15 new Labs features to try out in Gmail

From the useful to the playful, there's a whole lot more to play with in Gmail Labs, our testing ground for experimental features. Here's a taste of what's new since Labs first launched:

• Google Calendar and Docs gadgets


• A forgotten attachment detector


• Advanced IMAP controls


• Canned responses to save and send common replies automatically

Turn on these and more from the Labs tab under Settings, and don't forget to let us know what you think. Learn more

Gmail on Android

Gmail is now available on the world's first Android-powered phone, the T-Mobile G1. All of the features you love about Gmail on your computer, plus real time push email so you never need to refresh your inbox. Learn more

Emoticons – they're not just for chat anymore

Express yourself with emoticons from to or even . Click the button when composing a message in "Rich formatting" mode, or choose the new emoticons tab in chat, and express yourself to your 's desire. Learn more

Gmail for mobile 2.0

Save multiple mobile drafts, compose and read recent email offline, use new shortcut keys and more. Download Gmail for mobile 2.0 for your BlackBerry or J2ME phone by going to m.google.com/mail in your mobile browser.

Gmail Labs: A testing ground for experimental new features

Try out features in development and let us know what you think. To get started with Labs, click the Labs tab under Settings. Learn more

Gmail has a new look on the iPhone browser

Now with auto-complete when composing, automatic refreshing, and faster load times when viewing email. Learn more

More friends are more fun. Gmail welcomes your AIM® friends.

Now you can talk to your AIM® friends using an integrated chat list right inside Gmail. Learn more



AOL and AIM are trademarks of AOL LLC

Colored labels

Better organize your email with new colored labels. Just click the color swatch next to each label to assign a color. Learn more

Group chat

Chat with multiple people without multiple windows. Invite your friends to a group discussion. To start a group chat, click 'Group chat' from the 'Options' menu when chatting. Learn more

New emoticons

Start sending richer expressions to your friends. Learn more

Free IMAP

Sync your inbox across devices instantly and automatically. Whether you read or write your email on your phone or on your desktop, changes you make to Gmail will be seen from anywhere you access your inbox. Another way to use Gmail on your iPhone is through the browser. By going to m.gmail.com you get the full Gmail experience including conversation view, search, and more. Learn how to set up IMAP on other devices.



Set up IMAP on your iPhone. Watch the video

• View as slideshow
  
  Now you can open PowerPoint attachments as slideshows, without having to download anything. Just click "View as slideshow" next to the .ppt attachment you want to preview. Since you can open .doc and .xls attachments with Google Docs and Spreadsheets too, there's no need to leave your web browser to check out your Gmail attachments. Learn more


• Increased attachment limit-- 20 MB!
  
  Now you can start sharing more of those home videos, large presentations and files you just can't seem to get smaller. We have doubled the allowable attachment size to 20 MB to make your Gmail space even more useful. Learn more


• It's a Gmail party and everyone is invited!
  
  You can still invite your friends to enjoy Gmail's spam protection, 5GB free storage and other great features, but now you can also just tell them to visit www.gmail.com and sign up without an invitation.


• Get mail from other accounts
  
  Now Gmail can check for the mail you receive at your other email accounts. You can retrieve your mail (new and old) from up to five other email accounts and have them all in Gmail. Then you can even create a customized 'From:' address, which lets you send messages from Gmail, but have them look like they were sent from another one of your email accounts. Please note that you can only retrieve mail from accounts that have POP3 access enabled. Learn more


• Embarrassment-reducing new message notifications
  
  Ever replied to a message only to find out that someone sent a better, smarter reply right before you? Now, if someone sends a reply while you're in the middle of reading a conversation (or replying to it), you'll get a notification that a new message has arrived. Click "update conversation" to see what you’ve missed.
  
  


• Forward all
  
  When viewing a conversation, use the new “Forward all” link on the right if you want to forward the entire conversation instead of just one message.


• Chat even when your friends are offline
  
  Chatting in Gmail just keeps getting better. Now, if you're chatting with a friend who goes offline, your friend will be able to see whatever you were typing the next time he or she goes online.
  
  


• Get Gmail on your mobile phone
  
  Download it once, and start accessing Gmail on your phone with just a click or two. To try it for yourself, point your phone to gmail.com/app. Learn more


• Voicemail
  
  Your friends can leave you a voicemail using Google Talk. The voice message is sent to your Gmail account as an audio file that you can download or play right from your inbox. Learn more


• Reply by chat
  
  When you're about to (or in the middle of a) reply to someone, and you see that person online, you can just send your reply as a chat message. And if you've chosen to save your chat histories, then your chat even gets threaded with that original email conversation. Learn more


• A picture's worth a thousand words
  
  With contact pictures in Gmail, you can pick ones for yourself, see which ones your friends have chosen, and set certain pictures to show up for specific people in your Gmail account. Best of all, you can even send picture suggestions to your friends. Learn more


• Gmail Chat
  
  Get in touch with your friends instantly, from right inside Gmail! It's the biggest thing to happen to Gmail, since well, Gmail. Learn more


• Vacation auto-responder
  
  Set an auto-response so that if you're lying on a beach or taking a train across Siberia, your friends will know you won't be checking your email. Learn more


• Contact groups
  
  One of our most-requested features is finally here! Now you can send messages to a group instead of having to pick out the individual addresses every time.Learn more


• View as HTML
  
  Now you can view Microsoft Office, OpenOffice or .pdf attachments as web pages by clicking the "View as HTML" link instead of downloading. For when you want to see it faster, you're on a mobile device, or you don't want to install software just to view a document. Learn more


• Shortcuts on the right
  
  Now Gmail automatically detects addresses and tracking numbers, and displays useful information such as directions and package tracking alongside your messages.


• Virus scanning is here!
  
  For your protection, Gmail now automatically scans for viruses every time you open or send a message with an attachment. We even try our best to remove all the viruses we find. Learn more


• Export contacts
  
  Export your Gmail Contacts and save them in a file for back-up or to use in another account or service–great if you're using Gmail's free POP access. Learn more


• Auto-save
  
  Saves to ‘Drafts' as you're composing. Never lose a half-written email again.


• Get to Gmail from any web page
  
  Download the new Gmail-enabled Google Toolbar. Search your mail or instantly go to your Inbox from any web page with just one click. Learn more


• Gmail on Google.com
  
  See your new messages directly from your personalized Google.com homepage.


• Google Talk
  
  IM and make free calls through your computer with Google Talk. Your Gmail contacts are even pre-loaded. Learn more


• Customized 'From:' addresses
  
  Customize the address on your outgoing messages to display another one of your addresses instead. Learn more


• An application for Macs
  
  The Gmail Notifier for Mac OS X even supports plug-in development.


• Free POP access and automatic forwarding
  
  Access your mail the way you want to. Download your messages. Read them offline. Use your Blackberry or Outlook or any POP-enabled device. Or forward new messages to an email account you specify. You can even switch to other email services without having to worry about losing access to your messages. Think of it as email portability Learn more


• Import Contacts
  
  Move all your contacts from Yahoo! Mail, Outlook, and others to Gmail in just a few clicks. Learn more


• Signature options
  
  From the settings page, create a signature that's automatically added to the end of all your outgoing messages. Learn more

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Hacking MySpace - Watch any users private videos

A simple modification to URL and all private videos becomes publicly available! Thats a new hack for MySpace users found by GrownUpGeek!

Although MySpace is not a popular video-sharing site (compare to photo uploaded on it, nevertheless this will surely compromise a MySpace users privacy. Following is trick and screenshot from GrownUpGeek’s post…

Copy following URL as it is and insert the Myspace friendID at the end in place of the XXXXX

http://vids.myspace.com/index.cfm?fuseaction=vids.showvids&friendid=XXXXXXX

Check out following screenshot for an example URL!

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Access Free Airtel GPRS using TeaShark Browser

TeaShark, a mobile browser like Opera Mini, allow you to access Airtel GPRS for FREE. Shockingly it has nothing to do with modifying any Airtel settings or any kind of hack.  I tested it personally throughout the week but I haven’t been charged a single penny.

Here is how I used this…

• Download TeaShark v. 312. Its free and being JAR file it can be installed on most handsets.


• Open it from your mobile and select AirTel Live as access point.


• That’s it! Open any site from TeaShark and you won’t be charged anything.

Note for the first time, when TeaShark starts, it may take more than one minute to initialize. Also this one time initialization may fail many times. 

Here are some famous sites’ mobile version...

• Gmail: m.gmail.com


• Orkut: m.orkut.com


• Facebook: m.facebook.com


• Twitter: m.twitter.com

The whole thing seems a fortunate coincidence for mobile users and unfortunate one for network operators. This trick cannot be termed illegal as you are not cracking any software or modifying any configuration. For the same reason, I think this will take longer to get rectified.

Please keep in mind that AirTel may charge you all of a sudden in future of this free ride. So please use it at your own risk!

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Remain Always Idle On Google Talk

It basically adds a set of status options as you can see in above image!

As highlighted you can choose Always Idle if you are too busy at work. Many users will think that you are not at desk or something similar and thus won’t bother you.

Also there is an exactly opposite option - Never Idle. In case you want to look always online no matter even if you forget to shut down your pc at night!

Links: Download Page 

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Google added Invisible mode to Gmail Chat And Gtalk

One of the most awaited feature Google Talk lovers has been waiting for is out. Just read on Google’s official Gmail blog that Gmail chat version of Google Talk will now have option to go invisible! Jonas Lindberg quoted,

With this feature, you can appear offline, and still send and receive messages. If you’re using AIM in Gmail, invisible mode also makes you appear signed out on the AIM network.

Many developers will find this interesting as they can chat with other fellow developers without any interruption now. 

Personally this is the feature I was waiting for. Hope to see it in Google Talk application soon

Link: Request a Gmail chat feature to Google

          Official Gmail Post

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Windows 7 Seven : Facts and Speculations

Its no secret that Microsoft has already begun work on the next version of Windows, Windows 7 (formerly, Windows Vienna). Little is known about, since Microsoft is keeping mum on it, lest it should repeat the disaster that was Vista (or rather Longhorn's) development cycle. Let's take a look at what we know so far about Windows 7.

1. It will be released in late 2009 - This is perhaps the only solid fact that we know about Windows 7. Other than Windows Vista, all previous Windows versions have been released within at least 3 years of each other, so with Vista's debut in January 2007 we can safely assume Windows 7 so be in stores by late 2009 (or at the latest early 2010).



2. It will be a minor release: According to Microsoft, every other release of Windows will be a major update, therefore, since Windows Vista was a major release, Windows 7 is set to be minor update. However there is still some chance that Windows 7 will be a major release. Firstly it bears a whole new version number, secondly since Windows Vista was largely a disappointing release, Microsoft might be compelled to make the next version much more interesting.



3. There will be both 32-bit and 64-bit versions: Although the official word so far is that Windows 7 will be 64 bit, it should be noted that when Windows XP was released, Windows Longhorn was planned to be a 64-bit version only. Since most of the PCs in existence today are 32-bit, with so signs of a radical shift to 64-bit anytime soon, Windows 7 should be released in both 32-bit versions.



4. There will be a new UI component: When Microsoft first drew up plans for Windows 7 (back when it was codenamed Blackcomb), there were rumors that the current UI will be replaced with an entirely new one, with some reference to a sort of radial-dial. Where are no chances for a complete overhaul of the current interface, MIcrosoft has been working on several new UI ideas, some of which may slip into Windows 7. Indeed, this might be a way to transition us from the current UI to the new one in future WIndows releases.



5. Hypervisor: Microsoft is currently working on a new hypervisor system codenamed "Viridian" with OS integration at the lowest level, and already Windows Vista includes extensions to boost performance when running on top of the Viridian hypervisor. We can expect Windows 7 to have a higher level of interaction with Viridian.



[Image] Now, those are the only tidbits, that we know of yet, or have heard rumors about, but there are some other minor specifics that we can easily guess. We can safely assume that all current bundled applications will be updated, some more than others, below are some speculations.



1. Internet Explorer 9: This is an easy guess, IE7 is out already and IE8 is set to be released in mid-2008, so we can fully expect IE9 to ship with Windows 7. Internet Explorer 7 was a rather rushed release, as Microsoft tried to stem the growth of Mozilla Firefox, and most of its new additions (such as tabs) seem flaky at times. Therefore we can expect IE8 to be a solid release, which, rather than introducing new features, improves the current feature-set, and makes the UI much more responsive. This seems to make Internet Explorer 9 a prime candidate for new and innovative features.



2.Windows Media Player/Windows Media Center: Its a given that new versions of WMP always make it into new Windows releases, and Windows Media Center are also expected to be a regular bundled application with all new versions of Windows. We can expect WMP12 and WMC Fiji with Windows Vista Service Pack 1, and future versions to be included in Windows 7.



3. Virtual Desktops: Mac OSX already has it, and Linux had it for a long time, so it would only make sense that Microsoft will be implementing virtual desktops into Windows 7.



4. System Restore: With OSX Leopard's Time Machine making such an impression with the general public, it can be expected that Windows 7 will improve upon its own backup tool.



5. Paint.NET: So far this has been an independent project that was under the guidance of Microsoft, but Microsoft has always acknowledged that Paint.NET with one day replace the current 'Paint' application in Windows.



There is also a slight possibility that Microsoft will be integrating Windows Live services much more strongly into Windows 7, although it might raise allegations of anti-competitive business strategies. But there might be certain unique Live services that make it into Windows 7, such as Live Drive. Other Microsoft services such as MSN Soapbox might also be a significant part of applications such as Windows Media Center.



It is still too early to tell what shape Windows 7 may take, but we can hope that the recent wave of innovations we have been seeing from Microsoft will carry on into the next two years.



http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Windows_7">http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Windows_7

Wikipedia's article has other references.

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Domain Hacks Tool

Domain Hacks Tool To Find Del.icio.us Like Domain Names



One of the most tedious part while starting a website is finding a right & unique domain name. Everybody loves domain name which ends in .com, but for the same reason finding a short and simple domain name becomes a painful task.



Thanks to del.icio.us, a new trend in domain name started! If you haven’t noticed it, .us is country level domain for United States. Similar creative domain name are owned by wordpress founder ma.tt and IndiBlogger team member anw.in. Here .tt is country level domain for Trinidad and Tobago, similarly .in is for India.

Now trying your favorite keywords against 100’s of country level and other top-level domain name can be tedious task. Also most country-level domain can not be registered with famous domain registrars like GoDaddy!

So to take care of all this problems at one place, visit Domain Hacks tool provided by xona.com.

Xona’s Domain hack tool allows you to search your favorite keyword in all top-level domain names, also tries all valid subdomain combinations, gives link to wiki entry of domain name as well as corresponding domain registrar.

Also a list of suggested domain name available, sorted in three categories - Alphabetized, Word Length & Top-Level Domain.

Links: Domain Hacks by Xona.com



To get such ideas for domain name, head over to domainfinder.geekfg.net and type a word or even a phrase. For instance, if you type "Paris Hilton", it will suggestion parish.il/ton which is for Israel. Thanks Palin.

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