Behold the new Gmail !!

Well, it’s nothing like everything in Gmail has changed overnight and you should start expecting a Milky Way on its page, but the how else I’m supposed to attract your attention, hmm? And no, Google hasn’t launched a new iPhone, iPad or Android version of Gmail, it’s for your browser. What’s wrong with some people? 😕

Now as you’re reading, let me tell you something quite cool. Gmail is rolling out variety of changes on Gmail and they’re quite awesome. Some of the features are much awaited and some are just to add cool quotient to already great mailing solution (it’s not just a website, mind it!).

So let’s begin with what’s coming in new Gmail update, shall we?

Note: All images are courtesy Unofficial Google Blog post.

 

Google has changes a lot in User Interface and user experience without changing much in overall design. The upcoming design will still be usable in the same way it’s used to be to have experience consistent.

Here is the features in details:

1. The overall UI:

The UI is similar to Preview/Preview (Dense) theme which we can use currently. (Go to themes and select Preview/Preview Dense). The addition to this UI is that the whole interface can resize and adjust to the screen size. I know, interface is not something you’re really bothered about, but it’s update by Gmail UI team, oops!

2. Conversation:

The conversation is nothing new, but just a mail-chain. It’s just plain and boring earlier. Finding who said what was tedious as well. With new changes, you can have quite cleaner conversation and photo against the contacts to easily recognize who said what. Now that’s something, which will take all the clutter out of my Inbox!

3. Improved Search:

New search options gives users finer control over their search. This feature (UI) seems much like what Outlook offers. Though I must tell you, all these search features are already present in Gmail, but now Google has taken steps to make it more accessible to the user. Now, I hope, custom searches in Gmail will go main-stream. Ugh, I generally don’t search much on Gmail, it’s no big deal for me, but definitely not a deal breaker (I must be mad for that)!

4. Adjustable Lists and Chat window:

Now you can easily adjust lists and chat window to suit your need. You chat more, make the chat screen bigger and vice-versa. Also, even if you don’t always adjust yourself, Google will do it for you. I’ll let it pass, your views?

5. High-definition image themes (Sorry no pictures for this):

In addition to the modification made in UI department, Gmail has also added support for high-definition  themes, which essentially is a high-def image in the background on the new theme, something you can have right now as well, albeit in low-def. Blah, blah, blah! Who cares UI that much? 😛

Want to have closer look? Just view this video:

When will new Gmail will roll out? Well, there is no official word yet, but going by the Google distribution policies, I think it’ll start rolling in few days time (they generally don’t announce way to early). Till then, it’s the old Gmail you’ve to live with!

Google’s Kill date announced!

We’ll it’s been in news that Google is killing majority of it’s side projects. Today it added few more to be switched off lists. It’s quite clear that Google is moving to it roots and don’t want to try and experimental features as of now, at least for common public. It’s concentrating more on it’s competitive markets such as Ads, Search (Bing is pitching against it), Android (pitching against iOS, Symbian, Blackberry, Windows Phone 7), and Google+ (pitching against Facebook). As it’s clear that the competition is huge and in some places (Search for example) and it still has to grow in other (Social Network), Google simply can’t afford to distract itself.

In today’s blog, Google mentioned switch off of some other features.

• Code Search, which was designed to help people search for open source code all over the web, will be shut down along with the Code Search API on January 15, 2012.
• In a few weeks we’ll shut down Google Buzz and the Buzz API, and focus instead on Google+. While people obviously won’t be able to create new posts after that, they will be able to view their existing content on their Google Profile, and download it using Google Takeout.
• Jaiku, a product we acquired in 2007 that let users send updates to friends, will shut down on January 15, 2012. We’ll be working to enable users to export their data from Jaiku.
• Several years ago, we gave people the ability to interact socially on iGoogle. With our new focus on Google+, we will remove iGoogle’s social features on January 15, 2012. iGoogle itself, and non-social iGoogle applications, will stay as they are.
• The University Research Program for Google Search, which provides API access to our search results for a small number of approved academic researchers, will close on January 15, 2012.
• In addition, later today the Google Labs site will shut down, and as previously announced, Boutiques.com and the former Like.com websites will be replaced by Google Product Search.

Clearly these are the product, we more likely to forget (Buzz, anyone?). But there are a handful of few things, I simply don’t want to discontinued. Take Labs for example. I can hardly figure out a power user who hasn’t turned any of the Labs features on, Google’s Translate API, which was free earlier, now costs you. This doesn’t feel good. As a general user it may not be much, but for a power user it’s some what great loss.

At least, Google should ask it’s user if we really need something. There are products which we need, but not on daily basis, Google should preserve that.

Google’s Kill date announced!

We’ll it’s been in news that Google is killing majority of it’s side projects. Today it added few more to be switched off lists. It’s quite clear that Google is moving to it roots and don’t want to try and experimental features as of now, at least for common public. It’s concentrating more on it’s competitive markets such as Ads, Search (Bing is pitching against it), Android (pitching against iOS, Symbian, Blackberry, Windows Phone 7), and Google+ (pitching against Facebook). As it’s clear that the competition is huge and in some places (Search for example) and it still has to grow in other (Social Network), Google simply can’t afford to distract itself.

In today’s blog, Google mentioned switch off of some other features.

• Code Search, which was designed to help people search for open source code all over the web, will be shut down along with the Code Search API on January 15, 2012.
• In a few weeks we’ll shut down Google Buzz and the Buzz API, and focus instead on Google+. While people obviously won’t be able to create new posts after that, they will be able to view their existing content on their Google Profile, and download it using Google Takeout.
• Jaiku, a product we acquired in 2007 that let users send updates to friends, will shut down on January 15, 2012. We’ll be working to enable users to export their data from Jaiku.
• Several years ago, we gave people the ability to interact socially on iGoogle. With our new focus on Google+, we will remove iGoogle’s social features on January 15, 2012. iGoogle itself, and non-social iGoogle applications, will stay as they are.
• The University Research Program for Google Search, which provides API access to our search results for a small number of approved academic researchers, will close on January 15, 2012.
• In addition, later today the Google Labs site will shut down, and as previously announced, Boutiques.com and the former Like.com websites will be replaced by Google Product Search.

Clearly these are the product, we more likely to forget (Buzz, anyone?). But there are a handful of few things, I simply don’t want to discontinued. Take Labs for example. I can hardly figure out a power user who hasn’t turned any of the Labs features on, Google’s Translate API, which was free earlier, now costs you. This doesn’t feel good. As a general user it may not be much, but for a power user it’s some what great loss.

At least, Google should ask it’s user if we really need something. There are products which we need, but not on daily basis, Google should preserve that.