New Google Features

There are a slew of new features available for Google search and related Google applications. More after the jump.

New Version of Gmail

Google has updated its Gmail web-based email application. The new version has a slightly different interface, a new contact manager, the ability to filter messages based on various criteria, and is IMAP-compatible. It's the IMAP thing that's most interesting; IMAP lets you keep all your email messages in sync between multiple devices. It's a big deal if you use an iPhone or other mobile device to check your Gmail on the go.

More Storage

By default, Google gives you a lot of storage space for their various products -- 2.82GB for Gmail, 1GB for Picasa Web Albums, and an undetermined amount for Google Docs & Spreadsheets. But if that's not enough (and it never is), Google has rolled out a new "extra space for pay" plan. Now you can purchase extra space that gets shared between all Google online products (Gmail and Picasa Web Albums today, Google Docs & Spreadsheets soon). Rate range from $20/year for an extra 6GB to $500/year for an extra 250GB. I like the idea, but the rates seem a little high, especially when you can buy a 200GB hard drive for around $100. Still, it's worth considering if you store a lot of data online. Learn more and purchase storage here.

Google Apps for the Corporation

It was bound to happen. Google is now bundling a suite of applications for corporate use. While this isn't an office suite per se -- and certainly doesn't compete directly with Microsoft Office -- it's still a foray into the corporate world.

The new suite is called Google Apps for Your Domain, and is centered around Gmail; an organization gets to give every user in its domain a Gmail address. Other applications in the suite (all web-based) include Google Calendar, Google Talk, and Google Panel (to manage user accounts, mailing lists, and the like).

Google Apps for Your Domain (AKA Gmail for Your Domain) is currently available as a limited beta test. Click here to learn more and potentially sign up.