Google Gadgets for Linux 0.10.4

The 0.10.4 release of Google Gadgets for Linux is out, with optimized performance and memory consumption, as well as many bug fixes. To install or upgrade your copy of Google Gadgets for Linux, just download and install the binaries for your platform.

The new release supports more gadgets, including the recently released YouTube, Gmail, and Google Docs gadgets. Here's a picture of the YouTube gadget running on Linux.



The next picture shows the Gmail and Google Docs gadgets running on Linux. Note: If you've already unsuccessfully tried using the Gmail gadget, be sure to download the latest version of the Gmail gadget.



If you're a developer, try the dramatically improved Gadget Designer. It can now create new gadgets, and it runs as a separate application. Here's a picture.



As always, you can find the source code at the google-gadgets-for-linux project.

Posted by James Su and Kathy Walrath, Google Desktop Team

The Docs gadget

We just released a neat little gadget that helps you find and open your Google Docs documents. And if you want to upload files to Google Docs, just drag them into the gadget. Please check out the announcement on the Google Docs blog.



This gadget has been well received among Googlers, and we hope you'll like it too. It runs on Linux and Windows and supports Google Apps accounts. Please try it out and let us know what you think.

We've released quite a few gadgets lately (Gmail, Google Docs, YouTube), but my favorite one is coming in January. Mark your calendar!

Posted by James Yum, Developer Programs Engineer

Winter Holiday Gadgets

'Tis the season for new Desktop gadgets to help you celebrate the winter holidays. Here's a guide to the some of the most recent additions.

	Snowman by Benjamin Schirmer Every desktop needs a snowman. To switch accessories, just click the part you want to change.
	Hanukkah Menorah Two by Glenn Rivkees Use this gadget to help you keep track of when Hanukkah starts. Once the Festival of Lights begins, the gadget keeps each night's candle burning on your desktop.
	The Dreidel Game by Glenn Rivkees Whether or not you've ever spun a real dreidel, now you can play with your own e-dreidel.
	Christmas Hat by Lahiru Lakmal Priyadarhsana If it's Christmas, it must be time for Christmas hats! Put a photo of your loved one into the special Christmas photo frame, and then adjust the hat for a perfect fit. Click the snowflake in the bottom-right corner to show and hide the settings, or right-click for the context menu. You can even drag and drop a photo into the frame.
	Countdown to New Year 2009 by Teodor Filimon This multi-purpose gadget gives you snow, carols, gift shopping, calendar, the time left until Christmas, and finally a countdown to the New Year!

Want to see other seasonal gadgets? Check out the holiday gadget page.

Happy Holidays from the Google Desktop Team!

Posted by Kathy Walrath, Technical Writer

The YouTube gadget

The Google Desktop team is pleased to release a YouTube gadget for Google Desktop. It plays YouTube videos right inside the gadget and shows a feed of the day's most popular videos. Please check out the official announcement on the YouTube blog.



Watching YouTube videos is a favorite pastime of mine while waiting for code to compile or team meetings to conclude. Now with this gadget, I am able to waste time more productively, as I can bring up the gadget in an instant and search for videos (hint: pressing the shift key twice brings up all your hidden Desktop gadgets).

Please give it a try and stay tuned for more new gadgets ...

Posted by James Yum, Developer Programs Engineer (Google Desktop Team)

The Gmail gadget

Google offers a free, search-based webmail service called Gmail. Yes it's completely free, vanquishes spam, and includes over 7 GB (and growing) of space so you'll never have to delete another message. Not convinced? Just search Google for "i love gmail" and behold the many positive testimonials and reviews.

We like this Gmail so much, we developed and released a Desktop gadget that you can use to monitor your Inbox, read messages, and compose new emails. Check out the announcement on the Gmail blog.



Please give Gmail and the gadget a try, spread the word to all your friends, and let us know what you think about the gadget.

More information | Download gadget | Gmail

Posted by James Yum, Developer Programs Engineer

Featured gadget: On-Screen Ruler

Name: On-Screen Ruler
Author: Edwin Lee
Description: Ruler on your desktop to help you align your on-screen elements, and measure the number of pixels betwden them.

More information | Download gadget

Each week this blog features a recently added Google Desktop gadget that looks promising. If you'd like to see all new Desktop gadgets as they're published, subscribe to the RSS feed. 

Posted by Kathy Walrath, Technical Writer

Google Gadgets for Linux 0.10.3

The 0.10.3 release of Google Gadgets for Linux is out, with bug fixes and major feature enhancements. Most notably, now Linux gadgets can use most of the features introduced in the 5.8 release of Google Desktop for Windows.

If you have a previous version of Google Gadgets for Linux, we encourage you to upgrade to this version. Just download and install the binaries for your platform.

With the 0.10.3 release, gadgets can run seamlessly within KDE4's Plasma environment, as the following screenshots show. For more information on KDE4 and gadgets, see the KDE4 Plasma page in the google-gadgets-for-linux project.





Thanks for reading this, and remember to download Google Gadgets for Linux!

Posted by James Su and Kathy Walrath, Google Desktop Team

Featured gadget: VTM Wheater Map

Name: VTM Wheater Map
Author: Stefan vd
Description: Show the VTM Wheater Map from Belgium.

More information | Download gadget

Each week this blog features a recently added Google Desktop gadget that looks promising. If you'd like to see all new Desktop gadgets as they're published, subscribe to the RSS feed.

Posted by Kathy Walrath, Technical Writer

Featured gadget: Photo Frame

Name: Photo Frame
Author: Google
Description: Keep your favorite photos, nicely framed, on your desktop. You can choose from several frames and themes.

More information | Download gadget

Each week this blog features a recently added Google Desktop gadget that looks promising. If you'd like to see all new Desktop gadgets as they're published, subscribe to the RSS feed.

Posted by Kathy Walrath, Technical Writer

Featured gadget: Radio Energy Zürich

Name: Radio Energy Zürich
Author: Andreas Horlacher
Description: Listen to online radio from Energy Zürich

More information | Download gadget

Each week this blog features a recently added Google Desktop gadget that looks promising. If you'd like to see all new Desktop gadgets as they're published, subscribe to the RSS feed.

Posted by Kathy Walrath, Technical Writer

Featured gadget: Precious Metals Spot Prices

Name: Precious Metals Spot Prices
Author: Rosie Ojo
Description: Gold, Silver, Platinum and Palladium Spot Prices, with live 24 Hour Spot Charts. New York - London - Hong Kong - Sydney - Zurich.

More information | Download gadget

Each week this blog features a recently added Google Desktop gadget that looks promising. If you'd like to see all new Desktop gadgets as they're published, subscribe to the RSS feed.

Posted by Kathy Walrath, Technical Writer

Featured gadget: Persian Calendar

Name: Persian Calendar
Author: Mehdy Bohlool
Description: Persian Plus Georgian Calendar

More information | Download gadget

Each week this blog features a recently added Google Desktop gadget that looks promising. If you'd like to see all new Desktop gadgets as they're published, subscribe to the RSS feed.

Posted by Kathy Walrath, Technical Writer

Featured gadget: Communicator

Name: Communicator
Author: Andreas Horlacher
Description: Communicator translates from and to a few languages using Google translation services. It comes with the popular 'communicator' design, as seen in Star Trek.

More information | Download gadget

Each week this blog features a recently added Google Desktop gadget that looks promising. If you'd like to see all new Desktop gadgets as they're published, subscribe to the RSS feed.

Posted by Kathy Walrath, Technical Writer

Slideshow for Facebook

This week, we're excited to release the Slideshow for Facebook gadget.

Designed for Facebook users, this gadget connects to your Facebook account and finds a wide variety of photos from your friends' collections. These photos then appear, one-`t-a-time, in the gadget's frame. It's an automated slideshow — an easy, great way to stay in touch with old friends!

Posted by Larry Gadea, Software Engineer

Featured gadget: Periodic Table

Name: Periodic Table for Google Desktop
Author: Paul Alan Freshney
Description: Detailed information on every element

More information | Download gadget

Each week this blog features a recently added Google Desktop gadget that looks promising. If you'd like to see all new Desktop gadgets as they're published, subscribe to the RSS feed.

Posted by Kathy Walrath, Technical Writer

Linux updates

If you use Google Gadgets for Linux, be sure to get the 0.10.2 version, which was released Saturday. It fixes over 20 bugs, enabling support for many more gadgets.

Don't feel like compiling the code? No problem! It's now easy to find binary packages created by the community, thanks to a new page that points to Google Gadgets binaries for the major Linux distributions.

Posted by James Su and Kathy Walrath, Google Desktop Team

When you speak, we listen

Here in Google Desktop land, we value two things: 1) feedback from people who use Google Desktop and 2) chocolate malt balls (good to eat, good to throw). While we love hearing how much you enjoy Google Desktop, we also want to know what we can do better. 

As our Tech Lead pointed out on the official Google blog, one thing you really stressed to us was performance. So what did we work on? A really cool comic. (Just kidding.) No, we doubled down and cranked out our latest release of Google Desktop 5.8, which focuses primarily on — you guessed it — performance.

Although performance was our main focus, we also wanted to release some features and fixes in response to your other requests. Many of you still rely on Outlook, so we made our search cover more Outlook folders, with better speed and stability. We also made a number of additions to the Desktop APIs, including support for Flash in gadgets!

So if you use Google Desktop, please download the latest version. If you've never tried Google Desktop (or are a "former GD user"), why not give it a try? And remember, we love to hear feedback!

Posted by Ryan Tabone, Product Manager

Featured gadget: Pipes

Name: Pipes
Author: Paul Unger
Description: A join-the-pipes time waster

More information | Download gadget

Each week this blog features a recently added Google Desktop gadget that looks promising. If you'd like to see all new Desktop gadgets as they're published, subscribe to the RSS feed.

Posted by Kathy Walrath, Technical Writer

Featured gadget: Desktop Calendar

Name: Desktop Calendar
Author: rivus.jp
Description: Simple desktop calendar

More information | Download gadget

Each week this blog features a recently added Google Desktop gadget that looks promising. If you'd like to see all new Desktop gadgets as they're published, subscribe to the RSS feed.

Posted by Kathy Walrath, Technical Writer

Featured gadget: U.S. Senator Search and Contact

Name: U.S. Senator Search and Contact
Author: Rosie Ojo
Description: Search for U.S. senator information

More information | Download gadget

Each week this blog features a recently added Google Desktop gadget that looks promising. If you'd like to see all new Desktop gadgets as they're published, subscribe to the RSS feed.

Posted by Kathy Walrath, Technical Writer

Featured gadget: Cat Clock

Name: Cat Clock
Author: nectar1964
Description:  Analog clock of cat design

More information | Download gadget

Each week this blog features a recently added Google Desktop gadget that looks promising. If you'd like to see all new Desktop gadgets as they're published, subscribe to the RSS feed. 

Posted by Kathy Walrath, Technical Writer

Google Gadgets for Linux 0.10.1

Posted by James Su, Software Engineer

To celebrate the opening of the Beijing 2008 Olympic Games, we've just released Google Gadgets for Linux 0.10.1. This version contains two new built-in gadgets:

• Photos - Displays your favorite photos (from either the Web or a local directory) as a slideshow. This gadget is very simple to use. Just get it from the Add gadgets dialog, and add your favorite sources in the Options dialog.
  
  
• Gadget Designer - Similar to the Gadget Designer application for Windows, except that this designer is itself a gadget. Currently it only supports editing existing gadgets. Please get it from the Add gadgets dialog, try it out, and give us feedback. (Sorry, this gadget isn't available yet for Windows.)

Besides adding these two new gadgets, we've fixed many serious bugs. Many popular gadgets are supported now, such as the Google Calendar gadget. This new version also supports the Google Summer Games gadget, which displays a live medal count and event schedules on your desktop.

2008 Summer Games gadget

Posted by James Yum, Developer Programs Engineer

With 302 events, 35 disciplines, and over two hundred teams, the Summer Games can be overwhelming. The 2008 Summer Games gadget can help you follow all the excitement.



This gadget is a triathlete of sorts: It displays medal counts, event schedules, and the latest news. Try it out, and be sure to choose your favorite team from the options.



The gadget has been localized for the host country China and works fine with the latest Google Gadgets for Linux.

Also check out these related efforts across Google:

• Web based version of the gadget
• Google Maps
• YouTube channel

Happy Summer Games from the Google Desktop team!

More information | Download gadget

Featured gadget: Call Via Skype v.0.2

Name: Call Via Skype v.0.2.1
Author: De-L-Orient
Description: Allows you to call via Skype to a Skype user or a phone

More information | Download gadget

Each week this blog features a recently added Google Desktop gadget that looks promising. If you'd like to see all new Desktop gadgets as they're published, subscribe to the RSS feed.

Posted by Kathy Walrath, Technical Writer

Featured gadget: www.sport.co.uk Gadget

Name: www.sport.co.uk Gadget
Author: Miguel Angel Cabra
Description: News, Videos and Blog from sport.co.uk delivered right to your desktop

More information | Download gadget

Each week this blog features a recently added Google Desktop gadget that looks promising. If you'd like to see all new Desktop gadgets as they're published, subscribe to the RSS feed.

Posted by Kathy Walrath, Technical Writer

Featured gadget: Binary Decimal Converter

Posted by Kathy Walrath, Technical Writer



Name: Binary Decimal Converter
Author: Teodor Filimon
Description: Easily convert binary numbers to decimal values, and the other way around

More information | Download gadget

Each week this blog features a recently added Google Desktop gadget that looks promising. If you'd like to see all new Desktop gadgets as they're published, subscribe to the RSS feed.

Featured gadget: WiFi Check

Posted by Kathy Walrath, Technical Writer



Name: WiFi Check
Author: Krid of K.
Description: See the status of your WLAN

More information | Download gadget

Each week this blog features a recently added Google Desktop gadget that looks promising. If you'd like to see all new Desktop gadgets as they're published, subscribe to the RSS feed.

Featured gadget: Around the Cooler

Posted by Kathy Walrath, Technical Writer



Name: Around the Cooler
Author: Google
Description: Colorful characters chat around the watercooler about the latest news and events

More information | Download gadget

Each week this blog features a recently added Google Desktop gadget that looks promising. If you'd like to see all new Desktop gadgets as they're published, subscribe to the RSS feed.

Featured gadget: Olympics Countdown Gadget

Posted by Kathy Walrath, Technical Writer



Name: Olympics Countdown Gadget
Author: Kamal Singh
Description: Can't wait for the Beijing 2008 Olympic Games? Then the Olympics Countdown Gadget is right for you.

More information | Download gadget

Each week this blog features a recently added Google Desktop gadget that looks promising. If you'd like to see all new Desktop gadgets as they're published, subscribe to the RSS feed.

From the desktop to your TV

Posted by David Garcia, Software Engineer

In the old days, we used to watch a simple device called a television. Nowadays, all the stuff worth watching and listening to tends to be stored on or accessed through a computer. To help remedy this, we are pleased to release the Google Media Server.

Google Media Server is a Windows application that aims to bridge the gap between Google and your TV. It uses Google Desktop technology such as Desktop gadgets for the administration tool and Google Desktop Search to locate media files. All you need is a PC running Google Desktop and a UPnP-enabled device (e.g. a PlayStation 3). At the touch of a button, you can then:

• Access videos, music, and photos stored on your PC
  
• View Picasa Web Albums
  
• Play your favorite YouTube videos

It's easy to install, so please try it out. We'd love to get your feedback and hear what you'd like to see next.

Featured gadget: Qantas Socceroos Widget

Posted by Kathy Walrath, Technical Writer



Name: Qantas Socceroos Widget
Author: Haymarket Media
Description: Lastest Socceroos news from FourFourTwo

More information | Download gadget

Each week this blog features a recently added Google Desktop gadget that looks promising. If you'd like to see all new Desktop gadgets as they're published, subscribe to the RSS feed.

Featured gadget: Shia Jafari Prayer Time

Posted by Kathy Walrath, Technical Writer



Name: Shia Jafari Prayer Time
Author: Alzahra Satellite Channel
Description: Displays prayer times, using the Jafari method

More information | Download gadget

Each week this blog features a recently added Google Desktop gadget that looks promising. If you'd like to see all new Desktop gadgets as they're published, subscribe to the RSS feed.

Featured gadget: 2digg

Posted by Kathy Walrath, Technical Writer



Name: 2digg
Author: Yannick Stucki
Description: The ultimate gadget for digg.com

More information | Download gadget

Each week this blog features a recently added Google Desktop gadget that looks promising. If you'd like to see all new Desktop gadgets as they're published, subscribe to the RSS feed.

European Football Championship Scores gadget

Posted by James Yum, Developer Programs Engineer (Google Desktop Team)

Keep track of all the latest Euro 2008 action from your desktop. This gadget shows the latest scores and schedules from the upcoming 2008 UEFA European Football Championship. You can also customize the gadget to match your favorite team's colors.

Please try out this beautiful gadget for the beautiful game.

Download the gadget

Featured gadget: Ask Dr Weil

Posted by Kathy Walrath, Technical Writer



Name: Ask Dr Weil
Author: bUmp Interactive
Description: Question and Answer with Dr. Weil (for informational purposes only)

More information | Download gadget

Each week this blog features a recently added Google Desktop gadget that looks promising. If you'd like to see all new Desktop gadgets as they're published, subscribe to the RSS feed.

Featured gadget: FXTrade Ticker

Posted by Kathy Walrath, Technical Writer



Name: FXTrade Ticker
Author: OANDA Webgroup
Description: Shows foreign exchange rates, with live updates if you're an FXGame or FXTrade account holder

More information | Download gadget

Each week this blog features a recently added Google Desktop gadget that looks promising. If you'd like to see all new Desktop gadgets as they're published, subscribe to the RSS feed.

Featured gadget: Thesaurus

Posted by Kathy Walrath, Technical Writer



Name: Thesaurus
Author: Benjamin Schirmer
Description: Thesaurus lookup for different languages including English, German, Dutch and Spanish.

More information | Download gadget

Each week this blog features a recently added Google Desktop gadget that looks promising. If you'd like to see all new Desktop gadgets as they're published, subscribe to the RSS feed.

Featured gadget: O&O DiskStat

Posted by Kathy Walrath, Technical Writer



Name: O&O DiskStat
Author: O&O Software GmbH
Description: Monitor your hard disks.

More information | Download gadget

Each week this blog features a recently added Google Desktop gadget that looks promising. If you'd like to see all new Desktop gadgets as they're published, subscribe to the RSS feed.

Try Gadget Designer 1.1

Posted by Kathy Walrath, Technical Writer

If you've ever thought about creating your own Google Desktop gadget, try the latest version of Gadget Designer, a Windows application that's part of the Google Desktop SDK. You can find instructions for downloading and using this app in a new tutorial, Using Gadget Designer.

Here's what people have to say about latest version of Gadget Designer:

With the designer I have my whole development process in one place and one window: javascript coding, xml editing and buttons arranging. A preview is just an F5 push away and I get the whole thing packed up with F7. It doesn't get any easier than that... errr, okay, it will probably directly parse human thoughts in the future.
- Yannick Stucki

Apart from [an issue in creating packages], I must say that this version of the designer is a perfect tool to develop gadgets, with everything you need in the same window (API reference, preview, sources, debugger, etc.)
- Luca Ongaro

Introducing the Energy Saver gadget

Posted by James Yum, Developer Programs Engineer

On this Earth Day 2008, we're very pleased to announce the release of the Energy Saver gadget.

This Google Desktop gadget for Windows XP and Vista helps you save energy (and money) by minimizing the power that your PC consumes when you're not using it. The gadget works by enabling and optimizing Windows power settings so that your PC meets EPA-recommended standards.

If saving energy and money isn't exciting enough, you can also see how much energy you've saved, both individually and as part of the group of people using the Energy Saver gadget. If you're like me and don't know the difference between a kilowatt and a kilowatt-hour, you'll appreciate the nifty, real-world comparisons:



Please join us in reducing power usage, and download the Energy Saver gadget.

Happy Earth Day from the Google Desktop Team!

Featured gadget: Digital Clock

Posted by Kathy Walrath, Technical Writer



Name: Digital Clock
Author: Hemakumar M
Description: Pure digital looking clock gadget

More information | Download gadget

Each week this blog features a recently added Google Desktop gadget that looks promising. If you'd like to see all new Desktop gadgets as they're published, subscribe to the RSS feed.

Featured gadget: Mobile Meter

Posted by Kathy Walrath, Technical Writer


Name: Mobile Meter
Author: KEEN
Description: Wireless reception, screen resolution, and power status for your Mac or PC

More information | Download gadget

Each week this blog features a recently added Google Desktop gadget that looks promising. If you'd like to see all new Desktop gadgets as they're published, subscribe to the RSS feed.