Trick of the Day: Plug-in Fine-Tuning
For our developers here's a neat trick to help you easily develop, test and fine-tune a Sidebar script plug-in without the need to repeatedly install the plug-in after each modification.
1. Create the installer for your plug-in and install it once. The plug-in is installed in the Program Files directory under Google Desktop Search\Plugins\YourPluginName. Once installed you can modify the plug-in script sources directly.
2. To test changes after modifying the script sources use the "Add/Remove Panels" menu option to unload the old plug-in and load in the new version.
3. Once you are satisfied with the results transfer the modified files back to your original code base and use the plug-in installer to create the final plug-in package.
Tip of the Day: Email Filtering
To prevent specific incoming email messages to appear in your Sidebar Email panel, you can create an email filter.
For example, let's say you are using Google Desktop to index both your personal and business email accounts, but do not want your personal email displayed in the Sidebar. Adding a filter with the "To:" field set to your personal email address will instruct the Email panel to skip showing any email messages sent to your personal email account.
Podcast Listening in the Snow
First time I have seen snowsports headgear with built-in headphones for music. The R.E.D. hi-fi audio helmet offers padded polycarbonate shell with built-in headphones and a cord-mounted volume control for use with MP3s, MiniDisc, CD Player or radio. Anyone tried them?
Thank You!
In the US, we're preparing to celebrate Thanksgiving. It's the perfect time to say thanks to our users and developers from all over the world. Your continued feedback, support and contributions have helped us grow and improve considerably.
Thanks for being part of the Google Desktop family!
Life of a Plug-in
A big thanks to everyone who submitted Sidebar plug-ins. Now to answer some of the most frequently asked questions regarding what we think are best practices in plug-in development.
There are several stages involved in designing a Sidebar plug-in, submitting it to Google and getting it listed on the Plug-ins page. So once you've got a great idea for a cool plug-in and you've decided to try your programming talents, we recommend these steps:
- Read the Script Plug-ins documentation and the Plug-in Installer guide.
- Download the Google Desktop SDK and experiment with the provided script plug-in samples.
- Follow the recommendations in the Plug-in UI Guidelines and Plug-in Development & Testing Guidelines.
- Design and implement your plug-in in JavaScript or VBScript.
- Package your plug-in using the Plug-in Installer.
- Test and debug your plug-in.
- Repeat from step 4 until everything works as expected.
- Now your plug-in is ready for prime-time.
When your plug-in has reached a wide audience, don't forget to respond to user reports and requests by fixing any bugs and improving the plug-in's usefulness. And let us know of any major updates you make, of course.
Wow-- keep the comments coming
Wow...I had over 150 reactions in 24 hrs about my call for comments on the ideal recorder for radio reporters. People seem to be mad as hell that the ideal, simple, foolproof recorder doesn't seem to be available.
I believe passionately that this situation needs to change. Keep up the comments stream. I am listening and your input is very important!!
More details here
I believe passionately that this situation needs to change. Keep up the comments stream. I am listening and your input is very important!!
More details here
Transom Tools Review Marantz PMD 660
Good review of the Marantz PMD-600 on this website, including comments about its sturdyness and a recommendation not to use dynamic microphones.
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Heil Microphones
Heard Adam Curry record a recent podcast with a Heil PR-40 dynamic microphone and it really sounded rich and smooth (even in MP3). The closest sound yet to my Rode NT2 which I still think is classic microphone for presenters. Cost for the Heil PR-40? US$325. Advantage of the Heil is that it doesn't need phantom power.
Bob Heil is also well-know in amateur radio circles for his work in audio processing. The PR 40 features the new technology of the Heil DM 6 dynamic element with response down to 28 Hz. and stays perfectly flat up through 18kHz. with a beautiful mid range rise giving this new microphone gorgeous vocal articulation.
Not sure if this will work...
Below is a press release which came out today from the M-audio guys. Bearing in mind the price of a 8 or 12 channel Mackie mixer, this podcast mixer and audio package is on the expensive side (US$179). Looks kinda "fiddly" with the rotary faders - or is it just me?
Los Angeles, CA, November 10, 2005 — M-Audio, a leading provider of creative tools for computer-centric musicians, is proud to announce the release of the Podcast Factory professional podcasting solution. The Podcast Factory bundle includes all the hardware and software required to create broadcast-quality podcasts using a Mac or PC.
At the heart of Podcast Factory bundle lies the Podcast Factory audio interface with microphone preamp. This 2 x 2 mobile audio interface delivers professional audio fidelity up to 24-bit/48kHz. The first of two audio channels is a dedicated XLR input for the included dynamic microphone, complete with gain control and signal LEDs. The ¼” input on the second channel toggles between instrument and line levels to accommodate a wide variety of signal sources. Audio outputs take the form of dual RCAs and a front-panel 1/8” stereo headphone jack that share a common level control.
Direct hardware monitoring provides for synchronized overdubs, with the In/PB knob determining the monitor balance between input and output signal. For additional monitoring flexibility, the Mono switch sends the input signal equally to the left and right channels, allowing the source to integrate in a more balanced way with other tracks while recording.
The Podcast Factory bundle includes software that easily lets users of any level record and edit program material such as speech, add music and sound effects, and post MP3s with RSS feeds to the Web. Users also get a collection of music loops in a wide variety of genres.
The Podcast Factory bundle is compatible with both Macs (Core Audio) and PCs (ASIO 2 and WDM – Kernel Streaming). PC minimum system requirements are Windows XP (SP1) running on a Pentium II 350 w/ 64MB RAM. Minimum requirements on the Mac are G3* 300MHz/G4* 350MHz with OS X 10.2.8 or greater and 128MB RAM. The Podcast Factory interface is just 5.5" x 4.25" x 1.75” (14 x 10.8 x 4.5 cm) and weighs in at a mere .45 lbs (.2 kg).
“Podcasting is a major phenomenon, spurred in no small part by Apple’s iTunes initiatives,” says Adam Castillo, marketing director at M-Audio. “The Podcast Factory provides a comprehensive solution for producing professional podcasts for applications as diverse as personal broadcasts, music promotion, corporate training, virtual seminars, education and more. Podcast Factory allows anyone with a message to easily create podcasts that incorporate the production values of radio-quality broadcasts.”
The Podcast Factory bundle is expected to ship in November and carries a price of $179.95 MSRP.
* native USB port required; G3/G4 accelerator cards not supported.
Hello Sidebar!
A "hello world" program is used in many introductory programming tutorials, so we thought we would follow the tradition and show everyone how easy it is to write a "hello world" plug-in for Google Desktop.
So let's get started:
pluginHelper.title = "Hello World!";
We're done! We just created the simplest Sidebar panel welcoming you to the world of programming for Google Desktop.
Of course we can make the plug-in more interesting. Let's add "Hello World!" greetings in various languages. It is very easy to add items to a panel and provide descriptions for each item.
var item = new ContentItem();
item.heading = "Bonjour Monde!";
item.snippet = "Hello World! translated in French...";
pluginHelper.AddContentItem(item, gddItemDisplayInSidebar);
You can find more detailed examples and documentation online or by downloading the Google Desktop SDK. The Google Desktop Developer group is also a good source of information.
Once your program is ready, use the plug-in installer tool provided in the SDK to generate a plug-in package ready for deployment.
Help needed with survey
Perhaps you can help me build the best independent consumer-advice guide for radio reporters and podcasters? Radio production went digital ages ago. But radio reporters (especially freelance feature makers) have been struggling with recorders that are either modified consumer equipment or "special" units designed by people who have never had to make a programme to a deadline. The picture above would be great - except that the Apple iPod doesn't make good speech recordings to broadcast standard! Many of the guides I have picked up at trade shows are hopelessly out of date or go into far too much technical detail. I believe passionately that this situation needs to change.
More details here
More than just search
Today's the day that Google Desktop 2 comes out of beta, and that means you'll see some significant improvements -- like new sidebar panels, more plug-in development options, and better support for enterprise installations.
If you like maps on Google Local, we think you'll like the new Personalized Maps panel. As you browse the web, this panel will display maps information related to the pages you're visiting, it can show you interesting places around the world, or you can directly navigate to your favorite spots. Our sidebar panels collection is growing all the time. Try the most popular panels and watch this space for even more additions.
Meanwhile, if you're a sidebar plug-in developer, good news: we've heard you. And we've added support for script plug-ins. We even provided you with an automatic plug-in installer. Just use your favorite scripting language (such as JavaScript or VBScript) and start implementing and deploying cool plug-ins faster than ever. Check out the plug-in samples, the Developer Guide and other exciting sidebar plug-ins that our developer community has published.
Finally, it's now easier to use Google Desktop at home and at work: we've tested the Enterprise version in a number of medium and large businesses to verify the administration, integration and security features that are important within business environments.
As always we value your feedback and would love to get your suggestions for improvement.
Flashman Recorder
Mayah's Flashman recorder. This is a rugged Flash recorder designed for the radio journalist. It is rugged and accepts Canon inputs from a microphone. But at 1279 Euro from outlets in the UK (including VAT) it is very expensive compared to the newer competition from M-audio and Nagra. I wonder when the price will drop. They now come in various colours, though the website says the Silver (standard) colour is still the preferred choice for many.
Desktop starts blogging
We're proud to announce the launch of Inside Google Desktop Blog here at googledesktop.blogspot.com.
We'll be using this blog as an easy way to make announcements and share all kinds of information - including developer tips, in-depth feature descriptions, user feedback, and ideas on how to get more out of Google Desktop. We hope you'll find it useful and entertaining.
The latest version of Google Desktop is always available at desktop.google.com. Developers can find more information about the Google Desktop SDK at desktop.google.com/developer.html.
If you have any comments and suggestions, please contact us.
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