I tested the new Netvibes FireFox extension: star and add feeds in 1 click: 5*/5

I just installed the new Netvibes Firefox extension Add2Netvibes v0.8.0: (works from Firefox 1.5 to Firefox 3)

In a few clicks and a restart, your FireFox will show a Star and a + icon in the Browser bar.

When a site is interesting, you click on the Star icon to save the Link with a comment, in your private or in your public activity.


When a feed is present on a selected page, the grey + button changes colour and becomes green. By clicking on it and choosing which feed you prefer, the chosen Feed will be added to your Netvibes page that is open in another FireFox window.
That way you can go back to the selected page.

On the contrary, if you click in the orange RSS icon that is shown to the right of the address bar, that will also add your Feed in your Netvibes page but it will open and create a new Netvibes page that will replace the "original page" that will not be open anymore. And you have now 2 different Netvibes pages open :(

Just for that, the Add2Netvibes extension is worthwhile installing !

To be able to use them, it is better to have already opened your Netvibes before.

NetEx Rating: 5*/5

A good and simple extension, only for FireFox, that works better with Ginger (but everybody will be upgraded to it).

The only problem I see, is not related to the extension but to the fact that the Activities of my netvibes page will no doubt increase with it but without a proper backup and a proper search for them.

If I have to look through my activities hour by hour because I do not recall the precise title I am looking for that will be a huge problem for me.

This search and backup of Activities should to be solved as soon as possible... perhaps with the personal Drive ?



HOW TO INSTALL :

Firefox extension

1 - Install the extension

Install Add2Netvibes v0.8.0 (works from Firefox 1.5 to Firefox 3)

If you see this message at the top of the page, click "Edit Options", "Allow", "Close", and click the install link again.

2 - Restart Mozilla Firefox

Once the extension is validated and installed in Firefox, you must restart the browser in order to finish the installation, and use the extension. After the restart, you will see a new button in your toolbar. Ginger users will also see an additional button to star any page!

It will be added in Link Widget in my REAL ESSENTIAL WIDGETS (and extensions) in my Universe.

FriendFeed aggregates your own and your friends' various Social Networks feeds (also Netvibes) :4*/5

It is a few days that I am using FriendFeed a new service that aggregates in one page your own and your friends' various Social Networks feeds and updates

For example, you can see what songs your friends are listening to on last.fm, what video they enjoyed on YouTube, their last blog or Twitter post or see the new photos they have published to Picasa. And you will show the same!

Currently, FriendFeed supports 33 different services :

News

Digg

Google Reader

Reddit

Bookmarking

del.icio.us

Furl

Google Shared Stuff

Ma.gnolia

StumbleUpon

Status

Gmail/Google Talk

Jaiku

Pownce

Twitter

Video

Seesmic

Vimeo

YouTube

Books

Goodreads

LibraryThing

Photos

Flickr

Picasa Web Albums

SmugMug

Zooomr

Blogging

Blog

Tumblr

Music

iLike

Last.fm

Pandora

Miscellaneous

Amazon Wishlists

Disqus

LinkedIn

Netflix Queue

SlideShare

Upcoming

Yelp

You choose the ones you want to share with others, you set the user/pass, and then if your page is public (open to all) or private (you must grant authorization).

Then you check for your Friends. When you click on them you see the services they share and the people they have suscribed to.

Netvibes as such is not already listed, but what you can do is to get the RSS FEED of your own public Activities on Netvibes ( In own your profile, close to "edit profile", the orange icon Feed) and insert it as ... BLOG. That way, even your "Not yet Netvibes" friends will see your Netvibes updates (but not the Star it!)

With FriendFeed you can also check people that are not already using FriendFeed by creating an "Imaginary Friend". Then, you get your friend's Twitter, Facebook,blog, Netvibes Activity, ... Feeds and by placing the Feed as a ... Blog you will be able to follow them.

But it is not just following that you can do.

With FriendFeed you can also:
Comment by leaving a short note
Like by choosing an emoticon
More by linking the entry.

You can also leave links and psot a FF status. You can also see comments from Friends of Friends, pictures and captures....

I like this service and I have created in my Netvibes page a full tab dedicated to it with the WEB PAGE widget (add content/essential widgets/Web page).
This way I check my most interesting friends in more "complete way" not, as before, service by service but activity by activity. Thanks FriendFeed !

My public FriendFeed is : http://friendfeed.com/netex and I publish there my Twetter, Blog, Netvibes Activity, Facebook updates.


NetEx Rating: 4****/5

Friendfeed is a very powerful service to aggregate your Social networks feeds and Updates.
It is the most advanced service toward my Single Social Interface dream.

The 4* means that the service is not already "finished": the search was just added a few days ago.
Friendfeed should also add Netvibes as a basic service ;)

To get FriendFeed go here

For some reading : TechCrunch

Go check the Best Netvibes Universe Layout and get inspired ! 5*/5

Look at this Universe ! It is just superb ! The right colours, the right pictures, the right background pictures, the right proportions, the right content ! A pleasure !

Go check the just out of print "Grand Bleu" Universe of Karine , one tab at the time, take your time, enjoy it and after that you will want to quit your "normal" universe. (I do ;))

Just imagine Karine's work with a "free floating" Netvibes page and not those boring columns ...


NetEx rating: Best Universe Layout: 5*****/5

I have added it to my best Universes tab in my own Universe.

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 ? ;)

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.

First Interesting Netvibes Universe: I love Politics ! (Netviber Experience rating of 10/10)

Hi,

I have jus found this Universe, ILovePolitics, finally a Netvibes Universe with real content and real work done to prepare it.

Created by French Marjorie Paillon, is the most complete site about the US Presidency election.

With 21 Tabs and hundreds of feeds, news, videos, humor,data, maps, dates, polls,... from the USA, UK and France, ILovePolitics Universe is the place to go to follow this great event.

That is what I mean when I was writing about content and "Human content aggregation" !

It is with this kind of content, that Netvibes could really become popular. Yes, the vast majority of my friends and all my family do not understand what is an RSS and when they do they are not able to find and get some. But they can read it, if its ready made !

And here Netvibes is the best: you just keep the feeds you like !! You place them as you want ! and slowly you get ideas and you can start searching for something...

That could be "part of the viral" approach that Netvibes needs to explode.

Only small critic: the Headline picture for the Universe i quite big when I watch it from my LapTop...

In conclusion: Netviber Experience Rating: 10/10

10 things I want from my HOMEPAGE (update 070418)

Hi,

here in BOLD, the Updates I made after the new Universe Upgrade (see point 10) and the new Coriander Version.
Have any suggestion ?

I wanted to list here what I really want from my PERSONALIZED HOMEPAGE and I will rate how my Netvibes Home page complies today April 18 2007 (from 10= perfect to 0=not at all). Let's go: I WANT MY PERSONALIZED HOME PAGE TO...

1. CHARGE FAST MY DIFFERENT PAGES (TABS) (Netvibes = 7 )
2. SHOW THE NEWS FEEDS I choose with details or not, with pics or not, with direct links or not, with immediate preview, mixing different feeds, in a small space (Netvibes =10)
3. SHOW MY CALENDAR DIRECLTY with the choice of a Montly, Weekly and daily view, and the possibility to present multiple calendars in just one space with different colours. (Netvibes= 4 , I need to embed the Google Calendar, but I have to login in first to see it on my Netvibes. Problems with colours and sizes).
4. TAKE NOTES with a choice with Font sizes, Style and Coulours. Http links should open directly in an external page. (Netvibes =7 with the webnote module, ok for links, some new editing choice, but only for all note. I would prefer a WYSIWYG text editor .)
5. SEARCH every Search Engine available. Ideal would be possibility to integrate the results in just one space . (Netvibes =9 almost every thing is there)
6. SHOW JUST THE PIECE I WANT OF ANOTHER WAB PAGE that is not possible to import (like a webcam, a personalized Ebay search,... (Netvibes =3, with external modules, I am only able to have the Upper Left corner of a web page and I have to navigate. Protopage with their "Web Page Widget" has a module that rates 10).
7. CHOOSE MY COLOURS, MY N° OF COLUMNS, MY SIZES, MY FONTS, MY BACKGROUND PICTURE (Netvibes =8, a lot of improvement. Backgroung Image still missing)
8. IMPORT EASILY TESTED API (Netvibes =5, good choice of API but no test before submitting them to users)
9. SHARE ALL OR SOME PART OF MY PAGE with friends, family, colleaugues (Netvibes=7 as now I can share feeds, notes, tabs... 10 will come with the My personal Universe page )
10. BE SECURE and RELIABLE . Secure from external attacks and reliable in time and space, with no service interruptions, full availability and backup possibilities (Netvibes=5 , nothing changed).

Those are the ten points that at the moment I can think are the most important for me and Netvibes rates 65 points over 100 ! An Improvement of 15 points in a month !! +30% !!

ENOUGH TO BE MY ONLY PERSONALIZED HOME PAGE.

Future improvements are needed on the "professional side: calendars, notes,..." as they will increase productivity.

All that to say that I stick to Netvibes.

10 things I want from my HOMEPAGE

Hi,

I wanted to list here what I really want from my PERSONALIZED HOMEPAGE and I will rate how my Netvibes Home page complies today March 14 2007 (from 10= perfect to 0=not at all).

Let's go: I WANT MY PERSONALIZED HOME PAGE TO...

1. OPEN DIRECTLY WITH NO LOGIN if I want to and OPEN FAST AND CHARGE FAST WHEN I NEED ANOTHER TAB (Netvibes = 6 and even 5 with the new slower Coriander version and no way to escape Login)
2. SHOW THE NEWS FEEDS I choose with details or not, with pics or not, with direct links or not, with immediate preview, mixing different feeds, in a small space (Netvibes =10)
3. SHOW MY CALENDAR DIRECLTY with the choice of a Montly, Weekly and daily view, and the possibility to present multiple calendars in just one space with different colours. (Netvibes= 4 , I need to embed the Google Calendar, but I have to login in first to see it on my Netvibes. Problems with colours and sizes).
4. TAKE NOTES with a minimum of choices with Font sizes, Style and Coulours. Http links should open directly in an external page. (Netvibes =5 with the webnote module, ok for links, but no editing choice at all: frustrating!)
5. SEARCH every Search Engine available. Ideal would be possibility to integrate the results in just one space . (Netvibes =9 almost every thing is there)
6. SHOW JUST THE PIECE I WANT OF ANOTHER WAB PAGE that is not possible to import (like a webcam, a personalized Ebay search,... (Netvibes =3, with external modules, I am only able to have the Upper Left corner of a web page and I have to navigate. Protopage with their "Web Page Widget" has a module that rates 10).
7. CHOOSE MY COLOURS, MY N° OF COLUMNS, MY SIZES, MY FONTS,... (Netvibes =2 very poor choice)
8. IMPORT EASILY TESTED API (Netvibes =5, good choice of API but no test before submitting them to users)
9. SHARE ALL OR SOME PART OF MY PAGE with friends, family, colleaugues (Netvibes=2 as I can only share feeds )
10. BE SECURE from external attacks (Netvibes as all Ajax Home pages =5)

After this 10 points that at the moment I can think are the most important for me, Netvibes rates 50 points over 100 :

NOT ENOUGH TO BE ALREADY THE PERSONALIZED HOME PAGE.

That means that there is still a lot to be done.

Now, are the Competitors of Netvibes better ? Let me know if you use them.

For the moment I stick to Netvibes.

review of EBAY modules and feeds on Netvibes

Hi,

I am an Ebayer (more buyer than seller and not a pro) but I like to check from time to time a few of my preferred searches.
For that I would need a Ebay Module that could just show me in my Netvibes page the list either of newly listed items or ending soonest.
Of course a track of my auctions would be important .

Here is what I found :

1) Official EBAY module offered by Netvibes in the Add Content.




Install:
To use it you need to enter your EBAY username and to receive from Ebay a Code to access it from another service (Netvibes).
I do not know if that is safe for the use of my Ebay account but I was not requested to give my Ebay password on Netvibes. You have to enter which ebay site you prefer, what items you want to see and how many.

Description:
I have selected "Watching" ( but I could have Module allows to see also the Bidding, or Selling, My Favorites, My Messages) and this module shows me perfectly the "Items I'm watching" that I have previously selected from the EBAY page directly.
As you can see from my screen capture, the small picture of the item shows on the left with on the right on the first row the Price, then Description, then Time left. On the side you have the seller and a cross to remove item from the list.
When the Time left is over, the Texts are over typed.
If I chose to have an Auction, If the Auction is WOon Price will be in Green.
If you click on the Picture or on the description text, an external page opens in EBAY showing the item. In my case I have to sign in in Ebay to se My Ebay own page. The Ebay Module shows best in Netvibes with maximum 3 columns.I tried to open a second module to see in the same page the Itmes I am Watching and the Messages but it did not work ...

Conclusion:
A good Module well designed with all information I need.

Rating: 4/5

What is missing: The possibility to search and follow a search in the Netvibes page

2) an external MY EBAY Module by Netvibes user

Install: To use this Module you have also to enter your Ebay username and to get a code from Quickfeeds , a tool that allows you to automatically keep track of your eBay activity on your Google, Yahoo! or other Homepage that supports RSS feeds.

Description:From this module you get just 6 numbers: Number of Bidding Winned or Lost; number of Watching Active or Closed and the number of Closed items Won or Lost.

Plus a list with no picture of Watched Items showing description, price and time (no seller). By clicking on the line you open an external page in Ebay with the item you choose. The search opens in a new external page. A lot of space (1/3) is lost with unusuful data.

Conclusion:A poor module, written for Google/IG, with no pictures, no direct search. I have no use of this module. I largely prefer the "officile one" from Netvibes.

Rating: 2/5

3) Ebay, offers on its site the possibility to follow one search with an RSS FEED.

Install: You can add as many as you want to your Netviobes page by adding the URL in the Add feed feature.

Description : Just a sequence of lines. No picture is offered, only the text description (no price, no seller, no date, no sort options). The informations are available only with "mouse-over": not practical...

By clicking on the text you can open an external page of the browser to look at the item on EBAY.

Here is an extract of the Help from Ebay on RSS FEEDS: "....Since many readers cache information and poll at most every 30 minutes, listings that appear on the RSS feed will not have an end time less than 15 minutes from the moment the feed was retrieved. Therefore, if your reader requests the feed now, the first item will end in at least 15 minutes.
Initially this feature will not support all search parameters available through Advanced Search pages. In the next few days we will include on this page a full list of unsupported filters..."

Conclusion: The EBAY Feeds do not work very well at the moment especially if you have more elaborated search request. Can serve just as a reminder.

Rating: 1/5

4) I used the ANY URL module by Yauponder to show my own EBAY SEARCHES in Netvibes.

Install: Go to the Any Url module page on the Netvibes Ecosystem and click on the Add to Netvibes. Once is installed in your own Netvibes page, save title (I chose the Name of the Search) , url (is the url of myEbay search with all the conditions I want), define size (I chose a display over 3 columns so i selected width=300px and height=600px. I could have selected % instead)

Description: I got an external search just inside my Netvibes page. Of course I have to move in the module to see just what I want. When you click on one item (picture, text) the Ebay page of the item opens in the module. If you have not already loged in and you want to do it, if you click on LOGIN IN the Netvibes page is complitly replaced by the EBAY one! That is confusing...

Conclusion: As the module is not able to locate directly on the search result I have to move in the module but for me the result is much better than every thing tried at least to track a specific Ebay Search (max 20-30 items) !

Rating: 3/5 just for searches.

In conclusion, there is some space for a better EBAY module with increased Search Fonctions.
On the other hand an issue could come from the necessity to sign in in Ebay in order to accomplish some tasks like Watch this or Save searches.