Can I Use Gmail to Tweet?
In recent years, Twitter's ease of use has helped the microblogging service grow in traffic volume faster than Facebook. When it comes to allowing users to tweet by email, however, Twitter is still lacking. Fortunately, with a little work and some additional software, it's possible to use Gmail to send a tweet while you read your daily email.
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Third-Party Applications
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The main obstacle to tweeting from Gmail is that Twitter doesn't offer email-to-tweet features. In addition, Google doesn't make it easy to connect Gmail with sites or services other than its own, such as Google Talk and Google+. However, developers have created applications and services that connect Gmail with Twitter in various ways.
Tweet With Google Talk
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The easiest way to set up tweets from within Gmail is to link Twitter with the Google Talk chat feature that appears on the left side of the Gmail window. One third-party service that enables tweets via Google Chat is tweet.IM. To get started, sign in to your Twitter account from the third-party site and then enter your Gmail address. Sign in to Gmail and you'll see a new chat message from the service. Add the service's address as a contact and when you want to tweet, send a chat message to that contact.
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Tweet With a Gmail Gadget
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A third-party Gmail gadget such as Twitter Gadget adds a panel with Twitter functionality to the Gmail window. To install a third-party gadget, click the gear icon and choose "Mail Settings" on any Gmail page and then click "Labs" on the "Settings" page. Scroll down to "Add Any Gadget by URL." Select "Enable" and click "Save Settings." Now you can add the URL of the third-party gadget by clicking on "Gadgets" on the "Settings" page, entering the address of the gadget and clicking "Add." Follow the gadget's instructions for setup and use.
Tweet by Email
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If you prefer to send your tweets using email messages rather than a Gmail gadget or if you use a mail application to connect to your Gmail account, you'll need a third-party service to receive your messages and convert them for use in Twitter. Services include TwitterMail and TweetyMail. Some services give you a unique email address so you can send your tweets from any email account, while others link your Gmail address. All ask you to connect with your Twitter account. The services appear in the applications list on your "Settings" page.
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