Google Features I’d Like To See INTERNET ADDICT PT. 1

Google Features I’d Like To See
Posted: 14 Jan 2009 04:11 PM PST
Post written by Leo Babauta. Follow me on Twitter.

I have to admit I’m a bit of a Google fanboy (in addition to being an Apple fanboy). I know that’s not healthy, being such a big fan of a company’s products, but I just love their software for its simplicity and ease of use.

Gmail has evolved with such smart little improvements to email that no other email software is even close, in my opinion. Threaded conversations, archiving and labeling instead of filing in folders, filters and search and widgets such as Gmail Tasks … I could go on all day. Today they announced Send and Archive, which is such a small change but so smart and useful.

Google Docs and Spreadsheets have allowed me to put all my documents online. And yes, I know some people are worried about data privacy, but personally I don’t think Google cares about the things I store in my documents, and what’s more, if for some reason a Google engineer was snooping into my files (of the billions of gigabytes of data they store - a likely scenario) it wouldn’t bring my world crashing down.

Google Calendar is just fast and easy and accessible from everywhere with no hassle. Google Reader is simple and fast. Ditto with Gmail chat.

So yes, I’m a Google fanboy, and I’m not ashamed to admit it. If another company comes out with better software, I’ll switch.

But Google hasn’t achieved everything yet. They make strides everyday, but there’s much more for them to do.

I’ve decided to give them my feature suggestions, in case anyone in Googleland is listening (and based on the improvements they make, I think they do listen). Here they are, in no particular order:

Ability to send an email through Gmail using Google Quick Search interface (similar to Quicksilver), without having to open Gmail in the browser.
Similar ability to use the Quick Search interface to create new Google doc, quick add an event to Gcal, quickly add an item to Gmail’s to-do list, and send a tweet in Twitter.
Schedule when an email is sent instead of having to send instantly.
Sort your inbox (or other search results or labels) based on sender, size of files in the email, date received, etc.
Ability to turn a Google doc into a distraction-free, full-screen writing tool like WriteRoom (yes, I know this is more dependent on the browser but I can dream, can’t I?).
Ability to tell other Gmail users that I’m busy and can’t be bothered with more email, similar to how your status shows in Gmail chat, but appears when they’re about to email me. If they decide to email me anyway, despite my “Do Not Disturb” status, they will be warned that the email probably won’t be read, will be archived and become dusty, and that they’ll have to send a follow up message to me in a few days because I’ll have completely flaked on replying.
The ability to remind you to follow up on an email if someone hasn’t replied and you’ve marked it as needing a follow up. Also, if you enable auto-follow-up, it’ll automatically follow up with a short, polite email. Or maybe it’ll just play a small coughing sound in the other person’s Gmail: “Ahem…”
Phone answering service. Should be able to converse with the caller, and sound like me, and route any relevant info to Gmail. If the caller is a telemarketer, the Google service should try to sell them something, such as my book, and be very pushy about it. Don’t take “no” for an answer, Gphone!
A button similar to “Report Spam” for when you receive a spam email, except that it says “Spam Back” and when you press it, the spammer receives all the spam you’ve received in the last 90 days.
Yet another similar button that says “Report Joke/Chain” so that anytime someone keeps sending you joke emails, chain emails, or sappy forwarded emails, these are automatically filtered out (like spam is). Real emails from the same sender would be let through the filter. In addition, you can enable an automatic reply to the sender of chain/joke/forwarded emails that informs them that they really should pause longer before forwarding messages to people, as it fills up people’s inboxes needlessly, the blonde jokes weren’t very funny in the first place, and no, Bill Gates isn’t really tracking this chain email and won’t give you a million dollars for forwarding it.
Automatic processing of your entire inbox based on text recognition: sends automatic replies based on your previous replies, completes tasks based on your previous actions, schedules appointments in your Gcal, archives everything, then makes your coffee. This might take awhile to become reality, but I look forward to Gcoffee, which I imagine to be more productive than most coffees.
Google Stalker: Compiles most intrusive information on a person based on things found in Google searches for their name (such as very personal messages posted on Facebook or Twitter), Google images of the person, and Google Earth street-level images of their home. Google Restraining Orders would be a complimentary service that would ensure Google Stalker remains at a safe distance from you at all times, for a small fee.
Automatic writing of blog posts based on previous posts and what you’re reading lately.
OK, so I started to get carried away towards the end there. My apologies.

I’d love to hear your thoughts/ideas in the comments! If your comment is that I should stop being such a fanboy, please email it instead to “suggestionsleoalreadyrealizes@gmail.com OR pthrilla.u@gmail.com”. Thank you! ;)

Google.Com

Microsoft has aggressively been trying to shed it’s old school image as it continues to fight Apple for computer and MP3 player market share. While Steve Jobs and Apple have done a fantastic job integrating the Apple line of products with popular and hip-hop culture, Bill Gates and co. have been a step behind. But according to Microsoft, things will change.




Microsoft has recently reached out to the hip-hop community including Pharrell for it’s “I’m a PC” ad campaign, Bun B as an official sponsor of the Zune, and now Common has joined the Microsoft gang and will promote the Zune with his upcoming album “Universal Mind Control” due out on December 9th. The Common/Microsoft partnership is already visible in Common’s recently released video to his single “Universal Mind Control” where a Zune is shown in the first couple seconds of the video.



In a recent interview with Ad Age, Common reveals why he decided to work with Microsoft and the Zune. “The Zune is something that I’ve been confident about associating myself with, because I think it’s got a fly presentation to it. It is truly about music lovers, for me,” Common stated. “I know that Microsoft has been around for 20 years, they established themselves in the mid-’80s, and since then they’ve progressed. Microsoft is classy, it’s a timeless brand, and it means something to the world, internationally, and I felt like that’s the direction of what I want Common to be, to be honest.”





Google.Com


Comment by shawnlegend16 4 hours ago
Zune is what i use.

Comment by Duke Cookabrick 4 hours ago
gates still owe me for that key

Comment by VinCapone 4 hours ago
Apple all day. (yea yea make your fruity jokes niggas). I know what i got/ i dont know what ya'll on-Kanye West

Comment by Baby Sham QB ( FlipMode) Free Agent 4 hours ago
Microsoft baby

Comment by Supe D'zl 4 hours ago
cash is what it iz!!

Comment by DAAces 4 hours ago
www.myspace.com/daacesproduction
www.myspace.com/daacesproduction

www.myspace.com/daacesproduction

www.myspace.com/daacesproduction

I MAKE BEATS!!!!

Comment by Make Music, Not War 3 hours ago
Apple is dope but its way too expensive and overrated... 3 G's for a laptop?!?..

Comment by andreherring 3 hours ago
sign me nigga

Comment by andreherring 3 hours ago
andre herring the king of the bay area

Comment by andreherring 3 hours ago
teeny bopper puppets.....ha ha ha ha
Add a Comment





Comment by Cameron Cooke 3 hours ago
MICROSOFT!!!!!

Comment by ero_london 3 hours ago
well maybe till windows stop crashing when running programs and too many viruses AND HE COMES UP WITH BETTER PCS AND LAPTOPS we will be intrested..too late bill apple got it on lock..not interested..NEXT

Comment by SouthBronXBanga718 3 hours ago
its all about that paper n microsoft tryna get it

Comment by moresickaMC 3 hours ago
Zune is the sh*. hit my up on my Zune tag http://social.zune.net/member/tukayzoon

Comment by Larry Mcpherson 3 hours ago
man fuck microsoft and apple even tho i own a zune lmao

Comment by bk 3 hours ago
apple and Microsoft are not all that imo. the zune player is horrible and the ipod at times can be a pain in the ass. go cop a Cowon 160g of storage and shit

Comment by King Randy 2 hours ago
Big Up...hip hop culture is relative to all people.

http://www.DateaRepublican.com

Comment by george blast 2 hours ago
miamiishot.net

Comment by Bounce212 2 hours ago
hes autographing checks to the wrong freaking people.....common...........throw a tantrum u know 50s in charge u freaking rainbow chaser....

Comment by P Trilla 3 minutes ago
Delete Comment
all i gotta say is bill that is supposed to be my check yall know yall all owe me. but i aint mad ima charge it to the game cuz yall fucked it all up yall know what im talking about.

Comment by P Trilla 2 minutes ago
Delete Comment
mi=me=cro=death row=soft=get hard=death go figure idiots that white people shit.

when will yall lurn

style biting hatin a$$ niggas cant even sing or rap or write yall need the ghost writer guess who it is?