Google keeps getting bigger and better. (I know I’m supposed to be afraid of them, but their stuff works, and that works for me.)

Not too long ago they released Google Talk, a chat program that can do type and voice conversations. Not too longer after that, I discovered that Google Desktop added a sidebar feature with several plugins (latest news, weather, time, todo list, etc.).

This week they released a beta of Google Reader, an easy way to keep up with your favorite news sites and blogs. I’ve tried a few readers before (NewsGator, Bloglines), but ended up dropping them after too long. The only one I’ve stuck with is Kinja. So far, though, I’m loving Google Reader: simple interface, nice keyboard shortcuts, and pretty good import feature.

Of course, to use all of this (except Google Desktop), you have to have a Gmail account. Gmail is, hands down, the best email system I have ever used. Instead of deleting emails, you archive them, allowing you to keep an uncluttered inbox yet still search for them (using Google, of course) when you need them. Emails in a conversations (replies and forward) are automatically grouped together, making it super easy to catch up on old email conversations. Sure, they put ads off to the side of your emails, but I’ve never really noticed them. And almost no spam at all. Oh, and you can use it to manage all your other email addresses now, and send from them from inside of Gmail.

Google is now letting anyone sign up for Gmail (instead of being invite only). But if you would like to try any of this stuff out without giving them your mobile number (don’t asky me why), drop me a line and I’ll send you an old fashioned invite.