Gmail is a free, advertising-supported webmail, POP3, and IMAP service provided by Google. Gmail was launched as an invitation-only beta release on April 1, 2004 and it became available to the general public on February 7, 2007, though still in beta status at that time. The service was upgraded from beta status on July 7, 2009, along with the rest of the Google Apps suite.  As of November 2010, it had 193.3 million users monthly.

With an initial storage capacity offer of 1 GB per user, Gmail significantly increased the webmail standard for free storage from the 2 to 4 MB its competitors such as Hotmail offered at that time. Gmail has a search-oriented interface and a “conversation view” similar to an Internet forum. Software developers know Gmail for its pioneering use of the Ajax programming technique. Gmail runs on Google GFE/2.0 on Linux. [via wiki]

Beginners Guide to Gmail

1. The Ultimate Guide To Gmail [PDF] by Makeuseof

Email – a tool on the internet that has changed everybody’s lives. The majority of us probably have at least one email account, and some of may even have 2, 3, 4, or even more than that. People use email everyday whether it be for work, school, or our personal lives. But what email provider is best for you? Gmail seems to be the preferred choice for many.

2. Gmail for Beginners 10-Part Series by butterscotch

Get up close and personal with Gmail, Google’s free email service. In this series we’ll learn all about Gmail Chat, sending and receiving messages, adding contacts and getting the day’s news. In this tutorial series hosted by DemoGirl.com’s Molly McDonald, we start off simple before delving in to some of Gmail’s more powerful advanced features.

3. An Unofficial User’s Guide to Gmail byPCMAG

Five years in beta mode hasn’t prevented Google’s Web-based Gmail from flourishing. In fact, it’s one of the few e-mail products continuing to innovate in any way these days. Desktop clients like Outlook and Thunderbird haven’t changed much in years; Hotmail gets a new name every few months, but that’s about it. Gmail, via experiments from the Gmail Labs team, is constantly adding new features.

Plus, Gmail is simple to use. At least on the surface.  However, much of Gmail’s power goes untapped. So we’ve put together this guide to highlight the features you may have missed—ones that separate Gmail from the pack.

Gmail Tips & Tricks

1. 10 Dead Simple Gmail Tips, Tricks & Shortcuts by Amy-Mae Elliott

Gmail can be tweaked almost endlessly with various Firefox and Chrome extensions, and offers some pretty nifty Labs options too. However, we’ve taken a look at some simple tips, tricks, tweaks and shortcuts you can use without going down the plugin or experimental route. These 10 features will help you get so much more out of the webmail service, from an enhanced chat experience, to smarter filters, to offline access.

Have a read through now and let us know any neat Gmail hints you’d like to share in the comments box below.

2. 15 Awesome Gmail Tips and Tricks by Ramesh Natarajan

Gmail is the best thing that happened since sliced bread. That may sound like an over statement. If you really think about it, Gmail definitely has changed the way how we manage emails. Without Gmail, I cannot imagine processing 100′s of emails effectively every day without breaking a sweat.

In this article let us review 15 awesome Gmail tips and tricks that will help you to manage your emails effectively.

3.  Top 10 Gmail tips and hacks by David Chartier

Gmail offers a lot of flexibility when it comes to the way you manage your email. Innovative features like labels, a dedicated mobile phone client and rich script-ability via Firefox’s Greasemonkey plugin create a unique appeal for users from nearly all walks of life.

Since you can do so much with and to Gmail, I thought I would round up my favorite tips and hacks for users both old and new. Some of these are simple ideas for thinking about labels in a different way, while others add more powerful functionality for the most dedicated of Gmail ninjas. Of course, this list is by no means complete, so have at it in the comments with your own tips, scripts and workflows

4. 9 Gmail Tips That Will Let You Take a Long Lunch by Sarah Jacobsson

I’ve used practically every Web-based e-mail program, from Hotmail to Yahoo to Chick Mail (seriously), and I have to say Gmail is awesome. But it could be better.

Here are a few tips to help you organize, optimize, and take control of your Gmail so you’ll spend less time sorting through your e-mail messages. (Don’t worry: “Use filters” isn’t one of them.)

5. Gmail Tips: 5 Great E-Mail Timesavers by Kristin Burnham

If you’re one of Gmail’s 193 million users worldwide, you probably rely on the service—and its add-ons—every day. Popular among users for its customization features, Google (GOOG) constantly adds to its arsenal of Labs and brings new features mainstream to simplify processes and save users time.

Here are five more useful Gmail tips, including how to access multiple accounts in one browser, schedule time zone changes and how to opt out of annoying conversation threads.

6. 20 Essential Gmail Tips You Probably Don’t Use (but Should!) by Paul Lilly

Remember when webmail used to be synonymous with AOL? Boy has the Internet grown up since then, and lucky for us, a little company called Google came along and changed not just how we surf the web, but also how we communicate with each other. We’re of course referring to Gmail, Google’s nearly six-year-old webmail service that only recently shed its beta tag.

For most of you, we’re probably preaching to the choir and you already own at least one Gmail account, if not several. And with good reason, too. Google’s now-infamous email service offers oodles of storage space (over 7GB and counting), excellent spam detection, built-in chat, awesome search capabilities, a ton of customization options, and a whole lot more. But even with all that it offers out of the box, are you making the most out your Gmail account?

7. 11 Power Tips for Gmail by Matt Cutts

Considering that real Gmail users didn’t know about these options, I’m going to call them power tips.

The post Gmail – Beginners Guide, Gmail Tips & Tricks appeared first on ENFEW.

Google Inc. Chief Executive Officer Eric Schmidt said the company plans to extend its Web television service from U.S. viewers to global consumers in 2011.

Google has an agreement with Sony Corp. to launch Web TV in the U.S. this fall, while Samsung Electronics Co., the world’s largest television manufacturer, said today it may make sets run by Google’s software to compete with Sony and Apple Inc. in the market for TVs that access movies, shows and games online. Schmidt declined to say which other manufacturers will integrate Google Web TV into their televisions

“We will wait for them to make their announcements,” Schmidt said at a press briefing at the IFA consumer electronics conference in Berlin. “You should expect that other TV manufacturers would love to have this product. It’s free.”.

2. Google To Expand And Market Movie Streaming Service In 2011

Google is expanding its feature film streaming service, says a source who’s been briefed on the product. The service will likely be an expansion of the current movie rental/streaming test launched by Google earlier this year. Announcements should be made in early 2011, says our source, and will be heavily marketed.

Ex-Netflix executive Robert Kyncl, who was hired by Google earlier this year, is negotiating studio deals, says our source. The service will initially focus on top tier films and to focus marketing efforts there, including pairing with Google TV. A deeper library will be added over time. Existing rental titles are certainly not new release top tier films.

3. Google’s Secret Social Initiative Delayed Until Spring 2011 [EXCLUSIVE]

Google’s big social initiative, once thought to be a full-fledged social network named “Google Me,” is experiencing delays that have pushed back the launch until spring 2011. Mashable has learned that Google’s big social play could debut in March or April, a far cry from earlier rumors that pegged a 2010 launch date.   The project is a top-secret affair, even within the company. It is being led by Vic Gundotra, one of the company’s public faces and a VP of engineering.

“We’re always experimenting with new ways to improve our products, and we have already confirmed that we are focused on incorporating social elements across Google,” a Google spokesperson told us when reached for comment. “But we have nothing new to announce at this time.”

4. Gmail Google Voice extends free calls to US numbers through 2011

Back in August, Gmail launched its in-mail calling service and promised it will be free for calling U.S. and Canadian-based numbers until the end of 2010. Now, “in the spirit of holiday giving and to help people keep in touch in the new year” Google extends the free calling through 2011.

5. Linux Desktop and Google in 2011

Sparing you the “this is the year of the Linux desktop” type statement once again, I’d like to turn your attention to where I believe Linux is headed in 2011 and beyond. Considering some of the amazing milestones that have already been met, it’ll be interesting to see if Linux can maintain its forward momentum.

Linux in 2010 held its own in the world of embedded systems, saw some successes in the server space in the enterprise world, and gained significant achievements in the desktop space as well.

6. Google Predicts Rise of Web OS in 2011

With the launch of ChromeOS, Google chief executive Eric Schmidt has realized his long time dream of building a network computer, one that taps into the Internet and offers browser-based-network-hosted applications. My view, when it comes to the ChromeOS? Google should forget chasing the consumers and go hard after the corporate market – especially after verticals that need low-cost, zero-maintenance machines dedicated to a few tasks.

7. Google to launch e-book service in Japan in 2011

US Internet giant Google said Monday it would launch an electronic books service in Japan next year despite a chilly reception from major Japanese publishers. The Japanese version of Google Editions may have to start with a limited number of titles, said Yoichi Sato, a strategic partner development manager at Google Japan.

8. Google Multimedia Services Could Disrupt in 2011

Google won the 2010 smartphone market. Will yet-to-be-announced Google multimedia services disrupt the market and make the company a winner in 2011 too?

Is it possible to find smartphone winners and losers in 2010? An increasingly complex smartphone market has made it difficult to pick clear winners and losers, but there’s especially one company that stands out from the crowd as a clear winner: Google.

Regardless of smartphone platform, if you use your phone to perform tasks beyond basic calling and text messaging, there’s a good chance that you’re using Google services on a regular basis – either of the ad-supported or enterprise kind.

9. Google wants to help 50 Million people in 2011 and here’s how

Google has started 2011 with charity in mind. Next year, the search giant has set its target to help over 50 million people.

To make that possible, $20 million will be donated to these charity organizations: APC.org, ASHOKA, Bharti Foundation, Connecting Up, Global Strategies for HIV Prevention, LASA, NatureBridge, NPTech, NTEN, UNICEF.

10.  Google Hackathon – January 22, 2011

Alistair Croll at Year One Labs just announced that he’s instigated – with the support of Google – a Google Hackathon for January 22nd, 2011 that will be hosted at the shared space, RPM.

11. Google Wave Still Dead, But Funeral Won’t Be Until 2011. And Data Export Coming

Yes, Google Wave is dead — but it won’t fully flatline until some time in 2011, Google confirmed in a post today. Well actually, their words were that wave.google.com (the front-end product) “will be available at least through the end of the year.” But yes, you can probably expect them to shut it down sometime in 2011.

And Predictions For Google in 2011….

• Predictions for Google’s 2011 [By Official Google Blog]

• What to Expect from Google in 2011

• Top 10 Google Predictions For 2011

The post 11 New Services That are BIG & Coming From Google In 2011 appeared first on ENFEW.