Gmail testing Pinterest-style makeover for messages with Promotions tab
27 Mar 2014
1
Google says that it was testing a new Pinterest-like makeover for Gmail messages within the Promotions tab -- for people using the new tabbed style inbox.
These type of emails featured many images, "but right now those images are buried inside your messages, and with only subject lines to go on, it can be a challenge to quickly pick out the deals and offers that interest you most," product manager Aaron Rothman said in a blog post.
Last year, Gmail introduced tabs to help users better manage and prioritise their messages. The Promotions tab has been largely ignored by most users as they do not bother to read many emails in there. However, by emphasising photos, the search giant was looking at making promotional messages more visually appealing, and hoping to tempt users to click through on those deals.
The company also launched a field trial for the new feature, and users who wish to check out a new, more visual way to view their promotional emails, could sign up for the trial at https://mail.google.com/intl/en/mail/help/fieldtrial.html.
The trial is currently open for only English users with @gmail.com address. Users get a message in the Promotions tab once they are in Google.
Meanwhile, Google has responded to claims by TechCrunch founder Michael Arrington that the company had accessed his Gmail account to find out who leaked him information.
In a statement to Recode yesterday, Google general counsel Kent Walker said that Arrington's allegations were "serious," adding that while "terms of service might legally permit such access, we have never done this and it's hard for me to imagine circumstances where we would investigate a leak in that way."
Arrington, in his personal blog last week, said that he was "nearly certain that Google accessed my Gmail account after I broke a major story about Google."
According to Arrington, the breach occurred years ago, his source within Google was fired from the company after being presented with an email showing the person's correspondence with Arrington.
''The source had corresponded with me from a non-Google email account, so the only way Google saw it was by accessing my Gmail account," Arrington claimed.
These type of emails featured many images, "but right now those images are buried inside your messages, and with only subject lines to go on, it can be a challenge to quickly pick out the deals and offers that interest you most," product manager Aaron Rothman said in a blog post.
Last year, Gmail introduced tabs to help users better manage and prioritise their messages. The Promotions tab has been largely ignored by most users as they do not bother to read many emails in there. However, by emphasising photos, the search giant was looking at making promotional messages more visually appealing, and hoping to tempt users to click through on those deals.
The company also launched a field trial for the new feature, and users who wish to check out a new, more visual way to view their promotional emails, could sign up for the trial at https://mail.google.com/intl/en/mail/help/fieldtrial.html.
The trial is currently open for only English users with @gmail.com address. Users get a message in the Promotions tab once they are in Google.
Meanwhile, Google has responded to claims by TechCrunch founder Michael Arrington that the company had accessed his Gmail account to find out who leaked him information.
In a statement to Recode yesterday, Google general counsel Kent Walker said that Arrington's allegations were "serious," adding that while "terms of service might legally permit such access, we have never done this and it's hard for me to imagine circumstances where we would investigate a leak in that way."
Arrington, in his personal blog last week, said that he was "nearly certain that Google accessed my Gmail account after I broke a major story about Google."
According to Arrington, the breach occurred years ago, his source within Google was fired from the company after being presented with an email showing the person's correspondence with Arrington.
''The source had corresponded with me from a non-Google email account, so the only way Google saw it was by accessing my Gmail account," Arrington claimed.
