Earlier today we explained how HTML5 will change the way you use the web, including how HTML5-supported offline access handles basically the same functionality as Google’s Gears browser plug-in. It seems that Google’s well aware of this fact, too, and the Los Angeles Times is reporting that Google is “letting the sun set” on Gears: More »
Gmail Labs’ new Offline Gmail feature now allows users to specify a maximum attachment size that should be downloaded for offline access. Your options range from 10KB to 5MB in size. Alternately, you can choose not to download any attachments if you want to save on disk space or all attachments if you’ve got plenty of space. (Keep in mind that the maximum attachment size in Gmail is currently 20MB.) We’re not seeing the 0.2 options in our Gmail accounts yet, which means this is likely one of Google’s slow rollouts. Still, Google Operating System suggests that disabling offline access and then re-enabling it may do the trick, so if you’re really eager, you might want to give it a try.
Offline 0.2 Launched![Google Groups via Google Operating System]When you enable Offline Gmail, the new service doesn’t actually download all your messages—just about 10,000 of them. And Gmail has its own method of determining which messages it stores for serious email fiends.
Today Gmail Labs released a new feature that bridges the gap between desktop and web-based applications like never before: Offline Gmail. You can now access your Gmail from your browser any time, whether or not you’re online.
Alex at the Google Operating System blog hears word that Google Calendar and Gmail will have Gears-supported offline modes in about six weeks, and a few users have already seen accidental offline prompts. Intriguing news, to say the least. Photo by NOTICIAS-TIC.
If you’re a regular visitor to MySpace and you haven’t already installed Gears, you might as well go ahead and do so before the site starts nagging you to get it. MySpace has used Gears for a while to provide localised message stores, but has only pushed the option to users with more than 5,000 messages stashed away. At today’s Google Developer Conference in Sydney, MySpace revealed that it will shortly lower that threshold, prompting anyone with more than 2,000 messages. Shifting to Gears enhances your ability to sort and manage messages, which sounds like something anyone with 2,000 messages could use. Gears is supported on Windows, Mac and Linux (principally via Firefox, including 3; IE is fine, Safari is, at this moment, not).
