New Google Toolbar Beta - but no Firefox

[intelliot]

A New Version (Beta) of the Google Toolbar is Now Available, Still No Firefox

Google has just released a new beta version of the their toolbar.

Google Toolbar 3.0 (beta) can now be downloaded via a link at: http://toolbar.google.com. If you already have the Google Toolbar installed, you'll still need to download this beta version. In other words, Toolbar 3.0 will not automatically install on your browser.

Firefox? Nope
When I first learned that a new Google toolbar was coming, I figured after last weeks release of the Yahoo Toolbar for Firefox, I would learn that the a new Google Toolbar would soon be available for Firefox. Well, I was wrong. Google Toolbar 3.0 (beta) is still ONLY available for Internet Explorer running Microsoft Windows 95/98/ME/NT/2000/XP. Google didn't provide any info about when (if ever) versions for Firefox and the Mac will be available.

What does Version 3.0 offer?
OK, now that I've answered the question many of you might have been asking, let's take a look at the three new features that Google Toolbar 3.0 offers:

+ Spelling Correction
A new button on the toolbar allows you to use Google's spell check technology on any web form. For example, you can now spell check your work if you use many web-based e-mail service like Gmail. (-: When you're ready to spell check, click the "check" button on the toolbar. If an incorrect spelling is detected, the word will be highlighted in red. Click the link and corrected spellings are suggested. It's also possible at this point to edit the word (a box will surround the term) or add the term to your personal spell check dictionary. If you select a corrected spelling, the term turns green and you're on to the next word. Click again to turn off the spell check. This feature should get the Google "as an operating system" people talking.

+ AutoLink
This might not only be useful (or not) to you but the commercial possibilities are massive. With "AutoLink" enabled, web pages will be "enhanced" with additional links if Google thinks additional information might be helpful. For example, say your browsing a web page with numerous addresses on it. AutoLink will turn each of those addresses into direct links to the Google Maps database. Google currently offers AutoLinks for the following info (if it's recognized on the web page your looking at or found in other material your viewing in your browser):
++ Addresses (U.S. Only)

++ Package Tracking Numbers

++ ISBN's
It's interesting to note that Google must have some type of arrangement with Amazon.com on this one. I searched for a book directly from the Barnes & Noble database. As soon as I visited a page for a book with an ISBN, the link button on the browser that was labeled "AutoLink" changed to read "Show Book Info." When I clicked on the button I went directly to the ISBN link on the B&N page. However, if I selected the arrow next to the button, the ISBN appeared with a hotlink to the book's page in the Amazon database. In this case, we're going to have to wait and see if Google will allow a user to choose their favorite book merchant or even query a libraries local catalog?

++ VIN's (Vehicle Identification Numbers)
These four lookups have been part of Google's "Search by Number" feature which was released last January. Look for more AutoLink options in the future.

The AutoLink feature reminds me of (providing related links/info based on content found on a page NOT in its implementation) Microsoft's Smart Tags (with Word Documents), Vibrant Media's IntelliTXT, Gurunetnswer.com's One-Click Answers, Blinkx, Intellext, and what Flyswat offered more than five years ago. Yahoo's new YQ! service also allows web page authors to embed tags into their web pages to find related info.

Speculation? Sure, I'm game. It will be interesting to see how this goes over. If it does, will AutoLink be a new revenue stream for Google? Will they begin offering paid partnerships to certain database publishers and/or advertisers to have their content directly accessible as an "AutoLink"? What criteria will they use to determine useful AutoLinks? I'm also wondering if Google will take the AutoLink technology and make it part of the Google Search Appliance and Google Mini products. In other words, will customers be able to create their own AutoLinks across an enterprise? Bottom Line? Plenty to think about with this feature.

+ Word Translator
The third new feature included in the Google Toolbar 3.0 beta release is what the company is calling "Word Translator." With this feature activated, each word on all web pages and other material viewable in your IE browser can be hovered over and translated one word at a time. Translation is available for eight languages (French, Italian, German, Spanish, Chinese (traditional and simplified), Japanese, or Korean) utilizing the same technology available on Google's Language Tools page.

Beta Notes
How long will Google Toolbar 3.0 be a beta release? Marrisa Mayer, Director of Consumer Web Products at Google, told me that she was planning for a two month beta release. She also said that these new features have been available internally (to Googlers) for the past few months. Finally, if you're wondering what's the current percentage of searches originating from the Google Toolbar, so was I. I asked a Google spokesperson for some help with the answer but unfortunately they wouldn't share the info.

UPDATE: Marissa told Johh B. that the toolbar user base was "in the millions."

[microdude431]

darn! no firefox. there is always hope though!

[tokkolo]

Interesting information, they have added some nice features. Too bad it is still IE only.

[intelliot]

Spelling Correction and AutoLink are especially interesting.

Perhaps we can remove the SpellingCow checker on here, once people get this Google toolbar.

[JshLnsctt]

I agree, spell checker sounds intresting

[Mike AkA Don]

Thars right!

Micro$oft IE FOR LIFE!

[geekerati]

Originally Posted by intelliot

Spelling Correction and AutoLink are especially interesting.

Perhaps we can remove the SpellingCow checker on here, once people get this Google toolbar.

Indeed, this is an article about it if someone should choose to learn more.

Google's browser toolbar is raising eyebrows over a feature that inserts new hyperlinks in Web pages, giving the Internet search provider a powerful tool to funnel traffic to destinations of its choice.

When Web surfers install the toolbar in their Microsoft Internet Explorer Web browser and click the AutoLink button, Web pages with street addresses suddenly sprout links to Google's map service by default. Book publishers' ISBN numbers trigger links to Amazon.com, potentially luring shoppers away from competing book sellers such as BarnesandNoble.com. Vehicle ID licenses spawn links to Carfax.com, while package tracking numbers connect automatically to shippers' Web sites.
Google shouldn't get away with what Microsoft was unable to.
--Steve Rubel, blogger, Micropersuasion

Google, the world's most widely used search engine, denied that the AutoLink feature is an attempt to control which destinations Web surfers visit. People can already choose between several map services, including Yahoo and MapQuest, and choices for book retailers may be added in the future, a company representative said on Friday.

Nevertheless, some critics charge that AutoLink takes the liberty of modifying Web pages to direct people the way Google sees fit. Microsoft took the same approach with its Smart Tags feature years ago and eventually pulled it because of trust and trademark concerns.

"Google is to the Web what Microsoft is to PCs--the operating system everyone uses to search. It has nearly the same lock on consumers' share of mind...And millions use the Google Toolbar. They shouldn't get away with what Microsoft was unable to," Steve Rubel wrote on Wednesday on his Micropersuasion blog

CNET News/ Lots more

[dude66]

they should put firefox on it not ie

[geekerati]

I think the Micro$oft community and others are going to raise so much of a fuss about the new Autolink feature in google's toolbar that they will face letigation very soon challenging its fairness. Remember Micro$oft ended up scratching its Smart Tags because of all the Trademark issues. How often do you see M$ back down or pull out of one their projects, not very often. I can't poll this question in this forum, so we can perhaps discuss it instead. Do you think it is wrong for Google to modify the HTML of a Web page in order to have the added links? One last thing to throw into the mix, M$ already has a patent , so it should be interesting to see what happens in the future.

"If I'm on Company A's Web site, and a third party is allowing me to direct me to Company B, there will be some controversy over who controls whose information,

"

Whether you supported or opposed Microsoft's efforts to "get away" with this process using SmartLinks, what Google is doing with Autolinks, is the same basic process. The potential for harm to those doing business via their websites, is clearly apparent. If Google is allowed to insert their own links into YOUR content, they then have the ability to steal business from you by driving traffic from your site to a competitor's site. This is exactly what Microsoft tried to do with SmartLinks, with words being sold to highest the bidder and where hypertext links were generated by SmartLinks, without the knowledge or consent of the owner.

Google may not be selling words to the highest bidder (for Autolinks) YET, but what is to stop them from doing so in the future?

We all recoginze that the major search engines sell advertising, and that companies purchase/bid on words to become featured sponsors, and thereby achieve featured status within the search site's results. But this process does not result in a change to the way YOUR content is presented to the user who visits YOUR site.


The validity of an owners "Copyright" are being violated here, regardless of how Google proceeds with marketing. The simple fact that they are parsing YOUR content and ADDING references or links to it, IS A VIOLATION OF YOUR COPYRIGHT!

Can anyone say class action! Well, you'd better hurry, 'cause Mr. Bush intent on curbing your rights there as we speak! I wonder if Mr. Cheney owns stock in Google?

Here is the debate:

Who owns the desktop? Is it the consumers, or is it the web publishers?

Intro of Smart Tags from 2001
AutoLink and SmartLinks
Open Letter to Google March 6,2005
CNet News