new Netvibes' Share option to customize and export UWA Widgets

In a very rich week full of new features (Google search box, Buzz and Public stream) Netvibes will also offering a new Share option to customize the apparence of UWA Widgets.

As the all ecosystem will be rebuilt with new features (n° of installations, platform % and weekly trends) and a better search :), a new option is already offered under the Share menu in the ecosystem bottom menu line.

With this you will be able to export the widget you like (here is mine: the NetEx blog ) with a few customizations and preferences:

• title of widget
• height
• width
• border colour
• ...

Very interesting is also the GRAB THE WIDGET CODE window: with a copy/paste you are now able to export any UWA widget and place it on any WEB page (except the ones like Blogger who prevent javascript) !

The applications are with no limits!! The widget revolution is coming ?

Thanks Netvibes!!

Don't like Tennis ? Get Comics widgets on your Netvibes

If you are not in Tennis or Sports, or if you want to change subject, netvibes has prepared a selection of Comic Strips widgets.

In another effort from Netvibes, to offer some content to new users, the selection is presented on the Netvibes Universe, just go here: If you like the widget, click on it and it will be added to your own Netvibes page.


You will see Classic Comics as:

Dilbert,
Calvin & Hobbes,
Garfield,
Snoopy,

or new characters as:

XKCD,
Ctrl+Alt+Del,
Penny Arcade,
Cathy
Kawaii

Enjoy!

As a matter of fact, the one I prefer is the little lady with green shoes designed by Karine. Would love to have a daily widget from her ;)

Tariq Krim, Netvibes'CEO, launches his new blog giving clues on Widgets' monetization

Tariq Krim, Netvibes' CEO and founder, has just launched his own blog: http://www.tariqkrim.com.

His second post is about the Monetization of the Widget economy:

Tariq expects the market to develop from the estimated 40 mln US$ for 2008 to a much bigger figure for 2009. Tariq seems also to consider an European way to Widgets, where Netvibes could take the lead.

Let's wait for a few days before commenting all this...

If you are interested here is a Business presentation in PDF make by Netvibes beginning of April 2008.


As you can see, one of the options is to bring brands and advertising inside every possible widget while the overall homepage will be not be sponsored.

Fashion Content Feeds and Links for your Netvibes page from NetEx

After Netvibes presenting its selection for "feminine" content , here is my own selection of Fashion Content:

You can check it on my other Universe :

http://www.netvibes.com/storage#FASHION_by_NeteX

You will find dozens of Fashion Feeds selected for you, links and searches (video, shopping,...).
There is a colour per language/country.

You want a Widget or a just a few, click on them and they will be added to your own Netvibes page.

Want the all "Fashion by NetEx" Tab ? click here



Thanks to Isa and Gustav for tips.
And no, I did not prepared it today :)
.

I want a Netvibes Directory of Content

The most frustrating thing when you have a powerful tool is not to have enough material to use it.

Imagine your super new full HD Tv 16/9 screen just showing only '60 B/W 4/3 sitcoms or your super flat super light Mac Air just for typing your expenses notes: A Nightmare !

Now, you have this Netvibes Ginger, ZE Social Homepage, with powerful tools: ALL FEEDS, REMIXED FEED READER, STAR IT ! , MY WALL, MY UNIVERSE, MY COMMUNITY and using it just for reading your Friends Twitters, the BBC World news, TechCrunch feeds and a few friends' blog : what a waste !

Where is the discovery ? Where is the all Web ? Where is the All Netvibes Community ? What I am missing ? What is the new content that you were looking for but without knowing it ?

Well, all of that could/should be in a Netvibes DIRECTORY of CONTENT.

The 2 Mln different RSS feeds that Netvibes users have found should be "offered" to other users in many forms:

• most read
• by language
• by country
• by subject

It is not easy to do it and at first a "handmade" version would probably be necessary. But a lot Netviber users, I am sure, would be interested to be part of this action ;)

We could start with a DMOZ structure, the one at the source of the first Google Page Ranking, that Netvibes users, in a Wiki style, could use to rate Feeds and Universe

Mean while you can check sites like: AllTop and a copy/clone for SouthAmerica Notilat and imagine the same page but with a little green sign with a white cross at the side of each feed source meaning : add it to my Netvibes page.

Ze REMIXED FEED READER Widget for Netvibes: the best and most complete feeds reader 5*/5

This Remixed Feed Reader Widget is the best and most complete Feed Reader Widget on the market!

It is ZE FEED READER ! You try it and you will never change it !

His creator is once again, already distinguished, Tristan Groléat .
I have already introduced this widget to you, but let me show you its huge advantages.

1) "Normal Netvibes Reader" vs "Remixed Feed Reader"

Check the image up there, on the left in blue, the "Normal Netvibes Reader" that is at the base of Netvibes succes . Very few options: maximum 25 posts, details or not, posting date but no way to change the title.

In the center, the "Remixed Feed Reader" with the same settings to act as the Normal Netvibes:it looks just a little bit bigger.

Now check the widget on the right is the same "Remixer Feed Reader" but with the "show small images (thumbnails))" option on.

With Ze "Remixed Feed Reader" you can things that your "normal feed reader" can not as:

1. choose to show up to 50 posts,
2. show posts on 1- 2-3-4 or 5 columns
3. change the title or show the original one
4. filter the results with keyword
5. show thumbnails images

but did I mentioned that :

6. an audio and a video player are integrated in the widget
7. you can merge more than one feed ?

Is it not perfect ? And of course you can star (share your favorites) any post.

I will show you exemples of Merge and Filter in future posts.

Only thing to improve: its name , a little dull ;)

Keep watching because the combination of this Remixed Feed Widget with the All Feeds one, also by Tristan Groléat, will give us a definitive new Netvibes experience.

NetEx Rating: 5*****/5

The perfect Feeds Reader Widget, all in one: simple, clear, easy and working !

Netvibes should place it immediately in their Essential Widgets.

Already added to my collection of REALLY ESSENTIAL WIDGETS that you can check in my Netvibes' Universe.

You can also get here:



This Widget is an UWA widget that means that it is usable also on: iGoogle, Apple Dashboard, Opera, Windows Vista, Windows Live ... but why would you do that ? ;)

I have found the first FEEDS READER with IMAGES

I have finally found the first FEEDS READER Widget that shows images !! I was looking for it since my first Netvibes page and now I have it working . Too cool !

Look at the image down there, I have chosen the Fubiz blog to show you th improvements.


On the left the "normal" feed reader from Netvibes with the "show details" option, then in the center the Premium Widget also from Netvibes. This tile it show images but just 3 at the times.
Then on the right the new Feed Reader Widget: as many images as you want (only jpg).

Imagine all your preferred Video, Sport, Fashion, Design, Art, Photography, Visual, Graphic ... blogs showing up in your Netvibes page with their images... Even Netviber Experience blog will has been enhanced ;)

But that is not all ! With this single Widget you can also :

1) merge different feeds, audio podcasts and video podcasts together
2) filter the displayed items.
3) show feeds on 1-2-3-4-5 columns ...
4) video player and an audio player are integrated in the widget.
5) read the articles directly in the widget too.

Available in English and French

A wonderful widget.

More to come!

What kind of animal is Netvibes today ? A PLATYPUS !

A PLATYPUS ??!!

YES, A PLATYPUS !

Platypus ( (Ornithorhynchus anatinus) is a small , nice, unique semi-aquatic , duck-billed, beaver-tailed, otter-footed, egg-laying, venomous mammal with dense brown fur living in Australia .

If you look back , NETVIBES was an Homepage or a Start Page : It was the your new Private page: a new entry point for the Web to read your preferred feeds, check the weather, your emails .... The competition is from: iGoolge, MyYahoo!, Live.com, Pageflakes,...

Slowly, the new socials networks appeared and with the Ginger release, a new Netvibes was presented. Now, you can have now your own Public Page on Netvibes: Netvibes has become a Social Service on its own but in competition with Facebook, Myspace, Twitter, Bebo ...

Now, as evolution continues also in the web, Widgets (those small programmes that you can add to your page) are becoming the big thing... They can travel, they can be today in Netvibes but tomorrow (even today if you want) you will bring them in your own Blog or in your web site.

At this point Netvibes have to evolve again...

So Netvibes wants to become also a Widget Market place in competition with: Widgetbox, Slide, Rockyou, Goowy, Clearspring, Gigya, ...

Other evolutions are awaited: Online Web Storage could be the next one...

So, Netvibes = Platypus , not a strange definition for me ...

WEB PAGE PLUS: a 5star widget to get just the piece of page you need in your Netvibes

If you want to have on your Netvibes page just a part of a Web Page and you are not able to get it with the Automatic Parser, you still have a chance to get it with the new WEB PAGE PLUS.

This Widget has also been created by Twisterss in just 2 hours !! as I was reviewing his excellent Automatic Parser Widget,

It is inspired by the WEB PAGE widget, one of the Essential Widgets of Netvibes that offers you the possibility to "import" an all specified Web page by just getting its web http address (url).
But where is the adventage to have an all page in your own Netvibes page ? And what if you just need, as all of us, just a small part of the page, not the ads, nor the index or the pictures but just one piece of "preciuos data"?

"The Web Page Plus widget is an UWA widget that makes exactly the same things as the Web Page widget in essential widgets of netvibes, except that it can save your position in the displayed web page to go back to this position when it is reloaded."

It allows you to create really easily widgets that display the part of the web page you want.

Let's say you are interested in Space and you like the NASA web site .

But you like the Nasa's VIDEOS and you want it in your Netvibes without the Top header and the left header (see first image). The Automatic Parser is not working (javascript code or else) so you take your Web Page Plus widget and you put the Url. then you scroll right and down untill the part of page is ok , you choose the size of the widget and, before leaving, YOU SAVE.

Then every time you come back your widget will just positionned where you left it, ready to work for you. (here on the right)


Rating: 5*****/5 for an effective Widget that can be used everywhere !

Defintively to be added to my collection of REALLY ESSENTIAL WIDGETS that you can check in my Netvibes' Universe.

Only BUG but not coming from the Widget but from Netvibes' Ginger is the impossibility, at the moment, to transfer the Widget with my settings (Url, size, scrolls) to other people.

For future uses, a width size will be perhaps needed.

You can get this well done widget here:



or on Twisterss Universe or in the Netvibes Ecosystem.

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 ! ;)

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:

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...

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.

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.

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 ...

Leave a short Note on My Netvibes Universe and get the Widget for yours

Hi,


A few days ago I was looking for a simple way for my Friends to leave me a short note on my Netvibes Universe.


Thanks to Chris, I have the solution. It is not a Pure Netvibes Solution as we use a Pageflakes widget (they Call it Message Board Flake). Hey that is WEB3.0 !!


But the result is OK.

Try it, leave me the Url of your Universe so I can check it and get the Widget for your Netgvibes page and/or Universe with the SEND THIS MODULE option.


My Message Board is here. Hey, it works, already 2 messages ! Thanks!