Detach Google Services From your Browser With GMDesk

Varun Kashyap — Tue, 14 Oct 2008 18:01:39 +0000

If you use Google’s services a lot, you might have wanted at one time or another to use them as stand alone applications. GMDesk is an Adobe AIR application that allows you to do just that.

Here is how to get it working:

If you are not using Adobe AIR already

Go to Get Adobe Air, download it and install it.

If you are already using Adobe AIR

Download GMDesk and run the installer. (Also check out other useful and popular Adobe AIR apps handpicked by MakeUseOf authors here, here and here.)

Now, about GMdesk

GMDesk offers you access to GMail, Google Calendar, Google Documents, Google Maps, Google Reader and Picasa . It also offers the ability to switch between the Google Services via keyboard shortcuts.

You can choose the default Google service that starts up when GMDesk is started. You can set it up for Google Apps access as well.

Other ways to run webapps as desktop apps

Mozilla Prism

Prism is Mozilla’s effort to bring a more desktop-like feel to web applications. (MakeUseOf Article)

Bubbles Site Specific Browser

Bubbles allow you to run web apps as stand alone desktop apps. The solution was my favorite before GMDesk because it offered a more desktop-like feel, with notifications and other similar bells and whistles. However you have to download an extension for the app or service you want to run and not many are available. (MakeUseOf Article)

Google Gears

Gears is intended to help improve the webapps by allowing local searchable databases and javascript running in background. However it can be used to create simple desktop apps without these functionalities as well. (MakeUseOf Article)

Google Chrome

You might have noticed the option to “Create Application Shortcuts…” in Google Chrome. Alright, its there in case you didn’t notice. It also allows you to achieve similar results, that is create a desktop-like feel for your web apps. Chrome achieves this via Google Gears.

Anyways, what’s with running webapps from the desktop?

Apart from the fact that you save some time and typing by just double-clicking the shortcut, or all together using a shortcut key to launch the app there are some other advantages:

No unnecessary browser toolbars to take up precious space.
Less distraction and urge to check out the latest xkcd strip or hop over to Facebook (unless you run them from the desktop as well) because there is no awesome bar or omni bar or whatever fancy name they give to the address bar.
Some applications integrate nicely with the desktop, offering native operating systems like notifications on events, drag and drop etc.
Improved performance and offline access. (generally with Google Gears )

As you can see there are a number of ways to run Google services (and others) from your desktop. However I really like GMDesk and the idea of grouping Google Reader, Gmail, Calendar, Docs, Maps and Picasa into one window. I use Google services a lot like many people do. Having them all tucked up neatly in a separate window with lesser distractions definitely helps your productivity. Now you don’t have to switch to Firefox only to find out you had Gmail open in Chrome and then switch to Chrome and then look for the tab that houses Gmail.

What particular solution do you use for desktop-like behavior? Or do you prefer leaving it to the browser?

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Run Web Apps on your Desktop with Prism

Travis Quinnelly — Fri, 08 Feb 2008 04:51:42 +0000

Prism is a really neat application brought to us by Mozilla Labs. Prism, which was earlier named Webrunner, is an application that enables users to run their favorite web apps directly from their desktop or start menu locations.

This concept isn’t new, Adobe AIR and Microsoft Silverlight do very similar things but Mozilla’s stance is that they are not building a new proprietary platform to replace Web applications, they are just bringing the advantages of desktop apps to the Web platform.

Using Prism couldn’t be easier. After you’ve installed it, all you have to do is start it up and you’ll be presented with an “Install Web Application” box.

As you can see below, I’ve configured the Google Calendar web application using Prism. But you can also do it for Gmail, Facebook, Twitter etc.

After inputting the necessary values for your new web application and clicking OK, Prism launches the application and you’re in business.

With flavors available for Windows®, Mac, and Linux…Prism’s got you covered.

Prism is still in beta so there might be a few bugs here and there, therefore Mozilla is requesting that users participate in the forums as well as in submitting bugs.

(By) Travis is a husband, engineer, entrepreneur, visual communicator, web developer and writer in his spare time. You can check out his personal blog at TQuizzle.com