[Update: GPush is now working again. Users will have to resubmit their settings from within the app]
For the last 2 weeks @tiveriasapps product GPush which enables push email (of sorts) on the iPhone has not worked. A quick google or Twitter search reveals that this is not a problem unique to me. So what are @tiveriasapps doing about the problem? Apparently nothing. They are not responding to emails or tweets and by all accounts look like a business that has shut up shop.
So what can you do? For a start you should check whether you can use google’s own exchange system. As long as there is not another exchange account present on your iphone then you can. Exchange will be a more effective method of retrieving email and keeping your calendar and contacts in sync. You can always use safari to keep up-to-date with all your emails and the mobile interface in gmail is really good.
If it’s GPush that you really need then you’ll have to keep trying @tiveriasapps and hope that they resolve whatever issue they are having.
Gmail users have been able to use the “labs” features for a while now, but “labs” had been broken for google apps users, that is until…ok not quite today, but sometime last week!
We still do not have themes, which are coming, but all the other cool features now work, including calendar view and tasks.
This upgrade of gmail really makes it a powerful tool, and a viable option to any desktop client. If you are a windows user and have installed chrome, then gmail could actually function like a desktop client. This is made possible by gmail operating inside it’s own browser window and outside of the general browsing expereince.
I’m a big fan of the google calendar and now you can view upcoming events inside gmail, but a lab feature might just be the making of gmail – tasks. It really is simple, working in a similar way to Chat, you just click on tasks and create a to do. That’s it.
“To enable Tasks, go to Settings, click the Labs tab (or just click here if you’re signed in). Select “Enable” next to “Tasks” and then click “Save Changes” at the bottom. Then, after Gmail refreshes, on the left under the “Contacts” link, you’ll see a “Tasks” link. Just click it to get started.”
The folks behind gmail really do keep coming up with great new features and this is just another reason why you should give it a try.
Google have released themes for gmail. This allows you to ‘skin’ your gmail account and give it a more personal look.
To activate themes, login to your account, go to settings and choose the themes tab. Here you can choose to keep the original or opt for a more radical look.
The service is being rolled out, so if you don’t have it yet, you’ll get it over the coming weeks. Google app users will have to wait for this. Google have been enduring several problems with gmail for app users, namely the labs features not rolling out to all users and now themes not showing up either. Be patient though, these aren’t exactly necessary features!
Instant messaging is all about communicating quickly and efficiently with a friend or a colleague. Instant messaging (IM) has been around for a long time, but has yet to sweep the main stream. Why is this and who really needs it? This is the big question and, I’m not sure.
When I got my last mobile contract, I also got a whole bunch of sms (texts!) and an unlimited data bundle. I thought this was going to bring email to my phone, and it did. But I rarely use it to connect with people. Part of the problem for me has been my friends reluctance to email. I think it’s a work thing, we use email at work at have developed an aversion to it at home. The other point here is that most of my friends do not have data tariffs on their mobile and therefore do not embrace the mobile internet as a whole. So email for me is not an important communication tool.
The same can be said for IM services. They are useful, cheap and effective, but unless you’re at the computer they are fairly restrictive. There are lots of applications that work on mobiles that allow you to IM, such as fring, MSN, yahoo etc, but we (at least here in the UK) are being held back by our network operators not offering data bundles as standard and failing to drive customer demand. Another potential problem is that many of us have a text bundle that is huge. Why IM when sms is just as good?
For me this is where the point of IM is lost. Instant messaging is about connecting with people who are online at the same time as you, who might be sharing similar experiences or maybe have something cool to say. Texting is more formal and this form of communication is different to instant messaging. It often lacks the spontaneity that comes from IM. I find that using an IM service helps me keep in touch with friends, who I would not normally text or email. I suppose this is why facebook has been so successful. But I’m tired of that already!
One of my favourite ways of instant messaging is using gmail. Gtalk is built right in and I can see which of my contacts are online and send them a quick message. It is so easy to use, I just wish more of my friends would finally get themselves a gmail account.
As previously posted, I’ve started to twitter and I’m starting to like it.
Like many Nokia users I’ve long hankered after the gmail app for java enabled phones to work with google apps for your domain. Finally google have pulled their finger out and transferred the java app to GAFYD. It is exactly the same as the normal gmail app and you can run them both on the same phone.
They have released this in a quiet fashion. I can’t see the benefit in that as surely they want to entice more business users to their wonderful gmail platform. They already have a blackberry app and iphone users are able to make use of the ‘mail’ application which enables use of IMAP.
So why do you need this app? I like the look an feel of the app, the fact that its not memory intensive and that it retrieves your email pretty quickly. It’s only for java enabled mobile phones such as my N95 and those google apps users. To try it for yourself, head to m.google.com/a from your phone’s web browser.