Google Decks Out the Desktop; Google Desktop 2 Offers One-Glance Desktop Access to Files, Email, News, Photos, Weather, RSS Feeds, Stocks and Other Personalized Web Content.MOUNTAIN VIEW, Calif. -- Google Inc. (NASDAQ NASDAQ in full National Association of Securities Dealers Automated Quotations U.S. market for over-the-counter securities. Established in 1971 by the National Association of Securities Dealers (NASD), NASDAQ is an automated quotation system that reports on :GOOG GOOG Google, Inc. (stock symbol) ) today announced Google Desktop A desktop search application from Google that runs under Windows or Mac. It searches a user's computer for keywords in Office documents, Outlook messages, AOL chats and Web pages. 2 (beta), a free downloadable application that changes the way users access information -- whether it's on the web or stored on their computers. By combining desktop search with an intelligent sidebar (1) A Windows Vista desktop panel that holds mini applications (gadgets) such as a calendar, calculator, stock ticker and Vonage phone dialer. It is the Windows counterpart to the Dashboard in the Mac. See Windows Vista and gadget. that learns the user's habits and interests, users receive all the information of interest to them in one convenient location. "Google Desktop is a new, easier way to get information -- even without searching," said Marissa Mayer Marissa Ann Mayer is the Vice President of Search Product and User Experience at American search engine company Google. She acts as a gatekeeper for their product release process, determining when or whether a particular Google product is ready to be released to users. , director of product management for consumer products at Google. "You can think of it as a personal web assistant that learns about your habits and interests to identify and present web pages, news stories, and photos that it thinks you will be interested in." Built on Google's desktop search technology, Google Desktop 2 is available at http://desktop.google.com. Major new features include:
A[micro] -- Sidebar -- Provides convenient desktop access to a variety of
personalized information including email, news, weather,
photos, stocks and RSS and Atom news feeds. Sidebar appears as
a small vertical window on the side of a user's screen that
includes a series of "live" content panels.
A[micro] -- Sidebar is personalized automatically based on the user's
interests as expressed by the websites they visit,
requiring little to no manual configuration.
A[micro] -- Additional features include a scratch pad to type and save
notes and a quick view of recently or frequently visited
websites.
A[micro] -- Quick Find -- Enables users to search their hard drive to find
files and launch applications as fast as they can type. Using
Quick Find, users can type a few letters or words and the top
results pop up instantly. For example, a user can launch
iTunes just by typing "itu" into the search box and selecting
the application from the list of results.
A[micro] -- Outlook Toolbar -- Enables Microsoft Outlook users to search
all of their Outlook email directly from an embedded search
box and results list, without having to leave the application.
Additional enhancements include extended search capabilities for additional file types and content including MSN Messenger Microsoft's instant messaging (IM) service, which provides text messaging and voice calling. Part of the MSN Network, MSN Messenger clients are available for non-XP versions of Windows, Mac, Pocket PC and MSN TV. For Windows XP, the IM client is Windows Messenger. chats, network drives, Outlook data (contacts, appointments, tasks, notes and journal) and Gmail, enabling users to search their Gmail messages even when they're not online. Google Desktop 2 now enables hard drive encryption The reversible transformation of data from the original (the plaintext) to a difficult-to-interpret format (the ciphertext) as a mechanism for protecting its confidentiality, integrity and sometimes its authenticity. Encryption uses an encryption algorithm and one or more encryption keys. for stronger security and faster search via advanced filtering options. In addition to the application programming interfaces (APIs) that enable developers to create plug-ins for desktop search, Google Desktop 2 now offers APIs that enable creation of new and innovative applications for Sidebar. For example, a plug-in that adds a "to-do" list to the Sidebar is already available. Plug-ins developed with these APIs will be made available for download at http://desktop.google.com/plugins. More information on Google Desktop APIs can be found on the web at http://desktop.google.com/apis. Google Desktop 2 is available in English, with additional language support to follow shortly. Currently available for Windows XP The previous client version of Windows. XP was a major upgrade to the client version of Windows 2000 with numerous changes to the user interface. XP improved support for gaming, digital photography, instant messaging, wireless networking and sharing connections to the Internet. and Windows 2000 Service Pack 3 and above, Desktop 2 requires 500MB of disk space, a minimum of 256MB of RAM, and a 400MHz (MegaHertZ) One million cycles per second. It is used to measure the transmission speed of electronic devices, including channels, buses and the computer's internal clock. A one-megahertz clock (1 MHz) means some number of bits (16, 32, 64, etc. (or faster) Pentium processor is recommended. About Google Inc. Google's innovative search technologies connect millions of people around the world with information every day. Founded in 1998 by Stanford Ph.D. students Larry Page For the music producer/manager, see . Lawrence Edward "Larry" Page (born March 26 1973 in Lansing, Michigan) is an American entrepreneur who co-founded the Google internet search engine, now Google Inc., with Sergey Brin. and Sergey Brin Sergey Brin (Russian: Сергей Михайлович Брин , Google today is a top web property in all major global markets. Google's targeted advertising program provides businesses of all sizes with measurable results, while enhancing the overall web experience for users. Google is headquartered in Silicon Valley with offices throughout the Americas, Europe, and Asia. For more information, visit www.google.com. Google is a registered trademark of Google Inc. All other company and product names may be trademarks of the respective companies with which they are associated. |
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