Enables one-glance desktop access to files, email, news, photos, weather, RSS feeds, stocks and other personalized web content.

Google Inc. today announced Google Desktop 2 (beta), a free downloadable application that transforms the way users access information, be it on the web or stored on their computers. By combining desktop search with an intelligent sidebar that learns the user's habits and interests, users receive all the information of interest to them in one convenient location. 

The major new features are, Sidebar - provides convenient desktop access to a variety of personalized information, Quick Find - enables users to search their hard drive to find files and launch applications, Outlook Toolbar - enables Microsoft Outlook users to search all of their Outlook email directly from an embedded search box and results list.

Additional enhancements include search capabilities for MSN Messenger, network drives, Outlook data and Gmail, enabling users to search their Gmail messages even when they're not online. Desktop 2 now enables hard drive encryption for stronger security and faster search via advanced filtering options.

In addition to the APIs that enable developers to create plug-ins for desktop search, Google Desktop 2 now offers APIs that enable creation of new and innovative applications for Sidebar.

"You can think of it as a personal web assistant that learns about your habits and interests to identify and present web pages, news stories, and photos that it thinks you will be interested in," said Marissa Mayer, Director of Product Management for Consumer Products at Google.