New Technology Reviews!.: Gmail

GNU founder Richard Stallman and Gmail creator Paul Buchheit hate on Chrome OS

GNU founder Richard Stallman and Gmail creator Paul Buchheit hate on Chrome OS

There are a lot of things to like about Google's prototype Chrome OS machine, the CR-48, not the least of which its name that makes it ...

Gmail developer says Google Chrome OS will fail

<img src="http://cdn.mos.techradar.com///classifications/computing/software/operating-systems/images/Chrome_OS/chrome-cr48_crop-200-200.jpg"> The lead developer of Google's Gmail service reckons the hotly-anticipated Chrome OS is doomed to failure. Paul Buchheit, the former Google employee who also developed the company's AdSense technology, says that the cloud-based challenger to Windows 7 and OS X is likely to end up in Android's shadow. On his FriendFeed account (a Twitter-like service) Buchheit succinctly forecast: "Prediction: ChromeOS will be killed next year (or 'merged' with Android)." Dead on arrival? Just last week in San Francisco <a href="http://www.techradar.com/news/mobile-computing/google-shows-off-chrome-os-but-no-devices-until-mid-2011-913698">Google took the wrapper off the OS</A>, unleashing the full feature set for the first time, while promising the first Chrome OS notebooks by the middle of next year. Beta devices are already on the way to developers, certain members of the media and a few select fans who will be allowed to test the OS ahead of the 2011 release. Despite the fanfare, Buchheit reckons Chrome might be dead on arrival, adding: "Is this too obvious to even state? But then I see people taking Chrome OS seriously and Google is even shipping devices for some reason." What's the point? With a tablet-friendly Android 3.0 Honeycomb OS very much in the pipeline and Android already so well established, it's likely that Chrome will indeed be confined to laptops. Will Android and Chrome end up being merged? Is Mr Buchheit right? Let us know your thoughts on the <a href="http://twitter.com/#%21/techradar">TechRadar Twitter feed</A>. Also, read Garry Marshall's latest column, <a href="http://www.techradar.com/news/mobile-computing/chrome-os-whats-the-point-914002">Google Chrome OS: What's the point?</A>

Gmail developer says Google Chrome OS will fail

The lead developer of Google's Gmail service reckons the hotly-anticipated Chrome OS is doomed to failure. Paul Buchheit, the former Goo...

Video: Google upgrades online mobile Gmail for UK

Video: Google upgrades online mobile Gmail for UK

Google has announced changes to its online Gmail application, offering compatibility and new features in the UK. Users of iPhones and Andro...

Google overhauls Android Gmail app

<img src="http://cdn.mos.techradar.com//classifications/Mobile%20Phones/Google/image5-200-200.jpg"> Google has announced a couple of pretty big changes to its Gmail application for Android - but only for <a href="">Android 2.2</A> users and above. The first is an improvement to the Priority inbox, whereby all Priority messages will be given their own special inbox view, regardless of whether they're read or not. You can also alter the notification settings for only these messages to vibrate or ring when they arrive - an important tool to separate the wheat from the spamchaff. Compose yourself Google has also tweaked the way you can compose messages in its Android application, with the main one being the ability to more easily switch between Reply, Reply All and Forward thanks to a new drop down menu. You can also choose which account you want to send the mail from if you've added in another account to send webmail from via Gmail. <img alt="Google compose" src="http://mos.futurenet.com/techradar/classifications/Mobile%20Phones/Google/image0-210-100.jpg" width="210"></IMG> And finally - inline message responses are now included too, which has been somewhat supported before but was a real effort to implement - now it's easy to just tap away and critique another person's message. See it in an instant The final bit of Google-ry we're bringing you is the news that Google Instant is now available for Android and iOS devices. <img alt="Google instant" src="http://mos.futurenet.com/techradar/classifications/Mobile%20Phones/Google/instant_henri-210-100.jpg" width="210"></IMG> Simply heading to your local Google site will now offer you an option to activate Instant if you're running Android 2.2 and above or iOS4, with suggestions appearing when you begin to type in and search options automatically forming below.

Google overhauls Android Gmail app

Google has announced a couple of pretty big changes to its Gmail application for Android - but only for Android 2.2 users and above. The f...

Indians:Call US/Canada Free till 2010 End in Gmail

<img alt="Indians:Call US/Canada Free till 2010 End in Gmail" border="0" height="150" src="/113515matter.jpg" width="200"> I woke up today morning to check my Gmail, only to be pleasantly surprised by a "Call Phone" option right at the top of my Google Talk chat window. I clicked it, accepted the Terms and Conditions and was presented with a num-pad; much like the one you'd find in VOIP services like Skype. While I was almost about to yawningly say, "You can now make international calls via your Gmail for cheaper than using regular telephones...yada yada...", this one small line at the end made me jolt off my chair! In bid to popularize this service, Google is allowing free unlimited calls to the US and Canada till the end of the year 2010. I instantly ran to my phone-book and made an hour worth calls to the US and here are the three things I observed: 1) The phone started ringing the moment I hit the call button, 2) The call quality was absolutely clear on my end and was reported to be equally clear from the other side as well, 3) There were no disconnections during the two different half-hour long calls I made. FYI: I'm using a 512 Kbps broadband internet connection.   <img align="baseline" border="0" hspace="0" src="/113515googlevoicegmail.jpg"> Calls to other countries can be made after purchasing pre-paid credits on their Google Voice website. After doing a quick comparison of the call rates, you'll realize it isn't a good bargain for people in India to use this service to make calls to the US or Canada (after the free period is over, of course). For example, India to any other country is charged at 6 cents (Rs. 2.7) per minute whereas Skype charges almost one-third the cost - 2.2 cents (roughly a rupee) to call specifically to the US/Canada.  Now the sad thing is that after making those hour long free phone-calls, that option has all of a sudden disappeared from my window after I logged back again to take some screenshots; I hope it returns again soon. After talking to my colleague, he too said that he hasn't got that option yet. So, we can assume that the roll-out will be gradual and everybody should eventually get it. So, check your Gtalk window in your Gmail to see if you've got that "Call Phone" option right underneath your status change drop-down menu. It's the end of November, so even if most of us get it before the month ends, we'll still have one whole month to make free US/Canada phone-calls! We leave you with the introductory video of the same.

Indians:Call US/Canada Free till 2010 End in Gmail

I woke up today morning to check my Gmail, only to be pleasantly surprised by a "Call Phone" option right at the top of my Google ...

Hotmail links up with Gmail and Yahoo

<img src="http://cdn.mos.techradar.com///classifications/computing/internet-and-broadband/images/hotmail-newpictures-200-200.jpg"/>Microsoft has announced that it is making Hotmail that little bit more ubiquitous, revealing you can now use features of the service with other email accounts.This new feature utilises POP, allowing you to import non-Hotmail data on to Hotmail. What you do need is a Windows Live ID, but once you have this you can use Hotmail-specific features like the ability to send up to 10GB of photos in one email, without IT ringing you up in tears telling you that your actions have made your workplace's computer infrastructure 'go all Skynet'.POP goes the HotmailDick Craddock from Microsoft was so excited about the new feature, he wrote <a href="http://windowsteamblog.com/windows_live/b/windowslive/archive/2010/11/01/use-hotmail-features-without-changing-your-email-address.aspx">a blog on it</a>, explaining: "We understand. You already have at least one email address and you probably don't need another. "You may also use your existing address for things other than just email, such as signing in to online shopping sites, which makes changing even more challenging. Also, you might have an address that you really like, but a similar name might not be available on another email service. So we looked for a way to make it easier for people to give Hotmail a trial run."And 'how has Microsoft done this?' we hear you cry. Well, Craddock writes: "Implementing this was fairly straightforward given the architecture of Hotmail, our POP aggregation support, and the 'Send As' feature that lets you send mail from any validated email address. "We just needed to tweak the way we store and look up email addresses, build the first-run experience, and we had it."Once done you can send and receive mail using Hotmail but keeping your Gmail or Yahoo address. This new feature should be rolled out to all users in the coming days.

Hotmail links up with Gmail and Yahoo

Microsoft has announced that it is making Hotmail that little bit more ubiquitous, revealing you can now use features of the service with o...

Hotmail links up with Gmail and Yahoo

Hotmail links up with Gmail and Yahoo

Microsoft has announced that it is making Hotmail that little bit more ubiquitous, revealing you can now use features of the service with ot...