Gmail is amazing. It's chock full of more shortcuts, settings, and features than you could shake a stick at. Even if you consider yourself a Gmail ninja, though, there are quite a few tricks you might not know about (and some that Google didn't even intend). Here are our top 10 clever tricks built right into Gmail.

I like how #gmail help docs say for 503 error disable labs but I can't access labs any better than my inbox #gmailfail

Gmail's Mail Fetcher can download messages from up to five other email accounts, centralizing all your email in Gmail. The tabs above have information on setting up Mail Fetcher, as well as troubleshooting tips for the common problems users face.

For the longest time, all I’ve wanted is a solid native Mac client for Gmail that supports starring of messages. Sure, there have been some out there, but they’ve all been lacking. Today, I may have finally found a good one.

Sparrow is a super-simple Mac client for Gmail. If you’ve used Tweetie for Mac (which is now owned by Twitter, but development is more or less frozen), you’ll feel right at home here. On the right hand toolbar you’ll find a big icon for you account (again, just like Tweetie), your inbox, your starred items, your replies, your drafts, and your trash. Along the top of the window, you’ll see an option to compose, reply to, archive, or delete. Naturally, there is also a search bar as well.

Google has recently released a version of Gmail optimized for iPad, Apple's lightweight computer. Gmail for iPad is similar to the iPhone version, but the main difference is that Gmail has a reading pane.

"We're launching an experimental two-pane user interface to take advantage of its large touchscreen and tablet form factor. Building upon the Gmail for mobile web app, this new interface displays your conversations on the left and your messages on the right hand side."

Now that you can export and import email filters with Gmail, we've decided to compile some of our favorite filters for organizing your inbox into a single, handy download. Come and get it!

This simple hack will liberate you from the silly speech bubble that the google chatback gadget offers. You will be able to include the link in anything. Make it a tiny URL link, include it in emails, put it in your myspace, use it on your blog - in your design - whatever you want.

David Airey :: Graphic and Logo Designer