By Matt Farrington-Smith: Windows Live Editor | |
A slice of the web
Web Slices are just one of a number of dramatic additions to Internet Explorer's latest release.
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Web Slices give you easy access to relevant information.
Time is an important asset that constantly trickles through our fingers, and as we spend more of our time online, conducting our lives, we must do as much as possible to spend it more efficiently.
How many times a week do you log on to internet banking, look up an address if you're going to a party later, bid on that commemorative issue of a Spiderman comic, or want to keep tabs on the current sports scores?
It is inconvenient to constantly check a website for changes and, to that end, what if there was a way to do it all from the same page? Well now there is, and I will show you how.
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What is a Web Slice?
Web Slices in Internet Explorer 8 break all the rules and allow you to gather all of this information without leaving your current site.
A Web Slice is a preview (or snippet) of your favourite site or service available directly from the Favourites bar of your browser.
When you visit a web page that has a Web Slice available, a Web Slice icon is displayed. You can then easily subscribe and add the item to your Favourites bar.
When the Web Slice is updated, your Favourites bar will flash and the text will turn bold, indicating that shiny new content is available.
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Clicking on your Web Slice in the Favourites Bar opens and displays the latest content. Clicking on the preview navigates your browser directly to the original web site.
Web Slice functionality is included out of the box with IE8. You don't need to go through the laborious process of finding an add-on and installing.
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How to add a Web Slice
You don't need to be a genius to start adding Web Slices. Find a Web Slice by hovering your mouse over the content you're interested in.
Click on the green Web Slice icon to add it to your collection.
Handy fact: In user tests, Accelerators and Web Slices saved users almost a minute performing common tasks.
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It is easy to set how often Internet Explorer 8 checks for updates and new content.
Once you have added a Slice, simply right-click to select Properties. Here you can select the frequency and alter the schedule accordingly.
But what if you don't want to track a Web Slice's updates anymore? To delete, right-click and select Delete from the menu - hardly rocket science now is it?
Get Addons at the Internet Explorer Gallery
eBay AcceleratorUse this Accelerator to find and preview eBay items from any Web site without leaving the page you’re on.
Windows Live Hotmail Web SliceUsing Windows Live Hotmail, this webslice allows you to view your emails from anywhere on the web using web slice technology.
Wikipedia Search ProviderGet visual search suggestions and instant answers from Wikipedia directly on your screen.