When the user activates the SMS function (which is currently still in beta phase), the user can enter a telephone number using the chat window, and then he can start sending SMS messages. An other advantage to this new function is the possibility to receive SMS messages. Google couples a telephone number to your Google-account.

This new function is available through Google Labs, the testing platform of Google. Through this platform users can test the newest features released by Google.

The tool basically emails files to your Gmail account, so is limited by the maximum file size you can email. This is traditionally 10mb but isn't written in stone.

As with normal emails Gmail will place the files into your Inbox folder. If you start storing a lot of files, this can get messy pretty quickly. Create a rule that moves your stored files into the Gmail Archive instead, which will keep the Inbox clutter free.

All files uploaded using the GMail Drive have a subject that contains the text GMAILFS. Using this text create a filter that automatically places any messages with that subject into the Archive.

Login to Gmail and click on Create Filter link next to the search button. Enter GMAILFS as the subject filter and go to the next step. Tick the box to skip the inbox and then create the filter.
Now when you upload a file it will automatically bypass your Inbox and be stored in the Archive.

One thing that plagues many people about Gmail is the interface. Many people don't care for the default interface and try to find ways to improve it, such as through Firefox addons. One of the best ways to spruce up your Gmail experience is by visiting the website, Userstyles.org. Upon installing the Firefox addon, Stylish, you can then use the styles that are contained on the website.

Globex Designs has created a brand new Gmail interface that can be used with the Stylish Firefox addon. So what does the style look like? Check it out!

This is a huge improvement over the default interface.

Another thing that makes Gmail so popular is the sheer amount of space it offers, with the amount being upped daily. So why not take advantage of this space? With GSpace, you can. GSpace is another firefox extension which uploads files to your Gmail account for safekeeping. Any file extension that gmail allows and is within the upload limit can be stored within. This makes online file storage virtually obsolete except for larger files. GSpace organizes the emails by the file name, and you can optionally label the emails for quick referencing. It's like having an online file cabinet that goes anywhere, for free.

An application called Instant Messenger (IM) has attracted more and more attentions from the internet users around the world lately. It is said that IM has provided them a brilliant platform to communicate using PC with a relatively lower cost as compared to other medium of communications. Anyone can use IM regardless where he or she came from. The borderless form of communication has enabled a close relationship emerging between friend, relative, family member, and even entrepreneur to deliver their messages instantly and effectively. Some of the IM platforms even allow for using video and sound instead of the text itself.

Below I listed some of the services provided by the IM that are used extensively anywhere and anytime by the internet users.

AOL Instant Messenger

AOL became the most well-known IM ten years ago. Its popularity particularly dealing with its excellent services has successfully attracted many users which later leading the company to release stand-alone official AIM client called AOL Instant Messenger or AIM. AIM uses TOC protocol and OSCAR instant messaging protocol which was released by AOL on May, 1997 and it permits registered users to communicate in real time. The new version was specifically designed for WindowXP to enable the internet users to use video and sound, sharing files and other attractive features which are added from time to time.

AIM is always regarded as the most popular method of sending instant message as it has the largest group of registered users as compared to other IM interfaces listed here. Indeed, it is a user-friendly tool that is easily manipulated by the users to communicate with each other. AOL also offers an AIM client software which can be used for Mac OS X, Mac Os, and Linus.

Yahoo Messenger

The application of Yahoo Messenger enables its users to communicate each other by using the provided current Yahoo ID to sign in. It comes with an attractive emoticon, direct communication via video, fail transfer and so forth. Its front page appears to be more attractive as compared to other IM platforms but its users are lesser than AOL. It is a user-friendly communication tool and thus it is more appropriate to be recommended for a newbie who wishes to communicate friends, relative and family members.

The interesting feature of Yahoo Messenger is that the users are allowed to share photos easily and effectively. Instead, you can choose the theme to indicate your mood or feeling via its excellent feature called IMVironments. Indeed, it is the best IM client and hence it is worth using it. Its new version, Version 8, comes with the added Voice to make the communication sounds more attractive and impressive. This version also enables the users to include “Widgets” into the new messenger. With this added feature, you can exchange message with other users who use MSN Messenger and Window Live.

Google Talk

Google is the search engine favored by the most internet users as compared to Yahoo, Ask, Netscape and other search engine sites. Google provides its web-based application for instant messaging and voice over internet (VOIP) called Google Talk or simply known as Gtalk. Gtalk enables its users to make calls instantly and effectively without paying a single cent. It also allows the communication of other XMPP (eXtensible Messaging and Presence Protocol) clients with Google Talk users with its open protocol, XMPP. Now, BlackBerry is available to use within Google Talk which can be downloaded at Google Talk's blackberry. There is also an Add Friend button, a “Search all contacts” field to enable searches in both Google Talk and Gmail contacts.

Google has made the communication more convenient by introducing Google Apps Team addition to enable talks among co-workers or classmates taken place in a friendly environment. With this add-in application, anyone can obtain Google Docs to create and share documents, spreadsheets and presentations. As Google Apps Team addition recognizes the connections to co-worker or classmates effectively, their contacts will automatically be added in your contact list. To try this, try visit Google Apps Team Addition Homepage.

Google Talk is a good platform to choose for an instant messaging and open communication as it can be used for many languages. To do this, you just add any of the 23 other translation bots. They are all named by two-letter language abbreviations as "[from language]2[to language]@bot.talk.google.com", and the supported language pairs are: ar2en, de2en, de2fr, el2en, en2ar, en2de, en2el, en2es, en2fr, en2it, en2ja, en2ko, en2nl, en2ru, en2zh, es2en, fr2de, fr2en, it2en, ja2en, ko2en, nl2en, ru2en, zh2en. So, French to German translation, talk to fr2de@bot.talk.google.com.

On June 4, 2008, Google has added many other languages with the aims to reduce the language barriers with automated chat translations many people have been experiencing. The new bots speak Bulgarian (bg), Croatian (hr), Czech (cs), Danish (da), Finnish (fi), Hindi (hi), Norwegian (no), Polish (pl), Portuguese (pt), Romanian (ro), Swedish (sv) and Traditional Chinese (zh-hant). Basically, there are 26 new bots: bg2en, cs2en, da2en, en2bg, en2cs, en2da, en2fi, en2hi, en2hr, en2no, en2pl, en2pt, en2ro, en2sv, en2zh-hant, fi2en, hi2en, hr2en, no2en, pl2en, pt2en, ro2en, sv2en, zh-hant2en, zh-hant2zh, and zh2zh-hant. To check out the full list of supported languages, simply log in to supported language combinations.

ICQ

ICQ is an instant messaging commonly called “I seek you” which is regarded as a stand-alone IM client since it was first released in November, 1996. It was also the first to have features like “Buddy” and an interactive communication platform. This application has become portion of family AOL Time Warner, but unfortunately it is not advertised extensively like AIM. It is an application compatible with the PC operation of OS which includes cell phone and Symbian OS. That is why it is not surprising to find that its usage is growing.

ICQ provides many excellent features which make it stands firmly among other IM platforms. It has marvelous features include spelling checker, file transfer, “Push to talk” (PTT) service, video messaging and e-mail integration. Not only ICQ let you communicate with friends and colleagues in real time, but also you can play many online games to entertain yourself. ICQ is definitely the best choice for anyone who wishes to search for an attractive and entertaining IM platform.

MSN

Like other leading websites, Microsoft provides its excellent IM plug-in known as MSN Messenger. If you wish to use the services provided by MSN Messenger, you should first have a registered Hotmail to access this type of IM platform. It offers many interesting features such as video messaging, voice communication, emotion icons and many more.

MSN Messenger also comes with a facility to enable you to search via IM to obtain your desired findings. That means you can use it as a web search without opening another window. This feature is very unique as it is not available at other IM clients. MSN is an ideal web-search and IM interface for entrepreneurs, organizations, institutions, administrative and the home users as well. The other amazing feature is that you can leave a message or send a note even you are offline. Despite a large number of people are engaging with PC Windows every day, it is undeniably that this platform has improved the searches, instant messaging and real-time communication in a wide coverage.

Jabber

Jabber is an excellent XML-based protocol to enable real-time instant messaging for e-business. The protocol is added to include Voice over IP and file transfer signaling. It is unique that it integrates the existing e-business into a more personal and dynamic environment. Despite of this excellent feature, Jabber has enabled the communication with other IM platforms to be taken place at the same time with AIM and MSN. Nevertheless, it is not suitable for a newbie who is not familiar with the interface of IM. Once you have familiar with Jabber, it could be a marvelous tool used specifically for an extensible messaging and presence information (buddy lists). Unlike other IM clients, Jabber is an open system that requires its users to use their domain name and a suitable Internet connection to access the server and to talk to users from other IM platforms like Google Talk, Pidgin, Miranda IM, Gizmo Project, Psi and iChat as well.

iChat

iChat is an AIM client by Apple Inc. that allows users to integrate MSN, Yahoo and Google Talk contacts into the Jabber pane. This client provides an excellent facility to enable its users to communicate with either users from Mac, AIM or Jabber. With its new features of video backdrops, Photo Booth effects, Keynote presentation and photo slideshows making iChat a fun and live on-line messaging tool to connect people around the world.

The most unique feature of iChat is that it enables a full-screen personal video conference over thousand miles away via any type of broadband connections. Besides that, an application of iChat provides an interesting client to be integrated with OS X. Therefore, Mac users who are using AIM should give iChat a try.

1. Personal Diary

   Dear diary... you can set up filters and a new Gmail account so you can keep a record of your day-to-day activites. Create a new account and set up a filter so emails coming to that email address will be labelled "Diary" or "Journal" etc. and go straight to the archives. You'll be surprised at how quickly those emails can build up!

2. A Baby Book

   Rafe Needleman of the site Webware posted his "parent hack" - he sends important details of his child's development to a dedicated Gmail account. He sets up a filter so it goes directly to the archives. He also forwards email from that account to another PC-based email account, which is backed up using Carbonite, making the chances of losing his precious baby's memories almost zilch.

3. A Virtual Drive

   Backup, portability... whatever: you can use Gmail as a virtual drive using Gmail Drive. Because there's such a ridiculous amount of storage on Gmail, why not put this to better use by storing your files on it? Gmail Drive integrates into your computer (meaning that you can save onto it the same way you save into My Documents, etc.), so it's easy to use.

4. Email Blacklists

   Receiving too much spam from one email address? Is a company sending you too many "newsletters"? Is a friend bombarding you with chain letters? You can add all of these email addresses to your blacklist by setting up a filter sending all of their emails that you receive straight to the spam folder or trash - it's up to you. If you're a steadfast user of another mail program, try using Gmail as your "watchguard". It has a better spam filter than other web-based emails and you can also filter out any unwanted email using Gmail's filtering feature.

eBay has a way of keeping you up to date on your auctions when you're doing other things than staring at your computer like a mindless drone. All you need is a cell phone and eBay will happily provide this service for you for a quarter. 25 cents per auction. Ouch. Considering that I'm actively watching 13 different items at the moment - $3.25 doesn't seem too fair when they can email me for free.

If you visit the preferences section of eBay, you can get notification emails for free, and you can be notified of nearly everything imaginable:

Buying Notifications

• Watched item ending reminder
• Watched item daily list
• Watched item emails for relisted items
• Bid confirmation
• Outbid
• Winning buyer
• Non-winning bidder
• Second Chance Offer
• Personalized New Item Updates
• Daily buying status
• Want It Now reminder

Selling Notifications

• Saved draft reminder (Sell Your Item form)
• Listing confirmation
• Sold item
• Unsold item
• Buyer checkout
• Selling account invoices
• Daily selling status

MAKING IT WORK

You'll be using a couple free services to make this happen. First - Gmail - a free web based email program built by Google, and teleflip to help forward your email notifications to your wireless device.

So, make a Gmail account if you don't already have one - you don't have to change your life around or anything. You can keep whatever other email you use. From your Gmail inbox, look to the upper right hand corner of your browser and find “Settings.”

From there, choose “Filters.”

At the bottom of the Filters Tab, choose “Create a New Filter.”

What you'll be doing is forwarding all emails from eBay to your wireless device. When eBay sends you an email - “eBay” is in the “From:” field. Therefore, you will type eBay in the “From:” field. Then click on “Next Step”

Now that you have told Gmail what to look for, you have to tell it what to do with it. You want it to forward to your wireless device. Teleflip helps here by automatically determining what your wireless device “email” address is.

On the page that follows, Choose the check box for “Forward it to:” and type in your 10 digit wireless number @teleflip.com. Once you click “Create Filter” you're done! Wireless phone emails count as text messages and are billed by your wireless provider accordingly. Most plans have a provision for text messages.

After your filter is created you can modify it accordingly - here are some examples:

• In the “Forward it to:” field, put any other email address you would like to receive the update separated with commas
• Create several filters to further customize your notifications
• Keep your eBay stuff organized and separated by automatically applying labels

So here's the little tip for all you GMail users and the GMail newbie.

Let's say your address is SantaClaus@gmail.com (Believe me, Uncle Santa would be the happiest to get this tip. It will take care of all his mails on Christmas Eve)

Any email sent to the permutations of the id will be forwarded to your email. What kind of permutations, you might ask? Like these, for example -

Santa.Claus@gmail.com

S.antaClaus@gmail.com

Sant.aClaus@gmail.com

...and so on with the dots.

You can play around with the placement of the dots. The fun doesn't end here. You can place multiple dots too, like - S.a.n.t.a.C.l.a.u.s@gmail.com, though anybody with such an id would be quite "dotty" !

Their is another interesting feature up GMail's sleeve and it is called 'Plus Addressing'. The way it works is simplicity itself. You can tweak your main GMail account for some special purposes. Just follow me...

First go to the Settings option in your Email. Navigate to Filters  Create new filter.

Here in the "To" field enter your email ID + the name you would like to create. For e.g.; if your GMail ID is SantaClaus@gmail.com, you can create a filter - SantaClaus+gifts@gmail.com for all your mails regarding gifts.

Next you need to specify where you would like the mails to this ID sent to. You can select any of the five options...

Now, as Santa you can use the SantaClaus+gifts@gmail.com and all your mails using this id will be filtered according to your selection.

This is quite handy for organizing your Inbox. For example, their may be some forum mails or newsletters which you just want to archive for a later read. You can use a specially created id just like this for sorting them. Another use that I find really useful is to use this feature to create a temporary id and delete it when I no longer need it. I am sure you will be able to find your own uses for this nifty GMail trick.

As for Santa, does he have a GMail id?

Emoticons - love "em or hate "em, you can't escape them. Those little faces which have reduced our emotional expressions to a couple keystrokes and some pixels…. Well, sometimes it feels as though they've taken over the world, with a life of their own. But we use them all the same, for fun and convenience while expressing ourselves during that oh so postmodern phenomenon of communicating by internet chat.

Whatever your chat service of choice, there is surely an emoticon service that comes along with it. Gmail is my personal favourite; I live in my email, as do many of my friends and colleagues, so it only makes sense to exchange news, plans and gossip from right within the chat screen. Gmail's convenience is also fun… the emoticons available on gmail chat are among my favourites, because they're animated in a slow and attractive way, while still derived from the old-fashioned vocabulary of semicolons and round brackets. None of these flashy yellow happy faces with pink tongues and annoying voices for me!

So if you love gmail, and feel that nothing expresses your mood like a couple of dots and a dash, then check out this list of animated emoticons for gmail. You might find a few new ones you'd never imagined, like the cowbell, for those hard-to-define feelings that sweep over you from time to time.

[angry] = x-(

[big nose wink] = ;^)

[cool] = B-)

[cowbell] = +/'\

[cry] = :'(

[devil] = }:-)

[equal grin] = =D

[equal smile] = =)

[frown] = :(

[grin] = :D

[mustache] = :{

[pig] = :(:)

[crab] = V.v.V

[heart] = <3

[broken heart] =

[monkey] = :(|)

[nose grin] = :-D

[nose smile] = :-)

[nose wink] = ;-)

[rockout] = \m/

[shocked] = :-o

[slant] = :-/

[smile] = :)

[straightface] = :-|

[tongue] = :P

[wince] = >.<

[kiss star] = :*

[kiss x] = :-x

Things you'll need:

Mozilla's Thunderbird e-mail client, found here

About 5-10 minutes of your time to set up your e-mail account

If you have a Yahoo! e-mail address and no upgraded service, the Yahoo! Widgets program, found here

AOL Standard (@aol.com, @aim.com, or @netscape.net)

After installing Thunderbird, launch it. It should ask you to set up an e-mail account. Make sure e-mail account is selected and click next. Enter your name and e-mail address and click next. Select IMAP at the top of the page. In the incoming server box, type imap.aim.com (for @aim.com or @netscape.net e-mail addresses) or imap.aol.com (for @aol.com e-mail addresses). In the outgoing server box, type smtp.aim.com (for @aim.com or @netscape.net e-mail addresses) or smtp.aol.com (for @aol.com e-mail addresses). Click next.

From your e-mail address that you typed in earlier, the program will obtain your username, but make sure it is correct before clicking next on this page. Choose your account name; it can be anything. Click next again, and then check to make sure everything is correct before clicking finish.

Unfortunately, the AOL and AIM services require advanced settings, so we're not done yet. Attempting to access your account before this advanced section is complete usually gets you a message from the server stating that you need to use ESMTP, EHLO, and AUTH. On the bar right above the toolbar, click Tools and then Account Settings. To the left, under the account name of the account you created, click Server Settings. To the right, under Security Settings, click “Use secure authentication.” Then, back on the left, go to Outgoing Server (SMTP) and, on the right, click Edit.

A new window should come up; under Security and Authentication in this window, check off User Name and Password and then type in your user name. Make sure “No” is selected under Secure Connection. Finally, click Ok in both windows that were open, and attempt to synchronize your mail. It will ask you for your password at first, but then your mail will be there.

AOL's My eAddress

Follow instructions from the section above, using imap.aol.com, but your user name in all cases is your whole e-mail address. For example, if your e-mail address is Joe@myemails.com, the whole thing is your user name.

Google's G-Mail (@gmail.com)

After installing Thunderbird, launch it. It should ask you to set up an e-mail account. Make sure e-mail account is selected and click next. Enter your name and e-mail address and click next. Select POP at the top of the page, and input pop.gmail.com in the Incoming Server box. For the outgoing server, type smtp.gmail.com in the Outgoing Server box. Click next. From your e-mail address that you typed in earlier, the program will obtain your username, but make sure it is correct before clicking next on this page.

Choose your account name; it can be anything. Click next again, and then check to make sure everything is correct before clicking finish.

Attempt to synchronize your mail, and it will ask you for your password. Type it in and click ok. You will receive all of your mail from that e-mail account.

Yahoo! Upgraded Service (@yahoo.com)

This is only for those who pay to get an enhanced Yahoo! mailbox. See instructions below for regular (free) e-mail accounts.

After installing Thunderbird, launch it. It should ask you to set up an e-mail account. Make sure e-mail account is selected and click next. Enter your name and e-mail address and click next. Select POP at the top of the page, and input pop.mail.yahoo.com in the Incoming Server box. For the outgoing server, type smtp.mail.yahoo.com. Click next. From your e-mail address that you typed in earlier, the program will obtain your username, but make sure it is correct before clicking next on this page. Choose your account name; it can be anything. Click next again, and then check to make sure everything is correct before clicking finish.

There's more to be done. On the bar right above the toolbar, click Tools and then Account Settings. To the left, under the account name of the account you created, click Server Settings. To the right, under Security Settings, click “Use secure authentication” and select SSL under the Use Secure Connection setting. Also, change the port setting above the security settings box to 995. Then, back on the left, go to Outgoing Server (SMTP) and, on the right, click Edit.

A new window should come up; under Security and Authentication in this window, check off User Name and Password and then type in your username. Make sure “SSL” is selected under Secure Connection, and then change the port number in the Settings box to 465. Click ok in both windows. Attempt to synchronize your mail, and it will ask you for your password. Type it in and click ok. You will receive all of your mail from that e-mail account.

Yahoo! Standard Mail (@yahoo.com)

This process will not get your mail in Thunderbird, because Yahoo! standard mail cannot be accessed unless you login to the webmail server at yahoo.com. So, instead, I can save you the trip to the Yahoo! page to see if you have mail by using Yahoo! Widgets.

Install Yahoo! Widgets, and then right click the Widgets icon in the taskbar (it looks like two small gears on a small black background) and select Open Dock. On the right side of your screen, a small black tab should appear; hover your mouse over it to open it up, and then click the plus sign in the upper right hand corner (it should be about the height of your screen after pressing the plus button).

Find the Yahoo! Mail Checker by using the arrows at the bottom of the screen to scroll through the widgets, and then click on it to make it appear on your desktop. Enter your Yahoo! username and password, and it will show you how many new messages you have waiting. Clicking on the number of unread messages opens up your web browser and takes you directly to Yahoo! Mail.

MSN (@msn.com or @hotmail.com)

Sorry, but only the paid Microsoft Live Hotmail subscribers can get their mail from their desktop. Even worse, there is no Yahoo! Widget or Windows Sidebar Gadget to do this job for you. Finally, only Microsoft Outlook, Outlook Express, and Windows Mail can display these messages. But several Yahoo! Widgets are available that will tell you about new messages. Search the (located at Yahoo! Widgets) website to find one you like, because there are several.