WordPress Dashboard Feed Reader

code1.php

<?php
add_action( 'wp_dashboard_setup', 'my_dashboard_setup' );
function my_dashboard_setup() {
	wp_add_dashboard_widget('themefm-dashboard-reader', 'Latest from Theme.fm' , 'my_dashboard_content', $control_callback = null);
}
function my_dashboard_content() {
	echo "<p>Dashboard Widget Content</p>";
}

code2.php

<?php
$feed = fetch_feed( 'http://theme.fm/feed/' );
print_r( $feed );

code3.php

<?php
function my_dashboard_content() {
	$feed = fetch_feed( 'http://theme.fm/feed/' );

	if ( ! is_wp_error( $feed) ):

		// Get a maximum of 5 items
		$maxitems = $feed->get_item_quantity( 5 );
		$items = $feed->get_items( 0, $maxitems );

		foreach ( $items as $item ):
	?>
		<p class="rss-widget">
			<a href="<?php echo $item->get_permalink(); ?>"><?php echo $item->get_title(); ?></a> <span class="rss-date"><?php echo $item->get_date( 'F j, Y' ); ?></span><br />
			<?php echo $item->get_description(); ?>
		</p>
	<?php
		endforeach;
	else: // Returned WP_Error, unable to fetch the feed.
	?>
		<p>There was an error fetching the Theme.fm feed, please try again later</p>
	<?php
	endif;
	?>

	<p class="description">&mdash; Read more on <a href="http://theme.fm">Theme.fm</a></p>
	<?php
}

code4.php

<?php
// Don't duplicate the dashboard widget, only activate if hasn't
// been activated by another theme or plugin.
if ( ! defined( 'THEMEFM_DASHBOARD_READER_ACTIVE' ) )
	add_action( 'admin_init', create_function( '', 'global $themefm_dashboard_reader; $themefm_dashboard_reader = new Themefm_Dashboard_Reader();' ) );

define( 'THEMEFM_DASHBOARD_READER_ACTIVE', true );

why are there 4 files?

Ramoonus, because they're embedded separately in the tutorial on Inspired Magazine :)