Skip to Content

Submit your nominations for the Luxist Awards' Best in Decor
AOL Tech

google desktop posts

Filed under: Internet Tools

Don't want Google search but still want Gadgets? No problem

I'll admit that I was a fan of Google Desktop at first, what with the rapid browser previews of searched email and the ability to crunch through web histories and past searches. Over time, unfortunately, GD's reindexing began to feel a mite sluggish, and I eventually regretfully uninstalled it in the interest of better performance.

Now, with the announcement of native access to Google Gadgets bundled in with Desktop, allowing me to put my favorite Gadgets right in the Dashboard with no mussing about, I figured I'd give GD another shot, and take the reindexing hit or simply turn the search features off.

Guess what? As noted in this comment, a subtle "Choose your own features" link on Google's download page lets you split up the two functions of GD, and just install the Gadget manager without the desktop search component. Very nice!

Filed under: Software, Cool tools

Google Desktop updated to 1.1

Got search? The Mac version of Google's desktop search tool was recently updated to version 1.1, adding support for nine languages (ausgezeichnet! ????) and improving performance. My personal most-annoying bug, and the reason I stopped using Google Desktop -- the 'accidental double-tap of the command key that activates GD, when all I wanted to do was switch applications' -- is on the hit list and appears to have been squashed.

GD is available as a free download from Google and does require Mac OS 10.4. The update process will require a reboot and reindexing your drives to support the new languages; however, Google has changed the architecture of the search utility so that future updates should not require rebooting. The full change list is in the rest of the post.

Continue readingGoogle Desktop updated to 1.1

Filed under: Desktops, Software

TUAW Desktop of the Week



This week's TUAW Desktop hails from Flickr user form953, who has managed to turn both Dashboard and the Dock more or less Inside Out. The iStat pro widget is running in Development Mode, which is what allows it to live on the Desktop, separate from the Dashboard. I'm not entirely sure how form953 managed to pin the Dock underneath the menubar, however; I've seen that option in one utility or another, but have never used it so I'm blanking on which apps allow for this. Here's a list of what else form953 has going on here, thankfully provided along with this shot at Flickr:
If you'd like to see your unique, functional or otherwise interesting desktop featured in our TUAW Desktops of the Week series, check out past featured desktops as well as the original post for the rules and to get an idea of what we're looking for. Then, upload your desktop screenshot to our TUAW Desktops Flickr group. We'll feature one or more desktops each weekend, giving credit to the desktop owner, wallpaper creator and any apps featured in the screenshot (if available). Keep those desktops rolling in!

Filed under: Software, Security

Gruber begins dissection of Google Desktop

In our sneak peak at the new Google Desktop for Mac, Scott wondered at Google's use of a proprietary installer. Like many Mac users, I get annoyed at installers, though I understand that sometimes they are necessary. Similarly concerned, John Gruber at Daring Fireball performed a test install and then did a file level comparison of his system before and after. As Gruber notes: "This matters with Google Desktop, because there are a lot of files, and they're installed into some interesting - if not suspicious - locations." This includes an Input Manager and some possibly questionable kernel extensions (which are likely necessary to make the full system-wide search possible). I should be clear: nobody is accusing Google of doing anything underhanded, but if you like to know exactly what's going on with your system, John's article is worth a read before installing Google Desktop.

Filed under: Software, Internet Tools, Reviews

Google Desktop for the Mac 1.0


Today Google announced the availability of Google Desktop for the Mac (download now available from Google's Mac OS X software page). What's Google Desktop, you ask? It is an application from Google, which indexes the contents of your hard drive (including applications, most files, PDFs, as well as web histories from Safari, Firefox, and Camino) and makes it searchable a la Spotlight. Our PC using friends have had this application for awhile, and it is nice to see that Google hasn't forgotten about us Mac users.

Google Desktop for the Mac is a Universal application, requires OS X 10.4 or later, and is free.

I know what you're thinking, 'Why do I need Google Desktop if I already have Spotlight?' That's a good question, and since our friends at Google sent me a copy of Google Desktop to test drive I can answer it for you. Check out our gallery for a bunch of pictures, and read on for a full feature run down and my thoughts on Google Desktop.

Continue readingGoogle Desktop for the Mac 1.0

Tip of the Day

Use Spotlight as a reference tool. Type any word in the Spotlight box and one of the top entries will be a definition. Click on it, and it will bring up the dictionary application to check the word in either the dictionary, thesaurus, Apple database, or Wikipedia.


Follow us on Twitter!
 TUAW [Cafepress]

Featured Galleries

DNC Macs
Macworld 2008 Keynote
Macworld 2008 Build-up
Google Earth for iPhone
Podcaster
Storyist 2.0
AT&T Navigator Road Test
Bento for iPhone 1.0
Scrabble for iPhone
Tom Bihn Checkpoint Flyer Briefcase
Apple Vanity Plates
Apple booth Macworld 07
WorldVoice Radio
Quickoffice for iPhone 1.1.1
Daylite 3.9 Review
DiscPainter
Mariner Calc for iPhone
2009CupertinoBus
Crash Bandicoot Nitro Kart 3D
MLB.com At Bat 2009
Macworld Expo 2007 show floor

 

More Apple Analysis

AOL Radio TUAW on Stitcher