Email Large Files with Gmail and Google Drive

Ever have trouble sending large files as email attachments? There's now a new tool in the Gmail Compose window allowing you to attach Google Drive files to your email message. You can now insert files up to 10GB into your email message. Since the recipient will access these files from the cloud, they'll have access to the most current version as well.

Please note that this feature is only available with Gmail's new compose experience, so you'll need to opt-in if you haven't already done so.

For more details visit the Google Drive Blog posting, Gmail and Drive - a new way to send files.

Create and Edit Spreadsheets with Google Drive App

With the new Google Drive App for iOS and Android, you can create and edit Google Spreadsheets on your mobile device. Functionality includes font adjustment, column resizing, data sorting, and more. If you're collaborating in real time on a spreadsheet, you'll see other people's edits as they're made.

You can get the Google Drive App from Google Play or the Apple App Store.

For more details, see Google Drive Blog posting Edit spreadsheets on the go with the Drive mobile app.

Spam email reported 11/15/12

A series of spam e-mails were reported to the Help Desk at approximately 8:20 am this morning.  The text of the e-mail reads as follows:

It has come to our notice that most of our email accounts have been opened with unprotected browsers/computers and most Users no longer use their email accounts. This has created room for spams, bulk and unsolicited emails. Our Help Desk want to deactivate all accounts which have been compromised.

To validated and confirm that you are actually the original owner of this account, you are to fill up the short form in the link below and click submit;Update Your E-mail Account. 
[link omitted]

As always, the Help Desk will never solicit your password via e-mail. All changes to your account password should be done through our ePass tools at http://newepass.plu.edu.

If you responded to the e-mail, please take the following steps:

1. Go to http://newepass.plu.edu and use the ePass Account Tools to update your password
2. Log into your e-mail and scroll to the bottom of the page; in the bottom right hand side will be a section regarding Last Account Activity. Beneath this will be the Details link (Screenshot 1); click on this link and it will open a new window. In the new window, please click on the button which reads Sign out all other sessions. (Screenshot 2)
3. If you have used your e-mail password as the password for other accounts (Online Banking, Online Stores, etc.), please change the password on those accounts as well.

If you are ever uncertain as to the validity of an e-mail, please contact the Help Desk at 253-535-7525 or e-mail us at helpdesk@plu.edu.

Screenshot 1
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Screenshot 2
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New Streamlined Compose Window in Gmail

Google Gmail now offers a new streamlined compose window. When you click the red "Compose" button in Gmail, you'll be prompted to preview the new compose feature.

Click to enlarge

To try it out, click the blue "Try it now" button at the lower left portion of the window. Otherwise, click the "Not now" button.

Should you decide you want to revert back to the old Compose, click the down arrow in the lower right corner of the Compose window and choose "Switch back to old compose" from the menu.

For more details visit: Official Google Enterprise Blog: Introducing the new compose in Gmail

For Gmail Help on this topic, visit Gmail's new compose and reply experience

Discussion Feature Added to Google Spreadsheets

Discussions were added to Google Docs and Presentations earlier this year.  Now you can add discussions (comments) to spreadsheet cells. To create a discussion, click on a cell to select it and from the "Insert" menu choose "Comment"

If a cell has a discussion in it, you'll see an orange triangle in the upper right corner of the cell and when you click on the cell, the discussion will pop up.

For more info and details read on at: http://googledocs.blogspot.com/2012/09/google-spreadsheets-now-with-discussions.html

New Google Docs Research Pane

The new Google Docs Research Pane provides access to Google Search from within documents so you can look up maps, quotes, etc. and insert them right into your document with a citation. Check out the Google Blog posting for more details: Official Google Enterprise Blog: Find facts and do research inside Google Documents:

Star and Label Gmail Messages Before Sending

When composing a Gmail message, you can now star and label it before sending. Just use the "Labels" drop-down menu.

For more information see: Star and label messages before you send them | Official Gmail Blog: