Not long time ago, Google presented their Google Desktop system. This freeware package builds a searchable index of your local files and allows you to search through them as you normally search for pages in Google. Google Desktop comes with a great sidebar. This floating panel includes such magnificent utilities as a headline news viewer, RSS and Atom monitor, Gmail and Outlook new mail notifiers, and more. Millions of users fell in love with it from the very first moment. So did I.

But, in fact, it was just the beginning. The real value of the Google sidebar is in its pluggable architecture. Software developers started to make even more tools that you can integrate into your Google Desktop. Let me tell you about one of these plug-ins...

Most Google Desktop tools are involved with the monitoring of on-line resources. However, you shouldn't forget about your own PC's health. Without a working hard drive, all remote resources will be totally inaccessible. HDDlife is a freeware plugin for Google Desktop that constantly monitors a vast range of your hard drive's parameters. By collecting statistical data from your drive operations, HDDlife can forecast hardware problems. It will alert you when your drive is close to a crash. This allows you to prevent the loss of your precious files. You will always know your drive's condition by taking a quick look at Google Sidebar. HDDlife draws green, yellow and red icons which indicate the condition of your drives at the moment.

Did you know that hard drives are quite sensitive to heat? A rise in temperature by 10 degrees may halve your drive's life expectancy. HDDlife helps you quickly diagnose heating problems and prolong the life of your hardware. In addition to the status icons for each drive shown on Google Sidebar, you will also see your hard drive temperature.

Did I mention that it is free? Yes, simply download and use it.

• HDDlife 2.9.110
  Worried about hard drive failures? Get HDDlife - a real-time hard drive monitoring utility with alerts, malfunction protection and data loss prevention functions. This hard drive...

• HDDlife Pro 3.1.169
  HDDlife Pro provides advanced warning when hard drives are about to fail so users can take the necessary steps to protect or back up their valuable and irreplaceable files

• HDDlife Pro 3.1.172
  HDDlife Pro provides advanced warning when hard drives are about to fail so users can take the necessary steps to protect or back up their valuable and irreplaceable files. This hard drive monitor software includes JustNow! technology so the hard...

• HDDlife for Notebooks 3.1.170
  HDDlife Notebook Edition monitors hard drive health and performance

• HDDlife for Notebooks 3.1.172
  HDDlife Notebook Edition is an essential program for any responsible notebook user. It is designed for controlling the disk condition and informing you about any possible malfunction. It studies all hard disk attributes from S.M.A.R.T and uses an advanced mathematical formula to provide you with the precise analysis of the disks health. With the...

• Romeo Burner Lite and Google Desktop Gadget 2.0
  Small and cute CD/DVD burner now always available on your Google Sidebar