Google Gears

An open source Web browser extension that is used by developers to create a rich platform for Web applications. Gears works with a select group of sites that are specifically designed for compatibility. Gears enables Web applications to interact with your desktop, store data locally in a fully-searchable database, and Run JavaScript in the background to improve performance. Google Gears requires Windows XP or Vista and Firefox 1.5 or Internet Explorer 6.0 or higher.

See “A Quick Guide to Google’s Services” in the Quick Reference section of Webopedia.