgetBox.com.

Here is their own description: Web messages to leave on a web site. You can use it as a message board, a mini forum, a sign or guestbook, as a chat, a shoutbox, a tagboard, a mini forum,... It supports typical smilies. You can configure color, timezone and other basic parameters. Note: Only the last 50 messages are shown.

I would add, that links that are in the text open in a separate windows and I like that. You can send it to your own Universe and even your own Private page.

As with all this kind of applications with netvibes, you will be able to read and write on my Widget from any netvibes page you want. But if you need a "different and separate" widget from mine, get one for yourself by just signin in: its free.

No problem to configure colours, size, title but to install it, I had problems to send it to My universe (why ??). So I send it easily on my Netvibes private page (with the special button reserved to Netvibes) and then I went back on my Widgetbox page to get the HTML code that I copied in the Add Content/Essential Widgets/ Html widget from Netvibes.

My message Board it is working fine and you can use it here on MY BEST UNIVERSES selection ...