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The Fun Stuff

Gmail is not just about work though. The folks at Google have added a few features to ensure we can also have some fun while emailing. To access any of the settings for the features below, click on “Settings” on the upper right hand corner of your email.

Buzz

Buzz is basically Gmail’s response to Facebook and Twitter. It is meant to work as a social network that you opt into if you want to use it. It is not active on your account by default. You can follow people on your email list and be followed, see their status updates and post pictures and video to share with each other. You can also use it to import your stuff from Twitter, Picasa, Flickr, and Google Reader. And share them with your friends and contacts. You can learn more about some of the Buzz features by watching the short video at:

http://www.google.com/buzz

Buzz can be enabled and disabled by going to “Settings > Buzz”. You can choose to

show it on Gmail, whether to make your Buzz contact lists public, or whether to enable or disable it completely.

Chat

The chat is a quick way to communicate with friends when emailing doesn’t seem to

be the best way to do it and you only need some quick and instant back and forth. It can only be used between Gmail users and even then, only between those who have accepted and opted in to accept chats, but that is still a surprisingly large number of Gmail users. All you have to do to chat with someone is look for their name on the chat box on the left hand side of the screen. Check if they are online, which you can tell by looking for a small green dot next to their name. Double click on their name and a little chat window will appear. Start typing your message and click send (or enter). They will hear a little warning and a small window will appear that allows them to read your message and type back. In case they log off while you are typing, you will be told they are now offline and be given an option to send the chat as an email instead, which they will receive when they get back online. You can also sign into AIM by using the same interface and chat with your AIM friends as well.

Web Clips

When Gmail was just launched, there were certain concerns that Gmail would be mining information from the emails to post ads that were relevant to you. The truth is that there is an algorithm that determines what ads would be most relevant depending on key words from the emails, but no private information is ever sent to Google. Another way to control what you see on top of your inbox and related ads

is by using “Web Clips”, which can be found under “Settings > Webclips”. It is

basically a way to control what you want to see displayed above your inbox. You can choose among hundreds of feeds, custom content from major sites such as CNN, Forbes, YouTube, news and yes, even ads. And if you prefer, you can even disable them all together.

Labs

Labs adds a whole new dimension to your email experience, which makes you an active participant on the development of your email features. What Google has created with Labs, is a way of testing features they are considering implementing on their email, as well as trying some of the totally wacky, but sometimes surprisingly useful add-ons Google created for their email. Because many of those features are being tested, some of the features come and go, but they are certainly worth a try anyway. Some of the current Lab add-ons include:

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• · Don’t forget Bob – A feature that reminds you to include someone you might have forgotten if you generally email them together. So if you usually send emails about cake recipes to 3 of your aunts, and one day you only add 2 of them to your recipients, it will ask you before you send it if you might have forgotten the 3^rd one.
• · Got the wrong Bob? – Is a feature that checks that same list to ensure you added the correct aunts. Let’s say, one aunt named Mare Claire and she

loves cake, and the other is named Marie Claise and she is always on a diet and gets personally offended if you email her about food, Gmail will let you know if you accidentally include the wrong one just in time to save you from the blunder.

• · Undo Send – Once enabled, this amazing Lab add-on that allows to basically “unsend” a message you have just sent. Made a mistake? Forgot something? Wish you hadn’t sent it right after you clicked the button? No worries, just click

the undo right next to the message that says your email has been sent, and Gmail will revert it to your account compose mode as if you had never clicked send.

• · Default Text Styling – Which adds a feature to your general settings that let’s

you choose a default text style for all of your emails.

• · Mail Goggles – It’s a fun and sometimes annoying little add on that forces you to solve simple math problems if you are sending an email late night on the weekends. The idea is that you might be sending an email you might regret the next morning after a crazy night of partying. The math is a way of testing if you still have enough of your mental capacity to be aware of the email you are sending.

There are many more Labs features to check out. Some are great work tools, such as integration to Google Docs and Google Voice, others are simply games, or ways to keep you from working too hard, so check them all out!

Remember, if you install an Lab feature and Gmail stops working, you can remove them all by going to https://mail.google.com/mail/?labs=0

Themes

Now, for some people, the Gmail look is dull and boring. Fear not… If the standard Gmail interface is too tame for you, Google has thought of people just like you and added “Themes” to Gmail. Basically it allows you to choose from several looks. From a warm colored “Sunset”:

To the cutesy Zoozimps, which changes depending on your zip code:

Or the funky Ninja theme:

Or even an option to chose your own colors if you prefer.

To change your themes, simply go to “Settings> Themes”, and click on the one you like. Some themes will ask you for your zip code, type it in, then click save. And watch your email change right before your eyes.

Gmail Mobile

There are many ways to integrate Gmail into your phone, be it an Android phone, another smartphone or a simple Java capable phone. You can download a simple bookmark to connect you to the mobile version of Gmail by going to http://www.google.com.au/mobile/mail/ . From that page you can even have Google send you the link to your phone via text message. Android and smartphones have a plethora of options to choose phone. Be it integrating the email with their phone, importing the email into the email program, or simply accessing it online. Gmail was built to be easily accessible by people on the move.

From any phone, you can go to http://gmail.com to get the Gmail web app or access the mobile version of Gmail.

Android phones, Blackberry and Nokia S60 can download the native app from http://m.google.com/mail . (It is pre-installed on android phones.) And most smart phones in the market, including the Blackberry, iPhone and Windows based phones can sync either via IMAP, POP3 or using Google Synch.

And we can’t end without mentioning a few other integrated features:

Google Docs

Google Docs has set itself to become and online substitute for Microsoft Office. It allows you to create documents, import documents from different formats such as Excel and PowerPoint, and export them to some of the most commonly used formats as well as share them with contacts for a true collaboration. Learn more about it by watching the short video at: http://docs.google.com

Google Calendar

Google calendar, which is also fully integrated with Gmail, has an enormous array of usages. It reminds you of your events, synchronizes with some desktop applications and cell phones. It also allows you to share your calendar with others, so you can have a common calendar, post in on your website, or simply make it public. You can use it to send invitations, or simply keep track all of your appointments with color coordinated topics. Learn more about it by watching the short video at:

http://www.google.com/calendar

Tasks

Tasks are a way of helping you keep track of short notes, small reminders and to do lists without having to leave your Gmail. Simply by

clicking on “Tasks” on the left menu, you will see

a small window appear on the right side of your screen. You can add a Task simply by typing on the small window. Once the task is added, there are several options you can use by clicking on the little arrow to the right of the task. Some of the options include adding a due date to your task, which will automatically add it to your Google Calendar or adding more details to

those tasks. You can also use the “Actions”

button on the bottom of that window for even more features such as emailing the task list and printing it among others.