This article was published on April 13, 2010

Netvibes: track the Internet in real time with Instant Dashboards.


Netvibes: track the Internet in real time with Instant Dashboards.

Maybe you’ve heard of Netvibes.  Fact is, the company has been around for a few years, with some pretty major structural changes through that time.  At first, it was a start page (think iGoogle), then it was a browser widget and now it is a dashboard that turns the Internet into your personal news feed.

TechCrunch gives us the dirt on a new feature to Netvibes, known as Instant Dashboards.  The premise is pretty straight forward: enter a subject, the Netvibes will scour the Internet to bring you a real-time feed of all information related to that subject.

It’s a great way to take a subject of interest to you, then make sure that you’re getting the latest info.  What’s more, you can customize the Instant Dashboard that Netvibes creates, including adding specific RSS feeds to it.

You can choose to view your Dashboard in a widget-style view, or a more compact reader style.  Each section can also be added or removed at will. Not feeling very creative?  You can also choose to follow other popular Instant Dashboards that will be recommended when you create your new one.

The interface is slick and, if it truly is as real-time as my five-minute test seemed to show, this could be a great answer for many of us who need as-it-happens updates.  The ability for Netvibes to aggregate not only text, but also video and photos gives it the edge that the company needs to continue to climb.

Get the TNW newsletter

Get the most important tech news in your inbox each week.