DNA
 
Mumbai, Apr 3: These guys are unbeatable,” was the instant reaction of Pravin Patil, a Malad-based chartered accountant, after seeing the new feature that was splashed across the Gmail homepage.

For those who didn’t log on to their Gmail account on Sunday, the homepage featured a new concept called ‘Gmail Paper’— a service with which you can request a physical copy of any message in your inbox with the click of a button and get it delivered at your doorstep without paying a single penny.

This announcement was completely in sync for a company that has a history of introducing innovative, out-of-the-box ideas. However, the more one read about Gmail Paper, the more incredible it seemed.

According to the information posted on the Gmail homepage, the cost of postage had been taken care of by relevant, targeted, unobtrusive advertisements, which would appear on the back of the Gmail Paper prints. The info further stated that there was no limit on the number of prints you could make. “You could print one, one thousand, or one hundred thousand of your emails. And the photo attachments would be printed on high-quality, glossy photo paper, and secured to your Gmail Paper with a paper clip.”

The Gmail homepage prominently showed a new button called Paper Archive that was supposed to be in your inbox toolbar. However, Pravin Patil didn’t find any such button after opening his Gmail inbox.

“I was wondering why I couldn’t find the button. Then I saw the Google homepage with another new feature called TiSP. After reading about TiSP, I realised the importance of the day when these announcements were made.”

TiSP (BETA) was another offering from Google. You couldn’t help but see the announcement on the Google homepage.

“Get free breakthrough free broadband connection with Google (TiSP),” the homepage screamed. If you wonder what TiSP stands for, it is a short form for Toilet Internet Service Provider.

According to a Google press release, “the TiSp project is a self-installed, ad-supported online service that would be offered entirely free to any consumer with a WiFi-capable PC and a toilet connected to a local municipal sewage system.”

Prosenjit Ganguly was quite excited when he discussed the TiSP feature with Joy Ray. “It has to be true since they are offering fibre optic cables,” Ganguly asserted. When Roy laughed at Ganguly, he said “I just didn’t realize the date.”