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Get Your Facebook in Your Gmail with Xoopit's Updated Plugin

Written by Sarah Perez / February 13, 2009 9:00 AM / 19 Comments

Xoopit, the Gmail plugin that helps you rediscover the lost photos, videos, and files in your Gmail inbox has just announced their new "Facebook meets Gmail" feature. With this addition, Xoopit users can both see and set Facebook status messages from within their Gmail inbox as well as view the profile photos and status messages of their Facebook friends while reading their email.

Email has often been referred to as the hidden social network - the idea being that your real-world contacts who you spend the most time communicating with are not necessarily those you've befriended on online social networks - they're the ones in your inbox. So the idea of integrating your online social network of choice (Facebook, of course) with your email inbox isn't that crazy. In fact, it's really useful. For the first time, your social networking world can finally be combined with your the everyday drudgery of the inbox...and who knows? You might just find some new friends in there.

xoopit_connect.png

To integrate Facebook into Gmail, Xoopit's new plugin uses a Facebook Connect button that logs you into your Facebook account. Once activated, you can set your Facebook status at any time by clicking the "F" icon at the upper right corner of your Gmail where there's now a Facebook status update box that displays your profile picture and your current status.

xoopit_status.png

However, the best part of this plugin is that when you email with people who are also on Facebook, those messages will now also include their Facebook profile photos and status messages.These appear in Gmail's right-hand sidebar. Underneath each person's name is a link to "Recent Mail" and "More Info."Clicking on "Recent Mail" takes you out of the message you're in to a Gmail search for that person's email address (or addresses). The "More Info" button, though, just expands the box in the sidebar to display the latest attachments sent to you by that person.

FB in Gmail RHS.png

These interactions aren't just fun - they're useful. Finding past messages or attachments sent is a common email task, so having these quick links available is a great feature.

As before, Xoopit's plugin also still installs a toolbar which is added to the top of your Gmail inbox and a sidebar widget. With either tool, you can find photos, videos, or files in your inbox. The sidebar widget also has a link that launches various games, perfect for when you can't read any more email but you just can't leave the inbox, either.

xoopit_games.png

Although in the past we've shared our concerns over any plugin that needs your Gmail credentials to operate, the functionality provided by Xoopit may sway you to put your security fears aside and give it a try.

Note: Xoopit is a Firefox plugin.


Comments

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  1. Yeah,

    it is obvious - mail is becoming a platform. In 2009 we'll see the rush for openess. This will involve big guys - Google, Yahoo, even Microsoft will at some point find out it needs to create an ecosystem of developers around their web properties (as they did very successfully with desktop in 90ies).

    Sarah, there was another quite unorthodox email plug-in launched just a week ago, hint, hint... :)


    bye
    Andraz Tori, Zemanta

    Posted by: Andraz Tori | February 13, 2009 9:43 AM



  2. hrmm. tried xoopit for several months last year. found it to add more clutter and confusion than it relieved.

    i'd welcome a solution to fbook's inferior MAIL system however. still no way to archive or even file messages. major irritation to have the choice of letting my facebook inbox grow infinitely or delete even important messages.

    Posted by: Baratunde Thurston | February 13, 2009 9:51 AM



  3. Would be nice to mention that it requieres Firefox.

    Posted by: Ignace Rodríguez / @micronauta | February 13, 2009 9:54 AM



  4. @Ignace: OK

     Posted by: Sarah Perez Author Profile Page | February 13, 2009 10:14 AM



  5. Yo dawg I heard you like...

    Posted by: Andrew C Posted on FriendFeed   | February 13, 2009 10:17 AM



  6. Just noticed this myself. And the Gmail enhancements keep coming!

    Posted by: Herb Posted on FriendFeed   | February 13, 2009 10:49 AM



  7. Oh that's cool.

    Posted by: Justin Yost Posted on FriendFeed   | February 13, 2009 10:50 AM



  8. Nice feature, I'll try it.
    Thx.

    Posted by: alex | February 13, 2009 3:31 PM



  9. One of the biggest problems we run into at www.inbox2.com is also the "privacy" thing. In order to be able to provide a service it is simply necessary to have the username/password of the user.

    Modern services provide delegated control but the old skool mail protocols do not have these features. Very difficult for us ISV's to deal with this from a technical standpoint.

    Btw if you want kind of the same functionality and don't want to install a plugin check out www.inbox2.com :-) (disclaimer: I am the CTO)

    Posted by: Waseem Sadiq | February 13, 2009 3:59 PM



  10. http://www.gardenyacicek.com

    Posted by: cicek | February 13, 2009 8:23 PM



  11. But don't you think this new feature is the first of many to come (like twitter, friendfeed, youtube, linkedIn, etc), which could transform the email box into a true platform.

    Posted by: Guillaume | February 14, 2009 5:14 AM



  12. Modern services provide delegated control but the old skool mail protocols do not have these features.

    Posted by: söve | March 9, 2009 10:10 AM




  13. Your web site is beautiful. issues are understood. very useful and descriptive. Thanks for sharing.

    Posted by: neon | May 30, 2009 1:57 PM



  14. Your web site is beautiful. issues are understood. very useful and descriptive. Thanks for sharing.

    Posted by: prekast | July 30, 2009 4:12 PM



  15. Great site.Thanks.

    Posted by: dış cephe | August 5, 2009 7:28 AM



  16. thankıs

    Posted by: çiçekçi | August 10, 2009 10:12 AM



  17. I dont know if you guys know but this doesnt work anymore. only on yahoo.

    here is a small fix.

    http://www.koushikdutta.com/2008/10/synchronizing-google-and-facebook.html

     Posted by: Sharon @ sprnch.com Author Profile Page | November 22, 2009 4:32 PM



  18. I want to get facebook in my gmail with updates

    Posted by: buddike | November 29, 2009 11:14 PM



  19. I want to get facebook in my gmail with update.

    Posted by: buddike | November 29, 2009 11:15 PM



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