# Gears

> Google software

**Wikidata**: [Q1122325](https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q1122325)  
**Wikipedia**: [English](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gears_(software))  
**Source**: https://4ort.xyz/entity/gears

Here’s the structured knowledge entry for **Gears**:

---

## Summary  
Gears (also known as Google Gears) was a free software project developed by Google, launched in 2007. It enabled offline functionality for web applications by providing a browser extension and local data storage. The project was discontinued in 2011, with its features later integrated into HTML5 standards.

## Key Facts  
- **Developed by**: Google (inception: 1998-09-04).  
- **Initial release**: May 31, 2007.  
- **Latest stable version**: 0.5.36.0 (released February 22, 2010).  
- **License**: BSD licenses.  
- **Discontinued**: Officially ended support on June 7, 2011, particularly for Google Chrome.  
- **Operating systems**: Compatible with Linux, Microsoft Windows, and macOS.  
- **Instance of**: Free software and Firefox extension.  
- **Purpose**: Enabled offline access to web applications through local storage and synchronization.  

## FAQs  
### Q: What was the purpose of Gears?  
A: Gears allowed web applications to function offline by storing data locally and syncing when reconnected to the internet. It was a precursor to modern HTML5 offline capabilities.  

### Q: Why was Gears discontinued?  
A: Google phased out Gears in favor of HTML5 standards, which incorporated similar offline functionalities natively in browsers.  

### Q: Which browsers supported Gears?  
A: Gears worked as an extension for browsers like Firefox, Google Chrome, and Internet Explorer, supporting Windows, macOS, and Linux.  

## Why It Matters  
Gears was a pioneering project that addressed a critical limitation of early web applications: dependency on constant internet connectivity. By enabling offline access, it demonstrated the potential for web apps to rival desktop software in functionality. Though discontinued, its concepts influenced HTML5's offline features, shaping modern web development. Its legacy persists in technologies like service workers and progressive web apps (PWAs), which now provide seamless offline experiences.  

## Notable For  
- **Early offline web solution**: Predated widespread HTML5 adoption.  
- **Open-source**: Released under BSD licenses, allowing modification and redistribution.  
- **Integration into Chrome**: Initially bundled with Google Chrome before being deprecated.  
- **Cross-platform**: Supported major operating systems (Windows, macOS, Linux).  

## Body  
### Development and Release  
- **Created by**: Google.  
- **Inception**: Launched on May 31, 2007.  
- **Final version**: 0.5.36.0 (February 22, 2010).  

### Technical Details  
- **License**: BSD licenses (free software).  
- **Compatibility**: Extended Firefox, Chrome, and IE on Windows, macOS, and Linux.  
- **Core features**: Local database, worker thread pool, and offline caching.  

### Discontinuation  
- **End of support**: June 7, 2011 (Chrome-specific).  
- **Replaced by**: HTML5 standards for offline functionality.  

### Legacy  
- Influenced modern web technologies like service workers and PWAs.  

## Schema Markup  
```json
{
  "@context": "https://schema.org",
  "@type": "Thing",
  "name": "Gears",
  "description": "A discontinued free software project by Google enabling offline web application functionality.",
  "url": "http://gearsblog.blogspot.com/2011/03/stopping-gears.html",
  "sameAs": [
    "https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q1052839",
    "https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gears_(software)"
  ],
  "additionalType": ["Free software", "Firefox extension"]
}

## References

1. [Source](https://code.google.com/p/gears/source/detail?r=3423)
2. Freebase Data Dumps. 2013
3. Quora