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Stacking together a handful of separate features in Gmail gives you a unified inbox for managing multiple email accounts, and an easy way to glance at and manage them all. More »

Firefox with Greasemonkey: Gmail FavIcon Alerts turns Gmail’s tiny address bar and tab icon into a multi-function ambient alert system, showing an unread message count and changing color for new events, like chat messages. More »

When you want to quickly compose and fire off a message with Gmail, you’ve got a lot of options. Chances are none of them are as fast as gCompose.

We’ve covered similar alternatives in the past, like our very own Supercharged GmailThis bookmarklet, but none of them offer the compose-and-return-to-work speed of gCompose. Instead of a regular Gmail compose window, gCompose speeds up the compose process by linking to the iGoogle Gmail gadget’s compose window, which strips what you don’t need (it doesn’t load Gmail chat or your inbox, for example) but still keeps the features you want (like contact autocomplete).

Created by blogger Andrew Kortina, gCompose comes in a variety of formats: a simple gCompose bookmark, a gCompose bookmarklet that opens a new window for your message, or a gCompose plugin for previously mentioned Ubiquity. The post offers instructions for setting up gCompose with your Gmail account, so follow the link below for details. If you’ve got a faster method of firing off an email with Gmail, let’s hear it in the comments.

Duplicate Contact Remover, HD Video Chat Coming to Gmail CNET’s Webware scored a revealing chat with a Gmail honcho, learning that more themes, a contact de-duper, bigger attachments, and HD video chat are in the works. Not arriving soon? A dedicated iPhone app.

Firefox with Greasemonkey: The Gmail Unread Message Count in Favicon Greasemonkey user script displays your unread message count on the Gmail site favicon.

If you’re not familiar with the concept of the favicon, it’s the small icon that appears next to the address bar or in the tab and helps identify which sites are open in which tab (like the little ‘lh’ that Lifehacker uses as its favicon). With this script installed, the favicon gets even more useful by showing your unread count in addition to identifying which tab holds your Gmail account. The unread number glows brighter with each new message you receive, and it maxes out at 10. The improved favicon is a perfect More »

Linux only: The latest release of Google Gadgets for Linux offers speed and memory performance enhancements and a number of bug fixes, but, most importantly, support for newer gadgets like Gmail and Google Docs.

Those last two gadgets on Linux run almost exactly the same as the Google Desktop versions we previously mentioned, which could be all kinds of convenient for Linux users looking for the convenience of on-desktop email and writing without the heft of a full Google Desktop package. Hit the link below to grab a binary package or repository link for your distribution.

Google has taken a more aggressive approach to moving users away from Internet Explorer, recommending that Gmail users install Firefox or Chrome if they want to see Gmail run “an average of twice as fast.”

When you log into Gmail using Internet Explorer, you’ll see a “Get faster Gmail” link in the set of links across the top of the page. If you follow the link in IE7, which claims that Gmail runs an average of twice as fast on Firefox 3 or Chrome than it does IE.
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Windows/Mac/Linux (Adobe AIR): GMDesk is a single-window frame that can hot-switch between Gmail, Google Calendar, Google Docs, and other G-apps, but it could use a few tweaks to make it truly convenient.

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