Manage updates with the Download AppFebruary 8, 2006 9:00 PM PST
Google updates desktop search tools
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The new features are expected to be released Thursday for Google Desktop, a free downloadable program that lets users search for files on their hard drive using keywords and to launch applications. The accompanying Sidebar is a floating tool palette that offers personalized news, RSS feeds, weather, stock quotes and other information based on a user's preferences. It also displays scrolling lists of the most recent e-mail and offers a scratch pad and to-do list.
Video: Google's new desktop search
CNET News.com's Elinor Mills describes the new features of Google Desktop 3.
With the new beta version of Google Desktop 3 users can drag Sidebar modules to any location on the screen they want. Users also can e-mail news links, notes and other information to others or send them through Gmail Chat or directly to their Sidebar using Google Talk. Google Desktop search can now be locked with a Windows password to prevent others from searching for files.
People who regularly use several computers can now use Google Desktop to search for items stored on multiple computers simultaneously, even when they are not connected to the Internet. Once the Search Across Computers function is enabled, text copies of documents and Web history are automatically transferred to the other computer that has Google Desktop installed, said Sundar Pichai, director of product management at Google. When the user searches on one computer for information, the second computer is automatically searched.
Google will delete any copies of the files from its servers within 30 days and encrypts the data, he said. Google automatically excludes from being transferred any password-protected files and secure Web pages, and users can exclude any folders or files, he added.
Other new features include advanced search forms, spelling suggestions for queries, the ability to disable indexing, the addition of zip file indexing and an improved preferences page.
Google Desktop is available only in English now but will be released in 16 languages by the end of March, Pichai said.
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Google Desktop, desktop search, Google Inc., password, Yahoo! Inc.
22 comments
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They have a web site and they can report to people that they have added a feature to their Tool bar.
Tell us some real news about the world of search.
Like who is doing new things?
What are the problems with Google, etc. to improve on?
Stop it with this daily Propaganda about Google adding next to nothing to software that very few care about.
I mean who for goodness sake uses a stupid tool bar anyway. That is why we have a web browser.
The willingness of Google to bend to the demands of the Chinese government in filtering its search results should be enough strip Google of its cherubic halo. Google should be covered like any other tech entity with a product, its darling status discarded like the words "liberty" and "democracy" in its Chinese search results.
Eveytime Cnet does a story regarding either Microsoft or Google or Yahoo! some ignorant wannabe such as yourself comes here and spouts off utter nonsense. If you're going to *****, at least get the product right...it's their desktop search program...not a toolbar, fool.
One more thing, look the word "propaganda" and learn how to use it correctly!
They have a web site and they can report to people that they have added a feature to their Tool bar.
Tell us some real news about the world of search.
Like who is doing new things?
What are the problems with Google, etc. to improve on?
Stop it with this daily Propaganda about Google adding next to nothing to software that very few care about.
I mean who for goodness sake uses a stupid tool bar anyway. That is why we have a web browser.
The willingness of Google to bend to the demands of the Chinese government in filtering its search results should be enough strip Google of its cherubic halo. Google should be covered like any other tech entity with a product, its darling status discarded like the words "liberty" and "democracy" in its Chinese search results.
Eveytime Cnet does a story regarding either Microsoft or Google or Yahoo! some ignorant wannabe such as yourself comes here and spouts off utter nonsense. If you're going to *****, at least get the product right...it's their desktop search program...not a toolbar, fool.
One more thing, look the word "propaganda" and learn how to use it correctly!
Interface and intergration with other apps blows away google desktop
Hey maybe Cnet networks wants Google to buy them?
XP's built-in indexing service automatically connects to other XP computers running the indexing service, so you can search on other computer's indexes.
I think it works the same way in Win 2000 as well.
Interface and intergration with other apps blows away google desktop
Hey maybe Cnet networks wants Google to buy them?
XP's built-in indexing service automatically connects to other XP computers running the indexing service, so you can search on other computer's indexes.
I think it works the same way in Win 2000 as well.