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08.23.05
Google
Introduces Sidebar Plug-ins
 By
Chris Richardson
It seems as if Internet companies, especially search engines, are releasing utilities
that allow users to "mod" them (develop 3rd party add-on widgets) by using software
development kits (SDK) and application programming interfaces (API).
Google and Yahoo are quite notorious for releasing APIs and SDKs for new programs
when they launch, allowing users to develop tools and plug-ins they think the
program is missing. One such API that's been getting a great deal of publicity
is the Google Maps API. A number of useful add-ons have been developed for the
Google Maps because of the API.
Knowing their audiences desire to add their own modifications, it would be surprising
if Google released any software, from now on, without the appropriate API. Not
only that, but Google also supports these communities by providing web space for
the developers to showcase their
new applications. Such is the case with the newly launched Google
Desktop program.
Although Google Desktop launched yesterday, there is already a plug-ins page,
and it already features a number of these user-developed 3rd party applications.
This includes plug-ins for the much-hyped sidebar
as well as Google Desktop's indexing
function. Some of the available plug-ins were developed by Google, while others
were done by third-party coders. Keep in mind the Google Desktop release is not
even 2 days old and yet there are already a number of useful plug-ins available:
Current Sidebar Plug-ins:
Todo
Manage your to-do tasks
System
Monitor
Monitor your system resources
Time
Warp
A clock that tells the time with a twist
Adsense
Status
View earnings information from your Google Adsense account in the Google Desktop
sidebar.
gdTunes
Control the iTunes music player from the Google Desktop sidebar.
View all available plug-ins.
One wonders just how many plug-ins will there be when the utility is a year old?
Probably more than you can shake a stick at, but therein lies the beauty of embracing
third-party enhancements. Hat-tip to Brad
Hill for pointing this out.
About the Author:
Chris Richardson is a search engine writer and editor for WebProNews.
Visit WebProNews for the latest search news.
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