mail

Last Friday I described how to receive messages sent to your ISP mail account in your Gmail inbox. Lots of people prefer the sorting, contact lists, and other features of their client mail program, so today I'm going to turn things around and tell you how to forward mail sent to your Gmail address in the Outlook or Thunderbird inbox for your ISP mail account.

Start by logging into Gmail, clicking the Settings link in the top-left corner, and selecting Forwarding and POP/IMAP. If your ISP uses POP3, choose Enable POP for all mail if you want to … Read more

I haven't checked my ISP mail inbox for about six months, but that doesn't mean I'm out of touch. I get the messages delivered to my Gmail account automatically, which allows me to read the mail on any PC with an Internet connection. I can even reply or send new messages in Gmail as if they came from the address my ISP supplied.

Start by logging into your Gmail account, or if you don't already have one, sign up here. Click Settings in the top-right corner of your inbox, and then choose Accounts. To receive mail … Read more

Note: This product was updated on December 7, 2007 to include descriptions of the full software feature set.

I'll come right out and say it. The biggest problem with my first experience with YouMail may have been my own human error, or bad timing. The biggest problem with my second experience is a controversial capability I tackle later on in the review--so keep reading!

In my original review of the voice mail system that lets you manage voice messages online, I said YouMail had a lot of potential, but wasn't delivering on its promise of catching my voice mail messages. It could be that I skipped a beat, and missed punching the crucial star (*) key when entering YouMail's phone number into the Motorola Razr V3 handset I tested with. Or, offers YouMail's PR representative Derek Brookmeyer, I may have actually done this as the signal cut out, in which case YouMail would not have completed my voice mail forwarding, and Verizon would not have warned me the action was unsuccessful.

So now, the complete review:

YouMail's concept fits snugly into the intersection of two meta trends--personalized greetings (such as Vringo) and online mobile management (such as Dashwire). However, since you program YouMail to take over native voice mail duties, it involves a lengthier time investment up front.… Read more

You've been sent an e-mail, and it's critical the contents are safe from prying eyes. In the case of Gmail, and a handful of other popular Web-mail providers, your e-mail could be in a dozen different servers (albeit encrypted), or even be analyzed to try to sell you contextual ads.

The creators of Lockbin would like to help you avoid such security calamities with their closed system that will take any message and send it to someone in a highly secured manner. How secure? You can't even open it unless your recipient happens to have the "… Read more

If there were snakes on this plane, you could IM your friends and tell them.

Low-cost airline JetBlue has equipped one of its Airbus A320 planes with an onboard wireless network and has forged partnerships with Yahoo and BlackBerry manufacturer Research In Motion to give passengers access to the companies' e-mail and instant messaging functions while in the air. The airline considers the plane, nicknamed "BetaBlue," to be an early-stage test as the company explores expanding in-flight communication options.

Passengers won't be able to surf the full Web. But if they bring Wi-Fi-equipped laptops along, they can … Read more

What am I, nuts?

Removing the antivirus software from your PC goes against conventional wisdom, but a lot of conventional wisdom is bunk, especially when it comes to technology.

Two of the five PCs on my home network have been without AV software for six months, ever since I made the mistake of loading the beta of Windows Live OneCare 2 on my home network. This stellar example of the programming art brought my entire network to its knees in a matter of minutes. After three days of repairs, my network was working again, but I realized that two of … Read more

Tired of receiving a mountain of useless catalogs in the mail every day? If your mailbox looks anything like mine, you could probably use some help getting your name removed from the plethora of junk mail sent to your home--plus, you'll be doing the planet a favor.

Catalog Choice is a free online service that makes sure you stop receiving the catalogs that you no longer want in the mail. The site has attracted some media attention, and now small businesses and even some schools are using it to reduce waste.

Imagine what your recycling bin would look like … Read more

Update 2:50 p.m. This article has been updated with user experience information on AIM integration into Gmail.

Gmail and Google Talk users can now chat with their AOL Instant Messenger buddies through the Gmail interface, Google announced today. Rolling out to all English-based users by the end of the day, the new feature will let you seamlessly jump from chatting with a Google contact to an AIM buddy without having to use two separate chat clients.

… Read more

It's a rare sight to see a functioning first or second-generation iPod out in the wild these days. If your vintage iPod's battery hasn't lost its ability to hold a charge, then there's always the chance of a failed hard drive, a broken screen, or an intermittent headphone jack. Sure, the latest crop of iPods are thinner, cheaper, and longer lasting than your bulky heirloom iPod, but if you have a soft spot for the old guy, or just resent gadget obsolescence, there's a new repair option for you.

Blue Raven, a manufacturer of DIY … Read more