hongjun's Blog: Gmail

Showing posts with label Gmail. Show all posts

Thursday, October 23, 2014

Inbox by Gmail - Am waiting for an invite

Inbox by Gmail looks interesting and cool! Requested for an invitation yesterday and am still waiting for one. Do drop me an invitation!

Wednesday, August 13, 2014

Friday, April 18, 2014

How to Schedule Gmail Emails to be Sent?

Amit Agarwal from the Digital Inspiration wrote a little Google script to schedule and send out Gmail emails later at a stipulated date and time.

Watch the video tutorial below to do just that.

Do read this Digital Inspiration article for the detailed steps in words and Google scripts too.

Saturday, December 14, 2013

Outlook.com launches automated tool to migrate from Gmail

Microsoft is continuing its attack on Google by launching an automated tool to migrate Gmail to its very own web-based Outlook.com (successor of hotmail.com).

The blog post claims emails, contacts, labels and even calendars can be imported. Immediately after the import is completed, Microsoft will send an email notification to your inbox.

Though I am not a fan of Outlook.com, I thought I should give the tool a try one day for curiosity sake.

Tuesday, July 17, 2012

Accessing Google Services for Slow Internet Connections

Accessing some of the Google services which are rich in content may be frustrating if your Internet connection is slow. Here are some helpful features as compiled by the unofficial Google Operating System blog.

1. Gmail's basic HTML mode

Access inbox using https://mail.google.com/mail/h/.

2. Disable Google Instant and auto-complete suggestions

Disable Google Instant at https://www.google.com/preferences?hl=en and then use https://www.google.com/search?complete=0 for search.

3. YouTube Feather

Access using experimental http://www.youtube.com/feather_beta.

4. The old Google image search interface

Access using https://www.google.com/imghp?sout=1.

5. Chrome's click-to-play feature

Type chrome://chrome/settings/content on your Chrome address bar and press enable "Click to Play" in the "Plug-Ins" section to loads content that requires plug-ins on demand.

6. Google's transcoder

Access website using http://google.com/gwt/n to compress websites before loading.

7. The text-only Google Cache

Load a simplified version of the page directly from Google Cache by accessing http://www.google.com/search?strip=1&q=cache:www.domain.com (replace www.domain.com with the URL of the page) on your browser.

8. Chrome's custom user agent feature

Load webpages in mobile devices user agent does the trick of loading pages quicker.

To change the user agent in Chrome, open the developer tools (Ctrl+Shift+I for Windows/Linux, Command-Option-I for Mac), click the "Settings" button at the bottom of the window, click "User Agent", enable "Override User Agent", select "Android 4.0.2 - Google Nexus" or "iPhone - iOS 5.0" from the list and disable "override device metrics".

9. Google Public DNS

Google Public DNS is a simple way to speed up your browsing experience if the DNS service you're using is slow.

10. Use a browser that supports SPDY

SPDY, a new protocol "designed for low-latency transport of content over the World Wide Web." Right now, SPDY is supported by Chrome and Firefox, while many Google sites use it.

11. Google+ in mobile

Access Google+ using https://m.google.com/app/plus/x/ loads Google+ on mobile version, saving precious bandwidth.

Saturday, April 21, 2012

Gmail Meter offers analytics on how you use your email

After launching Google Account Activity last month, Google Gmail now releases Gmail Meter. Gmail Meter, a simple Gogole Docs script, uncovers statistical analytics on you uses your email.

So what does Gmail Meter offers?

Volume Statistics show you the number of important and starred messages, the number of people who sent you emails, and more. Volume statistics can be very useful in determining how you are using email efficiency tools like Priority Inbox.
Daily Traffic gives you an estimate of when you receive messages and when you send them during a given month. For example, in the graph below you can see how the peaks in my “Sent” curve indicates that I write emails in spurts.
Traffic Pattern lets you get a sense of your overall email activity over the past week.
Email Categories tells you how you are managing your Inbox. In the pie chart below, you can see that the majority of my emails are labeled. My Inbox is tiny compared to other labels which indicates that I keep a lean and mean Inbox.
Time Before First Response shows you how long it takes you to reply, and how long it takes others to reply to you. By looking at this chart, I can infer that I reply faster than others I communicate with.
Word Count tells you whether you are writing long emails. The example below shows that most of my emails are shorter than 200 words.
Thread Lengths help you understand whether you participate in long conversations resulting in long threads. Top Senders and Top Recipients help you identify who you communicate with more frequently.

How to Setup Gmail Meter

Step-by-Step Instructions

Log into your Google Docs account and create a new spreadsheet. Name Gmail Meter.
From the Tools menu, choose Script Gallery.
Type Gmail Meter in the search box and click the Search button. You should see one search result.
Click the Install button next to it and Authorize the script when prompted. You will also need to grant access to the script after that. You should now see a Gmail Meter menu option now. Note that installation may take a while.
From the new Gmail Meter menu, choose Get Report.
Choose the type of report to generate e.g. Monthly Report.
The script will start generating the report and you will receive an email when it's ready.

Once submitted for report generation, you should see this screen.

» Know Your Gmail Stats using Gmail Meter | Official Gmail Blog

Sunday, December 11, 2011

Google+ integrates with Gmail and Contacts

Gmail and Contacts have got better with the integration of Google+. You can now grow your circles, filter emails and contacts by circles, keep all your contact information up-to-date automatically and share photos to Google+, all right from Gmail and Contacts.

Ability to add contacts to your Circles from your email

Ability to filter emails by Circles you care most about

Automatically updates contact information (not too good IMO)

Share attachments effortlessly without leaving your inbox

» Gmail and Contacts get better with Google+ | Official Google Blog

Thursday, November 03, 2011

Gmail new design interface

Gmail has started rolling out it new design to all users, after releasing a sneak preview on it about 2 weeks ago. If you have seen the preview, you shouldn't be surprised at the roll out.

New features

Modern look
New themes
Clean conversations
Improved search
More control
And much more

» Gmail’s new look | Official Gmail Blog

Friday, October 21, 2011

New Gmail Design?

A leaked product demo reveals a few great changes Google has in store for Gmail, including a redone action bar, a new conversation display, an improved search interface and a screen-friendly layout that automatically adjusts depending on your window size.

According to the demo, the conversation view is getting an overhaul to better show the details, and profile pictures will start showing up in contacts to help you keep track of who's who. The entire window will also be resize better than it does currently. The video snuck out of the Googleplex a little early, as we're not seeing any changes yet.

» Gmail Getting an Interface Overhaul with Better Conversation Display, Search, Auto-Resizing, and More | LifeHacker

Saturday, September 24, 2011

Multiple sign in and preferences supported on Gmail for Mobile

Gmail for your mobile browser is getting better with many new supports including multiple sign-ins.

The new features are:

Multiple sign-in support

Just like on your desktop, you can now to sign into multiple accounts simultaneously.

Mobile-specific signature

It is now possible to set your signature just for your mobile.

Vacation Auto-Responder

Ever forgotten to set your out-of-office auto-reply in Gmail before going on a trip? You don’t have to worry about that anymore, since you can now set your auto-reply using the mobile interface.

» Introducing multiple sign-in and preferences on Gmail for mobile | Official Gmail Blog

Read the Gmail Inbox Feed with .NET and OAuth

Interesting read for web developers.

» Read the Gmail Inbox Feed with .NET and OAuth | Google Apps Developer Blog

Thursday, September 01, 2011

Offline Google Mail from Chrome Web Store

Google is launching a new Gmail web app and updates to Calendar and Docs, to equip them with offline capability.

Gmail Offline is a Chrome Web Store app that’s intended for situations when you need to read, respond to, organize and archive email without an internet connection. This HTML5-powered app is based on the Gmail web app for tablets, which was built to function with or without web access. After you install the Gmail Offline app from the Chrome Web Store, you can continue using Gmail when you lose your connection by clicking the Gmail Offline icon on Chrome’s “new tab” page.

Description of the Gmail Offline app:

Gmail Offline beta is a Gmail app built to support offline access, allowing mail to be read, responded to, searched and archived without network access. After first start-up, Gmail Offline will automatically synchronize messages and queued actions anytime Chrome is running and an Internet connection is available. More than just an offline app, the streamlined user interface, based off Gmail’s popular tablet interface, provides extremely fast response time with a pure, email focused experience.

To start Offline Gmail after installing, open a new tab in Chrome; In the new tab pane you will see a Gmail Offline Icon. Click on the icon, and Offline Gmail will load.

Download Offline Google Mail from Chrome Web Store here.

For information on Offline Google Calendar, click here.

Google launches Offline Gmail, Calendar and Docs

After plans to shut down Gears and removing Gears offline support on Chrome, Google has now finally execute its plan to go offline using HTML 5 technology.

Google is launching a new Gmail web app and updates to Calendar and Docs, to equip them with offline capability.

Gmail Offline is a Chrome Web Store app that’s intended for situations when you need to read, respond to, organize and archive email without an internet connection. This HTML5-powered app is based on the Gmail web app for tablets, which was built to function with or without web access. After you install the Gmail Offline app from the Chrome Web Store, you can continue using Gmail when you lose your connection by clicking the Gmail Offline icon on Chrome’s “new tab” page.

When you’re offline in Google Calendar, you can view events from your calendars and RSVP to appointments. With Google Docs you can view documents and spreadsheets when you don’t have a connection. For now, offline editing is not yet ready but work is on its way to make this possible. To get started using Google Calendar or Google Docs offline, just click the gear icon at the top right corner of the web app and select the option for offline access.

» Using Gmail, Calendar and Docs without an Internet connection | Official Gmail Blog

Sunday, August 14, 2011

Gmail Preview Pane

Gmail recently released a new labs feature "Preview Pane". As the name suggests, it provides a preview pane to read mail right next to your list of conversations, making mail reading faster.

To enable "Preview Pane",

Go to Lab under Settings
Find and enable "Preview Pane"
Save changes

After you enable Preview Pane from the Labs tab in Gmail Settings you’ll see a toggle button in the top right corner of your message list, which lets you switch between preview and list views. After you enable Preview Pane from the Labs tab in Gmail Settings you'll see a toggle button in the top right corner of your message list, which lets you switch between preview and list views. Preview can either be a "Vertical Split" or a "Horizontal Split". By default there is a 3-second delay in marking a conversation as read after previewing it. If that doesn't feel natural to you, you can change the timing in the General tab of settings.

I feel this should be a permanent feature but of course with option to disable preview.

» New in Labs: Preview Pane | Official Gmail Blog

Sunday, July 31, 2011

Microsoft creates "Gmail Man" to encourage moving from Gmail to Office 365

Microsoft created a character called the "Gmail Man", acting as a postman who reads people's mails and does not care about privacy in a purpose to coming out with targeted ads. This is an attempt to convince businesses to choose Office 365 instead of Google Apps. Google moving in on its rival's turf as it picks up enterprise email business with Gmail at the expense of Microsoft Exchange must have got the Redmond crew "hot".

This video could be a response to Gmail's Email Intervention campaign.

Gmail Email Intervention - Getting your friends to move to Gmail

Google Gmail has staged a marketing campaign on its Gmail - Email Intervention, trying to move users from other platforms e.g. Microsoft Hotmail and Yahoo! Mail to Google Gmail.

Email Intervention provides 3 email templates that can be used as the email body for the intervention email blaster.

1. Straightforward: I'm here to help

I’m writing this note in order to help you. I know you’re still comfortable with your old email program, but I’d like to invite you to try Gmail -- I’m pretty sure you’ll like it better. Gmail has world-renowned spam protection and innovative features that help you filter your mail, get to important messages more quickly, and search your entire mail history in seconds. You can even do cool stuff like video chat or call phones directly from your inbox.

All you have to do is have the courage to make the change, and I’m here to help. Are you ready?

2. Concerned: I'm worried about you

I’ve been your friend for a long time, so please know that when I say this, I am saying it from the heart.

I’m worried about you. Year after year goes by and you’re still using that outdated email program. I can’t sit idly by and watch how this is affecting you and those around you, so I’m staging an email intervention and I’m committed to helping you make the switch to Gmail.

Think about it: is there any good reason not to enjoy superior spam protection, instant search, nested conversations and cool stuff like video chat or the ability to call phones directly from your inbox?

So I say to you, bluntly but lovingly: I realize change can be scary, but it’s time to switch to Gmail. Do it for me, do it for everyone else in your life, but most importantly, do it for yourself.

I believe in you.

3. Outraged: You're embarrassing me

If you had something stuck between your teeth or tissue paper stuck to your shoe, you’d want me to tell you, right? Well, today I have to speak candidly to you about something even more embarrassing: your email address.

Yeah, I said it. It’s time to give up that email service you got when you first discovered the Internet and make the switch to Gmail.

I mean, think about it. Everyone else has tons of storage, instant search, nested conversations, even cool tools like video chat and the ability to call phones directly from your inbox.

Everyone but you, that is.

Seriously. I’m sorry its come to this, but you’ve left me no choice but to stage an intervention. Trust me, I’m doing you a favor. You don’t really want to be the only one who just doesn’t get it, do you?

No. You don’t. You really don’t. Time to suck it up and switch to Gmail.

Staging an intervention is simple:

Visit emailintervention.com
Sign in and automatically identify who from your contacts has yet to make the switch, or just enter a friend’s email address manually
Choose from one of three intervention message templates (“straightforward”, “concerned” or “ embarrassed”), and add your own intervention video if you’d like
Send a customized email and follow up as needed

Start your Email Intervention now!

» Save your friends from outdated email—help them switch to Gmail | Official Gmail Blog

Gmail Snooze with Apps Script

Google Apps Developer Blog published a snippet of code on that will help users "snooze" specific emails in Gmail, removing them from the Inbox and bringing them back for reading later.

What is Gmail Snooze?

One feature that some of us really wanted was for Gmail to let you “snooze” an email. Snoozing means archiving an email for now, but having it automatically reappear in the inbox at some specified time in the future. With Apps Script you can extend Gmail to add this functionality and a lot more yourself.

How to set it up?

1. Go to Google Docs and create a new spreadsheet, then choose "Script editor" from the "Tools" menu.

2. Save the spreadsheet.

3. Paste the following code snippet in the "Script editor".

var MARK_UNREAD = false;
var ADD_UNSNOOZED_LABEL = false;

function getLabelName(i) {
  return "Snooze/Snooze " + i + " days";
}

function setup() {
  // Create the labels we’ll need for snoozing
  GmailApp.createLabel("Snooze");
  for (var i = 1; i <= 7; ++i) {
    GmailApp.createLabel(getLabelName(i));
  }
  if (ADD_UNSNOOZED_LABEL) {
    GmailApp.createLabel("Unsnoozed");
  }
}

function moveSnoozes() {
  var oldLabel, newLabel, page;
  for (var i = 1; i <= 7; ++i) {
    newLabel = oldLabel;
    oldLabel = GmailApp.getUserLabelByName(getLabelName(i));
    page = null;
    // Get threads in "pages" of 100 at a time
    while(!page || page.length == 100) {
      page = oldLabel.getThreads(0, 100);
      if (page.length > 0) {
        if (newLabel) {
          // Move the threads into "today’s" label
          newLabel.addToThreads(page);
        } else {
          // Unless it’s time to unsnooze it
          GmailApp.moveThreadsToInbox(page);
          if (MARK_UNREAD) {
            GmailApp.markThreadsUnread(page);
          }
          if (ADD_UNSNOOZED_LABEL) {
            GmailApp.getUserLabelByName("Unsnoozed")
              .addToThreads(page);
          }          
        }     
        // Move the threads out of "yesterday’s" label
        oldLabel.removeFromThreads(page);
      }  
    }
  }
}

4. Save script.

5. Execute setup() function from Run → setup menu. This will create the Snooze labels.

6. Setup a new trigger from Triggers → Current project's triggers menu, choosing the moveSnoozes() function, a "time-driven" event, "day timer," and then "midnight to 1am".

7. Save everything when done.

There are a whole load of services available Google Apps Script can do e.g. Calendar, Mail and Maps.

» Gmail Snooze with Apps Script | Official Gmail Blog

Sunday, July 24, 2011

Make multiple calls in Gmail

According to the official Gmail Blog, their new multi-call capability allows you to put callers on hold with Gmail's phone service, picking up another call at the same time. This is not a conference call feature but rather, it is more like a call-waiting feature.

If you’re in a call and make a second one, your first call will be put on hold while you talk on your new call. You can switch between calls by pressing the “Resume” button on the call you want to talk on, which will automatically put the previous call on hold.

Gmail Multiple Calls

» Make multiple calls in Gmail | Official Gmail Blog

Saturday, July 09, 2011

Gmail allows you to pick your favourite inbox style

Over the coming weeks, Gmail will be rolling out several new inbox styles to help you manage your mail in the way that works best for you. You can easily choose a style from the tabs at the top of your inbox:

Tabs at the top of inbox

The several inbox styles are as such:

Classic - This is the default inbox style most people are used to. In the Classic inbox, messages are ordered chronologically, with your most recent email at the top.
Priority Inbox - Important and unread messages appear at the top of your inbox, then starred messages, then everything else. Each section can be customized further, so you can create your own inbox style.
Important first - This style puts important mail at the top of the page (both read and unread messages). Everything else is in its own section at the bottom of your inbox. You may have noticed that we turned on importance arrows for everyone a few weeks ago; this inbox style separates messages with these arrows from those without.
Unread first - Simple: unread mail at the top; everything else at the bottom.
Starred first - Starred messages at the top; everything else at the bottom.

After you've settled on a style you like and used it for about a week, these tabs will go away, You can always change your inbox style from the drop down menu next to the Inbox label or from the Settings page.

Inbox styles selection from the left

» New! Pick your favorite inbox style | Official Gmail Blog

Friday, July 01, 2011

Gmail new look - Minimalist and Simplistic

Gmail just rolled out 2 new themes - “Preview” and “Preview (Dense)” themes. These 2 new themes provide the minimalist and simplistic look-and-feel, certainly easy on my eyes too.

Why two themes? Our new interface will eventually expand dynamically to accommodate different screen sizes and user preferences

Neither of the 2 themes are the default just yet, so to turn it on:

Go to your Themes tab in Gmail Settings
Choose either the Preview (Dense) or Preview theme.

Here’s what one of the new themes currently looks like:

And in conversation view:

» A preview of Gmail’s new look | Official Gmail Blog

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