SAN FRANCISCO--MySpace said it's using Google's Gears, software for augmenting Web browser abilities, to make the social-networking site easier to use.
When MySpace users go to their mailbox, they'll be invited to install Google Gears, said Allen Hurff, MySpace's senior vice president of engineering, in an appearance here Wednesday at the Google I/O conference. "It's available to everyone today," Hurff said.
Allen Hurff, MySpace's senior vice president of engineering, speaks at Google I/O.
(Credit: Stephen Shankland/CNET News.com)When users install Gears, they'll be able to quickly search their in-boxes for specific terms or sort messages, for example to show unread mail, Hurff said.
Gears, an open-source plug-in, endows browsers with a number of useful features to make them a better foundation for running elaborate software. Gears hasn't caught on widely, but MySpace gives the project more clout. And Google thinks some of Gears' success is actually measured in its influence over the new HTML 5 standard for describing Web pages.
In MySpace's case, one useful Gears feature is local storage on a computer. Another is the ability to run multiple threads at the same time--in effect, to walk and chew gum at the same time. For MySpace, that includes letting a computer index text at the same time it draws user-interface elements on the browser screen, Hurff said.
On Wednesday, Google announced it's changing the project's name from Google Gears to just Gears.
"We want to make it clear that Gears isn't just a Google thing," said Chris Prince, a Google software engineer, in a blog posting. "We see Gears as a way for everyone to get involved with upgrading the Web platform."
Google also announced that it's expanding browser support for Gears.
"We are currently adding Firefox 3 and Safari support. And Opera is working to support Gears on both desktop and mobile," Prince said.
Google is bringing Google Gears to mobile phones so that people on the go can access Web-based applications even when they're not connected to the mobile Net.
Smartphones and 3G data services are changing the way some people work, allowing them to access documents and applications from anywhere. But when their wireless connection is interrupted or not available at all, they're cut off.
Google Gears for mobile helps solve this problem so mobile workaholics can even get stuff done on airplanes or when they're supposed to be on vacation in some far-off destination with no wireless access. (On second thought, maybe having access to work documents and other Web-based applications from anywhere isn't such a good idea.)
Google Gears is an open-source browser extension that lets developers create Web applications that can run offline. Google has been developing the software for PC users, but now it is extending it for mobile users too. Google Gears is still in its early days. The mobile version right now supports Internet Explorer on Windows Mobile 5 and 6 phones. This means that other smartphone users, such as those using Apple's iPhone, or people using other popular mobile browsers, such as Opera, won't be able to use Google Gears.
But Google has said that it plans to expand support to other browsers and cell phone platforms, including its own Android software.
Another issue is that mobile Gears only works with applications that are Gear-enabled. So far, Google Gear applications aren't widely available, but Google is trying to make it easier for developers to create Gears-enabled mobile Web applications.
Charles Wiles, product manager for Google's mobile team, posted a blog explaining how Google Gears for mobile would work. He used the example of Zoho, a Web-based productivity application, and Buxfer, a Web-based personal finance application.
Google Gears is integrated into these applications. When users go to the Web site where these applications are located they will be asked to install Google Gears for mobile. Once installed, Gears sits on the phone and people can access their data even when there is no network connection.
Google is providing more information for developers on its developer Web site.
Web application suite provider Zoho is one of the first companies to take advantage of Google Gears, a browser plug-in that enables people to run Web applications offline.
Zoho on Tuesday announced that its online word processor, Zoho Writer, has added a "Go Offline" button by integrating with Google Gears. The company said it will add offline access to more of its Web application suite and contribute to the Google Gears open-source project.
Zoho Writer adds a Go Offline button using Google Gears.
In the first incarnation, Zoho Writer's offline capabilities are limited. People can view up to 15 documents when they're not connected to the Internet. In the coming weeks, Zoho will enable people to make edits before going back online.
Not having access to Web applications and data when people are offline has long been one of the biggest knocks against online applications.
Google Gears, which is still in beta, is a plug-in for Firefox and Internet Explorer that installs a small database to store data locally. When people go back online, that data is updated.
Developers need to rework their applications to take advantage of Gears. When it announced Google Gears in May, Google said its RSS reader, Google Reader, could work offline with Gears.
Google Gears isn't the only route to offline Web applications. AIR (Adobe Integrated Runtime), formerly called Apollo, is another plug-in that enables people to run Web applications as if they were desktop applications. AIR is now in beta and a version 1.0 is due in the first quarter next year.
ThinkFree, another Web office suite, started offering offline access in a premium version earlier this year.
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