WSJ.com - Google Updates Tool For Computer Users To Search Desktops

WSJ.com - Google Updates Tool For Computer Users To Search Desktops: "For consumers who activate the new feature in the software, which is known as Google Desktop Search, the search company will temporarily store the text contents of the user's files on its own computers before transferring them to a second computer the consumer uses. Google Vice President Marissa Mayer said the company securely transmits and stores the data, but acknowledged that users have to assess the privacy tradeoff such a feature could entail. The software, which can be configured to also search email and instant messaging conversations, allows users to exclude specific files from being searched or transferred."