GMail via RSS Feed

[Ed Hansberry]

Several months ago, GMail enabled POP3 access, which should have been a boon to Pocket PC users as their web interface blocked access because the browser doesn't support everything the site requires, which is valid as you'll see below. By the way, I have 50 GMail invites, so if you want one, <a href="http://www.pocketpcthoughts.com/contact.php">contact me</a>.<br /><br />The problem is, POP3 access for Pocket PC users is spotty at best, and maybe for all POP3 users. It is in beta after all. I have to go to my GMail settings 3-4 times a week to enable POP3 because it mysteriously gets turned off. :? Now, for me, GMail is a mostly a read only site. I have only a few contacts I correspond with using that address, so what I really need is a way to check my emails. Google has enabled RSS feeds to your account. For all I know, this feature is months old, but it was news to me and my favorite RSS reader on the Pocket PC supports RSS authentication so I tried it out.<br /><br />https://gmail.google.com/gmail/feed/atom<br /><br />Just add the above code to your RSS reader, then add your [email protected] userid and password. I use <a href="http://www.handango.com/brainstore/PlatformProductDetail.jsp?siteId=311&productId=142855">NewsBreak</a> and you must have 1.0.1, which was released earlier this month. <br /><br /><img src="http://www.pocketpcthoughts.com/images/hansberry/2005/20050221-gmailrss.gif" /><br /><br />If you try to read more online, you will be able to log in but PIE won't show you the message. I don't know if it works with third party browsers or not. Of course, the best solution would be for Google to stabilize the POP3 access, but until then, you can at least see if you have anything worth finding a desktop PC to read your messages.

[F_B_i]

There are already 3rd party scripts offering web interface for gmail, and also free services suitable for WAP and PDA browsers e.g. www.mail2web.com which supports nicely gmail.

I can imagine using RSS only as a notification of new mail, but i'm not sure if that can be usufull in any other way :wink:

[Jonathan1]

No problems at all with POP from either Outlook 2003 on my desktop or WebIS Mail from the Pocket PC. Thank you MS. :?

[Jerry Raia]

Works great! :)

[emmfan]

In making the switch to gmail as my primary e-mail address, I had to work through the pop3 situation and I found some interesting features or bugs, depending on how you look at it.

One is the way that Gmail's pop3 email retrieval is configured so that you can only download your messages via pop3 once. So if you have more than one machine that checks via pop3, the messages will only be retrieved to one machine. I think someone already pointed this one out including the workaround of automatically forwarding to additioanl gmail accounts dedicated to particular machines.

Another quirk which only seems to be an issue with Pocket Inbox is how Gmail only makes available for pop3 retrieval those messages that are received in the same calendar day. This causes a problem in Pocket Inbox since in Pocket Inbox, it will remove from the inbox those messages that are no longer available on the server. I did a workaround by automatically forwarding my Gmail messages to an imap server. Also, if you use WebIS Mail, this doesn't seem to be an issue.

And the last one is definitely a feature. I love how Gmail implemented their SMTP server so that when you send messages via the Gmail SMTP server, it will save sent messages (regardless of which machine sent it) in the Gmail Sent mailbox and even attach it to the related conversation. Also, if you send a message via the Gmail web interface, it will drop a copy of your sent message in the pop3 queue so that you will have a copy on your local e-mail client boxes.

[Jerry Raia]

This also works for Version 1.0 on the Smartphone. I just set it up on my MPx220.

[beq]

On a side note I'm trying to choose an RSS reader for my new PPC. I see Ed likes Ilium's NewsBreak, but from the Handango/PocketGear download stats it doesn't seem as entrenched as other perhaps older RSS apps?

So far I'd seen (alphabetical):

Egress (http://web.newsguy.com/GarishKernels/egress.html) $12
NewsBreak (http://www.iliumsoft.com/site/nw/newsbreak.htm) $14.95
PocketRSS (http://www.happyjackroad.net/pocketpc/pocketRSS/pocketRSS.asp) $5.95
I've also seen mention of "Pocket Feed" but not sure where to find it.

I haven't tried Omega One's Journal Bar (http://www.omegaone.com/journalbar/default.htm), but its Expansion Pack (http://www.omegaone.com/journalbar/JBEP.html) supposedly lets you add your own RSS news feeds. Which got me wondering, is Journal Bar basically just another RSS reader with a very organized layout/presentation??


Edit: Sorry I guess I should've search the forum first :) as I would've found threads on Egress/Newsbreak/PocketRSS like:

http://www.pocketpcthoughts.com/forums/viewtopic.php?t=36122
http://www.pocketpcthoughts.com/forums/viewtopic.php?t=33666
http://www.pocketpcthoughts.com/forums/viewtopic.php?t=37084

[marcm]

Wow, this is really cool! I noticed this feature but didn't really try it out... I wasn't sure how to log in but i figured it out... Here's an example of what you need to put: https://gmail.google.com/gmail/feed/atom [email protected] password This would be useful if you catch a wireless network briefly, and want to get the basic idea of your e-mails quickly.

[iPaqDude]

By the way, the current @Mail beta from our good folks at Pocket Informant does gmail, and does it quite well. I signed up a few weeks ago and have not had any problems. 8)

[robclif4d]

I'm using Newsbreak 1.0.1 just like Ed.....tried the same code offered by Ed (tried using the password tab in Newsbrak) &amp; marcm and I receive an "unspecified error" message. I have email in my gmail inbox, but it won't show up.

Any ideas?

Thanks,
Rob

[carphead]

Has anybody got this to work in egress? Works fine Newsbreak but I get a 401 error in egress.

I've tried the non-https version as well. I'm using 2.0.3 and have set the correct user id and password for the feed.

[JoC]

Has anybody got this to work in egress? Works fine Newsbreak but I get a 401 error in egress.

I've tried the non-https version as well. I'm using 2.0.3 and have set the correct user id and password for the feed.

I got the same error. I used the "https://gmail.google.com/gmail/feed/atom [email protected] password" (but without quotes).

[ctmagnus]

One problem with this setup: The feed lists the first 15 words of every email with a link to the full email on the Gmail site, and we all know how useful the Gmail site is on the Pocket PC :roll:

I'll have to give this a whirl on the desktop tomorrow.

[gavinfabl]

I have Gmail working 100% on Newsbreak and POP3.

Newbreak - enter the http address as noted under Newbreak site and here.

Press and hold on new channel to bring up options. Go to properties , password and enter your gmail user name but do not include "@gmail.com" and enter password.

POP3 - In the gmail settings , only tick activate pop3 for all mail received now and onwards and not "all mail" as this doesn't work properly.

Hopes this helps

[garishkernels]

Has anybody got this to work in egress? Works fine Newsbreak but I get a 401 error in egress.

I've tried the non-https version as well. I'm using 2.0.3 and have set the correct user id and password for the feed.

I got the same error. I used the "https://gmail.google.com/gmail/feed/atom [email protected] password" (but without quotes).

Sorry for the difficulty, but the username/password in the advanced dialog don't seem to work properly with Gmail... I'll fix it as soon as I can, but for now, you should be able to use the following url as a temporary work-around:

https://username:[email protected]/gmail/feed/atom

Once again, I apologize for the inconvenience and will release a fix as soon as possible.

-Karl

[x999x]

Although webismail is the best solution I've come accross to date, I felt it was worth a shot giving these other conduits a go. I tried mail2web with limited results, mainly server side delay issues, and had a go with this RSS feed...

Why is Gmail such a pain on the pocketpc? It's seriously been a love-hate relationship!

In any case, I would like to mention that WebIsMail works very well for gmail access on the pocketpc. I got the free version thanks to the news tidbit on this site, and about a few weeks later got another email from the devs saying a newer beta version was available. My free serial number they supplied with the freebie version unlocked the beta just fine, and I've been gmailing on the go ever since. FOR FREE!!! :)

[JoC]

Has anybody got this to work in egress? Works fine Newsbreak but I get a 401 error in egress.

I've tried the non-https version as well. I'm using 2.0.3 and have set the correct user id and password for the feed.

I got the same error. I used the "https://gmail.google.com/gmail/feed/atom [email protected] password" (but without quotes).

Sorry for the difficulty, but the username/password in the advanced dialog don't seem to work properly with Gmail... I'll fix it as soon as I can, but for now, you should be able to use the following url as a temporary work-around:

https://username:[email protected]/gmail/feed/atom

Once again, I apologize for the inconvenience and will release a fix as soon as possible.

-Karl

Thanks Karl, that works fine.

See bitequator (earlier post, above) - this is why people choose Egress! The support is outstanding :D

[g.arcinotti]

Hy all,

I'm using the NewsBreak and I understand that I can only view a very little part of email, and only of unread email, 'cause after you read an email you don't see even more the email in the Newsreader...
Can somebody tell me if there is a way to set NewsBreak soft to download more than so little part of email?
Thanks and bye

[Ed Hansberry]

All GMail invites are gone. Thanks so much for those of you that followed the directions on how to contact. :way to go:

2 of you provided invalid addresses, and those GMail invites got wasted. :(

Several of you contacted me via the contact form at my personal site. What in the world would possess you to do that? :? You missed out because I wasn't checking that account. Sorry.

If I get 50 more, I'll pass those out to the 2 that are in my PPCT inbox that asked after I ran out.

[Ed Hansberry]

Hy all,

I'm using the NewsBreak and I understand that I can only view a very little part of email, and only of unread email, 'cause after you read an email you don't see even more the email in the Newsreader...
Can somebody tell me if there is a way to set NewsBreak soft to download more than so little part of email?
Thanks and bye
That is GMail - it only puts the first few words in the RSS feed.

[Wiggster]

All GMail invites are gone. Thanks so much for those of you that followed the directions on how to contact. :way to go:

2 of you provided invalid addresses, and those GMail invites got wasted. :(

Several of you contacted me via the contact form at my personal site. What in the world would possess you to do that? :? You missed out because I wasn't checking that account. Sorry.

If I get 50 more, I'll pass those out to the 2 that are in my PPCT inbox that asked after I ran out.

I'll donate some 45 invites to the cause, Ed. Just have 'em PM me if they conact you again (or anyone else who wants one can PM me).

[g.arcinotti]

Thanks for the reply Ed, in fact trying to force the download of all new message with the function Extended Data of PocketRSS but it give an error .... :( and works fine with other channell.... ok I'll search other way to download my gmail ;)
Thanks again and byez

[g.arcinotti]

I'll donate some 45 invites to the cause, Ed. Just have 'em PM me if they conact you again (or anyone else who wants one can PM me).

I have a lot of invites if somebody needs just add @gmail.com to my user name of forum :wink:
Thanks