Netbook ACE

Google announced yesterday that Offline Gmail has now be moved to the labs: anyone with a Gmail account can activate this feature and start taking advantage of full use of Gmail even while you’re offline or suffering a shotty internet connection.  From the blog:

From public WiFi to smartphones equipped with 3G, from mobile broadband cards to fledgling in-flight wireless on airplanes, Internet access is becoming more and more ubiquitous — but there are still times when you can’t access your webmail because of an unreliable or unavailable connection…. Today we’re starting to roll out an experimental feature in Gmail Labs that should help fill in those gaps: offline Gmail. So even if you’re offline, you can open your web browser, go to gmail.com, and get to your mail just like you’re used to.

Combine this with the portability of your netbook and there’s no reason you can’t Gmail in the air, on the subway, or in a wireless black hole.  This feature requires you to enable Google Gears.  Check out the release video: Read more…

Email, Utilities gears, gmail, google

All the Web 2.0 application users out there have probably begun noticing that Google Gears is starting to act as support to a variety of web applications. In fact, Wordpress (the blogging engine I’m using) now supports Gears to speed up the administrative tasks I perform regularly on my blog. But, to fully appreciate Gears, you have to pair it with your netbook for some amazing productivity. How’s Gears help?

• By storing Web 2.0 application logic offline - reducing the time your computer spends going out to the internet.
• By caching your application data on your computer - keeping local copies of your emails, documents, etc. so that you aren’t waiting on your browser while trying to speed through your junk mail folder.
• By hosting an entire application offline - that’s right, Gears can host an entire application offline.  Most apps are using it to reduce server hits, but a select few allow you to totally disconnect, use the application, and trust that your data will sync up the next time you’re online.

There’s a host of  applications already using Gears — including Gmail, Google Docs, MySpace, Zoho, Remember the Milk, and more.

Utilities gears, google, netbook, sync, web 2.0