Google Desktop 2 Beta Watches Your Habits

By Geoff Duncan Published July 25, 2014

Google today unveiled a public beta of Google Desktop 2, the latest version of the company’s free desktop search tool. In addition to offering quick searches of files and folders on your local hard drives, Google Desktop 2 adds rapid application launching, a new extensible Sidebar which can view your email (from Google’s Gmail service or your ISP) as soon as it arrives, as well as display current news, weather, stock info, and photographs, RSS feeds, and more. And, in a new twist, the Sidebar monitors your behavior and constantly updates the Sidebar contents to present relevant information, including personalized news items.

Some features involve sending data about user’s Web-surfing habits back to Google to retrieve new, relevant results, but the company says no personally identifiable information is transmitted and users can completely opt-out.

Google Desktop generates fast search results for local files by generating and then maintaining an index to files on the local system, similar to the Spotlight feature Apple introduced in Mac OS X 10.4 Tiger. Although Google recommends against installing Google Desktop on machine on machines available for general use in locations like labs and Internet cafes, the new version can encrypt the index to protect it from snooping. Google Desktop can also integrate directly into Microsoft’s Outlook email program.

The Google Desktop 2 public beta is available for free; it requires Windows 2000 or Windows XP.

Former Digital Trends Contributor

Geoff Duncan writes, programs, edits, plays music, and delights in making software misbehave. He's probably the only member…

Mobile

5 smartwatches you should buy instead of the Google Pixel Watch 2

The main workout screen on the Google Pixel Watch 2.

It's no secret that we weren't fans of the first Google Pixel Watch. However, Google heard all the criticism of its smartwatch debut and made amends, coming back with the Google Pixel Watch 2. Its second attempt was much better, adding strong performance, exceptional comfort, and a solid battery life to the fitness tracking of Fitbit. While it still has some issues, it's now a product we can recommend buying.

But just because it's now good doesn't mean there aren't alternatives to be had. There are a number of smartwatches that are better suited for those looking for a longer battery life, a focus on fitness, or a simpler experience. Some are just flat-out better. If you're considering buying a Google smartwatch, you need to know about these five smartwatches you should buy instead of the Google Pixel Watch 2.
Samsung Galaxy Watch 6

Mobile

OnePlus just fixed a big issue with the OnePlus Watch 2

Person wearing OnePlus Watch 2 with a green strap on their left wrist.

Owners of the OnePlus Watch 2 are about to receive a new software update that will improve the smartwatch in one key way. The OHealth v4.21.5 update adds a data migration feature that allows switching phones without losing health data, which wasn't possible previously. Android Authority first spotted the update.

Google's Wear OS 4 launched with the new data migration feature. However, it wasn't available on the OnePlus Watch 2 until now. Once you install the update, you can see a new option called "Migrate data" in the profile settings. To use this new tool, your old and new phones must be connected to the same Wi-Fi network. You will also need to scan a QR code to initialize the migration process. If you are logged into the OHealth app, make sure that you sign in to the same account on both devices before migrating the data.

Mobile

Check your Google Pixel Watch right now for two new features

A person wearing the Google Pixel Watch 2.

If you own a Google Pixel Watch, you may want to check your smartwatch for a new software update. Google has begun rolling out its April 2024 security update for both Pixel Watch models, and it packs a couple of new features you'll want to try out.

In its blog post announcing the new update, Google says it includes "new features, numerous bug fixes, and performance updates for Pixel Watch users." In addition to those ever-important bug fixes, there are two specific upgrades we think you'll really like.