Google has introduced two new Google Toolbar Labs features. There is one with “My Location,” and a simplified Chinese Toolbar.
“One of the best things about working on the Google Toolbar team is that when someone says ‘Wouldn’t it be great if Toolbar could…,’ our answer is usually ‘Yes! Let’s build it!”‘ And then it’s just a question of when,” the Toolbar Product Team says.
Only available in the US right now, the Toolbar with My Location lets Google Maps as well as the included Maps gadget pinpoint your current location, and from there you can search for things and it will show you nearby places. For example, search for pizza, and it will show you nearby pizza places, as well as more local Google results.
Google likens the feature to their IP-based local search results, except that it’s more accurate because it uses Wi-Fi access points. Location info is not associated with the user’s Google account.
The “Google Simplified Chinese Toolbar” has an updated interface, which uses space more effectively, and lets users translate pages with one click, while managing bookmarks in a new sidebar.
“We recognize that due to differences in local language structures, users who speak other languages may have specific needs for browsing the web,” the Toolbar team says.
They also point out a few things to keep in mind, like that Toolbar Labs is only available for IE, and that they are only features that are being tested, so there might be bugs here and there.
