Slashdot Mirror
Google Adds Features and Plugin to Desktop Search
Matthew Bischoff writes "Today Google added new features to its popular desktop software. Google
Desktop now supports alternative Netscape based browsers like Firefox,
PDFs, images, video, and music files. Google also added a plug-ins
feature so that developers can integrate their software into the Google Desktop
catalog. Another new addition is a supported way to search from Google's deskbar
software. It's probably a matter of time until we see desktop search integrated
into all of the Google products including the controversial Google
Toolbar 3." Google Desktop is also officially now out of beta.
If you go to toolbar.google.com in firefox (or Netscape, I assume), they now promote the open-source googlebar extension for Firefox. They also offer a toolbar 3.x beta for IE now.
Also, they have setup a download page where you can grab individual download packages, or all of their packages in one zip file. www.google.com/downloads/
And of course there was the slashdot article, the other day describing the new Weather feature and Gmail Improvements.
Great! Now if only IE and Windows were out of beta, we'd be set.
Also, good to see Google isn't doing an eternal beta on this product like its Google News offering (the whole beta thing gets annoying after 2 continuous years!)
Get a free iPod Nano 4GB!
I assume they're not risking their "don't do any bad "-policy for this ?
So what -is- the catch ?
I am fedup with using the regurlar search in Windows, so I am defenitely in for some improvement.
i don't use google desktop search. copernic desktop search software is much better (at least for me). once you move your emails in outlook from 1 folder to another, google will no longer be able to open up the email correctly. it's also not intuitive as to how one can reindex email/files etc after installation. as much as i like a lot of their services, desktop search isn't one of them.
Beta versions so far have featured a prominent image of Janet Jackson's bared breast as an interface element
No thanks i'm keepin it off my machine!
The GoogleBar better be able to search for a few good mixed drink recipes, otherwise this is the worst bar yet!
I was already disappointed with the ToolBar that did not have any 18v cordless versions.
"The more pity, that fools may not speak wisely what wise men do foolishly" - Touchstone,Shakespeare's "As You Like It"
In other news, SUSE Pro 9.3 is said to be released this Wednesday the 9th, with Beagle (Desktop search) and iPod support, according to the following article which even Novell.com links to on their front page:
0 20 390,39190538,00.htm
http://news.zdnet.co.uk/software/linuxunix/0,39
Is Google Desktop Search > Beagle?
I think most Slashdotters will be pleased (or at least would be, if they used IE) with the new Spellcheck feature on the Google Toolbar. That's a pretty cool feature.
The ability to search PDF's seems like it could be useful if it is actually searching inside the PDF. I haven't actually seen another Windows based tool do that, so for me this could make Google Desktop more than the "toy" it is (for me) at the moment (It doesn't do anything a structured file system cannot).
So good improvements. I can't see what is so controversial about the toolbar though.
- Jax
The rate Google is making strides to take over and redefine people's www interaction is quite alarming. From the original "just another search engine" beginnings, Google have made a lot of inroads. I see Google ads all over the place. I load the Google toolbar into IE to get an easier search and now I have intrusive "nannyware" that watches over my shoulder like Clippy does: "I see you've done xxxx a few times, do you want to create a shortcut?".
Tinfoil hat time folks.
Engineering is the art of compromise.
I guess I've been using a computer for too long because I have no use for desktop search tools. I learned to make folders and file my files appropriate a long time ago, and as a result, I never have to search for anything.
Don't get me wrong I installed the first Google Desktop Search, thought it was cool as hell, then never used it again. I just don't have a need.
The Google Toolbar now has a spell check built it. Now if it only had a feature that would electricute the user everytime he wrote something in 1337.
The only reason the Google Toolbar 3 is controversial is because Slashdotters haven't taken the time to look at how it really works. Most think that the Autolink feature creates links that weren't put there by the page's creator (automatically linking an address to Google maps, for instance). In reality, you have to visit a page then click the Autolink button. It's automatic in a semi-automatic gun kind of way. Sure, it's doing a lot of stuff on its own, but it needs you to start telling it to do so before it starts. Not controversial since it's use is optional.
You have enemies? Good. That means you've stood up for something, sometime in your life. --Winston Churchill
"Google Desktop Search can only be used when the account from which it was installed is logged in."
Yep, that lovely message is still there when I try to use it in my main work account.
Oh, well. Maybe next time.
Find every occurence of a name in 400MB worth of email in less than a second. Something that crashes Eudora and takes forever in Outlook.
There is a plugin for this new version of Google Desktop search that allows you to specify additional file extensions to search as text files - for example, your .c and .h files.
It's controversial because some idiots can't tell the difference between an enabled-by-default feature on the default browser on a monopoly OS and a disabled-by-default feature on an optional additional program.
There's been an informal campaign for mozilla suite support in GDS ever since it was launched
Last week Copernic 1.5b was released with full support, now Google are producing the same feature. Coincidence? If so tough luck, I already switched from GDS!
I have been a user for about 10 years. This ends Feb 2014. The site's been ruined. I'm off. Dice, FU
It finds files by content, and much faster than does the Windows search. Without indexing on, Windows must search every file individually. With the caching on, it's somewhat faster, but still abysmally slow compared to Google's search. There were some very painful limitations until now, particularly the lack of PDF searches. I'm hoping that there will be some ability to customize the searches somewhat further to allow for searching straight text files like .c, .h, or .php.
Google's search utility uses a variant of their own caching technology to make searches much faster. The new plug-in technology will allow someone to make add-ons for searching code.
You can never go home again... but I guess you can shop there.
People seem to be overlooking the real news contained in this story: a Google product actually out of beta. Surely a first?
It tells you upfront when you install it that it will upload certain information (the sites you visit) to Google. You have to make the choice when installing it of what version to use -- there is no default for whether Advanced Settings are turned on or off -- and Google clearly spells it out.
Spyware does not clearly spell out what it's doing, or what it does with the information, or even that it is being installed. Big difference.
You can never go home again... but I guess you can shop there.
No, they want to attract users.
For example: I did a GDS search for the name of a server I was building last week.
Bam. I got every document I had about that server. The online change requests. The service requests to site engineering. The operational handbook I wrote. The inventory spreadsheet.
Wow. That was pretty cool.
I also found out that while GDS doesn't index networked drives/shares, it *will* include documents on the network that you have opened in its search results. That was pretty good too.
It's also useful on a couple of our intranet sites. Just this morning I had to find a change request for a server - using the search mechanism of our change system is difficult at best - but because I could search it in Google, it came up right away.
Photography, technology, and my dog Scout - http://mattstratton.com
Google's privacy policies state that:
1.) Any information on you is fair game.
2.) They will happily turn over any information they have on you at any government request.
3.) Your Gmail may reside on their servers indefinitely, even after you delete it. This may also be "indexed" on their servers and the contents read at any time.
Since you claim that this information is in Google's privacy policy, can you provide a link?
Let me quote first from Google's deskbar privacy policy http://desktop.google.com/privacypolicy.html/
Your computer's content is not made accessible to Google or anyone else without your explicit permission.
Now let me quote from Google's gmail privacy policy http://gmail.google.com/gmail/help/privacy.html/
Because we keep back-up copies of data for the purposes of recovery from errors or system failure, residual copies of email may remain on our systems for some time, even after you have deleted messages from your mailbox or after the termination of your account. Google employees do not access the content of any mailboxes unless you specifically request them to do so (for example, if you are having technical difficulties accessing your account) or if required by law, to maintain our system, or to protect Google or the public.
Now feel free to link to the privacy policy of any company in the USA that claims to protect your privacy even after martial law is declared and claims that your data is deleted from their servers the instant you hit delete.
Why doesn't it also search GMail? That would be a real benefit. Or does it already and i just don't see this listed anywhere?
Kyle
http://www.unlogikal.net/
a) The data on your hard disk isn't encrypted so having an index encrypted doesn't buy you any real security.
b) Even if it was encrypted, the decryption key would have to also be on your computer for Google Desktop to use it anyway so would be fairly easily snarfable by someone who had enough access to get at the index.
c) Google Desktop runs as an http server on localhost. Anyone with enough access to get to the index could more easily query the Google interface directly for whatever they are interested in.
Boffoonery - downloadable Comedy Benefit for Bletchley Park
Why use the Google Desktop search when the new Copernic Desktop Search v1.5 beta has so much more?
.php, .c, .h, .) is simple with Copernic Desktop Search (even v1.2) while it is a downloadable add-on in Google.
Comparisons:
1) Searching text files (.java,
2) Music/Video/Images are both searchable and *viewable/watchable/hearable* from within CDS while it was just added in a limited capacity in GDS.
3) Thunderbird and Eudora both searchable in CDS and Thunderbird just added in GDS.
4) Smart indexing of *network drives* in CDS 1.5 beta is totally awesome. It is amazing to see what you have instant access to on your corporate network in terms of internally searchable code files and business docs.
5) CDS 1.5 beta searches iTunes, QuickTime and OGG information (artist, album, etc) while GDS is likely more limited.
6) CDS 1.5 has targeted search (search email first, or files first, etc.) while GDS has been known to choose it's own path.
7) The GDS killer IMHO - preview of every major filetype is within the actual CDS search...like DOC, XLS, PPT, HTM, Email, code files and also highlighting search terms in different colors showing their context.
Prove me wrong after you download it and try it (for free of course).
This sig donated to Pater. Long live
I'm very familiar with google watch and I've actually quoted the very same exerpt that you have but what do you think this proves? I can link dozen's of pages that claim creationism has been scientifically proven and anything else that I'd like to prove. You said:
"Google's privacy policies state that:
1.) Any information on you is fair game.
2.) They will happily turn over any information they have on you at any government request.
3.) Your Gmail may reside on their servers indefinitely, even after you delete it. This may also be "indexed" on their servers and the contents read at any time."
Someone asked you to show them where google's privacy policy makes these claims and then you post from googlewatch.org That's almost (well not really but you get the point) like quoting Microsoft on Linux's total cost of ownership
http://nyamenation.org/
I trust google-watch even less than google.
Here's why.
There is a plugin Here That allows you to search ANY text file, you just have to declare it in the config.
face the world with eyes of fire.