The next version of Google Desktop has been released and they added a ton of new features. The biggest change you will notice is the sidebar – a desktop panel that provides quick access to most of Google’s products.

From the sidebar you can access email, news, weather, photos, stocks, web clips, scratchpad, and a quick view of webpages and files. Quite a list. In addition, you can download plug-ins to extend the sidebar. Developers can make their own sidebar plug-ins with the Sidebar APIs.

Check out InsideGoogle and SEW for more in-depth reviews of the new Google Desktop and Sidebar.