Gmail have announced that they are soon rolling out new adverts for Gmail users. The 3 main changes are: Fewer irrelevant ads Gmail’s importance ranking applied to ads Offers and coupons for your local area Fewer irrelevant ads is always a good thing for advertisers. It does pose the question – how are they determining relevance? More in depth peeks at emails? What is most interesting though is the 3rd one, the Offers and coupons for your local area. I assume that this means that if you offer a coupon in your Google Places page it is more likely to show up in the gmail of the area you are targeting. A new local search optimisation tip methinks. I am trying to think of a time that I may have actually clicked an advert in Gmail, and cannot remember ever doing so. I sometimes read the ones running above the entry box, never look at the ones to the right. I assume that adverts in Gmail currently convert very badly. But, Why Are Google Really Doing This? My hunch is that this is another “Social Circle” thing. Facebook generate their revenue through their in house advertising system, Google obviously plan to do the same. Facebook [...]

Most UK Gmail account holders already refer to their email as “gmail” and even give the @gmail address (I certainly do, seems I was an early adopter without really realising it). But due to trademark issues from way back when (in Internet terms) Google could not use “Gmail” in the UK. Well, now it can. From 2005 the Gmail trademark was claimed by Independent International Investment Research. Now Google own it. Good stuff. What does this mean for the Internet, Google users, and World Peace? Well, quite a lot according to one Googler. Greg Bullock who writes the Google Mail Blog pointed out that “Since ‘gmail’ is 50% fewer characters than ‘googlemail’ we estimate this name change will save approximately 60 million keystrokes a day”. That is a lot of typing, lots of energy. People will need to eat slightly less all over the world, and the decline in demand could save forest that would normally be turned into agricultural land. OK, maybe I am exaggerating a little bit. But still, it makes life easier to be able to type gmail instead of googlemail. Suggested Reading:Where has my GMail GoneBoost Business With Google Local Coupons and GmailGMail Phishing Alert – [...]

Yes, after months weaiting for the big news to be released, Google have finally announced that the deskop / laptop / netbook operating system will be called Chrome OS, and it will be available soon.   Really we all new as soon as Google released Android that a pc operating system must have been in the pipeline. We suggested that they would called it GUnix, basing the OS on Unix, but they have chosen the build the Chrome brand.  “Google Chrome OS is a new project, separate from Android Android was designed from the beginning to work across a variety of devices from phones to set-top boxes to netbooks Google Chrome OS is being created for people who spend most of their time on the web, and is being designed to power computers ranging from small netbooks to full-size desktop systems. While there are areas where Google Chrome OS and Android overlap, we believe choice will drive innovation for the benefit of everyone, including Google.” Google official blog. Although full details of when it will be released or what it will be capable of doing have not been announced yet, it will certainly rival Windows 7, Apple’s OSX and the various [...]

It seems that the might Google are having some server issues today. Although I can access my GMail account new emails are not coming in. I have tested my pop3 accounts and these are working OK, so it is definately a Google problem. This is the first time I have seen such a problem with GMail, however I am sure that they are working to resolve the issue. After I have informed clients of the problem I shall see what information is available on google.com and/or their blogspot status alerts. Suggested Reading:Googlemail to become Gmail in UKGMail Phishing Alert – Google Accounts Being Threatened By ScammersBoost Business With Google Local Coupons and GmailNew Google Homepage Design – Planning for a New Google?Google Me? Google Social Network Revealed