What’s the Difference Between Widgets and Social Media Applications?

I keep hearing this question, so I thought I’d attempt to offer some brief insight:

Applications are platform-specific. (facebook or myspace). Widgets can function on any site that accepts external content. This includes social networks, blog platforms, start pages, desktop platforms personal web sites –

Widgets can function differently on different platforms. So for example a widget may not fully integrate with a specific social network, or deliver varying degrees of integration with a social network like accessing an using certain social data. The benefits of Widgets are that they encourage connectivity, self-expression or collaboration think – GAMES – TOOLS – INTERACTIVE CONTENT

Applications tap into sharing and data via a social network like facebook or myspace via friends, locations etc.

Yahoo Unveils new toolbar for Web Browsing

Great news coming out of Yahoo! today via Reuters.  This is more proof how valuable the Toolbar can be for an engaged consumer.  Guaranteed revenue in an easy format for the user, which enhances the user experience is a true “win, win” for all parties. Expect to see more announcements like this in 2009. Widgets, toolbars, and customizable home pages will help us usher in the new year.  The next iteration of the new Web 2.0 isn’t only about your 16 year old’s Facebook page.  We’ll see continued focus from major interactive players looking to enhance their users experiences with their brand.

SAN FRANCISCO (Reuters) – Yahoo unveiled a new toolbar on Monday that will give Web users access to their e-mail as they surf the Web, the latest step in its strategy to make its products more open to users and third parties.

Firefox, Yahoo, Microsoft and others make toolbars — small strips that sit atop Web browsers — to give users quicker and easier access to Internet functions.

The Yahoo toolbar available later this week will allow users access to a selected group of programs from the toolbar without leaving the page they are on.

For example, users get notifications of new e-mails on the toolbar and can open them. The Internet company also showed off a newly styled in-box, which combines social networking functions and also allows users access to third party programs.

Yahoo has about 275 million users of its e-mail. Its portal relies on advertising and the company says it has an audience of more than 500 million consumers.

As is usual with Yahoo, the changes are being phased in slowly and later will be rolled out for all of its users.

The company is continuing to pursue its open strategy as it is in the middle of a transition. It is looking for a new chief executive to replace Jerry Yang, who has resigned. It also has notified 1,500 employees that they are being laid off.

(Reporting by David Lawsky; editing by Carol Bishopric)