Google Cloud Making It Greener, GMail, YouTube Is Keeping Our World Cooler.

Google has over the years has helped more than 4 Million business to bring their enterprise email to GMail, otherwise cloudify their email services. Just taking these business email services to account, after a bit of simple computing, it is evident that small business are wasting much more energy than necessary by hosting own email.
Smaller the business, higher the energy (KWh per user) spent on hosting the own email servers. These could go high as 175KWh or more. If the business decided to host the email with GMail (with their own domain name etc) this energy usage can drop drastically, to less than 2.2 KWh per user.
While large business with about 10,000 users could bring down the energy usage (7.6 KWh per user) it is still more than what GMail uses.
Google has published a paper, Google’s Green Computing:Efficiency at Scale (PDF), that explains the energy saving using the GMail cloud services.
Just to compare, if you are delivering videos over the sneaker net;

You’d have to watch YouTube for three straight days for our servers to consume the amount of energy required to manufacture, package and ship a single DVD.

Our small company, with less than 10 users, used to host our own email server(s) but now all our email is is hosted with GMail. In addition to direct energy saving, we are saving much more energy spent on maintaining the servers and on top of it, energy and time spent on SPAM and Virus protection, DOS protection, and script kiddies handling among other things. The only servers that we run today are our DNS servers (two tiny little plugcomputer). Even those could go away, if Google can provide us with DNS services!

Gmail: It’s cooler in the cloud - Official Gmail Blog
also on Green Blog

Gmail for Mobile, Get Sharper, Smoother And Shines On Retina Display

GMail for Mobile http://snapvoip.blogspot.com/
If you are a GMail for Mobile user like I am, you will be glad to hear that GMail team has brought in some improvements and face lifts to make the handling of email messages while mobile a pleasant activity.
"Pull down to refresh" and "Release to refresh" will surely come in handy as I receive too many emails at any given time. I have no trouble handling the email stream on the desktop but it is a task on my iPhone or the Android.
The iPhone 4 users with retina display will see improved hires graphics making handling email a pleasant exercise.
In addition the GMail team has introduced transitions for the message interface. When you tap on a message or go back to the inbox, menu or go back the views will slides left or right making view switching smoother.
Visit mail.google.com on your mobile browser to check out the latest updates to Gmail for mobile.
Gmail for mobile, now sharper and smoother - Official Gmail Blog

Your Google Voice : Global And Individual SPAM Management

Google Voice Spam Management http://snapvoip.blogspot.com/
Ever since I started using GMail, say for last 7 years, I have been largely shielded from spam that infects every other mail system I use.
There have been a few times that some spam gets through but I always, report those, preventing them from appearing in my inbox next time.
So same goes for my / our Google Voice accounts, there are some spammy calls that ring our phones and we again report spam.
You can activate your spam control by taking a few simple steps;

Global Spam Filtering

Global Spam Filtering makes it possible to automatically redirect calls, texts, and voicemails from any of the numbers in the Google database that have been identified as spam directly into your spam folder. To enable this feature simply:

1. Click the wrench icon and select Voice Settings.
2. Click the Call tab.
3. Check the box next to Global Spam Filtering.

1. 
   

If a number ends up incorrectly marked as spam, you can easily unblock it by selecting the message and clicking the Not Spam button in your spam folder.

And for spam individual callers management or completely blocking callers;

Spam from Individual Callers

If you get unwanted calls, you can choose to send the caller directly to voicemail, treat all calls from a particular number as spam, or block the caller. Follow these steps:

1. Go to your Contacts list in Google Voice.
2. Select the checkbox next to your contact's name.
3. Click Edit Google Voice Settings and select the second radio button under the 'When this contact calls you:' section, next to the drop-down menu.
4. Choose one of these options from the drop-down menu:
   
   • Send to Voicemail: None of your phones will ring, but the caller will be prompted to leave you a voicemail message.
   • Treat as Spam: The caller will hear ringing and then be prompted to leave you a voicemail message. None of your phones will ring. The voicemail will be automatically marked in your inbox as Spam, and you won't receive a notification for the voicemail.
   • Block Caller: The caller will hear a 'Number not in service' message when calling your Google number. None of your phones will ring. The call will be marked as 'Blocked' under 'History' and 'Missed.

Google Voice Blog: Global SPAM filtering

GMail Is The New Twitter Client, Thanks To Rapportive

 
GMail  Twitter Client, http://snapvoip.blogspot.com/
If deep iOS5 integration of Twitter left you awed, this bit of news should at least make you say Huh!. Now at lease Twitter can expect to have similar number of users (200 Million) from GMail, if everyone realize the value of Rapportive. Yes! If you are a GMail user, and of course tweets, now you can do both from your GMail account, I meant emailing and tweeting. This is all thanks to Rapportive plugin for GMail.
Rapportive plugin previously let you see the tweets of people who emailed you, but the change they added today makes a big difference making it very useful. You can now reply to people via Twitter, and retweet others tweets as well, right from Gmail.
It also allows you to follow someone when they sent you an email, provided that you are not following them already. When Twitter informs you of a new follower via email, now you can see the persons recent tweets and allows you to reply directly, without having to fire up a separate Twitter client.
If you are not a Rapportive user, you can make this a good excuse to do so and if you are already a Rapportive user, you will soon be updated and if you can't wait, you can force the plugin to be updated,  by visiting  http://rapportive.com/twitter
You can install the plugin and get more information at Rupportive! Happy Tweeting

Share And Book "Appointment Slots" In Google Calendar.

For those who manage their working and private life through Google services, specially GMail, like me, has something new that I am sure you would appreciate.
So far I have been happy using the Google Calendar to organize and manage my time at work or at home. So do my partners and folks at home, managing their lives with Google Calendar. But these calendars are not in sync, unless we exchange the information via, say GMail. I can see them but I cannot book an available slot on my partners calendar, unless I call and demand it :).
But now, with appointment slots in Google Calendar, things seem to change. Now everyone can manage their appointment availability, online, 24/7, without having actually make a phone or physical contact.

It is pretty simple,

"To get started, set up blocks of time you’d like to offer as appointment slots. Simply click anywhere on your calendar and then on "Appointment slots.” From there, create a single block of time or automatically split a larger block of time into smaller appointment slots."

As every Google Calendar has it's own appointment sign up page and one can offer that directly to anyone you want to share the time slots. Or you can post the URL on your website or email it directly.
Sweet and cool. No more clashes of time slots. and welcome peace of mind!
Read more at

Introducing appointment slots in Google Calendar - Official Gmail Blog

Microsoft Windows Phone 7.1 "Mango" Officially Announced.

Microsoft Phone 7.1 "Mango" http://snapvoip.blogspot.com/
Microsoft has officially announced about Microsoft Phone "Mango" at the Microsoft’s Windows Phone VIP Reception. President of mobile communications at Microsoft, Andy Lees and senior Windows Phone product manager Derek Snyder has given a quick rundown of features and capabilities of the newest version of the Windows Phone platform, WP7.1 or “Mango.”

Supposedly there are 500 new features, but it looks like the main focus is centered around communication, applications, and the mobile internet. There are enhancements to the current service offerings in People Hub, now it has in addition to Facebook, Hotmail, and Gmail, two new services LinkedIn and Twitter.

One other interesting feature is that Mango will get Groups feature, which allows multiple people to communicate across a multiple platforms, while simultaneously integrating those people’s profiles, pictures, and a group history of all events and communication shared. Mango also employs Windows Live Messenger and Facebook Chat to keep you connected with friends, even those on other platforms.

The call history also get a nudge upwards with voicemail, missed calls, text messages, and any calendar events with regards to that particular contact integrated. Speech-to-text will also offer a completely hands-free experience for texting, which was definitely impressive in the demo according to Mobilecrunch.

Is your GMail Down? For Me It Is!

UPDATE: Server is back up and I am getting my email.

GMail Down http://snapvoip.blogspot.com/
I know this should be a tweet but since my posts get tweeted anyways, I decided to post here.
I use GMail in a big way and just now I have been trying to reach my GMail server for a while and the server could not be found> All other Google services seem to be fine.

Switching To Gmail As Easy As Walking Away!

http://snapvoip.blogspot.com/
We all know the benefits of using GMail (We have switched to GMail and other Google services like Google Docs for our work at DiorDna Group now.) and switching from other email providers are becoming much easier.
Almost two years ago, GMail told us how to switch from other providers like AOL or Hotmail. With all the services GMail providing now like easy and free calling and receiving calls from Google Voice it is really beneficial to switch over to GMail.
But the GMail team has thought about all the contacts and mail you have accumulated over the years in your previous accounts. So the team continue to add new email providers to the list you can import contacts and email from. There are 14 new providers in the list of supported email providers:

• aol.com.br
• hotmail.es
• hotmail.it
• hotmail.co.jp
• Kimo.com
• live.jp
• yahoo.es
• yahoo.cn
• yahoo.com.cn
• yahoo.com.hk
• yahoo.com.sg
• yahoo.com.tw
• yahoo.co.jp
• yahoo.it

To make the process even easier GMail team created a site, gmail.com/switch, explaining why and how to switch to GMail. If you have any feedback, please provide them at GMail Support forum.

Switch to Gmail - Official Gmail Blog

Google Click-to-call Comes To GMail!

Google Click-To-Call is going places. Even though unknown to many, Google Click to call has existed for a long time, like with Googletalk in 2005!. But recently with Google Voice and other innovation from other teams, bringing the much desired feature to many Google Service. Few days ago we say mobile search enable click to call numbers for emergency services. Before that Google Local Ads had the same feature for advertisers. Users could call business with a single click.

Now the service has come to Google GMail! When some one sends you a number to call, GMail will linkify the number.

When you click on the number the GMail dialpad will popup

All your contacts will have a phone icon next to their phone numbers. It is very convenient for me as all my contacts are in GMail!

Click to call phone numbers - Official Gmail Blog

Google Voice, How University Professors Use it.

If you thought how could I get creative with Google Voice and out of ideas, after all those call forwarding, call screening, voicemail transcribing and getting your phone calls to follow you, you are in luck.

There is another soul who really gets creative with Google Voice and able to give some ideas.

Todd Stanfield a professor at Union University in Jackson, manages his classes and students with the aid of Google Voice. Dr. Stanfield interacts with students with combining Google Voice with Google Docs and GMail and even draw lines between his professional and private life with it. Follow the link, to learn what he does and to get some inspiration, if needed.

Google Voice Blog: Google Voice & the Snowpocalypse

Say Goodbye to GOOG-411! Hello To SMS 466453!

#GOOG-411 gone but use #466453 http://snapvoip.blogspot.com/
Google is pulling the plug on Google 411 service, GOOG-411 (1-800-GOOG-411) a voice-powered directory assistance service that connect users quickly to businesses across the U.S. and Canada which was launched a three years ago.
The innovative service provided;

• Voice Search - search Google by speaking instead of typing.
• Voice Input - fill in any text field on Android by speaking instead of typing.
• Voice Actions - control your Android phone with voice commands. For example, you can call any business quickly and easily just by saying its name.

Google is not just shutting down the service, it is utilizing the lessons learned elsewhere and if you still need similar service, there are many ways you can get it ro Google it self. If you do not have a smartphone, you can just send a TEXT message to GOOGLE (466453) with the name and the location of the business  as shown above. You can also use Gmail calling feature to call anyone in the US and Canada for free.
Thank you GOOG-411

Email Overload Management With Priority Inbox Feature Of GMail

Email overload? Try Priority Inbox http://snapvoip.blogspot.com/
If you are like me, there will be hundreds of new emails to be read at any given time. That is after filtering out spam, chain letters with excellent Spam management capabilities of GMail.
So for people like me or us, Google is rolling out a new feature called "Priority Inbox", which will allow most important messages that matter, to be displayed on the top.
The feature is in beta and will be deployed in stages, so do not be disappointed if you do not see in you GMail account right away.
Until then you can watch this video to get familiar with;

Google Message Security Is A Finalist In The SC Awards 2010.

Google Message Security snapvoip.blogspot.com
Google Message Security powered by Postini is one of the best I have used so far, (Belive me I have used many a collaboration products from Microsoft, Oracle, and online solutions like hotmail, yahoo mail, even home spun email servers.
But I have never been able to manage false positives and true negatives of spam management let alone other issues such as peoper delivery, spyware and virus control.
My personal GMail, account, which has been there for almost 5 years, detected all the spam and I have never had a spam message delivered to my inbox. Others may have had diference experiences but this is mine.
So I was glad to read that it was nominated for the Reader Trust award in the Best Managed Security Service category award in the 2010 SC Awards
SC Awards has been recognizing the professionals, products, and companies providing security solutions that protect us today, and well into tomorrow with capability in identifying emerging threats, for over a decade now.
It is a great honor for the Google's Postini team and we to wish them luck and thanks for protecting us.

Official Google Enterprise Blog: Google Honored as a Finalist in the 2010 SC Awards
/

Google Voice Voicemail is not Publicly searchable.

I can search my GMail on the web as long as I am logged into my account, do I worry about my mail being public, yes and no. Yes because I want to keep my email private and no because I know my data is private with Google unless I share them with others. That goes for all other information that I create and use on Google. I believe they are not searchable, yes voicemail included.

There was a big questions about Google Voice and it' voicemail privacy yesterday and I was too busy to respond. But Google Voice blog has clarified information for all of us.

Google Voice lets you access your voicemails online from your inbox. Your account is password-protected, like any other Google service, and its content cannot be read by anyone unless you choose to share the information in your account.

You can read and search as much as possible, but Google Voice Voicemail is not Publicly searchable. Follow the link if you need further conformation.
About Voicemail and Privacy

About Voicemail and Privacy

Take Care Of GMail Label Clutter, Hide read labels

GMail Lab folks have introduced a new lab feature that makes it easier to keep the left plank of you GMail page cleaner and neater.
This could be done with

feature called "Hide read labels." Turn it on from the Labs tab under Settings and all your labels without unread messages will be hidden under the "More" menu. Labels with unread messages will automatically show up, unless you've explicitly chosen to keep them hidden.

I really can use this as I have way too many labels and way too many emails to be read and responded. On a side note, I love the way the GMail Spam Filter works, Super!

New in Labs: Hide read labels

Google Voice voicemails In Your Gmail

With a new GMail Lab feature allows you to play your Google Voice Voicemail messages right from the Gmail. Earlier when you got an voicemail notification and the transcript. But if you pressed "play Message", it always opened up a new browser window.
If you are like me and want to keep the windows to minimum, now you can play your voicemail messages from GMail, thanks to a Gmail Labs feature. Once you turn on the Google Voice player, all new voice mail messages could be played from within your GMail.
This is getting better everyday!
You can get more information from following posts;

Google Voice Blog: Play voicemails right from Gmail
Official Gmail Blog: New in Labs: Play Google Voice messages in Gmail

http://snapvoip.blogspot.com/

I Am Becoming A GMail 忍者

But O' Masters, teach me how to bulk erase spam mail on my iPhone!
If you are a GMail user, then  you have a leg up on communicating with people all over the place. Communicating efficiently as well. Features just like the GMail Voice and Chat (the video in that post from the Green belt part of the GMail Ninja guides.)takes the ordinary email to another level.
I use GMail as my main email application. My other accounts are forwarded to it and get labled according to the account which it came from.

If you are not a GMail Ninja do not pret. I have been a GMail user for more than five years and I am still trying to get my black belt.
I also use GMail from my iPhone allowing me to be current with all my emails. And the best part of using GMail on iPhone is that I get to work with folders created based on my labels. So when I am on a bus or BART (Bay Area Rapit Transit) I can manage most of my email tasks on the iPhone.
(I only wish I could bulk erase Spam mail on my iPhone! that is one skill I need). Yes you can suggest or point out new tips as well but I think this Post on GMail Blog is a good start!
More ninja tips in more languages

Google Voice And Video Chat Updated

Google has updated it's Google Voice And Video Chat plugin to version 1.0.13 to improve the service ans also to fix bugs. The current upgrade should provide a smoother communications when you are within th Google Network.

The version 1.0.13 brings you:

• Improved startup time for both voice and video calls.
• Detection and recovery for some situations that would cause the plugin to hang indefinitely, which could lead to messaging like "Detecting devices" in the settings page or "Add voice/video chat" in the roster or chat menu.
• Fixed connectivity problems caused by VMWare virtual network adapters.

If you are not sure of the version you are using, visit your GMail setting (top right hand corner of your GMail page) and click on Chat tab.
Here is an video to introduce GMail Voice And Chat;

Google Talkabout: Google voice and video plugin update

http://snapvoip.blogspot.com/

GMail Give You An Option To Ditch "on behalf of" WHen Sending Email From Third Party Mail Servers.

Communication Via GMail
GMail announced today that it will provide a way to bypass "On Behalf Of" from your emails, if you are using another From address than your Gmail Address. Some Email programs displayed "From username@gmail.com On Behalf Of customaddress@mydomain.com" to many peoples dismay.
Now Google Gmail is providing you a way to avoid "on Behalf Of".

"To switch to this new method, go to the Accounts page under Settings, and click "edit info" from the "Send mail as" section. Then choose the option to "Use your other email provider's SMTP servers."

We recognize that your other address might not have a server that you can use to send outbound messages — for example, if you use a forwarding alias rather than an actual mailbox, or if your other email provider doesn't support authenticated SMTP, or restricts access to specific IP ranges. For this reason, we've kept the original method as well. Check out our Help Center for further details on these two "send mail as" configuration options.

If you use Google Apps Premier or Education edition and would like to send mail as another address within your domain or within an aliased domain, no sweat. We do all the work behind the scenes so your original username won't be listed in the "Sender" header, and your recipients won't see "on behalf of." "

Official Gmail Blog: Send mail from another address without "on behalf of"

Tags: GMAIL, Snap VoIP, Google Apps, authenticated SMTP, on Behalf Of

Google Talk Is Out Of Beta, Together With Other Google Apps, Gmail, Google Calendar, Google Docs

Google Apps Steps Out Of Beta
After it seems like eons in internet time, Google has taken out beta from Gmail, Google Calendar, Google Docs and Google Talk. I remember when I first got invite to the GMail more than 5 years ago in April 2004 when GMail team said;
"Gmail is different. Here's what you need to know." and offered me 1GB of space. Which was the largest offered at that time.
Even since, GMail have become my main email tool. Then I went on to use other Google Apps, Google Calendar, Google Docs and Google Talk.
Google Talk was more relevant to our site and then came the Google Voice, which was GrandCentral before, that added tremendous value to telecommunication at personal level. Thanks to Google, my email, phone and offce apps follow me.
Yes life do turn around Google a Bit.
Official Google Blog: Google Apps is out of beta (yes, really)

Tags: Google Calendar, Google Docs, Google Talk, GMail, Google Voice