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[nila]

Hey - totally off topic but quite cool.

Check it out: http://toolbar.google.com/deskbar/

Lets you do searches from your task bar - quite cool.

I like it at least - and it's good to share

[LonWar]

Way cool...

Thanks for sharing!

[marketability]

lurvvvvv it

[LisaRCT]

Hmmm, I tend to resist cluttering up my system, memory, desktop, toolbar, etc. . . .  . yet I always seem to wind up with alot of clutter anyway  
This is a handy tool however and I think I will se it for a while.
I like it, thanks Nila

[nila]

Yeah - my task bar is disappearin fast - and I have it on two lines!
I have my quick launch, MC controls, now this and the system tray - no space left for my programs

[lise]

Dave's Quick Search Toolbar has been doing this for years... but it's quite complicated to add custom searches.  However, at least the option is there. I can't figure out how to add an item for AMG or IMBD with this google toolbar (I think they use java?). I can get Bon Appetit/Epicurious, but that's a simple http address: if you are interested, just enter this in options:

http://www.epicurious.com/s97is.vts?action=filtersearch&filter=recipe-filter.hts&collection=Recipes&ResultTemplate=recipe-results.hts&queryType=and&keyword={1}

If anyone comes up the way to search IMDB or AMG please let us know. Heck, let us know about any interesting and popular sites so that we can add them to our custom searches.

[Marko]

I use the google browser toolbar, have done for a while, but always baulked at the taskbar searchbar. Not really sure why to be honest, just some kind of feeling about stuff having a place and not wanting to invite google onto my desktop!!!

-marko

[Charlemagne 8]

There's a rumor that Google's Toolbar is spyware.
I use it anyway.
CVIII

[Sam]

I figured out how to add the Allmusic search to the toolbar:

http://www.allmusic.com/cg/amg.dll?p=amg&sql=1{1}

The "1" before the {1} means "search artist".  For "album it is:

http://www.allmusic.com/cg/amg.dll?p=amg&sql=1{1}

If anyone has come up with other clever searches, please post them...

--Thomas

[edit] This search only seems to work with one word queries.  So, a search on "Cure" will take you to "The Cure"...but a search on "The Cure" takes you to "artists with names like: THE+CURE".  I've tried searching on "The%20Cure" too...no go.

Thanks for the search query.
It actually does work with multiple words.  I think it just has a problem with "the."

[lise]

Hey Thomas,

Thanks!  This is great. It works, even for multiple names. You don't get straight to the artist, but it is still just once click away. That's great.

The "1" before the {1} means "search artist".  For "album it is:

http://www.allmusic.com/cg/amg.dll?p=amg&sql=1{1}

I think you meant that for albums, it's the following:

http://www.allmusic.com/cg/amg.dll?p=amg&sql=2{1}

The difference is that for album searches, it is a 2 in front of {1}.

I don't suppose you are now working on the IMDB (Internet Movie Database) link  

[nameless]

There's a rumor that Google's Toolbar is spyware.

The Google Toolbar does report back on every site you visit, if you have its advanced features enabled.  However, as repulsive as this is to me, I don't consider it "spyware" proper, simply because they are quite up-front about it, to the point that they explain the behavior upon installation, and even when you subsequently attempt to enable an option that causes the phone-home behavior to take place.  It's not "spying" if the user knows about it.  (My comments apply to version 2.0 of the product; previous or subsequent versions may behave differently, I don't know.)

As for using Google Toolbar or Google Deskbar, I don't.  I have "quick search" items defined in Windows*, and in MyIE2.  To do a Google search in MyIE2, all I have to do is enter the search text and hit Enter.  It's the same in Insecure Explorer, except that I precede the search text with a "g ".  When I need things to be easier than that, I will know it's time for some introspection.  

I even block Google's cookies, but still force the site to apply my preferences.  This is easily accomplished by applying the preference toggles shown in Google search result URLs to the "quick search" definitions.  For example, my Google quick search string is "http://www.google.com/search?q=%s&num=100&hl=en&ie=ISO-8859-1&safe=off&sa=N&tab=wg", which enables highlighting (&hl=en), causes search results to be 100 per page (&num=100), and so on.  All without using evil cookies that track searches against IP addresses.

To figure out which preference parameters to use for quick search definitions, enable cookies for Google, set your preferences on the Google site, do a search, then examine the URL in the address bar.  It will look something like the one I showed above.  Replace the search text in the URL with "%s" (without quotes), save that URL as a quick search in Tweak UI, then delete and deny Google cookies.

* Quick search definitions can be created and edited on Windows XP using Microsoft's free Tweak UI utility.

[kiwi]

Where does one define said "Quick Searches"?

edit: ahh...  found a way with my MS PowerToy's TweakUI.

I do like being able to define your prefs like that.  Very cool.

[Afrosheen]

Is it possible to show what's playing in Media Center in the Search Box of Dave's Quick Search Bar, 'cause right now when I'm not using it, the bar displays the date and time. So instead, I was thinking the bar can display what Media Center is playing.   I fooled around the settings, but since I'm ignorant in coding, I don't know how to configure it to show what I want it to show.  If any of you are capable of doing this, it'll be greatly appreciated.

[nameless]

Where does one define said "Quick Searches"?

edit: ahh...  found a way with my MS PowerToy's TweakUI.

Yes, sorry, I forgot to mention that (though I've updated the post to mention it).  Tweak UI can be found here.

[kiwi]

What a wonderful little program... it SHOULD come on the WinXP Pro CD Rom.

kiwi

[kiwi]

Is it possible to show what's playing in Media Center in the Search Box of Google Deskbar, 'cause right now when I'm not using it, the bar displays the date and time. So instead, I was thinking the bar can display what Media Center is playing.   I fooled around the settings, but since I'm ignorant in coding, I don't know how to configure it to show what I want it to show.  If any of you are capable of doing this, it'll be greatly appreciated.

How do you get yours to display the date and time?  Mine just shows a faded out google or the search text.  I'd be much more inclined to use it if I could then remove the time part of my task bar.

kiwi

[Afrosheen]

Is it possible to show what's playing in Media Center in the Search Box of Google Deskbar, 'cause right now when I'm not using it, the bar displays the date and time. So instead, I was thinking the bar can display what Media Center is playing.   I fooled around the settings, but since I'm ignorant in coding, I don't know how to configure it to show what I want it to show.  If any of you are capable of doing this, it'll be greatly appreciated.

How do you get yours to display the date and time?  Mine just shows a faded out google or the search text.  I'd be much more inclined to use it if I could then remove the time part of my task bar.

kiwi

To get it to display the clock, make sure in the System Preferences (Double Arrow Button --> Configure) you got the "Display Clock?" option set as True.  You can then change how fast to display the clock after you're done searching by changing the "Clock Delay."  

[kiwi]

How does one get to that?  I can only seem to get to the DeskBar Pref's, and it doesn't have any configure options.

I'm using :
Beta Versions Installed

Deskbar: 0.5.67 Beta
Mini-viewer: 0.5.67 Beta
VersChecker: 0.5.67 Beta

I can't seem to find:
"System Preferences (Double Arrow Button --> Configure)"

Sorry if I'm just missing it somewhere.

I even searched through the registry.

thanks,
kiwi

[kiwi]

I could be wrong here, but I think he was referring to "Dave's Quick Search Toolbar" which is mentioned higher in the thread.  It does WAAAAAAY more that the Google Deskbar.  For me, it did too much (for instance, when I used it I disabled the clock).

maybe, but his post specifically mentioned it:
Is it possible to show what's playing in Media Center in the Search Box of Google Deskbar, 'cause right now when I'm not using it, the bar displays the date and time.

That would certainly explain why I can't find the setting.

I don't know of any tweaks to change the google deskar.  I would *love* to get rid of that goofy image they've used for the background.

Agreed.

[Afrosheen]

Ya sorry for the mix up, I meant to type Dave's Quick Search, but I had Google Deskbar on my mind from reading the previous posts.  Sorry for the inconvenience.

I must edit my earlier post.

[Tolga]

I like to google fast but I don't want the clutter on my desktop. Here is a solution:

1. I create a shortcut, and rename it to "g"

"C:\Program Files\Internet Explorer\IEXPLORE.EXE" http://www.google.com/search?hl=en&ie=UTF-8&oe=UTF-8&q=

2. put the shortcut in a directory and add the name of the directory to the Path. (in XP, change path in environmental variables by right click on my computer and select advanced)

3. In run menu (Win+R), a query of the form "g cnn" should search cnn in google.

I gets cooler:

Add another shortcut, slightly different:

"C:\Program Files\Internet Explorer\IEXPLORE.EXE" http://www.google.com/search?hl=en&ie=UTF-8&oe=UTF-8&q= site:www.imdb.com

Rename it: imdb

In run menu the query "imdb matrix" should take you there.

In general, I use a similar trick to access many websites ("mcf" for this forum for example), programs ("mc" for mc for example), and harddisk locations. In fact, I hit WINDOW+R most of the time.

[nila]

Even easier way:  Install myIE2 - open up any page you want - right click on the tab and chose: Asign Alias - enter anything u want and it makes it a shortcut access to the page (I have the forums as: MC = media center forum and mp = media center plugin forum.

Or go into Options - Setup center and you can create all those shortcut styles u mentioned directly in the program

Works great!

[lise]

2. put the shortcut in a directory and add the name of the directory to the Path. (in XP, change path in environmental variables by right click on my computer and select advanced)

This doesn't work for me, probably because I'm not clear on this part of the instructions.

I have created a shortcut to imdb and moved it to c:\quicksearches.

WHere am I supposed to add the name of the directory (c:\quicksearches)? I know you say "to the path" but I don't know what that means. When I right click on my shortcut, there is no "path"; there is just a target to Internet Explorer and "Start in" which also points to explorer.

I run XP, so I did what you said: I right-clicked on My computer, selected Properties > Advanced > Environment Variables.. but once there, I wasn't sure what to do. So I clicked on "New", created a new variable called "imdb" with a value of C:\Quicksearches and then I changed it to c:\Quicksearches\imdb. Neither works.

When I click on Win+R and type imdb I get an error: Windows cannot find imdb.