Google Gmail, Toys Pilot

First, Google opens its testing process, calling tens of millions of Gmail users, the new service functions through their steps.

Gmail Labs has 13 configurations for users to play with engineers and directly say what they think.

New developments that only in England and the United States, and the red tab at the top of the page.

Gmail product Kate Coleman, the director said: “This marks a significant change in how the company product development.”

Total testing products domestically at Google employee for several weeks or even months, and then refined before being released to the public.

Never before has the company opened testing procedures and brought in outsiders such large scale. Smaller-scale convenience tests were conducted with the participation of invited guests.

Mr. Coleman said: “We want to make the next step and allow Gmail users will help us improve.”

Old Snakey

The new configuration includes things such as pictures in the negotiations, portraits, which calls for showtimes and superstars, you can e-mail from various characters. Old Snakey you can play classic games Gmail e-mail addict, forcing you to the screen to break the blockade outside Gmail for 15 minutes.

Mr. Coleman said functions “very hard and not gone through seepage analysis in the field of product design or analysis.”

“They Ido only comprehensive code review the process that they are safe for launch.

“They also passed the tests, fewer will be the defining characteristic. But what a way to get our ideas and to ensure that the general public.”

After testing, users will be able to say, the developers directly what they think. The most popular are likely to become part of the proceeds of Gmail.

Time for ideas

Service was granted a small group of journalists, including BBC, were invited 47 buildings in the Googleplex, a rare sight team at work.

Typically, these areas outside for people outside the company.

Moreover, it is shown that the new service before being released, were also through the offices, where engineers have 20% of their time to develop ideas and work on them. At 20% of the time is part of Google fundamental ideals.

“The basic idea is that each laboratory technologist can go for lunch and reached cool idea, security code, and ship as a function Labs tens of millions of users”, said Mr. Coleman.

The staff proposal to write on the blackboard track all of that plays around and is working on something.

Another display shows the number of errors following application is required to ensure the detention and engineers working on this.

Spam King

All work is divided into sectors, various aspects of Gmail to the calendar and documents from the reader with spam.

Boys will fight spam in your Gmail box hidden in a dark corner office. Brad Taylor, known as spam king, shares that is enough.

Gmail to the public since its launch in 2004, said he has seen real growth in the amount of unsolicited emails flooding into the system.

“Initially the beginning, if we have 25% of email is spam. Taken prisoner by most of his. Over time, and grew up, and currently over 75% of all email is spam, and that our work is far more difficult.”

Top Secret

At the heart of this open space is the so-called “war room”.

Here are half a dozen engineers huddled in overcrowded office work top secret projects. The whole world was tight-lipped about the next big thing coming out of the room, but it would be useful, quipped, that this is a new color.

Todd Jackson, another product Gmail is serious when he said that the engineers do not leave until they have resolved a specific problem or entirely new role.

The hotel is next to the office coffee is a usability lab, when Gmail offers a small group of six to eight people, experiment with new applications to see how they fare with the public.

Nick Smith, helps run the laboratory, said two-way street instead, the participants see and how they interact with the product, are a little more high tech.

“We have this little hidden camera next to some flowers in the corner of the room. We just want to know how to use Gmail, and in terms of users, what your experience is like.

“After just see how they interact with the product and what should be improved.”

– Team

Perhaps one of the fastest growing areas in the laboratory Gmail is the site of the reliability of space, just past a sign that said: “backdoor hippies”.

In a series of monitors and computers, there is also a selection of drinks, batteries and a pair of guitars. On the wall hangs plaque wish list of things, as “sound, Wii and appropriate mechanism largest television.”

The general laboratory facilities, like any other nondescript office, while some features fun here and there, like all the names of printers and copiers in the television show, as the V-Team and fun for the whole family.

But sometimes things do get serious, and all of them on a pager and be a warning, if something goes wrong with the website.

adapted from http://news.bbc.co.uk/