e-mail

How to enable the new Hangouts in Gmail

Google released Hangouts last week as a standalone app for iOS, Android, and the desktop via a Chrome extension. In addition to the apps, you can also use Hangouts from within Gmail, just like the old Google Talk.

To enable Hangouts in Gmail, click on your profile photo from the Google Talk chat list, then select Try the new Hangouts. Hangouts will immediately replace Talk, then walk you through a very brief introduction to Hangouts.

Keep in mind that it may not have rolled out to you yet, so if you don't have the Hangouts option in your Gmail … Read more

How to send e-mails from other addresses in Outlook.com

Microsoft recently announced that Outlook.com had 400 million active accounts. In the announcement, they also revealed a welcome new feature for users who send e-mails from other accounts in Outlook.com. In the past, e-mails sent from Outlook.com would say, "on behalf of," so there was no way to hide the originating Outlook.com account. Now you can send e-mails from other accounts that look exactly as if they were sent from the originating e-mail service provider (Gmail, Yahoo Mail, Comcast, etc.). Here's how to set it up:

Step 1: Go to Settings > More … Read more

Google rolls out quick action buttons for Gmail

Google is aiming to make Gmail responding, planning, and organizing a little bit easier. The tech giant announced Wednesday that it is rolling out quick action buttons for its e-mail service.

Not only can users RSVP to an event without even opening the e-mail invite, they can also rate restaurants, places, or shops from within their inbox.

Here's more from a Wednesday blog post by Google product manager Shalini Agarwal:

Email is an important part of how we get things done -- from planning an event with friends to organizing that family vacation to Costa Rica. And today, getting … Read more

Backup That turns your e-mail accounts into cloud storage

Savvy cloud-storage seekers know they can get 2GB free from Dropbox, 5GB from Google and SugarSync, 7GB from Microsoft, and so on.

Of course, there's no way to pool all that free storage into a single, unified cloud drive. That's precisely the idea behind Backup That, a new service that leverages the space available in your various e-mail accounts to give you potentially unlimited storage.

After registering for the beta, you choose one or more mail accounts to link to your Backup That account. The latter currently works with AOL, Gmail, GMX, Mobile Me, Yahoo, and other mail … Read more

How to migrate to Gmail

If you're still holding onto an old AOL e-mail account or using the one your ISP (Internet Service Provider) gave you, it might be time to consider switching to Gmail. Gmail offers a ton of storage (currently at 10GB and growing), spam filtering at the server-level, two-step verification, and access from any Web browser or mobile device. In other words, it's secure, reliable, and convenient. And if you spend any time at all on a tablet or smartphone, the Gmail apps provide an unrivaled experience.

Migrating your old e-mail account to Gmail isn't that difficult and Gmail … Read more

Free services make Gmail, Google Drive, Google search more private

It's no secret that any information you provide to a Google service is no secret.

When Google changed its terms of service last year, the company granted itself and any other company it chooses complete, unfettered access to anonymized (we hope) versions of all the messages you send and receive via Gmail, all the files you upload to Google Drive, and all the terms you enter in the Google search box.

As CNET's Rafe Needleman reported in April 2012, Google's rights go beyond simply perusing your personal information. Google's terms of service include the following:

When … Read more

Evomail for iPad: An evolved e-mail client?

The race is on to build a better e-mail client for iOS, with apps like Incredimail and Mailbox all vying to deliver a better experience than Apple's own Mail.

The latest entrant: Evomail, which promises a better Gmail experience than Google's own Gmail app. But does it deliver?

Yes and no. Evomail closely resembles the latest Gmail app, which is to say it's attractive and smartly designed, with a simple expanding-panel layout that's admirably easy to navigate.

Evomail brings a couple of neat tricks to the table, including color-coded labels, a gesture-based reply option (just swipe … Read more

How to report spam e-mail sent to your iCloud account

Fighting spam is a constant cat-and-mouse game and one every e-mail provider faces. I receive my fair share of spam e-mail on my iCloud e-mail account, and for the longest time have just deleted them without opening, figuring it would eventually stop.

Then last week while on Twitter, I saw the following Tweet:

Pro tip:1. Select spam message2. Message => Forward As Attachment3. Send to spam@me.com4. Do a dance

— Jake Behrens (@Behrens) April 19, 2013

I had no idea this method even existed. Unfortunately, forwarding an e-mail as an attachment isn't possible on an iOS device. … Read more

Making the change from iPhone to Android as easy as possible

Is iOS starting to feel a bit stale for your taste? It's something I'm hearing more and more as I talk to iOS users, or former iOS users. With some amazing Android phones hitting the market, it's tough not to get caught checking out the competition -- or even feeling a bit compelled to make the jump to Android.

But before you make the change, there are some kinks that need to be worked out to make the process go as smoothly as possible. You likely have contacts, a calendar, photos, and music that you'll want … Read more