Google Desktop 2 Beta Released

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Google has released an update to it's popular desktop search software. Google Desktop 2 beta adds a sidebar, expanding from the product's previous focus as a search tool to a full fledged desktop enhancement. By default, the sidebar comes bundled with individual panels for e-mail, news, web clips (RSS/XML feeds), photos, quick view (recent documents), stocks, and scratch pad for taking notes. As of now, five additional panels are available as a seperate download. Google has provided us with a fun distrorting clock, Time Warp, a todo list, and System Monitor. Airbear Software also has two plugins available. gdTunes controls iTunes from the sidebar, and Adsense Status displays information from your Google Adsense account. A developer SDK is available for those interested in writing their own sidebar plug-ins.

Download: Download Google Desktop 2 Beta

Download: Download additional plug-ins

Quake III Arena source code released under GPL
----------------------------------------------

We're done packaging up the Quake III Arena source code for a GPL release:

af8aaac46cc82035e1cba632b1a16e03 quake3-1.32b-source.zip
ftp://ftp.idsoftware.com/idstuff/source/q....32b-source.zip

note that a build of Q3Radiant 200f is included under GPL as well

some D3 SDK things:
-------------------

I've uploaded an XCode project file [1] to make it easier to build
the gamecode on Mac. There is no SDK source update needed at
this point.

[1] ftp://ftp.idsoftware.com/idstuff/doom3/source/mac

(2 replies) #1 Angel Blue01 on 22 Aug 2005 - 23:42

Yea!

#1.1 ShellShock on 22 Aug 2005 - 23:59

Works like a charm... especially when set to auto-hide

#1.2 shao on 23 Aug 2005 - 12:13

anyone figured out why it installs an winsock layered service provider (LSP)?
googledesktopnetwork1.dll - whilst this software is nice, and appears to first glance to be working better (slower, but doesn't thrash the cpu as much) than msn desktop search, i'm a little concerned about effectively allowing google to sniff all UDP and TCP/IP traffic going through my network card, especially when you take all the privacy issues into account. especially if you've enabled advanced options.

eg - "Google Desktop uses the same cookie as Google.com and other Google services" ... "associating this information with information from other Google services you use and vice versa"

(1 reply) #2 Shiranui on 23 Aug 2005 - 00:21

Yes, but can it search network drives yet?

#2.1 shao on 23 Aug 2005 - 11:51

yes

#3 rbet on 23 Aug 2005 - 00:55

crap, doesn't work with McAfee Privacy Service

(1 reply) #4 thenay on 23 Aug 2005 - 00:57

It also doesn't work with Nod32, and im not uninstalling that for this.

#4.1 ev0| on 23 Aug 2005 - 16:32

maybe you should consider using an antivirus such as SAV.

This isn't the first time NOD32 has had a compatibility problem with software.

(1 reply) #5 norky on 23 Aug 2005 - 00:57

doesn't work with nod either. anyone know if it works with za or kaspersky?

#5.1 portola_guy on 24 Aug 2005 - 06:21

I have it running with ZoneAlarm and Kaspersky with no problems.

(2 replies) #6 oliversl on 23 Aug 2005 - 01:58

If you upgrade from version 1, is your index keep intact?

#6.1 Sushubh on 23 Aug 2005 - 02:58

it is upgraded though that makes the index backward incompatible.

#6.2 oliversl on 23 Aug 2005 - 07:54

Thanks

#7 xpgeek on 23 Aug 2005 - 02:44

Awsome

#8 mircleman on 23 Aug 2005 - 05:58

yes google is working on a work around for the nod32 issue stay tuned.

#9 Xam_Remny on 23 Aug 2005 - 07:32

trying this now. Google is great!!!

(1 reply) #10 Jugalator on 23 Aug 2005 - 11:17

Although I'm no real fan of sidebars neither Longhorn-style or like in the screenshot posted here, it's still interesting and I think the first time ever Google makes a major new version of a tool.

I think I'll grab it and see if it can be configured to be slick and not chew a major part of my screen.

Also, I'm sure they'll fix the most critical clashes with security software.

A plugin for your favorite IM protocol(s) would be great for this.

edit: argh, this bar also MUST cover the entire screen height.

I wish it would only cover as much as necessary by the panes you've picked, at least as an option. This sucks if you just need, say, 3-4 info panes in a little box... You still have to waste an entire 1000-pixel area height wise.

Last edited by 21023 on 23 Aug 2005 - 11:40

#10.1 ev0| on 23 Aug 2005 - 16:44

well, what's neat about the sidebar is that you can minimize it INTO the task bar and it still has the search functionality, which is what I prefered about MSN desktop search. They've basically seen their bet and raised it, and i've been using it for a full day now and enjoying it.

(1 reply) #11 lebmike on 23 Aug 2005 - 11:41

it works with network drives!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

#11.1 Jugalator on 23 Aug 2005 - 11:44

The integrated deskbar is pretty neat now too

All keyboard controlled with up / down / left / right keys for the menu too.
Overall a lot of improvements...

The plugin based alerts are nice too... Subscribe to RSS/Atom and get it either in the sidebar or as alerts, and so on.

#12 Albemuth on 23 Aug 2005 - 17:32

I mentioned this on another thread, but my Web Clips and Weather panels don't update after the initial start. THe News one does so I don't think it's a net connection problem. This kind of defeats the whole point.

#13 a^j on 23 Aug 2005 - 18:09

Desktop Sidebar is much more better than this

#14 martinsc on 23 Aug 2005 - 18:23

go google (Y)

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