14 DAY TRIAL // Google Gears is a browser plugin that offers a number of advanced features especially aimed at web applications, which should come as no surprise since it's coming from Google. Depending on which browser you have it can speed up JavaScript performance, make certain web apps work offline as well as provide an interface for online applications to access your desktop. But if you were a Firefox 3.5 user you'd be out of luck as the new browser version breaks compatibility with the older Gears, which is why Google has now released Gears 0.5.29.0 to address the problem.
The most common use for Gears remains the possibility to use Gmail offline, which many people have found very useful. Google Gears allows web applications to work offline by providing two basic requirements for this. First it has a local database system set up, which uses SQLite to store the information. Then it provides developers with a way of storing HTML, JavaScript, CSS and other files needed for a web site to work locally.
Actually making a web app work offline with Gears isn't as simple as saving the files on the server locally as it does take some changes to the code, which is why there aren't that many compatible applications just yet. Still, it provides the basic foundation for this functionality.
Another useful feature is the geolocation information it can provide to sites that make use of this feature. Currently, only Firefox 3.5 natively supports geolocation but for Chrome or Internet Explorer you can install the Gears plugin to get the functionality. With more and more users on the move geolocation is becoming increasingly important not just for mobile devices but for laptops as well. Just last week Google introduced geolocation information to Maps allowing users to find their current position. While this may seem rather pointless in some cases it could prove very useful when in a new city or other unknown locations.
You can get the latest Google Gears for Firefox right here.