» Smart Phones, Web Design, Google or whatever
Email and Gmail
Email and Gmail, especially the latter since I think its such a great email platform.
Top 5 Gmail Updates for 2010 (So Far)
Nov 11th
My choices for the top 5 Gmail changes, updates, and features added in 2010 (so far). Mostly these are useful changes for Gmail users, though some are visual changes and re-organization (which result in improved user experience):
- Drag and Drop attachments into Gmail
Darg-n-drop your files from your computer onto Gmail without going through the whole attach a file process - Drag and Drop attachments to your desktop
Drag-n-drop attachments from Gmail right onto your desktop instead of downloading - Updated Gmail & Contacts
This was a great overhaul of contacts and a slight change to the Gmail look - Turn off Conversation View
Not one I’d use, but many users certainly want the ability to turn off conversation threading and view emails all as separate messages just like in “standard” email programs - New Gmail Themes
5 new themes were added to give users more choices
New Gmail Themes
Nov 4th
Gmail has added 5 new themes, and I think I will probably go through all of them for a day or two at a time to see if I have a new favorite. Unfortunately, they have not come out with a theme that allows you to upload your own photo as a background, but “Choose Your Own Colors” is still there – that’s customizable, just minus uploading a background photo.
The new themes are Basic White and Basic Black (found in the 2nd row of your themes tab), then there are Marker, Tree Tops, and Android (all found in the last row of your themes tab).
Great new themes, but some of us are still waiting to be able to upload our own themes.
Kill a Gmail and Advance to the Next Square
Oct 26th
Now you have an option in Gmail Labs to advance automatically to the next email conversation when you archive, delete, mute a conversation (etc…). To get started with this new feature follow these steps stoeln directly from the Gmail blog:
To get started with “Auto-advance” go to the Labs tab in Settings, enable it, and click the “Save changes” button. By default, “Auto-advance” will advance to the previous (older) conversation in your inbox — perfect for people who read their newest mail first. If you usually read your oldest email first and would rather advance to the next (newer) conversation, you can change the direction from the General Settings tab.
The old way when you deleted are archived you are taken back to the Inbox and instead now you can be taken to the next conversation (email).
Gmail Tasks Wants You!
Oct 26th
Google is asking for help improving Tasks and I’ve got a couple of ideas that I think would be pretty useful. Very similar to what Armo said (http://goo.gl/mod/7XCq) about flexibility between Tasks and Email and links to the original entry.
At the risk of some repetition of Armo’s post I’d love to see Tasks, Gmail, Google Docs and Calendar integrated to the point that any of one could be turned into any of the other with links back to whatever is needed.
Was that nebulous enough? Here’s an example… let’s say I have an appointment I’ve entered into my 
GCalendar for a doctor’s appointment six months from now. I setup the appointment with an email reminder (as I usually do) to remind me before the appointment so I can let my boss know – all of this is normal so far. Additionally, I need to bring my medication list to the appointment and I found a website with some great info I want to talk to my doctor about when I have the appointment also. It would be great if I could open a Google Doc an type in my medication list and associate that with the GCalendar event/reminder, and have a Task pop up the day before in whatever Task list is currently active during the time the event reminder is fire off reminding me, and possibly linking to the website with that great info I want to discuss with my doc, along with another link to my Google Doc (meds list).
At the risk of being redundant while trying to explain in one situation how this could all fit together, the email reminder would arrive with the website link to that great info, have my Google doc attached, and a handy link to Google Maps based on the info I entered into the calendar event.
Now I’m covered… on that day six months in the future if I am in GCalendar, or in Gmail using Tasks, or reading email I cannot miss my appointment – even if I ignore the emails. Of course, emails and Google docs could have links to GCalendar Events, etc… etc… so that they all interact with, link to and manage information between and with one another.
DO MORE
Gmail Task Poll – let your voice and ideas be heard, and let the Gmail Tasks team know what you want.
Gmail is on twitter with over 26,000 following on first day
Oct 4th
Gmail is on Twitter… short announcement that Gmail is looking for you to follow them. They just announced today and have over 26,000 followers already. Gmail is on Twitter
Gmail Settings – Conversation View Gets Lost
Oct 1st
Google has added the option to lose your conversation view now. Gmail is much appreciated by some for its threaded conversation view which takes related emails and puts them together in a running thread.
However, some people prefer the emails to be all separate instead of “stacked”. Its the same with the Windows Task Bar, you can can put similar items together or you can keep them separate. As of this past Wednesday Google launched this same feature for Gmail, so if you prefer your emails separated instead of stacked you’ll love it.
The screenshot to the left you is a BEFORE and AFTER view. Before 3 emails are all “stacked” together in a conversation thread. After, they are separated into separate emails.
For complete details head on over to the Gmail blog’s “Turn off Gmail’s conversation view” post.
Android’s Gmail App Hits the Eject Button
Sep 21st
As of yesterday, Google announced that Android’s Gmail app has hit the eject button and punched out on its own, meaning Gmail app updates aren’t tied to Android updates any more.
As always you should check out the link above for all of the 411, but here is a quick rundown of some of the new features now that the Gmail app on Android has cut its tether…
- most important message actions will now stick to the top
- improved message replies
- access to quoted text (view previous message in thread)
- updated to support Priority Inbox
For more details including required Android OS version, a QR code to scan, and availability on phones, check the Gmail blog.
Gmail Video Chat Enhanced, Better Tasting!
Sep 17th
Gmail Video Newsbit (big news if you do Video Chat) … Okay, the taste hasn’t improved but the Gmail blog has announced crisper video chatting in the form of higher resolution video chat that “… enables widescreen VGA and frees up valuable resources on your computer.”
Read all about New in Labs: Video chat enhancements on the Gmail blog, live and online 24 hours a day, 7 days a week.
