11 GMail Tips you'll love!

GMail Desktop Gadget:

For all those Google Desktop users, Don't get lost in a sea of tabs or browser windows here's a great Gadget! Read, Send, Star mails & even log into different accounts simultaneously!. The only complaint about the gadget? It doesn't play a sound when new mail arrives. (Though you may thank Google for that one.) The Gmail gadget is a free download and works in conjunction with Google Desktop 5 for Windows only. Bring up the gadget in an instant (hint: pressing the shift key twice brings up all your hidden Desktop gadgets).

FoxGLove - Browser for Google Lovers:

Most of the time, all you do is check mail, sign into GTalk and maybe read your Blog Feeds. Here's a Portable Firefox Package, that gives you the feel of Google Chrome, custom homepages (that auto-load in tabs), web site favicons slapped the FoxGLove name and icon and Best Part? the power of Firefox.

Let's add a smile to your mail: 

We all love emoticons, don't we?  So how about adding some emotions to your mail? Check out the small Smiley Icon in your 'formatting toolbar', and see a huge list of emoticons! (Infact, there are 2 different styles!.  Check the button below the emoticons!)

I Loooove Gmail!

Pimp your GMail with themes:

With 3rd party tools like Gmail Redesigned skin in Better Gmail becoming more and more popular, Google finally decided to release Official Themes. And boy haven't they done a great job!!, and like everyone else I'm in love with them! Once you get the Screen, just randomly pick a theme and ZiNg! Say "Hello!" to a more beautiful and smart Gmail! Have a look at the most popular themes and if you don't fit in you can use Google Theme API to create your own Gmail Theme which will work on your iGoogle too. Sounds Interesting

3rd Party Applications: GMDesk, GAlwaysIdle, Greasemonkey scripts:

It's not just Google which helps us enjoy every moment we spend using GMail. There are plenty of 3rd party tools to play with (But take care, since they aren't by Google). Like: GMDesk - A standalone application made in Adobe Air which gets GMail on your desktop. GAlwaysIdle - To always stay Idle on GTalk. (Really helpful :D). Greasemonkey scripts - Add more features to GMail (and other Google Services) using these scripts in Firefox! (Caution: Use with care!)

Don't just type. Speak (And act?):

GMail now allows you to do Voice & Video Chat! Though it isn't really of much use for me (as Net speed offered by mobile modems is still pathetic), It still is a great feature for productivity and has really changed the way we work!.

Google Transliteration Bots!:

Sometimes there's just no substitute for expressing a thought in your own native language. Surprise your friends by saying नमस्ते (Hindi) or Bonjour (French) or (Japanese)! Or add GTalk translation bots that will convert text from English to Hindi, Kannada, Malayalam, Tamil or Telugu in group chat just to see some crazy translations! All this instantly, using Gtalk Bots! Add them in your contaact list now! (Like en2hi.translit@bot.talk.google.com)

Labs: Reply Add-ons:

Long conversation, loads of replies. Getting lost in who's replying to what? Then "Quote" people and highlight the relevant text! Reply to All and make it a default selection.
Going on a vacation? Let your GMail send automated replies by scheduling it before hand!

Labs: Canned Responses

How often do you reply by saying "Nice mail" or "Thanks for mailing, will reply soon"? How about storing your frequent replies as separate templates? This feature for the truly lazy cant get easier unless Gmail automatically pushed the Send button. You can set a filter to grab one of your saved responses, create an automated reply, and hit the Send button.

Labs: Label Add-ons:

Chances are you are a Label Freak like I am. And you have loads of labels, and love colour coding them. Then add more colours to your Labels by using Custom Label Colors! And ofcourse, when you have a lot of them, you should use Label Keyboard shortcuts to access them faster! Manage them better through the Navbar drag and drop feature.

Labs: Keyboard Shortcuts:

Navigate through GMail without touching your mouse! If you spend a lot of time in Gmail, you'll start shaving milliseconds of every action, which adds up. Get through a hundred or so messages every day and you'll end up with extra minutes each week to read your favorite blogs in Reader. And if the default ones aren't enough, add more custom Keyboard Shortcuts.

Hope you're experimenting with these features (As said by Gmail Elves !).

Gundeep Bindra