Lycos launched the new HotBot Desktop Internet browser toolbar that allows users to search the web, e-mail, files, and browser history, as well as browse, search and subscribe to syndicated news content using the RSS format -helping to legitimize the use of RSS as a news and information subscription service.
HotBot Desktop provides users with the ability to search for content in e-mail applications, Windows file browser, or to search web sites via Internet Explorer. The new HotBot Desktop supports indexing and searching of Outlook and Outlook Express e-mail as well as MS Office, PDF and most text-based file formats.
Also included in the HotBot Desktop is an RSS browser that allows users to choose from hundreds of RSS feeds from popular sites included with the product, add their own custom feeds, and search within subscribed RSS feeds. RSS, or “Really Simple Syndication,” is a file format experiencing explosive growth on the Internet as a means of distributing news content directly to users. RSS has been predicted in some circles to replace spam filled email as a means of subscribing to news, bulletins and commercial information.
With RSS and multi-Desktop tool search, HotBot has a heads up on some other search toolbars – the next obstacle is getting millions of users to download it, something the Lycos network may have no trouble with.
