Patent ID: 7577922

Claim:
A method in a computing environment for providing information to a user, comprising: configuring a sidebar of a predetermined display size to provide dynamic content that is updated; providing a plurality of tiles in a first region of the sidebar to display at least part of the dynamic content; providing an overflow area in a second region of the sidebar different from the first region; in response to an update of the dynamic content, creating an additional tile for displaying additional content resulting from the update; determining a total display area of the plurality of tiles including the additional tile; determining an available display area of the sidebar based on the predetermined display size; comparing the total display area to the available display area; when the comparison indicates that the total display size exceeds the available display area, performing the following: displaying the plurality of tiles including the additional tile in the sidebar in a squished state for a finite period of time during which an arrangement of the tiles in the sidebar is modifiable by a user; upon expiration of the finite period of time, bumping one or more tiles from the sidebar on the basis of the arrangement of the tiles in the sidebar, and expanding the remaining tiles in the sidebar from the squished state while maintaining the sidebar at the predetermined display size; and populating said overflow area with icons that represent the one or more tiles that have been bumped from said sidebar, said overflow area displaying said icons without user interaction.