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.