Some time ago I created a so-called Google Gadget. A Google Gadget is a simple HTML and JavaScript mini-application served in an iFrame that can be embedded in webpages and other apps. It can also be put on your personalized Google page, i.e. , if you have one that is. Gadgets can also be used on for example , and .
My gadget gets the latest content from . This site contains a lot of material for several different categories and therefore I made it possible to choose which category to display, how many items to list and the option to display them with or without a summary.
The gadget is not really made as a sidebar blog-widget, but rather as a gadget for iGoogle. It can however be adjusted to fit in for 180 or 200 pixels on a blog and still look ok. Copy and paste the code below to your blog for this purpose. However this will display the 4 most recent articles on latest content with no summaries. If you want to show anything else you have to adjust it yourself . The gadget can always be found in the where you can choose to add it for iGoogle or to your webpage.
Here is how it looks like when you add it for iGoogle.

When used on iGoogle you can as mentioned above easily adjust what to display. Do this by clicking the little arrow in the header and choose "edit adjustments". This little box will open up where you can tune what to display.

If you are a Lotus Notes/Domino person there is a category for that. There are also categories for Java, XML, Web development and much more.
Behind all this is some XML and JavaScript development, not too advanced though and you will get a lot of help from the . You can also look at the code behind existing gadgets to get ideas on how to do certain things.
I have of course ideas on how to make cool gadgets for Wohill on design or development topics which will be published here when that time comes. Feel free to post any questions that you might have and I will help you or guide you in the right direction if I can - to speed up the development process.