Tasks is the first feature to officially graduate from Gmail Labs and be universally integrated into the main Gmail service, and although quite simple and straightforward, this little feature is surprisingly useful
Tasks allows the Gmail user to create multiple to do lists, which pop up and can be edited in a box at the bottom of the screen where a dialogue box normally pops up.
Tasks can be added straight from an email, with due dates changeable via Google Calendar, and related emails as well as descriptions can added in, with the option to have these lists printed out also.
Another handy aspect of Tasks is that it can be used on the mobile version of Gmail and appears as app-like list on the iPhone that could easily replace the various paid-for ‘to do list’ applications available from the App Store.
Gmail Labs began just over a year ago and is Google’s way of trialling possible new features with users, who can switch these different functionalities on and off. There have been many diverse Labs features ranging from the comical Mail Goggles designed to stop you sending drunken emails you would later regret, to the pretty handy Undo, which gives you a few crucial seconds to unsend an email that you may have sent in error to the wrong person, or with the wrong information.
Right now there are 48 different test features in Gmail Labs and, as the first graduate, Tasks shares the date with the launch of Google Calendar Labs, which opened up for business yesterday with several new features including ‘Jump to date’ and ‘Attach Google Docs’