A few interesting local-search tools

I'm sure most blog-readers are now familiar with Lookout, the local search tool that integrates into Outlook (recently acquired by Microsoft). Lookout builds a local index of your Outlook mail store, and provides a search interface into that index. I've been using it for a few months, and find it exceptionally useful; it's fast (no more waiting for Outlook's native search), and accurate. My only gripes so far: 1) The lack of a hotkey to give the search box focus. I don't want to take my hands off the keyboard if I can avoid it. 2) When I empty my Deleted Items folder, I'll still get results from there until the next complete index occurs.

 

While scanning Battelle's search blog (see immediately prior post), I noticed this tool: Recall Toolbar, which operates on a similar concept -- building a local index of web pages you have viewed and providing a way to search it. I haven't installed this yet, so can't comment on it personally, but it sure seems like a great idea. If anybody out there (yes, you three ...) tries or has tried it, please let me know what you think.

Comments

• Anonymous
  August 20, 2004
  The comment has been removed
• Anonymous
  August 23, 2004
  Hi,
  
  I'm the author of Recall Toolbar. I've been working with Gregg to try and duplicate his experience, but haven't been able to. There've been about 1000 downloads in the last week and his is the only case of this. Gregg's been great about sending me info, so I hope to be able to determine if it's my toolbar and then to fix it.
  
  Dan