04/06/2004 "Email by Google"

After an oddly timed press release on April 1st, Google have promised that their new Gmail launch is no April Fools. In my cynical opinion, this is Googles first attempt to build brand loyalty and to put barriers in the way of people from switching to other search engines.

However, it sounds like an interesting proposition with 1GB of free storage with some contextual based advertising thrown in by the same technology behind Adwords. One of the issues to have arisen since the announcement is over a possible breach of European privacy laws.

If you would like to find out more about Gmail before it is opened to the general public, read the entry on testing the new email system by Sean Palmer over at Miscoranda.