Making security easier for Gmail users

Gmail has rolled out a new option that lets you set the https version as default. If you go to the Settings and select "always use https", Gmail will automatically redirect to the secure version. Until now, you had to manually type https://mail.google.com in the address bar.

"We've added an option to Settings to always use https. If you don't regularly log in via unencrypted wireless connections at coffee shops or airports or college dorms, then you might not need this additional layer of security. But if you want to always use https, then this setting makes it super easy. Whenever you forget to type https://mail.google.com, we'll add the https for you. If you already have the https URL bookmarked, using this setting will ensure you access your account via https even when you don't use your bookmark. Any http link to Gmail (for example, the one at the top of Google.com) will be automatically redirected to https.", says the Gmail blog.




Google is in the process of rolling this feature out to all Gmail and Google Apps users, so check back in your Settings menu if you don't see it right away. In the meantime, you can go directly to https://mail.google.com right now if you're nervous about snoops. (Or https://mail.google.com/a/example.com if your Google Apps domain is example.com.) Google Apps Premier Edition admins will also be able to select SSL connections for their users via a new preference in the control panel we'll be rolling out shortly.

Updates to Gmail contact manager

Gmail has updated it's contact management. Now you can manage your Gmail contacts more efficiently. It now seperates your contacts into two groups: "My Contacts" and "Suggested Contacts."

My Contacts contains the contacts you explicitly put in your address book (via manual entry, import or sync) as well as any address you've emailed a lot (we're using five or more times as the threshold for now).




Suggested Contacts is where Gmail puts its auto-created contacts. If you prefer tighter control of your address books, you can choose to disable usage-based addition of contacts to My Contacts (see the checkbox in the screenshot above). Once you do this, no matter how many times you email an auto-added email address it won't move to My Contacts.

Read the complete article at the official Gmail blog.

2 hidden ways to get more from your Gmail address

When you choose a Gmail address, you actually get more than just 'yourusername@gmail.com.' Here are two different ways you can modify your Gmail address and still get your mail

• Append a plus ("+") sign and any combination of words or numbers after your email address. For example, if your name was hikingfan@gmail.com, you could send mail to hikingfan+friends@gmail.com or hikingfan+mailinglists@gmail.com.
  
• Insert one or several dots (".") anywhere in your email address. Gmail doesn't recognize periods as characters in addresses -- we just ignore them. For example, you could tell people your address was hikingfan@gmail.com, hiking.fan@gmail.com or hi.kin.g.fan@gmail.com.
  

Read the complete article at Official Gmail Blog: 2 hidden ways to get more from your Gmail address

Now chat with your Gmail contacts on the iPhone

Google has launched a new version of Google Talk designed specifically for the iPhone. It works right in your Safari browser, so there's no need to download or install anything -- just go to talk.google.com and sign in.*

Because this version of Talk is designed to run in your browser, you'll be automatically signed out of Talk when you navigate to a different browser window or iPhone app. So while it's not a traditional "always-on" instant message client, it's useful for changing your status message on the go or checking in to see if someone's online and sending them a quick chat. It's equally nice for killing time at the airport.

*Google Apps users: visit http://talkgadget.google.com/a/your-domain.com/talkgadget/m from your iPhone's browser, but be sure to replace 'your-domain.com' with your actual domain name.

Official Gmail Blog: Remote sign out and info to help you protect your Gmail account

Official Gmail Blog: Remote sign out and info to help you protect your Gmail account

Gmail is going to offer a new feature in the latest version of Gmail, which is available for Firefox and Internet Explorer 7. They are going to give user an option to remotely sign out of their Gmail account.

Check out the entire post from the Official Gmail Blog for details.

Official Gmail Blog: Fighting phishing with eBay and PayPal

Official Gmail Blog: Fighting phishing with eBay and PayPal

Here is a good news from Gmail.

Gmail has been working with eBay and PayPal to stopping all phishing messages in their tracks.

Here is what official Gmail blog says:

"Now any email that claims to come from "paypal.com" or "ebay.com" (and their international versions) is authenticated by Gmail and -- here comes the important part -- rejected if it fails to verify as actually coming from PayPal or eBay. That's right: you won't even see the phishing message in your spam folder. Gmail just won't accept it at all. Conversely, if you get an message in Gmail where the "From" says "@paypal.com" or "@ebay.com," then you'll know it actually came from PayPal or eBay. It's email the way it should be."

So Gmail account holders can now be sure of receiving only genuine messages from Paypal and abay in their inbox.

Fighting phishing with eBay and PayPal

Here is a good news from Gmail.

Gmail has been working with eBay and PayPal to stopping all phishing messages in their tracks.

here is what official Gmail blog says:

"Now any email that claims to come from "paypal.com" or "ebay.com" (and their international versions) is authenticated by Gmail and -- here comes the important part -- rejected if it fails to verify as actually coming from PayPal or eBay. That's right: you won't even see the phishing message in your spam folder. Gmail just won't accept it at all. Conversely, if you get an message in Gmail where the "From" says "@paypal.com" or "@ebay.com," then you'll know it actually came from PayPal or eBay. It's email the way it should be."

So Gmail account holders can now be sure of receiving only genuine messages from Paypal and abay in their inbox.