Google introduces text-collecting research tool

Mountain View (CA) - Researching the lowest prices for a computer system or the best places for your next vacation has typically been a tedious affair. Most people will have several Web pages open and cut and paste into Microsoft Word or Notepad. Now, Google is introducing Google Notebook which allows users to do the same thing, except with the results saved on an online form.

Prospective users must first have a Google account - usually through Gmail - and then install a small plug-in for either Internet Explorer or Firefox. Afterwards, Web text or "clippings" can be taken by visiting a page, selecting some text and then clicking on the "Add Note" button in the bottom right of the browser. They can also right-click inside the selected area and select "Note this."

Clippings can be organized into sections, and the entire notebook can be indexed or shared with other Google Notebook users. All the information is stored on Google’s servers, which means that the content can be viewed on any computer.