Google has launched a new feature which will let you unsend a sent mail if you have second thoughts about the mail you just sent. You will have around 5-30 seconds to undo a sent email. This feature is now live for Gmail app in Android, and the search engine giant says that soon it will be available for Gmail web.

The Undo send feature was already there for Google Labs, but it is now available for “Inbox” app of Gmail in Android. You can also turn on this feature by going to the Settings page within Gmail and navigate to the General tab. Here, you will see “Enable Undo Send” option.  You will have the option to choose between different time options under which you could take back the sent email. You have 5, 10, 20 and 30 seconds time windows. If you want to use this feature, choosing the maximum time windows, which is 30 seconds in this case, would be the best option.

If you are not seeing this option when you go to settings, don’t worry; Google says that the new unsend email feature will start rolling out within this week for all Android and web users.

WhatsApp is making a lot more new updates to its interface and functionality. The app just went through a material design update. A few week ago, WhatsApp calling feature was launched. Now, the famous messaging app used by billions daily will get a Google Drive backup feature.

It is startling to note that Facebook’s WhatsApp will use Google’s Cloud service has its backup repo, because Facebook and Google are tough competitors.

The source gave some screenshots which clearly show a backup feature. You could easily give your gmail id and select the time span for which you want your WhatsApp data to be backed up. You could choose from daily, weekly and monthly backup plans.

The new WhatsApp backup feature will help people getting a secure backup all the time on the Cloud because millions of people use WhatsApp to communicate and one could recover data now with the use of this feature just in case.

This research is to be presented later in San Diego by academicians from Michigan and California University at a Cybersecurity Conference.

This is a strange new feature Google just launched for Gmail.  It connects Google+ with Gmail so Google+ users can email Google+ users directly without having their email address.  This means people can email you from outside of your circle, which in my opinion seems ridiculous and spammy.  It’s like bringing back the old spam days.  Of course, Google gives you the option to turn off sharing outside of your circles and to turn it off completely, which I’m sure some won’t know how to do or will disregard the option.  Here’s how to turn off your Gmail Google+ Sharing;

1. Log into your Gmail account.

2. Click on the gear icon in the upper right of your screen, then click on settings.

3. Scroll down until you see “email via Google+”.  Now change who can email you with your Google+ profile by selecting one of the options.  I would definitely choose at least “circles” so that you know whoever is emailing you is someone you know, or “no one” which will disable the feature.

4.  Just scroll to the bottom and click “save settings” after you choose an option from the dropdown.

That should do it.  Your Google+ contacts shouldn’t be able to email your Gmail account anymore.  If you ask me, I think this is one of the dumbest moves by Google.  It almost seems like a desperate way to make Google+ relevant.  Although, they’ve been desperate from day 1 of Google+ and it shows.

You may have already noticed some changes in your Gmail. Things like a floating header – the section at the top that sticks as you scroll down through your inbox, and has tabs such as “Archive”, “Spam”, “Delete”.

Another cool addition to Gmail that I’ve noticed is the profile box that appears in the upper right hand corner as you are viewing an email. The profile box attempts to give you as much information as possible about the author of the email you currently have open.

There are rumors out there that a complete overhaul to Gmail is coming in the very near future. But right now you can supposedly get a glance at what’s to come by simply enabling a couple of new Gmail themes.

Try this – when logged into Gmail, go to your “mail settings” > themes.

Now find and enable the themes called “Preview” and “Preview Dense”.

These are, according to some sources, a snapshot of the new Gmail updates that are coming.

Let me know what you think…

Google is now the first internet company in the world to hit 1 billion unique visitors in a single month, according to data from comScore.

During the month of May, Google web properties to include its search engine, Gmail service, video sharing site YouTube, Google Maps, and others, claimed over 1 billion unique visitors.

This is an 8.4 percent increase in traffic from the previous year.

According to HuffingPost, Google boasts approximately 100 million more users than the next most popular company on the web, comScore reports. Microsoft’s sites, with 905 million unique visitors, were the second most-visited destination on the Internet.

Facebook came in third with 714 million users, up 30 percent from over the previous year.

It’s interesting to me that Verizon is now offering what they call Google Apps for Verizon.

This is basically a bundled package deal for Verizon small and medium size business customers to start leveraging Google Apps.

Verizon will be charging enterprise clients $3.99 per month / per user for those who just want to use the Google Apps suite of products.

Coupled with data plans, and according to the Verizon website, plans are starting at $74.99 per month.

Google Apps is actually something that businesses can get for free. But Verizon’s move to incorporate the Apps suite of products into a bundled solution is, in my opinion, more about generating new data plan customers.

I commend Verizon for finding a creative way to bundle together something that is already free.

And even moreso with their business saviness in bundling it together with the stipulation that you need to subscribe to a bundle consisting of Verizon Internet service and either Verizon voice or TV service or both.

Here’s a list of services you get with the Google Apps for Verizon:

• Gmail, Google Calendar, Google Docs, Google Sites, Google Video
• 3 free user accounts (bundled data plan required
• Additional accounts can be purchased
• “Do it yourself” kit to get started
• Free website for your business
• Online backup (via Google Docs backup)
• Access to the Verizon Small Business Center

This is also a reflection of the influence that Google is having in the overall marketplace of all things data.

Verizon is already the number retailer for Google’s Android OS operated smartphones.

And more than likely will become one of the largest retailers of Android operating tablets.

via Google Enterprise

Great news for those who have been using Gmail’s phone calling capabilities; free calling has been extended through 2011.

I think Google has always intended for this service to be free, just like every other product they launch (Adwords being the only exception of course), but they make it seem like they are holding back on charging to just create a buzz.

And it’s working, because blogger’s like myself are now writing about it.

Calling in Gmail was launched in August of this year and was declared “free” for all of 2010.  And according to Gmail’s blog post, in case you haven’t tried it yet, dialing a phone number works just like a regular phone. Look for “Call phone” at the top of your Gmail chat list and dial a number or enter a contact’s name.

In reality, it’s usually the complete opposite.

When I get talking to people about technology, the web, etc… I find that in most cases people have no idea what I’m talking about, yet alone remotely know how to implement it.

This is not your fault by any means…. again, it’s one of my many shortcomings and I sincerely apologies for my inaccurate assumptions.

Gmail Chat Is Your New Best Friend

This is one of those times where I’m going to share something that I would typically take for granted and assume everyone knows about and it’s how to increase traffic and exposure to your website through the use of Gmail chat.

Ok, so what’s Gmail chat?

Of course, you’d first need a Gmail account for this discussion to even be relevant – so I’m now assuming that you have a Gmail account.

When you login to Gmail, either on your left or right hand side you’ll see the chat element.  This is a list of your contacts that you can chat with when they are logged into their Gmail account.

You know people are logged in because you’d see a green bubble next to their name.

But just like you can see the list of contacts in your Gmail chat, so can everyone else see you.

So in your contacts Gmail chat list they would see your name and a colored bubble indicating your status of availability.

But did you know that directly underneath your name in the Gmail chat list you can actually put a link (URL) to your website?

Your website URL would then be exposed to everyone who has you in the chat list and with one click (click your URL underneath your name) people are taken directly to your website.

Pretty cool huh?

Here’s what mine looks like in Gmail chat:

Ok – don’t laugh at my Gmail, I’m using the Android theme.

You see my name (Robert Holland) at the top of the chat list.

Now look directly below my name “Robert Holland” and you’ll see the URL to this blog >

Of course the EO.net portion looks cut off, but that’s OK because it’s still a hypelink that can be clicked.

No everyone that has me in their Gmail chat list is able to click that link and instantly come to my blog (this blog).

How To Add Your Website URL To Gmail Chat List Name

Enough about that – I’m sure you understand the concept and can see how this can increase visits to your website from people that otherwise weren’t thinking about visiting your website.

Here’s how to add your URL to your Gmail chat list name:

1)  Simply click the “Set Status Here” link

The first step is, of course, to make sure you are logged into Gmail. Then go ahead and click the link directly underneath your name. By default, this link is called “Set Status Here” – but you may have actually typed in a status like “I’m bored” or “Busy” or something like that – regardless, just go ahead and click the link that is directly below your name in the Gmail chat list.

2)  Type in your website URL

As soon as you click that link a text box should open like that will look like this:

And you will type in the complete URL of your website to include the http:// portion.

Your text box will now look like this (with your own website URL of course):

3)  Click away to save the URL

Now all you need to do is click outside of the text box somewhere to save your URL and have it appear underneath your name.

If you’ve done everything right, your Gmail chat listing should now look like this:

Notice my URL underneath my name (Robert Holland).

Again, this is an active link that everyone who has me listed in their Gmail contacts can see, and most importantly can click.

Let me know how it goes with the traffic to your website after adding your URL to your Gmail chat listing name.

It looks like Facebook is taking some pretty aggressive measures against Google. TechCrunch just reported that Facebook has removed Gmail from the “Find Friends” list of email providers and also from the Facebook owned FriendFeed.

So what has Facebook removed Gmail?

There seems to be a fight brewing among the two tech giants around the issue of data portability. The exactly details I’m not sure about, but I do know that Facebook and Gmail have been going back and forth on how the other can import user data.

Facebook removing Gmail from their main site and from FriendFeed seems to be a pretty aggressive move by Facebook.

Is Facebook actually taunting Google for some reason?  Making a statement that “Facebook doesn’t really need Gmail to exists?”

Thoughts?

via TechCrunch

About 2 hours ago, AOL email crashed. The reason for AOL email crashing has not yet determined, according to an email to TechCrunch from AOL rep Kiersten Hollars.

What’s interesting about AOL email crashing is how people are wondering and asking, “why in the world do I still use AOL email?”

For example, this is what @SWilderTaylor said via Twitter:

If you are interested in watching the drama unfold at AOL over this email outage thing, you can follow the AOL email Twitter feed at @AOLmail.

From the looks of the recent tweets, AOL email customers are hammering AOL with questions about what in the world is happening.

So are you an AOL email users?

And if so, is your AOL email down?

via TechCrunch

Former Apple global supply manager Paul Devine pleaded not guilty to 23 counts of wire fraud, money laundering, conspiracy and receiving kickbacks. Apple filed a separate civil law suit against Paul Devine accusing his of receiving more than $1 million in payments and bribes over multiple years from companies that were supplying iPhone and iPod accessories.

Federal prosecutors are fighting for no bail as they perceive Paul Devine to be a “flight risk”.

Back in April, Apple launched an internal investigation into Paul Devine’s activities and found a long list of emails between Devine and the accessory suppliers, according to Apple’s law suit.

Devine then warned his supplier contacts to stop emailing him at his Apple email address, but the Apple investigators were also able to access his personal Gmail and Hotmail correspondence.

And in what is perhaps the most convincing piece of evidence in the case against, Mr. Devine and his supplier counterparts kept an excel spreadsheet of the profits that were being made from their unauthorized kickbacks.

via Reuters

Source:T-Mobile USA

Josh Uhlemeyer

Former Author of Mobile News Now
Twitter.com/joshuhl
Josh Uhlemeyer Facebook page

The handset has a square pivot design with a 5-row QWERTY keyboard, a 3.0 MP camera & Bluetooth. The FlipOut will have Adobe Flash enabled in its web browser, which will allow the user to view Flash enabled websites. The handset will also feature “Crystal Talk” which improves voice quality & filters out back round noises by adding a second microphone. The FlipOut will also feature an improved media player, which will have full screen lyric support, integrated song ID & will also allow you to know what others around you are listening to. The Motorola FlipOut will be available in Europe in the Q2 of 2010.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=F66Tx1l_ykU&feature=player_embedded

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FT9H8Ee_aRU&feature=player_embedded

I think this handset will be marketed mainly towards teenagers. Since the handset is mainly focused on social networking & not to mention the vast array of colors to choose from. So what do you think of the Motorola Flip Out?

Source: Motorola

Josh Uhlemeyer

Former Author of Mobile News Now
Twitter: twitter.com/joshuhl
Facebook: Josh Uhlemeyer Facebook page

1.  Biking directions for Mobile.

According to Google’s blog, since 1956 May has been recognized as National Bike Month in which “Bike to Work” day falls during the week of May 17-21.  In an effort to make it easier for bikers, Google added a new feature to Google Maps: Biking directions for Mobile users.  Using this feature, mobile users can receive customized bike routes, bike-only-trails, roads with bike lanes, and more.  It is essentially a new layer in the Google Maps API in which users can see these new features.

2.  Gmail Drag and Drop Images into your messages.

Yesterday night Google posted news to the Gmail blog that now, users can drag and drop photos from their computer into their Gmail messages.   This function only works to its fullest in Chrome at the moment but if you are accessing Gmail in Chrome you can send pictures to your contacts by simply dragging and dropping them from your desktop.  You can resize them too.

3.  Social Search

This is probably the biggest.  If you are not already aware of it, then you will be soon.  It is nothing new but it is changing the way SEO practicioners work and has shifted the weight of the Google search algorithm to social.  Be sure to check out this article on Google’s social search for SMO and Search Engine Journal’s take on the changes happening to search.

For more information on how to use Google’s tools such as the new social search and Google maps for your business consult the Art of Social Media Optimization blog, The Social Capitalist.

So you now have both your iPhone and your iPad, and of course you love using Gmail – especially the new Gmail app on the iPad – but you may have been missing just one little piece to the standard Gmail product… and that is Google Buzz.

Well your wait is now over my friends!

Today, Google announced via the official Google Mobile blog that they have “worked to integrate buzz with your mobile inbox. Now, you’ll see buzz in your inbox on your phone (iPhone and now iPad) just like you do in the desktop version of Gmail, complete with the little Google Buzz icon.

When you open a buzz post from your inbox, you can perform all the standard functions, such as liking the post or commenting, just as you can from the desktop Gmail inbox.

Get started with Google Buzz on your iPhone or iPhone

To try this out, simply go to gmail.com in your iPhone or Android browser.

And that’s it.

So now that you have your new iPad, how you go and try out Google Buzz and let us know how you like it!

Perhaps Google Buzz launched a bit prematurely. When Google Buzz hit the scene, the initial response from users was one of backlash and amazement; some people felt outright violated. The Google Buzz settings automatically followed your most active contacts and those contacts automatically followed you back.

However, this “auto following” created and uproar from users and Google went on a 7 day marathon of updates and changes to fix the issues.

Yesterday, Google took the Google Buzz privacy issue one step further by allowing you to reset your settings.

Here’s how to reset your Google Buzz privacy settings:

1) Login to your Gmail account

2) Click on the “Buzz” link in your Gmail

3) You will now be looking at the new “reset” dashboard > Simply go through these settings line by line and make the necessary adjustments for your Google Buzz account.

Here’s what it looks like:

Google Buzz Privacy Reset

When Google Buzz first launched, wide-spread panic ensued!

Upon signing into Gmail for the first time, and launching Google Buzz, users were instantly following and being followed by contacts. This happened all without the direct consent of the users.

The result of this Google Buzz disaster was a week of frantic privacy policy updates from Google in reaction to customer complaints – if you will.

Today, Google is set to roll out Google Buzz privacy reset.

Upon opening up Google Buzz, Google will ask users to confirm (or change) their Buzz settings. This rollout will be gradual, so don’t be surprised if you don’t see it yet. Eventually, ever Google Buzz user will prompted to change (or confirm) their Buzz settings. Again, this will occur when you are have logged into Gmail and then clicked the Buzz tab.

According to Mashable, the Google Buzz privacy reset page will look something like this:

Has anyone received the Google Buzz privacy reset yet?

If so, what did you have to do, confirm, etc…?

Full PDF Document of EPIC Google Complaint

Google has come under fire from EPIC (Electronic Privacy Information Center) – for the Google Buzz service. EPIC believes that Google has seriously violated consumers privacy rights and has gone so far as to say they (Google) has even violated federal wiretapping laws (harsh…)!

Here’s the full PDF document of the EPIC Google complaint:

What’s interesting to me in this 15 page complaint is that EPIC refers Google’s “Cloud Computing Service” and takes aim at most of Google’s primary products – Gmail, Picasa, Google Desktop, etc…

What do you think?

Is Google making serious privacy violations with Google Buzz?

Does Google products in general (Google cloud computing services) violate our privacy?

Epic Google Complaint

EPIC (Electronic Privacy Information Center) is reported to have filed a complaint with the FTC claiming that Google Buzz, Google’s real time collaboration tool, engaged in unfair and deceptive practices.

The EPIC filed complaint goes on to read – and perhaps makes the most profound statement in the complaint – that Google has in fact violated federal wiretap laws.

That’s not good!

Even if you are Google – the last thing in the world you need to do is have someone file an official complaint against you for violating federal wiretap laws.

EPIC has opened up a big can worms with Google, and it’s unclear right now how this situation is going to unfold.

When Google Buzz launched back in February, Google was instantly criticized for involuntarily sharing personal profile information of Gmail users.

This brought on an onslaught of customer complaints that Google was thrown into defense mode and started scrambling to make adjustments to Google Buzz.

It will be interesting to see what comes of the EPIC Google complain.

Internet Explorer 9 Demo video uses Gmail

Wouldn’t you think that if Microsoft was going to do a presentation on Internet Explorer 9 they would use Microsoft products like Outlook, Excel, and IE in their demo video?

Apparently, Microsoft believes that Gmail presents the best platform to test out their new Internet Explorer 9 web browser.  They are trying to show the new IE9 capabilities with Java Script, and so uses Gmail as it’s testing platform.

Which is hilarious to me!  Doesn’t Microsoft have any of their own products to use?

Here’s the IE9 demo video using Gmail:

The latest school to convert to the Google Apps system is Hamilton College.

Here’s the announcement by Hamilton College:

For the greater part of a decade, Hamilton has been using the Sun Java Communications Express system for e-mail, paying $30,000 or more per year for service.  Gmail, on the other hand, costs nothing. According to members of Hamilton’s Information Technology Services (ITS), the reduced cost was among the many benefits that led them to adopt Google Apps for Education.

Beginning on Monday, March 1, ITS began transitioning all students to HillConnect, an umbrella for the suite of applications available through Google Apps for Education.

Google Apps provides a robust suite of applications for the modern day students, faculty, and anyone else associated with a university.

From Gmail, calendars, and online documents, students and teachers alike can collaborate at nearly any level – all via the web (or as Google Apps calls it, “the cloud”).

Google Apps can even integrate the suite of applications into just about any mobile device making the system even more collaborative.

Google Buzz class action lawsuit

A Florida woman, Eva Hibnick, has filed a class action complaint in San Jose Federal Court alleging that Google has violated her personal data with Google Buzz.  This one filing has led to the pursuit of a class action lawsuit that could involve over 31 million Gmail users.

As you recall, about a week ago, Google Buzz officially launched.  And when you first initiated the Google Buzz platform, you were automatically followed by all of your contacts in Gmail, and likewise, you automatically followed those same contacts.

It’s because of this “automatic” follow / be followed functionality that the class action lawsuit is claiming a compromise of personal data.  But this gets even better!  The attorneys who are taking on the case want to include over 31 million users who also experienced the compromise of “personal data”.

According to SFGate.com:

“The legal complaint accuses Google of breaking various electronic communications laws, including the Computer Fraud and Abuse Act. The plaintiff is seeking injunctions to prevent the company from taking similar actions in the future, and unspecified monetary relief.”

And even though the plaintiff is seeking injunctions to prevent Google from doing such things in the future, there will more than likely be monetary damages sought as well.

However, Google isn’t a company known to just let people run over them.  What we can expect from this class action lawsuit is a long, drawn out legal battle that could very easily find it’s way to the highest courts in the land.  So I hope that the plaintiff, and their attorneys, are prepared for such events!

Google Buzz

Here’s the big changes that Google just updated:

First, auto-following. With Google Buzz, we wanted to make the getting started experience as quick and easy as possible, so that you wouldn’t have to manually peck out your social network from scratch. However, many people just wanted to check out Buzz and see if it would be useful to them, and were not happy that they were already set up to follow people. This created a great deal of concern and led people to think that Buzz had automatically displayed the people they were following to the world before they created a profile.

On Thursday, after hearing that people thought the checkbox for choosing not to display this information publicly was too hard to find, we made this option more prominent. But that was clearly not enough. So starting this week, instead of an auto-follow model in which Buzz automatically sets you up to follow the people you email and chat with most, we’re moving to an auto-suggest model. You won’t be set up to follow anyone until you have reviewed the suggestions and clicked “Follow selected people and start using Buzz.”

Second, Buzz will no longer connect your public Picasa Web Albums and Google Reader shared items automatically. Just to be clear: Buzz only automatically connected content that was already public, so if you had previously shared photos in an “Unlisted” album or set your Google Reader shared items as “Protected,” no one except the people you’d explicitly allowed to see your stuff has been able to see it. But due to your feedback Buzz will no longer connect these sites automatically.

Third, we’re adding a Buzz tab to Gmail Settings. From there, you’ll be able to hide Buzz from Gmail or disable it completely. In addition, there will be a link to these settings from the initial start-up page so you can easily decide from the get go that you don’t want to use Buzz at all.

Here’s what Bradley Horowitz had to say:

“Horowitz said Google is considering separating Buzz from Gmail, so that people can participate independently from email. The company might also allow people on Buzz to claim new names and redirect anyone seeking them at their old profiles to the new locations. Horowitz says Google also continues to look at ensuring search is a good way for people to locate the “right” people, as well.”

The concern has been, literally since day 1 of Google Buzz, that the social networking tool automatically opted you in to following those who are in your contacts, and your contacts following you – all without you having any say in the matter.

This issue, among other major privacy concerns, has put Google under pressure with Google Buzz.  Ultimately, we will probably see Google Buzz removed from Gmail – which would then put Google right back to the drawing boards to try to figure out a way to compete with Facebook and Twitter.

Google announced their wedding planning templates today via the Google Docs blog:

“Today, I’m happy to share this knowledge in the form of over 20 wedding templates available in the Google Docs template gallery. These tools make it easy to estimate and track your wedding budget, collect addresses for invitations, compare vendors and much more.”

What’s cool about the Google Wedding Planner templates is that you now have pre-formatted, web based documents from which to chose that can make your wedding planning experience much more enjoyable.

Here’s a video showing more the Google Wedding Planner templates:

Yesterday, I wrote about how Iran was shutting down Gmail, and even shutting off text messaging services, in preparation for today’s anniversary of the Islamic Republic.

Here ya’ go Iran – so much for shutting down the Internet:

Disable Google Buzz

It’s not good when one of the top searched phrases relating to Google Buzz is the question: “How to turn off Google Buzz?” However, I can’t blame people for wanting to turn off Google Buzz primarily because of their disastrous default privacy settings.  So for those of you who are like me, and just want to disable Google Buzz completely, here you go!

Here’s how to turn off Google Buzz:

1) Log in to your Gmail

2) Scroll all the way down to the bottom (footer) of your Gmail page and click the link called “turn off buzz”.

And that’s it, Google Buzz will be disabled completely within your profile.

If you ever want to turn on Google Buzz in the future, just follow the same steps and click “turn on buzz”.

Google Buzz

Here are 2 Google Buzz privacy concerns you need to know:

1) Google Buzz automatically has you follow, and be followed, by everyone in your contacts list.

With Google Buzz, you automatically follow everyone in your Gmail contact list, and that information is publicly available in your profile, by default, to everyone who visits your profile.

And within your profile, that list is available with “follow” links!

2)  Google Buzz Broadcasts Your Email Address

With Google Buzz, one of the central points of focus is your Google profile.  So let’s say you’ve customized your Google profile page with the vanity URL Google offers at the bottom of the page.  Wouldn’t that URL also be your email handle?

So anyone who does an @ reply to you would, in essence, be broadcasting your emailing address to an unknown, massive audience of followers.

Probably the biggest concern that I have, and why I decided to turn off Google Buzz, is that everything is “opt-in” automatically for me.  That means, by default you are opted-in to follow and be followed by everyone in your contact list.  And most frightening is that your list is publicly viewable in your Google profile.

At least with Facebook you have a double opt-in required in order to become friends.  Both parties have to receive and accept an invitation before becoming friends and making news streams available.

I think that Google Buzz is about to face some unforeseen scrutiny, and this might just be one Google product that falls flat on its face.

Facebook Chat

Facebook’s David Reiss made the announcement today via the Facebook blog about the new Facebook Chat functionality.  He explained that, “…we believe you should be able to connect with your Facebook friends everywhere. We’re happy to announce that now you can with Facebook Chat. Starting today, the more than two billion chat messages sent on the site every day can be sent from your favorite desktop instant messaging client.”

Facebook has been on a role with new upgrades.  Over the past week, Facebook has been rolling out new features to their site that put a huge emphasis on search, and also made emailing and communicating more efficient.  There’s even been rumors that Facebook might offer their own POP/SMTP email client called Titan.

All of this seems to be directed at getting users to login to Facebook, and then not have any logical reason to ever log out.

One competing force to be reckoned with however is Google’s Gmail platform.  Just today, Google rolled out Google Buzz.  This is a social networking and messaging system that is directly integrated into your Gmail client.  Google Buzz is designed to do the exact same thing that Facebook seems to be shooting for – once you login, to keep you logged in as long as possible.

Gmail has a powerful chat functionality that allows you to chat via text, voice, and even video.  The new Facebook Chat desktop client seems to be a step toward Facebook competing with Gmail, however, Gmail already has a great desktop client called Google Talk.

So the battle rages on, and I say let them have it.  Because the more competitive Facebook, Google, and Twitter become, the more you and I benefit with amazing applications – all of which is designed to win your attention on the web!