Today, Google released a new version of the Google Toolbar (available for download at ). This free browser tool now checks spelling, enables users to translate English text into 8 other languages.

The Google Toolbar in French is part of Google's ongoing commitment to providing users around the world with access to more information. Its launch follows the introduction of earlier this week.

• SpellCheck: Whenever users type into a web form (including web-based email, discussion forums, and intranet web applications), SpellCheck instantly reviews and suggests corrections. The AutoFix option enables users to automatically check and correct all the text they're entering with one click.
• WordTranslator: This feature translates words from LANGUAGE web pages into one of 8 other languages. Hover the cursor over a word and Google Toolbar's WordTranslator feature displays the word in French, Italian, German, Spanish, Chinese (simplified and traditional), Japanese, or Korean.

This new version of the Google Toolbar is now available in French and 8 other languages.

Google released a new version of its search engine: .

Google April Fool's Search searches everything related to April Fool's Day among 401,000 pages.

Via Philipp Lenssen

According to the 2004 Annual Report that Google just published, Google has a new subsidiary called Zipdash Inc.

This acquisition seems to be recent, as no one mentionned it before, and the New York Times who profiled Zipdash in March 2004 made no mention of Google.

According to Palo Alto Weekly (see Navigating by phone, an article about Zipdash, a traffic info start-up), Zipdash software allows cell-phone users with Global Positioning Satellite systems (GPS) to view a map of how fast traffic is moving on Bay Area highways.

Zipdash works by gathering location information of individual cell-phone users, tracking data from taxi and trucking fleets, and utilizing existing highway sensors.

Via and