|
 Website Review: WidgetBox
Simone Peinke
If you are an expecting mother looking for an online pregnancy countdown timer to keep your extended family up-to-date, an animal lover looking for a virtual pet or a scholar searching for quotes from your favourite intellectual idol, www.widgetbox.com should be your next stop.
WidgetBox is a site that allows users to find or create widgets for websites or blogs. Widgets, for those who are not technologically informed, are described by one popular online encyclopaedia as a “graphic user interface that displays an information arrangement changeable by the user, such as a window or textbox.” Basically, users can change information projected by a widget, making these online toys perfect for web customisation.
On WidgetBox, users can create widgets from countdown timers, polls, slideshows or forms. Creating a widget takes a matter of minutes, though users have to sign up with WidgetBox before they can save their widget creations.The site allows for a fair amount of widget customisation, however the newly available WidgetBox Pro upgrade allows for greater user manipulation so that widgets may appear even more unique.
There have been some reported problems with Widgetbox's functionality. Widgets do not always behave predictably – users have complained of uploading problems, and at times the widgets do not operate correctly once uploaded. WidgetBox does, however, have a very useful “Common problems” page where almost any problem can be remedied with help from the WidgetBox team.
Web worshippers visiting WidgetBox will feel like a new-age kid in a virtual candy store where not only can they feast on what they see, but create their own authentic sweet treats. The site is fun, and hosts hundreds of other widgets available for download. Whether you are creating a website that needs a bit more panache, a keen blogger looking for some new tricks, or merely a bored browser, you should be able to find or create something delightful in the WidgetBox.
|
