Initial State offers a platform for creating real-time IoT data visualizations by streaming data from smart devices and connected applications, which can be integrated into live dashboards using its BLOCK feature in conjunction with the PubNub BLOCKS Catalog. The tutorial provides a detailed walkthrough of tracking and displaying IoT metrics using a real-time Angular2 web application, involving a concise 26-line JavaScript BLOCK and 92 lines of HTML and JavaScript code. The Initial State API simplifies large-scale monitoring and metrics analysis with a user-friendly interface, allowing users to track new metrics, create charts, and organize them into custom displays. To get started, users need PubNub publish/subscribe keys and an Initial State developer account. The PubNub JavaScript SDK, compatible with Angular2, facilitates seamless integration with the application by providing robust features for data streaming. The tutorial also outlines setting up the Initial State BLOCK and demonstrates the code required for both the BLOCK and user interface, highlighting the simplicity and efficiency of building a functional real-time UI with Angular2. Additional features of Initial State, such as customizable dashboards and time series analysis, are briefly mentioned, emphasizing the ease of starting with custom metrics using its API.