Anytime, anywhere...grinding Gears!

It's been a long day, but here I sit at the local salon while watching my teenage son get a haircut (I'm next). Even though there's no wireless here, I can still get on my computer and type. Granted, there are a bazillion word processing programs I can use, but I'd rather use what I'm used to...Google Docs. Now, there's a bit of a quandary. Online apps, offline computer. In many cases, no amount of magic voodo, divine breakdancing, or tin foil will help at all. In fact, I can't even get online using my phone in here. Believe it or not, I can step outside and SEE the cell phone tower, but in this house of hair dryers, scissors, and chemicals that can make even the limpest noodle stand straight up, I can't get online. So, what now? Obviously I've figured it out or you wouldn't be reading this.

Huh? Offline? Online? Which is it? Are you feeling ok?

Actually I feel fine. Ok...maybe I'm getting a little woozy sitting here next to the rack of assorted boutique hair care products. So, I'm offline and writing a blog post using Google Docs. I know, I know! I can hear you already, "Umm, dude? Google Docs is on the Internet. You need to be online to use it." Aha! You're right! *kinda'* Ok, not really...

Get into Gears

The wonderful folks at Google have done it again! They've defied the very laws on online physics! Working with online apps... *gasp*...offline. Egads! What will they think of next? Perhaps someone will invent a small portable music device that holds thousands of songs and allows you to buy those songs...online! Ok, wishful thinking. Seriously though, Google has really come through this time with Gears. Gears allows you to take many apps that might normally work only online and allow you to use them offline. Gears was initially released in May of 2007 and has since become quite a popular application for Web 2.0 afficianados. Gears works with many online applications such as YouTube, Docs, Reader, Picasa for mobile), MySpace (Mail Search), Zoho Writer and Mail, Remember the Milk, and Buxfer. Wordpress recently added support for Gears, to speed up the administrative interface and reduce server hits.

Ok...great...so where's the clutch?

Unlike driving a stick shift, installing Gears is actually very simple. Simply go to the Gears site (http://gears.google.com) and click the link. If you're using Firefox it will install as an extension (it doesn't get much simpler than that) simply click "Install".

Whee! Offline computing! Great! Now how soon before that little music player thingy comes along?

Get Gears. Sync up your documents and you'll be editing and creating regardless of your internet connection. No more switching to other word processing programs just because you're offline. Let us know all about the awesome ways you've found to use Gears in the comments...