Reinforcing its intent to expand beyond the Internet search that made it a household name, Google Inc. is launching software that pulls news stories, photographs, weather updates, stock quotes and other features onto a user's computer without opening a Web browser.
The new application, Sidebar, highlights Google's efforts to become a ubiquitous gateway for online information. It also puts Google more squarely into competition with Microsoft Corp., which is trying to integrate similar features into the next version of its flagship Windows operating system, and with Yahoo Inc., the Internet's most popular portal.
Sidebar is "not an operating system, it's not a browser," said Greg Sterling, an analyst with Kelsey Group. "But it has elements of both in a certain way."
Comments
LJWorld.com doesn’t necessarily condone the comments here, nor does it review every post. Read our full policy. Also, read about banned accounts and harassing comments.