Blog on top of your blog with Viviti
While blogging tools like WordPress and TypePad have recently undergone considerable overhauls to their respective blogging interfaces, a service called Viviti is going in a different direction. The blog host lets you edit and manage your content right on the page. There's still a simple WYSIWYG editor, but all you have to do to edit and change content and the look and feel of the site is to click and drag the bits and pieces around. Users of Ning will feel right at home.
Like other hosted blogging tools there are a tons of customization options. You have your choice of a handful of ready-made templates that come with their own fonts, spacing and backgrounds. You can also drop in your own custom HTML or CSS file that will be hosted on Viviti's servers.
If you're a widget fan, Viviti's got a great setup for adding bits of customized content to your page. You can pick from a small directory of preset widgets like your Xbox Live Gamertag, an HTML block, your Last.fm playlist, and RSS feeds from wherever. It only took me a minute or two to put together an entire sidebar which could be moved around and reordered with just a click.
Another feature I think users are really going to enjoy is free domain mapping, meaning if you've purchased a domain from somewhere like GoDaddy, you can have it go through Viviti. All you need is the right DNS routing and you're good to go. Most services charge for this, but Viviti is offering it for free.
Viviti is currently in private beta with plans for a premium service down the road. We've got 100 invites for Webware readers. To get yours, just drop in your info in the form that's after the break. We'll get them out as soon as they're all claimed.
Update: All the invites have been accounted for. If you signed up successfully you should be getting yours very soon. Keep an eye on your in box and be sure to check your spam folder.
Don't want to bother with dashboards to change things on your blog? Check out Viviti, which lets you make changes right on the page.
(Credit: CNET Networks)
Josh Lowensohn is an associate editor for Webware.com, CNET's blog about cool and otherwise useful Web applications and services. If you've found a site you'd like profiled, shoot him an e-mail. E-mail Josh.
