Google Gears, a new home for Web Apps
Google has announced a new toolkit and set of browser extensions that allow web applications to run on your desktop (but still in the browser) without an internet connection. Google Reader is already running Google Gears.
You can get the browser extensions here. They have them for both IE and Firefox on Mac, Linux and Windows.
I’ve read how others are wondering why Google made this when Adobe already has Apollo and Joyent had Slingshot. Well for starters Joyent’s Slingshot is for Ruby on Rails apps only and Adobe’s Apollo, while do you don’t “need” to use Flash it really is directed more towards the Flash and Flex developers. On top of this Google Gears is the only one out (in bete, but they are all in bete) that works in Both Major Browsers , Firefox and IE, and also works on all three major platforms.
Initially, the tools will enable Google Reader to work off line, but the more obvious candidates for off line use are the documents and spread sheeting applications. I expect this in the not too distant future. As well as anything that any one else wants to develop.
And one of the really cool things is that Google Gears is open source software, licensed under the New BSD license. This license is very permissive.
If your looking got he plug-in you can get info here.
If your a developer you can get more info here.
Hopefully I will have some time to build something with and, if I do I will post it for anyone interested in taking a look. If anyone has any ideas for a great Web application that needs to be taken off line as well, let me know.
