Component for accessing and displaying internet content

A server in operative communication with a client computing device over a network, the server comprising:

• electronic storage having stored thereon:
• a first networked information monitor template comprising a first XML file, the networked information monitor template further comprising a definition of:
• a first viewer graphical user interface for presentation on a client computing device;
• a first image to be presented within said first viewer graphical user interface;
• an element configured to cause said first viewer graphical user interface to be presented on a display associated with the client computing device separately from any graphical user interface of any other application;
• a first network reference to a first set of content for presentation within said first viewer graphical user interface, the first network reference including a uniform resource locator from which the first set of content is served over the network via the TCP/IP protocol;
• and
• an element configured to cause the client computing device to present the first set of content in the first graphical user interface;
• wherein the definition of the first viewer graphical user interface and/or the first set of content define all controls for enabling a user to specify the uniform resource locator through the first viewer graphical user interface, and
• a second application media package template comprising a second XML file;
• and
• one or more processors configured to execute one or more computer program modules, the one or more computer program modules being configured to receive a single request for the both of the first networked information monitor template and the second networked information monitor template from the client computing device over the network, and responsive to the received single request, to transmit both of the first networked information monitor template and the second networked information monitor template to the client computing device over the network.

A computer-implemented method of serving a networked information monitor template to one or more client computing devices over a network, the method being implemented in a server comprising electronic storage and one or more physical processors configured to execute one or more computer program modules, the method comprising:

• storing the networked information monitor template to the electronic storage, the networked information monitor template comprising:
• a definition of a viewer graphical user interface within which content in a web browser-readable language may be presented;
• a network reference to said content, the network reference including a uniform resource locator from which content for the networked information monitor is served over the network via the TCP/IP protocol;
• an element configured to cause said user interface to be displayed by the client computing device separately from any graphical user interface of any other application;
• an element configured to cause the client computing device to request the content from the network reference over the network;
• and
• an element configured to cause the client computing device to present said content received from the network reference in said viewer graphical user interface;
• receiving, over the network from a first client computing device, a request for the application media package template;
• wherein the definition of the viewer graphical user interface and/or the content define all controls for enabling a user to specify the uniform resource locator through the viewer graphical user interface, and
• responsive to the received request, transmitting the networked information monitor template to the first client computing device over the network.