If you’re reading this blog, there’s a good chance that you can connect to the Internet on a fairly regular basis. But even with the advent of Wi-Fi and mobile data connections, there are still many places where you won’t have access to the Internet. That’s why Google came up with a way for Gmail users to send and receive email via text messages or SMS.
The service is simply called Gmail SMS. Because calling it Esmsmail or Smsemail is just absurd. For now it’s only available in Ghana, Nigeria and Kenya. Customers only need to register the mobile number that they’d like to tie to their Gmail account and they’ll be able to send and receive email from their phone.
Because it’s in the form of a text message, customers can receive Gmail SMS from practically any mobile phone. Another nice thing about it is that receiving Gmail SMS is free. Standard network charges will only apply if you want to send an email from your phone via the service. I hope Google eventually rolls out this service to more countries.
[via Google Africa via Memeburn via Emergent Futures]
If you remember web-based mail services of old such as Hotmail, Lycos and Yahoo, then you would realize how different things were back in the day, and searching for information was not that easy. Along came Google who changed the search landscape just about forever, and their Gmail service is definitely worth having for anyone who wants to locate their lost emails in a jiffy. Since August, Google apparently opened a field trial that enabled one to sign up in order to retrieve information from Gmail straight from the Google search box itself. The feedback has been more positive than negative, and from today onwards, everyone and their dog are able to sign up for a new and expanded field trial so that you can locate your stuff across Google.
Google recently issued a warning to many of their Gmail users, citing that their accounts could fall under the crosshairs of hackers. This email is similar in nature to the one that the Internet search giant sent out in June earlier this year, stating, “We believe state-sponsored attackers may be attempting to compromise your account or computer,” with the warning being presented in black text on a red banner for that added effect. “Protect yourself now” will be accompanied by a link to Google support page. The support page further underlines the seriousness of the entire event, warning, “It’s likely that you received emails containing malicious attachments, links to malicious software downloads, or links to fake websites that are designed to steal your passwords or other personal information. Google’s internal systems are not compromised and that this message does not refer to one specific campaign.”