• gmail,  google

    Tell Google “No” to Google+ Email Integration

    January 11, 2014 /

    This week, Google started turning on by default, Google+ profile to Gmail inbox messaging – even if the Google+ user doesn’t know your Gmail account email address.

    No, Google, I don’t want to use Google+.  No matter how badly you want me to for my personal email.  (This blog does cross posts to Google+.)

    You Gmail account will be impacted by the change when you receive an email from Google stating that the feature has been turned on.

    “Ever wanted to email someone you know, but haven’t yet exchanged email addresses? Starting this week, when you’re composing a new email, Gmail will suggest your Google+ connections as recipients, even if you haven’t exchanged email addresses yet.” 

    Creepy!

    To turn off the feature, log into your Gmail account.  From there, click the “gear” icon near the top right of the Gmail window.  Select the “Settings” menu item.

    Scroll down the list of settings until you see “Email via Google+”.

    To completely turn off the feature, set it to “No one”.  If you choose to leave the feature on, but with some limits, any email being sent to you via Google+ will, for now at least, appear in the “Social” tab in Gmail.

    I’m sure Google will be able to meet it’s goal of integrating Google+ with Gmail – they really haven’t left us a chance with the opt-out setting and many people who don’t read this or other great technology blogs will completely miss this change.

    For me, though, this is getting to be a bit much.  Google’s motto used to be “Don’t be evil” and I started using Google’s services back when that was clear.  Now, with Google well into their advertising business, I’m less sure “Don’t be evil” gets enough air play.

    If you have had enough of Google, you can switch to your iCloud.com email address that comes free with pretty much any iPhone, iPad, iPod touch, or Macintosh.  Apple’s not in the business of advertising.  You can also switch to Microsoft’s Outlook.com or Yahoo Email.  Still, if you really don’t like those options, you can always switch to your ISPs, often, terrible email system or subscribe to a hosted Microsoft Exchange Server account.  (If you do that last one, you can get Exchange Active Sync – EAS back.)

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  • apple,  gmail,  google,  ios,  ipad,  ipad mini,  iphone,  ipod touch

    Gmail App for iOS Updated

    March 28, 2013 /

    Yesterday, Google released and update for their popular Gmail app for iOS.

    The updated email client now allows you to swipe left and right while reading messages to move to the next or previous message.  Additionally, once you select one message in your mailbox, a new “edit” menu appears at the top of the screen giving you quick access to archive, delete, or more options.

    If you are a Gmail user with an iPhone, iPad, or iPod touch, you will want to install this new version of the app.  The ability to apply Gmail tags to messages from my iPhone is the one features that I wish Apple’s stock mail app had.

    But there is one other reason that you will want to consider installing the Gmail app for iOS if you use Gmail heavily, Google is gradually dropping support for “push” email notifications.  In the future, the only way to get push Gmail notifications of new messages is to switch to the Gmail app for iOS or switch to an Android smartphone.

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  • gmail,  google,  ios,  productivity

    Mailbox Has Landed in the App Store, Reservations Rolling Out

    February 8, 2013 /

    Earlier today, Orchestra Inc’s new productivity app, Mailbox, landed in the App Store and reservation requests started rolling out to people who have been (digitally) standing in line to get their download and activation.

    Mailbox is an email client for iPhone that integrates task management for a truly unique and refreshing approach to managing your Google Gmail email account and the tasks that need to be taken care of as a result of the email.

    Orchestra describes Mailbox this way:

    “It’s how email on the phone should work: Mailbox checks your email from the cloud and delivers it to your phone with lightning-fast speed. A colorful swipe-based UI makes processing a delight. And unique “snooze buttons” let you put off messages until later.  

    Mailbox makes getting to zero—and staying there—a breeze. After you experience a clean inbox, you’ll wonder how you ever lived without it.”

    Mailbox will work like you would expect an iOS mail client with a threaded message view that looks clean and easy to read.  The neat twist comes in when you are in the inbox view where you can swipe messages left to right to mark that message as “done”.  Additionally, you can manage messages in your inbox like a to-do list and “tag” messages as tasks to be followed up on later that day, later that evening, tomorrow, someday (my favorite), a date you specific, etc.  Want to see Mailbox in action? Hit up the video at the end of this post.
    This really does seem like a cool way to approach your mailbox, especially if you are a “Getting Things Done” kind of person.
    Mailbox is a free application today.  The plan is to keep the app free and in the future there will be paid set of premium features that you will be able to upgrade to.
    While the app is free to download today, according to Orchestra, clients will be rolled out based on a first come, first served reservation system.  As of about 5:30pm eastern time today, I was 134,171 in line. There was another 215,781 in the queue behind me.
    For more information on Mailbox, head over to the Mailbox website. If you are ready to download Mailbox, and reserve your spot in line, head over to the App Store.

    [vimeo http://www.vimeo.com/54553882 w=500&h=281]

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