Two cool new Google features

The first is Google Suggest, which is basically a server-side AutoComplete feature. As you type a search query, it pops up a list of commonly searched keywords which match what you’ve already typed. Amazingly, when you type “por”, the first thing in the list is “porsche”, instead of… well, you know.

Another recently added Google feature is the ability to use POP to access GMail. I’m not sure exactly when they started doing this, but I noticed it a few days ago. Basically, this allows you to read GMail with an e-mail client (like Thunderbird or—God forbid—Outlook Express), instead of logging on to the webpage.

I’m surprised that Google actually decided to do this, because I assumed that most of the revenue generated from GMail is from the ads that they display on the webpage. By using POP to access your account, you effectively circumvent the need to use the web interface, thus avoiding the ads altogether. You have to wonder what Google has to gain from this, but I’m glad that they’re willing to make sacrifices to provide innovative services.