A 3 step guide on using Google as an information dashboard

iGoogle is a great tool and can be used for many purposes. It allows you add many different applications to control different amounts of information such as calendars, RSS feeds and much more.

Step 1: Register for an Account


I already had an iGoogle account so I have not registered recently. However, it is very simple and does not take very long to set up.The feature "Create your homepage in under 30 seconds" allows you to select your interests, the country you live in and a theme you like. This the generates an iGoogle homepage for you.

To personalise your homepage, you need to log in with your Google account. Signing up for an account is also very simple if you do not already have one.

Step 2 - Add tabs



You can personalise your homepage in any way you like but I added a tab for each of the current modules I am studying. I did this by clicking the small arrow beside "Home" and then I clicked "Add Tab".

You will the be presented with a window that asks you to name your new tab and

then your new tab will appear under "Home".

Step 3 - Add RSS feeds

I added an appropriate RSS feed for each module for these modules. I obtained these through twitter and delicious feeds.

I edited the CustomRss app and inserted the RSS feed link from a 'Digital Media' Twitter search into the two boxes indicated by the arrows.

After saving these settings, this is the finished result.

I repeated these steps on every tab which enabled me to have an appropriate RSS feed for each module.