Help on making my site

Hello! I was wondering a few things for a website/webpage I wanted to build (like iGoogle) as a homepage:

1) Can a flash webpage have widgets within it (like iGoogle for example) that will automatically update (sort of like AJAX) and/or receive info from another link (weather, stocks, etc.)?

2) Is a flash webpage going to be slower to load compared to if I made it with AJAX?

3) Any tips or code to help get me started on the webpage


Thanks in advance,
SK

1) Flash can open up sockets just like javascript for real time updates.

2) You won't notice much of a speed difference if any.

3) Unless the widgets need to complex things like play back video or run games, you'll be better off with AJAX driven markup. I'd read up on setting up sockets with jQuery to get a feel for the work flow.

Thanks so much!

what is jQuery exactly?

Also, how can I get started on learning AJAX for my website?

http://lmgtfy.com/?q=what+is+jquery