The Verge: Google’s AI pitch is a recipe for email hell. “Of all the emotions I expected out of this week’s Google I/O keynote, ‘dread’ was not on my short list. Google has spent a couple of decades creating products that make my life easier. This week, it demonstrated the exact opposite: a way to make communicating with other people worse.”
The Verge: Gmail ads are getting more annoying. “Gmail is getting more persistent advertisements that have started popping up in the middle of some users’ inboxes, as first reported by 9to5Google. Several screenshots posted to Twitter show promotional messages mixed in with actual emails on Gmail’s desktop site, and users aren’t very happy about it.” Giving me strong AltaVista vibes.
CNN: Google was beloved as an employer for years. Then it laid off thousands by email. “Google (GOOGL), which for years ranked as the top company to work for in the United States, laid off thousands of workers by e-mail. And not just any employees: Decades-long veterans of the company, at least one employee on health leave, and even an employee in labor with her second child were all cut, with little explanation.”
PC World: Firefox’s new feature protects against email tracking and spam. “In welcome news for all Firefox users, Mozilla announced this week that Firefox Relay, its version of email masking, will become integrated into its browser. Launched in 2020, Relay has only been accessible so far through a browser add-on.”
Make Tech Easier: Gmail Keyboard Shortcuts Cheatsheet. “With over 1.5 billion users worldwide, Gmail has easily become the most commonly used email client for people across the world wide web. In fact, many people use Gmail for both their personal and professional email accounts, and it’s easy to see why when you look at all of the fantastic features and automations Gmail offers its users.”
CNBC: Google is bringing A.I. chat to Gmail and Docs. “Google is deepening its push into generative artificial intelligence, introducing features Tuesday that will let users create text in Gmail and Docs using the company’s AI technology.”
Make Tech Easier: Gmail Automation: 8 Useful Google Scripts to Automate Your Gmail. “Gmail, by itself, is already a very powerful email client. With the help of filters, you can set up automation to better organize your inbox. However, for power users, the filter feature is not sufficient compared to writing custom scripts. These eight Google scripts can further automate your Gmail.”
How-To Geek: Proton Mail Just Got a Big Upgrade on Desktop PCs. “Proton Mail’s data synchronization and encryption isn’t compatible with regular email apps. That’s why Proton also has a desktop Bridge application, which relays messages to your favorite mail app while maintaining end-to-end encryption. Proton Mail has announced a revamp to its bridge that will allow it to be much faster and comfortable to use, helping whatever email client you’re using it with to feel much more native.”
The Verge: Google is still trying to fix Gmail’s Outlook syncing issues. “If you typically access your Hotmail or Outlook account using the Gmail app, there’s a reason you probably haven’t seen any new emails today: Google says it’s investigating an issue it’s having syncing with Microsoft’s servers.”
Bleeping Computer: Microsoft Outlook flooded with spam due to broken email filters. “According to reports from an increasing number of Microsoft customers, Outlook inboxes have been flooded with spam emails over the last nine hours because email spam filters are currently broken. This ongoing issue was confirmed by countless Outlook users who have reported (on social media platforms and the Microsoft Community’s website) that all messages were landing in their inboxes, even those that would have been previously tagged as spam and sent to the junk folder.”
How-To Geek: Mozilla Is Rebuilding Thunderbird “From the Ground Up”. “Mozilla released Thunderbird 102 back in June 2022, marking the first phase of a multi-year revamp of the popular mail client. It had a few much-needed setup improvements and bug fixes, as well as some design tweaks. There’s also a more significant update planned for later in 2023, named ‘Supernova,’ which was already teased as a major redesign. However, it’s not just a redesign — the app is being rebuilt ‘from the ground up.'”
PC World: Get your email privacy in order with these free must-use tools. “Getting unwanted messages in your inbox can feel like a major breach of trust, and knowing senders can see a record of everything you’ve opened and clicked can feel downright creepy. That’s why it’s worth getting familiar with all the ways you can protect your email privacy. From resistance against email tracking to masked email addresses that hide your identity, here are some of my favorite free tools you can use right now.”
Engadget: Google will once again apply Gmail spam detection to political campaign emails. “Google doesn’t plan to let political campaigns dodge Gmail’s spam detection for much longer. The Washington Post has learned that Google plans to end the email filter bypass pilot program by the end of this month.”
Wall Street Journal: Google Didn’t Show Bias in Filtering Campaign-Ad Pitches, FEC Says. “The Federal Election Commission has dismissed a complaint from Republicans that Google’s Gmail app aided Democratic candidates by sending GOP fundraising emails to spam at a far higher rate than Democratic solicitations.”
HoldTheFrontPage: Websites take a back seat as publisher changes tack at nine regional titles. “A regional publisher is making nine titles ‘newsletter-led’ enterprises that will see their websites take a back seat. Reach plc has announced the move at its digital-only ‘Live’ titles covering Norfolk, Suffolk, Bedfordshire, Buckinghamshire, Oxfordshire, Berkshire, Hertfordshire, Sussex and Hampshire.”
