Google Sidebar is part of the new version 2 of Desktop Search.
It works pretty much like Desktop Sidebar, but obviously with all Google services involved. It features an email preview pane, which will pick up your Gmail, if you have an account – it also indexes your whole archived account, so you can search for emails even when you are offline.
Another great feature is the ability to display RSS feeds as ‘Web Clips’ – similar to the way some Gmail accounts do – and you can use the search box to quickly find and run applications too: just typing in ‘Firefox’ will boot up the browser for you. More details of the new features are here.
Some views on this from the web:
- Neville Hobson: The window of opportunity for Google
- Search Engine Watch: Google Desktop Search 2 Offers New Sidebar Widgets, Outlook Integration & More
- Slashdot: Google Releases GDS 2.0
- The Register: Google uses Sidebar to sideline rivals
- Inside Google: Google Releases Desktop 2
- BLADAM: Google Desktop Search
- Guardian Online: Google ‘sidebar’ brings web to desktop
More to come as I come across them.
The Google Sidebar is certainly cool (as is Konfabulator, Desktop Sidebar, Apple Dashboard, and, eventually, the Windows Vista Sidebar). However, it is only part of the answer to having a fully integrated “personal intelligence agent” at your disposal. If you want to get a glimpse at the next two or three steps beyond what Google and the like are doing, check out my Mentations product at http://www.mentations.com. While still an early beta, I hope the intent is clear as to the direction we are taking it! BTW, any constructive criticism is most welcome.