Windows and Linux only: A new release of the open-source, all-in-one email, calendar, and task manager Spicebird is now available for download. Kevin took you on a tour of Spicebird 0.4 back in January, but the new version 0.7 adds features and fixes. Notably, 0.7 got support for Google gadgets on the home screen, revamped instant messaging capabilities, Google Calendar support, and experimental blogging capabilities—see the full release notes for details. The Spicebird 0.7 release is a free download for Windows and Linux. Thanks, Asian Angel! Spicebird 0.7 Released
The latest version 3 of the gOS Linux distribution is now available, and it includes Google gadgets on the desktop in addition to its already heavy webapp integration. Check out how Adam turned an old PC into a webapp monster with gOS. [via]
Windows only: Send videos, pictures and music between Windows PCs or any Universal Plug n’ Play device (like a Playstation 3) with a simple Google Desktop Gadget called Google Media Server. The gadget allows you to offer up all the media indexed by Google Desktop to any other device with the gadget, or that can grab UPnP media, and also offers access to your Picasa Web Albums and YouTube videos. For anyone looking for an easy way to shuttle their digital media back and forth across a standard home network, this gadget might be the “just works” kick-starter. Google Media Server is a free download, requires a Windows system running Google Desktop 5 or later. Google Media Server [via Google Operating System]
The Tombuntu blog details how to install and get more from the recently-released Google Gadgets for Linux in Ubuntu or other Debian-based Linux distributions. The non-compilation instructions alone are worth a read, but the post points out a pretty nifty Compiz tweak that adds puts Gadgets on an OS X-like switchable screen. Make sure you’ve got the compizconfig-settings-manager package installed in Ubuntu, and then:
Linux only: Google Gadgets, an open-source, stand-alone app that runs gadgets from Google Desktop and the Universal iGoogle repository, closes the widest gap between Google Desktop‘s Linux version and its Mac and Windows cousins. Users of Screenlets already can use iGoogle and other widgets on the desktop, but this release adds the sidebar and desktop search integration that make Google Desktop a greater sum than its individual parts. Installing Google Gadgets requires compiling from source at this point, and I had trouble completing the process in Ubuntu 8.04, so let’s hear about any simplified instructions or scripts you run across. Google Gadgets is a free download for Linux systems only. Google Gadgets for Linux [via Google Open Source Blog]
Google already let you share your favourite gadgets through iGoogle, but now you can share and edit data within your gadgets -which means you can do things like share shopping lists created in Sticky Note.It’s easy too – just click on the drop down triangle, and you’ll see the option to ‘share this gadget’. If you use Gmail, now you just need to pick the friends you want to share with via the contact list that will pop up, or type in their email address.You get to decide if you’ll just share the data, or let them edit it also. Click send and it will go out as an email which gives the recipient a preview of the gadget and invites them to add it to their iGoogle page.Sharing gadgets just got better [Official Google blog]
Linux only: Previously-posted Linux widget engine Screenlets can convert and run Google Gadgets and other web-based widgets on the desktop in its latest version, adding thousands of mini-apps to its menu. You’ll need to add Screenlets’ Launchpad repository to your sources and install the latest version, which the Screenlets home page (and the Tombuntu blog) helpfully walks you through. Once you’re up and running with Screenlets, simply hit “Install,” choose “Web Widget,” and you’ll get a link to each supported database’s catalogue page, as well as basic instructions on installing. With more than 45,000 to choose from in Google’s database alone, there’s likely a great and useful widget waiting to find your Linux desktop.
Screenlets [via Tombuntu]Google’s offering two neat tools for tracking today’s election action: a Super Tuesday Google Map that displays Twitter posts, Google News headlines, and videos from across the country about the vote, and an iGoogle gadget that tracks candidates’ progress in each of the 24 states. If you live in one of the Super Tuesday primary states, be sure to get out there and VOTE today. Be part of the Super Tuesday action [Official Google Blog]
Mac OS X only: The entirety of Google Gadgets is now available for Mac users as Dashboard widgets through Google Desktop for Mac. Altogether this isn’t groundbreaking, since you could use the new web clips feature in Leopard or the Widgetops Universal Google Gadget widget to add any Google Gadget to your Dashboard, but it’s a nice integration nonetheless. If you’re a Google Gadget lover, let’s hear your favourites in the comments.
Google Desktop for Mac [Google via Search Engine Land]
