GKServer Apps / Desktop companion

Little zombie.
Big personality.

Meet Zed. A tiny green friend who hangs out on your desktop, shuffles around, and opens your searches in Google.

Experimental beta · 0.20.0
Download Zed for Mac ↓
Apple Silicon · macOS 13 or later
2.93 MB ZIP · no bundled models or API keys

Verify download (SHA-256)

Zed for Windows — AI conversation beta.

For Windows 10/11 on Intel or AMD 64-bit PCs. Includes the animated companion, Google search, calculator, app launching, custom shortcuts, mute, and optional /ai with local Ollama models.

Download Zed for Windows ↓

Version 0.3.0 · x64 · 155 MB ZIP · about 376 MB extracted · no bundled AI models
Verify Windows download

  1. Download the ZIP on your Windows PC.
  2. Right-click it and choose Extract All. Keep all extracted files together in a folder such as Documents\Zed.
  3. Open Zed.exe inside that folder. Click the zombie to chat; right-click for the menu.
  4. For Qwen, install Ollama and a local model separately. Open Ollama settings in Zed, connect, and type /ai your question.

A little company for your desktop.

01 / HANG OUT

Drag. Dance. Doze.

Move Zed wherever you like. Ask him to wave, dance, walk or sleep. Hide him or quit from the menu bar.

02 / ASK A QUESTION

Straight to Google.

Type arithmetic such as 2+3*4 or what is 12 divided by 4? and Zed answers directly in chat. Other questions open Google in your default browser. Type open YouTube or open Safari to launch an installed app. If multiple apps match, choose one. Create your own /checkmate command in Zed → Custom shortcuts…, then choose an app or website and save it. Optional Ollama connection; no bundled models or API keys.

03 / KEEP IT QUIET

Your desk. Your volume.

Your Mac’s speech voice gives Zed a little character. Mute him whenever you like; Google searches keep working.

Get Zed settled in.

  1. Quit the old Zed using its menu-bar menu before installing this version.
  2. Download and unzip the file, move Zed.app into Applications and open it. Choose Zed → Check for Updates… or enable automatic checks when prompted. Choose Zed → Check for Updates… or enable automatic checks when prompted. No local-runtime folder is needed.
  3. Click Zed, type your question, and press Search. Google opens in your browser. Or type open Safari to open an installed app.
  4. The search window says Zed 0.20.0 · Google Search. Use Connect Ollama… to choose an optional local model. Use Mute to turn voice off.

A few things to know.

Can I search using a picture?

Yes. Click Attach image… in Zed’s chat and select a picture, or drag an image file into the chat. Zed previews it and automatically sends it to Google Lens to find visual matches—no second file picker. Google’s window stays hidden unless verification or help is needed. Zed returns up to five available matches in the same chat, with a small screenshot of each picture above its clickable address. If a preview is blank or unavailable, Zed says “image failed” and keeps its link. Original image addresses, Google preview addresses, and source-page links are labeled separately. If Google asks for verification, complete it and click Send links to chat. Google may expose fewer links or change its layout. Use one image file up to 20 MB. Google receives the chosen picture. The embedded window uses a temporary session; Open in browser is available if needed. No local AI models or API keys are required.

How do I create /checkmate?

Open Zed → Custom shortcuts… (or type shortcuts). Enter /checkmate, then choose Chess with Choose app… or enter https://www.chess.com. Click Save. Type /checkmate in Zed to open it. Shortcuts stay saved on your Mac; select one in the editor to change or delete it.

Is it free?

Yes. No AI subscription, model download, or API key is needed.

Does Zed search Google?

Yes: he opens your search in Google using your default browser. Zed does not summarize text results. Google controls the content of its results page.

What happens to my searches?

Your query goes to your browser and Google. Their history and privacy settings apply. Zed has no analytics. Messages in /ai mode go to your selected local Ollama model.

Can I use Qwen or DeepSeek?

Yes, optionally through Ollama. Install Ollama and a compatible local model separately, open Ollama, then choose Zed → Connect Ollama… and select your model. Type /ai to start chatting; /stop returns to normal commands. Recent conversation is saved locally. Type cancel to stop waiting. AI answers can be wrong. Models need separate storage and memory; none are included or downloaded by Zed. Normal Google searches and the calculator keep working without AI.

What’s included?

Zed 0.20.0 and setup notes. Apple Silicon Mac, macOS 13 or later. Animations, fixed commands and mute remain. This independent beta is not affiliated with Google.

Keep chatting with Zed

Connect a local Ollama model, then type /ai. Keep chatting without a prefix. Type /stop to return to normal commands. AI mode and recent completed conversations are saved on your computer, including after restarting. Zed keeps up to 12 recent exchanges within 16,000 characters; older exchanges drop out. AI can make mistakes.

Time things with Zed

Type /timer 5m for a five-minute countdown. Zed alerts you when time is up. Type /timer cancel to cancel it. Use /stopwatch start, /stopwatch stop, and /stopwatch reset to measure elapsed time. Keep Zed running while timing. These commands also work in AI mode.