TechThisOut!

Google recently released Google Toolbar v4 Beta to the public. This is a big change over v3, both due to functionality, and apperance.

Custom Buttons are one of the latest features packed into the new toolbar. You can add buttons to your Toolbar that will let you visit and search your favorite websites and keep up with interesting feeds. The Google Button Gallery offers a selection of ready-made buttons for popular sites, and you can make your own buttons in seconds by right-clicking within the search box on any site and selecting “Generate Custom Search…” Start making your own buttons.

The new Enhanced Search Box is another one of the new, great features in v4 of the toolbar. As you type a search query into the new Toolbar’s search box, you’ll see a list of useful suggestions based on popular Google searches, spelling corrections and your own Toolbar search history and bookmarks. You can also click the ‘G’ icon in the search box to search different Google sites, the current site, or sites for which you’ve installed custom search buttons. Very handy, if you ask me. I can personally see myself using the search bar a bit more.

And we can’t forget about the new Word Translator. Ever need to translate words on English web pages into another language? Don’t bother looking up words one by one - just hover your mouse cursor over an English word and Toolbar’s WordTranslator will tell you what it means in your own language. WordTranslator currently supports translation from English into Chinese (Traditional and Simplified), Japanese, Korean, French, Italian, German and Spanish.

(Google’s new word translator).

Check out the new Address Bar (Browse by name).
Browse by Name helps you find a site even when you don’t know its URL. Just type the site name into your browser address bar, and Toolbar will take you there automatically. For instance, try typing “oxford” into the address bar to go directly to the university’s home page at www.ox.ac.uk.

Send To, my new favorite feature! With Send To, You can use your Google Toolbar to share web pages via email, text message (SMS), or blog. To share an entire page, select from the Toolbar’s “Send To” menu; to share an excerpt, simply select the section of the page you want to share before clicking “Send To.”

Bookmarks is another new feature only seen in Google Toolbar v4. Want to create and label bookmarks that you can access from any computer? Simply click the Toolbar’s star icon, or right-click the star to add and label a bookmark. You’ll be able to access your Bookmarks menu on any computer with the new Google Toolbar installed.

Note this feature stores your bookmarks online, so you’ll need to have a Google Account and be signed in to create and access your bookmarks. You can also view your bookmarks using your Google Account’s Search History feature. Just click the “Search History” link that appears in the upper right-hand corner of the Google homepage when you’re logged into your Google Account and you’ll see your Bookmarks. (Create Google Account)

Google Account Sign-In directly from the toolbar! Your Google Account is your access point for Google services like Personalized Homepage, Google Groups and Gmail, and now you can sign in and out right from your Toolbar. Simply click on the Settings button on the right end of the Toolbar and select ‘Sign In’ (you’ll know you’re signed in when the Toolbar shows you a green light).

Google Toolbar v4 also includes an auto updater, so your toolbar will always stay updated.

Those are just some of the great new features in Google Toolbar v4. It also includes the traditional page rank, pop-up blocker, highlight search terms, autofill, and much more of the previously included features.

Read more about the Google Toolbar v4 (and download).

Enjoy…
Jesse