In case you haven’t heard of Google Gears, it is a programming interface that enables web developers to make their content available offline. For example, it will let you view your Google Reader feeds while on an airplane.
The interface is still in beta but is already being put to use on at least on good Task Management web site: Remember The Milk. I tried it out over the weekend and was very impressed that it works just like you would expect it to:
- Content that is created/updated online is available for offline viewing/editing.
- Content that is created/updated offline is “synced back” to the online mode when you go online.
Here is a snapshot of my simple experiment with it:
So, here we have a web-based application you can use even when you are not connected to the internet. This has a lot of potential. I can envision Google Gears being used in a lot of web applications. For example, what if it were used with the Google Apps that provide word processing and spreadsheet tools? That would seem to eliminate the objection about the apps only being available online.
The product is still a beta, and could use some tweaks. For example, when I used it to view my Google Reader feeds offline, I could view the full length stories, but of course could not connect to the sites where I wanted to further check out the stories. What would have been nice is being asked by the interface if I would like to be reminded to see that story when I go back online. Not sure that is as feasible as I make it sound, but it would be nice if it is doable.
Anyway, if you haven’t checked out Google Gears, I recommend you give it a try. It’s available for Mac and Windows platforms, and installs on Firefox, Internet Explorer, and Safari (not sure about Opera).
Your thoughts?