Gmail Develops Three-Pane View

     Gmail has introduced a preview pane feature that allows users to read emails without opening them. The setting gives the option of choosing between “previews” and “list views.” Users can modify the preview pane to appear either horizontally or vertically adjacent to their lists of emails.

Some users of Rapportive and Boomerang have complained of minor glitches when using the new Google Labs product. The preview is nearly identical to the preview feature seen standard on Microsoft Outlook.

Gmail users can activate the preview panel by going to “Gmail settings” and selecting “Preview Pane” in the “Labs” section.

Sony Announces Two Tablets

     Last week, Sony announced two Android-powered tablets, Tablet S and Tablet P, with the earliest deliveries of the former beginning later this month. Surprisingly–and commendably–Sony made some interesting design and functionality choices with their very first tablets.

The more conventional of the two is the Tablet S, a WiFi-only 9.4-inch device in the traditional tablet packaging that runs on Android 3.1 (buyers will be able to upgrade to 3.2 later in the year). Features include DLNA compatibility–the ability to wirelessly “throw” sound and images to compatible devices–as well as a built-in infrared transmitter that turns the hardware into a multifunctional universal remote. Access to Sony-controlled music, videos and book stores is of course included.

The dual-screen Tablet P is the more unique of the two in terms of looks, with a folding clamshell design that opens to a pair of 5.5-inch touch-sensitive displays that can function separately (think an email inbox in the top window and the contents of a specific email in the bottom) or together.

Pre-orders for the Tablet S began on Wednesday, with deliveries expected later this month. The 16 gigabyte model costs $499 and the 32 gigabyte model $599. The WiFi- and 4G-compatible Tablet P will be sold through AT&T, though Sony has yet to release pricing information or details on availability.

Zynga Delays IPO Because of Unstable Market

Zynga, the San Francisco-based game developer behind FarmVille and CityVille, will delay its initial public offering.

The company, which hoped to launch an IPOin early September, cited the rocky stock market, two sources told The New York Post. Zynga will now pursue an IPO in November.

The company set plans in motion in June when it filed papers with the Securities and Exchange Commission and prepared to raise as much as $1 billion.

Zynga is one of the most anticipated IPO offerings and will likely make $1 billion in profits this year. Like Groupon, it has come under fire for its accounting practices.

Samsung and Nokia Follow Apple to Release Cheaper Smartphones

Nokia and Samsung rolled out cheaper smartphone models — just after sources saidApple is planning to release a more cost-effective version of the iPhone 4.

Samsung unveiled four new Galaxy smartphones, while Nokia released three new phones that use its Symbian software. An analyst told Reuters that smartphone makers are beginning to release more low-end smartphones in an effort to meet demand and attract mass customers in countries like China and India.

Analysts also suspect Nokia, who has not had a strong smartphone offering, is trying to up the use of its Symbian software to stay afloat.

The demand for low-cost smartphones is growing, according to Reuters.

Samsung forecast on Wednesday cheap models costing below $200 would account for more than half the overall smartphone market by 2015 in volume terms, up sharply from last year’s 16 percent.

“Samsung seeks to expand market share in the emerging market with models costing around $200, as those markets have lower smartphone penetration rates compared with advanced markets,” a Samsung group spokeswoman quoted an executive from Samsung Electronics’ mobile division as telling a meeting of the group’s executives on Wednesday.

How to Choose a Web Designer

In his witty blog titled “Information Highwayman,” D Bnonn Tennant gives interesting advice on choosing a Web designer and it’s not what you’d think. Instead of contemplating your budget and analyzing a designer’s skillset, he says you should pay close attention to the words he uses on his Web site.

Words like business objectives, return on investment, your revenue goals, lead generation and increase sales indicate the designer possesses the valuable understanding that Web sites are business assets that must achieve specific business objectives, which in turn are tied to revenue goals.

On the other hand, if he’s peppering his site with terms such as branding, beautiful,passion, making a difference, modern or clean you should look elsewhere. “It doesn’t bear mentioning that a web designer will produce something that isn’t ugly or out-dated, does it?” he writes.

He also says that it’s a no brainer that your Web site should reflect your brand but focusing on brand recognition is the wrong approach for small companies. He says “…brand recognition is of utterly no consequence to small companies with limited audiences, and focusing on it instead of on real traffic- and lead-generation strategies will drive you into the ground.”

Read more at Information Highwayman.

Glimpse of the Future? Google Rolls Out 1-Gig-per-Second Network

    Faster than a speeding bullet! Or at least, faster than Time Warner. Google’s new 1 Gbps network so far appears to be more than 35 times faster for downloads than average U.S. broadband speeds, but Google’s ambition is to provide 100 times faster speeds, especially to homes and small offices where entrepreneurs are creating start-up companies. We can’t wait to try 1 Gbps speeds! But we have to wonder whether the move puts Google at greater risk for antitrust worries.

In addition to the Palo Alto network, Google is rolling out super-high-speed broadband in Kansas City, Kansas. And in an unrelated initiative, a project called GigU is planning to build super-high-speed networks around universities.

Verizon Wireless and Intuit Form Mobile Payment Partnership

 Verizon Wireless and small business software provider Intuit announced that the two companies would be partnering to provide mobile payment services through Intuit’s GoPayment system. Intuit’s mobile payment device and application will be offered in Verizon Wireless’ stores and marketed directly to small businesses through Verizon Wireless’ business-to-business channels.

Intuit’s GoPayment card reader is compatible with most smartphones and tablet devices, plugging into the device’s audio jack. The device is being marketed to small businesses and merchants that lose sales opportunities when they have to turn down payment by credit card. “GoPayment is meeting a huge need and is one of the fastest growing mobile payment solutions in the market,” Chris Hylen, general manager of Intuit’s Payment Solutions Division, says in a press release. “With Verizon Wireless, we’ll help even more people discover that they too can process credit card payments on the phones or tablets they already own.”