Not that they’re those weird shows that you find on public access or day time TV. Most of them are actually pretty nifty and reliable.

Gmail Lab’s

Here’s a list of Labs that are offered in Gmail in alphabetical order. After the list, I cover some of the labs a bit more in-depth. Ed. Note: This is a COMPLETE list of all the Google Lab options. Meaning it’s long. Feel free to skip ahead to the bottom if you’d rather just see the more in-depth coverage.

Add Any Gadget By URL:

Ever wish you could take advantage of iGoogle Gadgets in your Email Inbox? Maybe put your to-do manager or the Dropbox gadget in there for easy access? This gadget lets you do that!

Advanced IMAP Controls:

Using IMAP? This is an awesome lab feature for you. It allows you to:

• Choose what labels show up in IMAP
• Disable auto-message expunging
• Track messages when their deleted from IMAP

Apps Search:

This is simply amazing if you’re a Google Apps user. Turning on this lab allows you to search not just your Gmail inbox, but also your Google Docs and Google Sites on your domain.

Authentication Icon for Verified Senders:

Ever wish there was a way to tell which eBay and PayPal emails were really from eBay and PayPal. Enter this lab: it displays a key icon from verified senders allowing you to quickly identify valid emails.

Back to BETA:

Alright, I have NO idea why anyone would need this, but if for some reason you are holding a grudge about Gmail leaving Beta and would like to pretend it’s still there, then I guess it’s the lab feature for you.

Canned Responses:

Save common responses and easily send them. You can even automate canned responses for certain filters. We’ll talk about this lab a little more in depth later.

Create a Document

Ever want to create a document once you receive an email? Maybe you were sent meeting notes in an email that you want to turn into a document so you can upload it elsewhere and not have it get lost in Inbox Purgatory. Or you received an assignment and like to immediately create a text document for it. Either way, the Create a Document Lab makes it easy by hitting “g then w.”

Custom Date Formats

This is a simple lab that will appeal to quite a few people. Want to make your time read in military time? Want to set your dates European style? Custom Date Formats has you covered.

Custom Keyboard Shortcuts

This lab adds a setting feature that lets you create custom-mapped keyboard shortcuts! Sooo nifty!

Default “Reply to All”

This lab is pretty self-explanatory-it makes “Reply to All” your default. That can be handy, but make sure that you remember it’s your default!

Default Text Styling

Another pretty self-explanatory lab. This one allows you to easy change and style your default text.

Don’t Forget Bob

Enabling this labs enables Gmail to do a cool thing-you type in some recipents you’re sending the email too and Gmail will generate a list of people who you might want to include based on your emailing habits. Never leave someone out of a group email again!

Extra Emoji

This lab is pretty simple and a bit silly-it creates a larger selection of emoticon options.

Filter Import/Export

This allows for 2 different options:

• Export: Export your filters as a file, save them for backup or share them to help a friend out.
• Import: Import the file of filters, and activate them in Gmail.

We’ll talk more about this lab later on.

Flickr Previews in Gmail

Pretty self-explantory-See a preview of any Flickr pictures sent to you, right in Gmail. This is quite a time saver-especially if you have friends who like to frequently send you photos.

Google Calendar Gadget

Remember how I mentioned being able to add iGoogle Gadgets by URL earlier in the post? Same deal, but it’s automatic and specifically for Google Calendar! This is a super nifty feature for quick reference when you need to quickly get back to someone on a meeting time or project deadline/estimate.

Google Docs Gadget

Just like how you can easily add a Goog,le Calendar Gadget in Gmail, you can also add a Google Docs Gadget that can let you view recent and starred documents, and also includes a quick search bar.

Google Docs Preview

This is quite possibly my favorite Gmail Lab. No, I take that back. It is my favorite Gmail Lab. It allows you to quickly preview documents, spreadsheets, and presentations right in your inbox. It also gives you the option to quickly open the attachment in Google Docs. So handy!

Google Maps Preview in Mail

Another nifty lab-this one scans the email for any addresses listed in the email and shows a Google Map of the location.

Google Search

Ever been writing an email and need to quickly reference something? Yea, me too. Thankfully, the Google Search Lab makes it easy! It displays the Google Search bar right in your email enabling you to find things easily-fast.

Google Voice Player in Mail

If you’re a heavy Google Voice user, this lab is going to be your new best friend. It allows you to play Google Voice voicemails right from the notification email.

Got the Wrong Bob?

Let’s face it, having multiple contacts with the same name is super-common. Ever auto-fill your contact by first name and realize it’s the wrong one? That can be a minor inconvience…or  a big problem. This lab helps to prevent that by asking if you meant to email someone else instead based on frequently used groups of contacts. [Note: Only works if you’re sending the email to 2 or more people]

Green Robot

Not sure whether someone is at the computer or using their phone? The Green Robot lab lets you know! [Note: Only works if the person is using an Android phone.]

Hide Labels From Subjects

Perfect for if you’re working on a netbook with a small screen, the Hide Labels from Subject lab, well, it hides the labels from the subjects.

Hide Read Labels

Love your labels and filters, but hate them cluttering up your email sidebar? Me too! Which is why this is my second favorite lab-it hides any unread labels from view, showing only the labels with unread messages in them.

Hide Unread Counts

I think that heading covered it pretty well.

Inbox Preview

This is a nifty lab that shows you a static preview of your inbox while you’re waiting for Gmail to load.

Inseting Images

This lab allows you to insert images directly into an email either by uploading a file or using a direct URL.

Mail Goggles

Ok, at first glance this email seems really silly, but I’ve actually found it to be useful. The labs actual purpose is to help prevent you from sending drunk emails by making you answer a few math problems in a specified amount of time-you can pick which level of math problems you want to be quizzed on. The default is for Friday and Saturday nights. HOWEVER, I find it helpful to me as a check as to when my designated work hours are over and my personal life hours have begun. I set-up the lab to pop-up during “off-hours” to remind me that I should no longer be working for the day. It’s a helpful work-life balance reminder.

Mark As Read From Here Button

This lab enables you to save a few mouse scrolls (or clicks?) by creating a Mark As Read Button that sits right next to the delete button. Nifty!

Message Sneak Peek

Ever get an email when you’re on your way out somewhere or in the middle of something? You know you won’t have time to respond, but you’ve been waiting on an answer? Message Sneak Peek to the rescue! It allows you to right click on a message and get a “sneak peek” of the email without marking it as read.

Message Translation

This lab is pretty straightforward. Using Google Translate, it allows you to translate emails from one language to another. Pretty nifty for those of you who work with international clients.

Mouse Gestures

Personally, I’m much more of a keyboard navigation person myself, but if you find yourself unable to ditch the mouse, this lab is definitely for you-it allows you to use gestures as control instead of clicking. Unfotunately for Mac users, it works best on Windows.

Multiple Inboxes

Gmail filters are an absolute god-send, but wouldn’t it be awesome if you could view the filters as an inbox in itself? That’s exactly what the person who created Multiple Inboxes was thinking! I’ll go over it a bit more later in the post.

Navbar Drag and Drop

Another self-explanatory-but useful! lab-this one allows you to easy re-order the items in your Gmail Navigation Bar by using Drag-and-Drop.

Nested Labels

Gmail Labels-some people love them, some people miss their folders and folder heirarchy. If you’re the later, you NEED to try Nested Labels.

“Manage your email by sorting it into a hierarchy of labels. Add slashes (/) to label names to express inheritance. For example, if you want a Home label with two child labels named Kids and Shopping, create the three following labels: Home, Home/Kids and Home/Shopping.”

Old Snakey

This is probably the only lab that will DECREASE your productivity instead of increasing it, but if you’re into old school games and have some self-discipline, you might want to check it out. Turn on Gmail keyboard shortcuts, hit the & key, and play an old-school game of Snake right in Gmail.

Picasa Previews in Mail

This is just like the aforementioned Flickr Previews in Gmail, except with PIcasa.

Pictures in Chat

Personally, I think this is pretty useless, but the lab enables you to see people’s picture when you use Google Talk in Gmail.

Quick Links

Quick Links is  a nifty lab that creates a little box in the upper left-hand corner that allows you to bookmark any Gmail URL-such as frequently used searches or important individual messages. Huge time saver.

Quote Selected Text

Refresh POP Accounts

Right-Side Chat

Send and Archive

Sender Time Zone

Signature Tweaks

Super Stars

Text Messaging in Chat and SMS in Chat Gadget

Text Messaging in Chat allows you to, well, send text messages using Google Talk. The SMS in Chat Gadget creates an additional box to make sending text messages in Google Talk even easier.

Title Tweaks

Title Tweaks changes the order of the words in your browser bar, enabling you to see how many messages you have-even when the window is minimized.

For example instead of the browser bar showing “SUBERAPPS Mail – Inbox (5) – hello@suberapps.com” this lab would change it to “Inbox (5) – hello@suberapps.com – SUBERAPPS Mail” Pretty nifty if you need to keep your eye on an important message, but want your inbox to remain out of the way.

Undo Send

Another pretty self-explanatory one, but that doesn’t make it any less awesome. Undo Send lets you undo send if you sent an email and immediately realized that you made a mistake. So handy!

Video Chat Enhancements

Currently, this lab enhances video chat in Google Talk by adding higher resolution and bigger windows. The lab developers mention that there are more features to come!

Yelp Previews in Gmail

Another nifty preview lab-this one allows you to quickly view Yelp listings, including rating, location, and phone number whenever someone emails you a Yelp link.

Feel that Gmail is Missing a Labs Feature?

Google allows you to make Labs Feature Requests here: http://groups.google.com/group/gmail-labs-suggest-a-labs-feature/topics

And Now-A Closer Look at Some of the Gmail Labs

Canned Responses

While Canned Responses might sound like a lazy way out of responding to email, it actually can be quite productive and with the way the lab works, doesn’t have to be a generic automated response.

Instead you can use the poorly-named Canned Responses to create templates for emails.

Once you enable the lab, a clickable link next to “Insert Invitation” is created. You can then click on Canned Responses, click on a template, open it up and edit it. Definitely a time saver.

To create  a Canned Response:

• Click on “Canned Response”
• Click on “New Canned Response”
• Name your Canned Response
• Type what you want your template to be.
• Click on “Canned Response”
• Hit “Save”

And voila! You now have a nice email template that you can easily modify and use without having to retype the same things over and over.

AND…yes, I’m going Billy Mays style…THERE’S MORE:

You can set up Canned Responses to respond to certain Gmail Filters. Amazing.

For More on “Canned Response:”

• Make Use Of: Save Time with Gmail Email Templates Using “Canned Responses”
• WebWorkerDaily: 3 Handy Uses for Gmail’s Canned Response Feature

Import/Export Filters

Gmail filters are hands down one of Google’s best features. I swear by them.

What if you have a new Gmail account and want to migrate over some common filters? Or want to show a less-tech savvy friend how awesome filters are by a demonstration? Well, you COULD individually add each one yourself. OR you could skip the headache and enable the Gmail Import/Export Filters lab.

Once you turn on the lab, there will be a new “Import Filter” button next to “Create Filter” in the filters section of Settings.

Next to the delete button, you’ll have an export button. Simple and awesome.

More Information on Gmail Filters:

• Lifehacker: Import and Export Your Gmail Filters
• Lifehacker: 10 Must Have Gmail Filters Available for Download
• Lifehacker: Set Up Multiple Gmail Filters By Editing and XML File
• Matt Thommes: Maintaining Gmail Filters with XML

Multiple Inboxes

Multiple inboxes is a really awesome feature. The problem with quickly clearing out your inbox is, well, things got set aside to be looked at or taken care of later…then later never comes. Out of site-out of mind.

Multiple inboxes easily solves that problem by allowing you to create different inbox panes and letting you get creative with the types of panes.

For example?

• A big fan of starring emails that require a later action? Set up a pane is:starred
• Have a tendency to forget about those emails that you’re waiting for a response on? Set up a pane label:waiting
• Those nifty newsletters that you plan on reading later? Set up a pane label:toread
• Want all your client emails in one place? Set up a pane label:clients

The possibilities are just about endless!

Do you have multiple email accounts all going to one central account? A great idea is to enable the Multiple Inboxes lab and then make individual panes for each account. It keeps things tidy and is a great way to manage multiple accounts.

More on Multiple Inboxes

• WebWorkerDaily: WWD Screencast: Gmail Labs Multiple Inboxes
• WebWorkerDaily: Increase Productivity with Gmail Multiple Inboxes
• Lifehacker: Gmail Labs Adds Multiple Inboxes
• The Gmail Blog: Tip: Manage Several Email Accounts with Multiple Inboxes

Looking for More Information on Gmail Labs?

Check out these helpful posts:

• WorkAwesome: 5 Incredibly Useful Gmail Features
• Web.AppStorm: Become a Gmail Power User with These Lab Features
• Lifehacker Tag: #gmaillabs
• WebWorkerDaily: Tag: Gmail
• MakeUseOf: Tag: Google Labs

Have a favorite Gmail Lab tip? Want to gush about how a particular Gmail Lab changed your work-life? Let us know in the comments!

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While there are a number of blog posts on increasing RSS feed reading productivity with Google Reader, few fail to mention one of Google Reader’s most awesome and unique features-Send-To links. (Although, WorkAwesome did give it a brief mention.)

Send-To links is a feature that, well, let’s you send links to other services making it easy and quick to share the post you’re reading on Twitter, save it to Instapaper, bookmark it to Delicious, etc.

Google Reader offers a number of default options including:

• Blogger
• Delicious
• Digg
• Facebook
• FriendFeed
• Instapaper
• Myspace
• Okurt
• Ping.fm
• Posterous
• Reddit
• Stumbleupon
• Tumblr
• Twitter

That’s Great, But I Don’t See My Favorite Place to Send Things Listed

1. Log into Google Reader.
2. In the upper left hand corner, click on “Settings-Reader Settings.”
3. Click on the “Send To” tab.
4. Scroll all the way down and click on “Create Custom Link.”
5. Fill in:
   1. The Name
   2. The URL
   3. The Icon URL
6. Click Save

List of Custom Google Reader Send-To Links

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Most of you should have known Fluid by now. With Fluid app, you can create “Site Specific Browsers (SSB)”, basically turning any web apps into a desktop app. Essentially what Fluid does is create a browser that is dedicated to a single application. To read more about Fluid, read my previous review.

The best thing about Fluid in my opinion, is the ability to let you add another app using the Browsa plugin so that both the main web app and the “browsa plugin app” runs side by side.

This is incredibly useful when you mash-up two web apps that compliments each other – with the “browsa plugin app” being an iPhone web app.

To get what I mean, here’s a couple of examples:

Gmail + Google Calendar

I created a Gmail SSB using Fluid, thereafter adding the iPhone’s version of Google Calendar as a browsa plugin that runs on the right side of Gmail. There you have it, Gmail and Google Calendar running side by side! You can send emails and check schedules at the same time.

SUBERNOVA + Google Calendar

SUBERNOVA gives you an iCal link in which you can subscribe to your projects and milestones calendar using Google Calendar or any calendar of your choice. Here’s an SSB that runs SUBERNOVA and Google Calendar side by side.

Gmail + Remember The Milk

If you are a Gmail + RememberTheMilk user, you’ll like this.

Threadsy + Hahlo

Threadsy is my new favourite web application. I can check my MobileMe email, work email (hosted on Google Apps), Twitter and Facebook all in one interface. Sparing me from opening too many browser tabs or desktop apps. This, really simplifies my life, moreover the UI is delicious! If web apps are edible, this surely leaves a sweet after taste.

The only problem I have is that Threadsy doesn’t support Twitter Lists. Hence, running Hahlo beside Theadsy may be a good choice for stranded Twitter users like me.

Seesmic Web + Facebook

The good thing about Seesmic as a Twitter web app is that it lets you split different tweet categories into horizontal panels, eg. mentions, dms, lists etc. This makes it easy to scan through tweets. If you’re a Twitter user but don’t want to miss out on Facebook updates, pop an iPhone optimized version of Facebook to the right of Seesmic!

Google Wave + Google Buzz

Doesn’t mean some people don’t get Google Wave and talks rot about Google Buzz, it makes them any less useful. If you like both of Google’s latest innovation, this is a good match.

I hope you find these tips useful and your imagination running wild by a little. :)

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Each time I empty my invites, Google replenish them with more.

Bookmark this post if you want. I will be giving away Google Wave invites to commenters of this thread!

I’ll be updating this post with the number of invites left and the consolidated list of winners’ names.

Even if I run out of invites, I will still send out the invites to the remaining commenters each time I receive a top up from Google.

So keep the comments coming, you’ll be sure to get an invite when Google gives me the top ups.

IMPORTANT: READ THIS

- Please check the winners list to see if you’ve been invited before posting a comment

- Do not type your email address in the comment unless you love spam, type your email in the email field instead

- Again, if you’re wondering why you have not received your invite yet, Google says “Invitations will not be sent immediately. We have a lot of stamps to lick.”

================
Invites Left: 24
================

Invitees - 5th Nov 09

1. Ade Chong
2. Martina
3. Yajun
4. Ryan
5. Brenda
6. Rob
7. Michael
8. Tim
9. Henning
10. Caili
11. Alex
12. Evgeny
13. Sid
14. Jimmy
15. Ryan
16. Crash
17. Palma
18. Victor
19. Progress
20. Dorian Grey
21. Sivert Haltbakk Sandvik

Invitees - 9th Nov 09

22. Adam Randall
23. pigouinos
24. Miles
25. Joseph Higgins
26. Boris
27. Joey
28. Mady
29. bro
30. Oliver (already has a Wave account)
31. Nate
32. Eduardo Neves
33. yohannh (already has a Wave account)
34. Xoozlez
35. sifulan

Invitees - 10th Nov 09

36. ca_iphone
37. Bob
38. nniiicc
39. Varun
40. Nicolai
41. JimmyB
42. Alex
43. Barry

Invitees - 26th Nov 09

44. Marcel (already has a Wave account)
45. Brian Kimmel
46. Austinmation
47. Jaimin
48. JakeyBoy (already has a Wave account)
49. Jesse (already has a Wave account)
50. Mickey (already has a Wave account)
51. Todd Jefferson (email account looks like a spam container?)
52. FREIDAMACHOI
53. nniiicc (already has a Wave account)
54. Muku
55. Puls
56. andrea little (already has a Wave account)
57. Kelvin

Invitees - 28th Nov 09

57. Abhigyan Banerjee (already has a Wave account)
58. Shyam (already has a Wave account)
59. mayur
60. Bruno
61. Rohan (already has a Wave account)
62. AlexT (already has a Wave account)
63. Irene  (already has a Wave account)
64. haymoose
65. OGenius
66. Moacyr (already has a Wave account)
67.  Gonzalo
68. Hollowdisclosure
69. Bodi
70. Eugene (already has a Wave account)
71. t5tr

Invitees - 16th Dec 09

57. Chris (already has a Wave account)
58. Fatih
59. Rune
60. John (already has a Wave account)
61. Ken (already has a Wave account)
62. limor84 (already has a Wave account)
63. Axel
64. Oliver Menant (already has a Wave account)

Invitees – 19th Dec 09

65. ryan mathe

Invitees – 12th Jan 10

66. Kei

Invitees – 17th Feb 10

67. Michiel
68. Chris
69. limor (already has a Wave account)
70.  Ryan Farrow
71. Kirk

Invitees – 22th Feb 10

72. santos

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As you might already know, Google recently gave GTD fans some lovin’ by optimizing Google’s “Tasks” for iPhone and Android. (read more from Google’s Blog)

Wouldn’t it be nice if you can also run Google Tasks on your Mac as a menu bar item with the same sleek interface you see on the iPhone or Android?

If you had read my previous post on the “Fluid” app, you’ll know by now how you can turn web apps into a native desktop app. Using Fluid with Google Tasks means a free GTD native desktop app on your Mac that syncs with the cloud.

Here’s how:

1) Download Fluid app

2) Install and launch Fluid

Type in this URL in the URL field - http://mail.google.com/tasks/iphone

Type any name you want in the Name field.

Create the app!

3) Convert to MenuExtra SSB

Go to the Google Tasks menu after you have successfully created the app, select “Convert to MenuExtra SSB…” to put Google Tasks on your menu bar.

Now you have Google Tasks natively on your Mac as a menu bar item!

By the way, this tip is also possible with other web apps, especially if they have an iPhone optimized version:

Remember The Milk

Digg

Have fun!

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iPhone 2.2 firmware is available now via iTunes, just click “Check for Update” to update your iPhone. The update is free for all iPhone owners. iPod Touch owners gets this free too provided you have version 2.0 or higher firmware, else $9.95 will be levied.

Here’s a couple of sweet features which you might find interesting:

Google Street View

Navigation on Google’s street view is extremely smooth, overall it’s a great experience, if only we can see street views in all countries and areas. Here’s some screenshots taken from my iPhone of New York’s 5th avenue and SOHO.

New York 5th Avenue (Apple store blocked by UPS truck!)

SOHO

You’re now able to share location via email

Direct Podcast downloads from iPhone’s iTunes Store

Podcast downloads is just like buying tunes from the iTunes Store except that it’s free. Once a Podcast finishes its download, you’ll have to close iTunes store and navigate to your iPod app to view it. I only wish the interface triggers a prompt to ask me if I want to play my downloaded Podcast immediately just like the Apple TV does whenever my movie is ready to watch. But still, I can’t ask for more for now.

The new Podcast screen

All the “FREE” download buttons are delicious

New Safari screen

The new Safari screen brings the Google Search box onto the main address bar. Even though the address bar becomes shorter in width, adding Google Search box to the address bar will certainly save you time in the long run, especially if you search alot on your iPhone.

Other than the user inteface improvement, the stability and performance have also been improved. This will take daily surfing to be able to tell.   

New Safari User Interface

Home Screen Shortcut

Pressing the Home screen on any screen will return you to your home screen. I don’t have to swipe all the way from the 8th page to the first page now, thanks to this new feature. Maybe I am asking for more, but being able to add more than 8 pages will be welcomed.

Other improvements

Other improvements include decrease in drop calls and call failures. Amongst the above mentioned features, here’s the complete list of updates taken from the release notes on Apple’s software update information website.

• Enhancements to Maps
• Google Street View*
• Public transit and walking directions
• Display address of dropped pins
• Share location via email
• Decrease in call setup failures and dropped calls
• Enhancements to Mail
• Resolved isolated issues with scheduled fetching of email
• Improved formatting of wide HTML email
• Podcasts are now available for download in iTunes application (over Wi-Fi and cellular network)
• Improved stability and performance of Safari
• Improved sound quality of Visual Voicemail messages
• Pressing Home button from any Home screen displays the first Home screen
• Preference to turn on/off auto-correction in Keyboard Settings

*Update

Updating an app directly on the iPhone brings you directly to the original position of the app being updated. 

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