Slashdot Mirror
Google Toolbar v.4
SpecialSauce writes "Google's gone and released v.4 Beta of their toolbar. Updates include: customizable buttons, smart search box, a bookmark feature that's tied to the users google.com account, and a send to SMS/Blogger/gmail button." Doesn't look like the mac version is updated yet, although the shared bookmarks thing creates unholy lust in my heart. Now if only it would allow you to search multiple search engines like Firefox's built in search.
I'm really disappointed a Firefox version wasn't released at the same time.
Since when was there a Mac version of Google Toolbar? There's one that runs on Firefox, but I thought that was a separate, unblessed project.
This sig, aah-ah, is comin' like a ghost-sig...
I'd love to be able to search IMDB of Gracenote from google toolbar
My other car is a Popemobile
Now if only it would allow you to search multiple search engines like Firefox's built in search.
Yes, I think Google will get right on that.
"although the shared bookmarks thing creates unholy lust in my heart"
dear god do you ever need to get out more....
Some bring out the best in others, some the worst. Some bring out far more.
And since everything can be tied to your Google account, Google promises not to share any information gathered with the US Government. They will, however, send all your data to China.
The opinions expressed here are not mine, but those of these dang voices in my head.
For all of Google's amazing technology they don't do a very good job of linking things together. They have "Pack" which has Firefox in it, yet they don't update the toolbar for it! How can you support something in one area, then not integrate it into your existing offerings?? duh.
Sometimes I wish computers were less friendly.
Now if only it would allow you to search multiple search engines like Firefox's built in search.
Actually, according to Google, custom buttons can be easily made to use whatever search engine you want. Even if one isn't in the online gallery, Google claims it only takes about 3 lines of text to create a new button.
.. a filter that blocks out things non friendly to the communist government of China?
http://saveie6.com/
...does it run on Linux?
It's bad enough they can trace your quasi-anonymous browser. At least they have to work for your identity in that case. I'm not willing to make it any easier for big brother than it already is.
Installing works fine, but it's gone when I restart the browser, and there's no sign of it in the View->Toolbars menu. Bummer :(
Some of us don't have _anything_ to hide. I would gladly give all of my surfing data to whomever wishes to have it....
If they will use it for serving me ads that are about things I like then to me that's a plus.... but I guess that's just me.
Why all the paranoia? What is everyone doing on the web that they don't want others to see?
Friedmud
does anyone actually use these features and log-in to Google.com
/. instead of posting as an AC... your tin foil hat is slipping.
If you use gmail or Google Talk then you're logged in. Some people also use Personal Google which requires you to login to be of any use.
I'm unsure if Google News customization uses cookies or just login. I know it can use login -- if you're logged in then your customizations will be shared to any browser that you login under. I think it used to remember customization by cookies though (and may still if you're not logged in).
I'm not willing to make it any easier for big brother than it already is.
And yet you logged into
I haven't bothered looking at the new toolbar since it's IE only, but one think I've always looked for in "shareable bookmarks" is the ability to partially share -- to either mark some bookmarks as "do not share" or (better) different groupings that can be shared independantly. I know that there's some bookmarks on my home machines that I simply don't want coming anywhere near my work system. Ahem.
Soon, we will be able to download music from the toolbar too, probably.
I'll do it for cheesy poofs.
The Google Deskbar doesnt work on XP64 for some reason. Even when installing Google Desktop the deskbar option doesn't work.
I guess that's the price to pay to be on the bleeding edge.
That will be a toolbar worth getting.
:)
No more going out and getting a new toolbar every time the standard changes.
(I may be dating myself, but I'm only 22, I swear.
tasks(723) drafts(105) languages(484) examples(29106)
I have been wondering about a way to do synchronized bookmarks between my stationary and my laptop. Is there any such tool for firefox wich doesn't involve storing my bookmarks with google (or any other provider), but rather host it on a protected area of my own website ?
Doolittle :
Bomb no.20 : To explode of course.
The only thing I've used the google toolbar for are two things.
1) Search google
2) Popup blocking Everything else, I've never found a need for. It's just "there". So, keep adding features I'll never use and I'll consider it bloatware by next version.
I tried adding a custom button for my project and the whole process was quick and easy. Here I have explained what I did. Hope it helps...
fuvoo: watch something
http://simpy.com/ does it pretty well. You can mark links public/private, create groups of users (ie your household). One thing I don't like is the firefox sidebar. But a simple bookmark to simpy.com and I can then manually search, enter a new bookmark, etc.
There is a firefox extension which lets you do the search on different search engines, but I donot know any for internet explorer. However the concept used in clusty search engine looks good.
They called me mad, and I called them mad, and damn them, they outvoted me. -Nathaniel Lee
I haven't looked at it, but is google trying to compete with social bookmarking websites like del.icio.us with this new functionality?
"hey, could you pass me a paper towel? er.. I mean... DEPLOY ABSORBTION PANEL!"
I'd love to see Google start to aggregate comparisons of articles. I believe they have this power and it would be very nice to see it implemented.
My most basic description (of a very difficult process, I'd gather), is to have the Toolbar offer an "Originality" rating. If the article is not like any other article, it is rated 100%. If the article is available elsewhere, it is 0%. You should be able to click the rating and be taken to a Google site that lists the similar articles in date format -- who posted first?
This might also work to aggregate comparisons of items, or reviews, or something of the sort.
I just installed the toolbar and it went well, I for one like the send to Gmail feature. I have however noticed some issues which I hope they change before finalizing this release. The first is that it adds 8 items into the IE context menu with no way to customize which items are there. I personally don't have any desire to access any of these features from the context menu and I would prefer to clean them up out of my context menu. Similarly I would like to remove 'Blogger' and 'SMS' from the Send to drop-down menu because I will never use them.
(oh and I also used the Google toolbar spell check to correct 3 words in this post before submitting it!)
nothing
Now if only it would allow you to search multiple search engines like Firefox's built in search
What? It's -google- toolbar....
Google will be speaking, exhibiting and sponsoring SCALE 4x. For a free expo floor only pass use the promo code "FREE". Or for a discounted full access use the promo code "NEWSP"
Why all the paranoia? What is everyone doing on the web that they don't want others to see?
We are exercising our right to privacy in our own home is what we are doing. If you, as you put it, would "gladly give that up", what other rights are you willing to give up?
bork bork bork!
... Get it. I attempted to install the toolbar with a non-admin user account (ever since I was burnt with malware, I never run a admin account unless strictly necessary.) and it installed fine with no error message, but it actually was no where to be found after the installation completed successfully.
I know I should be telling this to Google but guys, it isn't Microsoft's fault that you are forced to run Admin account since majority of the Windows software is written with this hard coded assumption.
Sheesh. Why the heck does a Search Toolbar require Admin previliges and why can't it tell me if it does?
I use the Bookmarks Synchronizer extension. Saves and loads from any FTP.
I think you must be lost. The Jeopardy studio is next door.
I think it used to remember customization by cookies though
That is correct. Google News will remember your customziations by Cookie for your current computer. Google News will also remember your customziations by Login Account, and you can use those Customizations each computer that you log into.
Same thing with Google Search Preferences really... those can be stored by Cookie or stored by account.
And then here's the tricky part-- if you log into your Gmail or Google Groups account, your personal preferences for Google News or Google Search will also be loaded from your account preferences. All of Google's web services are tied together.
Google offers these features to enhance their datamining analysis. A set of sessions tied to individuals will be more accurate then a set of cookies which may be shared by everyone who uses this computer.
"Can of worms? The can is open... the worms are everywhere."
but, well, I already use sites like delicous or an FTP bookmark synchronizer. I do have some bookmarks on my google/ig page, which I've used as my start page, but what does this toolbar really gain me? Where the heck is the google calendar so I REALLY organize my life around google? Seriously, that's the one thing that's lacking - gmail's got the email covered, the start page works as a suitable portal (for the most part), but I still am either tied to Outlook through work, or the crapulance that is Sunbird, or trying to integrate my own (webcalendar).
I only signed up to http://www.simpy.com/ yesterday and I'm already a fan.
I'd always thought about having a shared bookmark facility and only now, ten years later, have I managed to get around to doing it. It's great when you're using several computers at once; all I miss is the really simple list format from clicking Bookmarks in Firefox or IE. Sometimes all I want is a list, devoid of clever tags or links.
However, now that Google Toolbar is being released with similar functionality, the "average" user will probably use it in preference.
Will Simpy and del.icio.us be able to compete with the Google Toolbar?
http://blog.grcm.net/
Now if only it would allow you to search multiple search engines like Firefox's built in search. Yeah, like there are other search engines!
Doogie. If you can read this, my sig fell off
am i the only one who detests google toobar.
We are exercising our right to privacy in our own home is what we are doing.
Not that I think THE GOVERNMENT should know what we are browsing, but I'm really curious how you are PRIVATELY BROWSING the internet?
Seriously? Unless you are running all of these servers on your home LAN, or you go through the headaches required to really anonymize your browsing, you are most definitely not surfing privately in your own home.
Ironically, the word ironically is often used incorrectly.
You can already create buttons that function like those in this toolbar using Firefox. You can also move them up to the menu bar to save space. See the bottom of my tutorial on optimizing Firefox.
Are you really this stupid, or are you just acting this way hoping for some mod points?
Unless "the government" specifically starts sniffing my traffic (or some third party they hire), I am in my home, a private setting, looking up things on the internet that no one else will see.
What part of that is so difficult for you to understand?
bork bork bork!
What is everyone doing on the web that they don't want others to see?
Paying my credit card bill? Inquiring about the status of my Social Security account?
ok. maybe i _AM_ paranoid. but i think it's just good common sense to support technologies that promote greater privacy, rather than those that further impinge upon it.
ok if Bush is going to subpoena /. for my browsing/posting habits, i'm _REALLY_ in trouble. in all seriousness though, the danger is in these far-reaching requests for user data. the tactic has been to cast a wide net and apparently mine all the data they get for whatever they find useful. that data DOJ collects could be kept for years, long enough to map every detail of it and come up with a pretty accurate portrait of the users' browsing habits. Then they could compare tendencies between terrorist's habits and the users whose data they've analyzed. Google data seems a lot more useful for these purposes than Slashdot data.
you don't need to be a terrorist to have a matching profile. false positives are all too common in these type of analyses, and in the government's current zeal to identify possible threats, citizens shouldn't think they're immune to these dangers. mishaps happen all the time, and innocent people go to jail (or worse), sometimes for indefinite periods of time while their innocence is being disputed.
believe me, my tin foil hat is well-secured ;)
The only reason I stick with the Google Toolbar is for the spell-check feature. I'd happily go with Googlebar Lite if I could fine a useable standalone spell-checker extension. Unfortunately, neither AspellFox nor SpellBound eem to pass the "does it actually work" test. :(
not plane, nor bird, nor even frog...
Why should I let other people know what I'm doing? It's my business, not theirs.
Besides, the more information you let out about you, the more junk mail and the like you'll get, both email and snail mail. Both are a waste of resources like trees and electricity.
Hail Eris, full of mischief...
E pluribus sanguinem
Since when do you perform these activities through Google.com? I can't say I have ever checked my bank account information, or anything else of the sort, through a search engine.
I log into Google.com simply because my computer is a single user computer, and I leave myself logged into Gmail.com, which also leaves me logged into Google.com.
You people are being dumb. Google receives hundreds of millions of search queries a day. Do you honestly think someone is sitting on the other end monitoring *everyone's* search habits. Christ, the company only has 3000 employees. It is done using software that uses the information for targetted ads, nothing more.
Ever since this whole China thing, everyone is paranoid of Google. Google is following THE LAW in China. Google has no choice in the matter. This is exactly the same as Google not being allowed to show kiddie porn results in the US. Is that censorship? Yes. Does anyone bitch about it? No.
I agree with you. Last time I installed it I wound up re-installing the OS. I also remember reading an article about the spyware components of the toolbar, though I can't pin it down right now. If anyone can clarify that I would appreciate it. It certainly matches my experience, however.
How about a moderation of -1 pedantic.
Well everything between you and the other end point can see where you are going, so no, its not really private.
Why not fork?
In between your music searches, search for a job on indeed, using their toolbar button.
"... get a job, sir." -- the big lebowski
I would gladly give all of my surfing data to whomever wishes to have it....
You don't have to brag about it. Just post your browser history file to slashdot. It's easy to do. Hell, include your bookmarks too. This will be fun.
Unless you are just talking.
Thats what I thought.
15 years ago I might have been able to have this same worry, today is much different. Today I have no illusions of privacy. Between magazine subscriptions/library cards/CC's/Mortgage/motorcycle loan/job/ISP/cell phone/drivers license somebody out there knows more about me than I do ;) As long as Google.com does its best to play nice with me and provides value they know all they want.
"although the shared bookmarks thing creates unholy lust in my heart."
... there are just too many of them to list all.
Yahoo did shared bookmark last century in it's yahoo toolbar. Come to think of it, they did/made-popular everything google is catching upto now: toolbar (with customizable button), shared bookmark, customizable homepage, IM,
I agree yahoo did not do everything to a perfection, but, at least they were the first to identify and bring many things to the market in a large scale. Coming to think of it, google have done few things very well. RSS reader is half baked, gmail did not have a delete button until 10 days back, groups page is worsening day by day, maps (direction) is not something you'd want to rely on (not as good as mapquest) and the latest joke is the video and pack.
Some of us don't have _anything_ to hide. I would gladly give all of my surfing data to whomever wishes to have it....
How do you know? Privacy is like Pandora's Box - once you let your information out, it is no longer under your control. If you change your mind, there is nothing you can do to get your privacy back.
I am reminded of DejaNews, ironically now acquired by Google. When Deja first came-up online there was a lot of consternation by people who had said silly things on usenet in the past, things they were embarrassed by now. In some cases, things that could cause them a lot of trouble now, like openly discussing their use of recreational pharmaceuticals or their participation in fringe sexual activities. When those people originally wrote those articles, they had no concept that later in life it might come back to haunt them.
How can you know that your surfing activity today won't be of keen interest to someone who wishes you harm tomorrow? You can't.
Best to keep your options open and keep your privacy today. You can always give it away tomorrow if you really want to.
Is there a good extension out there that will let you keep your bookmarks (and other things like browser history, cookie-database, password database, etc) on a central server? Preferrably one under your own control, rather than one run by a Big Corp?
Another way to satisfy the unholy lust is to try Flock. It runs on OSX, and has native bookmark sharing with support for the popular bookmark sharing sites.
I looked all over for hacks to Google to do bookmarks, like the ones that can post files in GMail and treat it like a hard drive in Windows, but nothing came up. The personalized Google page allows you to type a few bookmarks, but it's not a complete solution when you have more than ten. You have to prioritize there. With Konqueror being my primary browser, things like Google Toolbar just won't get used that much for me. One of Konq's top features is that Flash doesn't work. That more than makes up for the lack of frills. :)
Simpy is getting me by for now pretty well. I've uploaded bookmark sets from four computers, one or two browsers each (IE, Firefox, Konqueror). I just go through 5 or 10 at a session, and eventually they'll all be set.
Both of those features (search google & popup blocking) are built into Opera, you might like to give it a go.