by Rena Sandou

Created on: July 06, 2010   Last Updated: July 08, 2010

Social networking is the latest trend; millions of daily active users globally choose to connect with friends, colleagues and family via the various social networking sites. The list is massive featuring apps, emails, wall posts, photo/video/links sharing, photo and geo tagging among others. The leader sites have joined forces enabling you to connect accounts and save time from login into to each one of them. Adding Twitter, Facebook and LinkedIn info to your Gmail for example, gives you instant access to all the latest updates, profile info and newsfeed stories from your contacts straight to your Gmail inbox.  Sounds interesting? Here is how to do it:

- Add the Gist Gadget App

1. Log into your Gmail account using your personal email and password. If you are not already a registered user, then create an account for free here.

2. To successfully add Twitter, Facebook and LinkedIn to your Gmail contacts, you need to integrate the ‘Gist Gadget’ to your Google Apps list. To do so, visit the official Gist page at: http://gist.com/gmail.html. Before choosing to add it to your Apps list, you can check it out watching the available promo video.

3. If you decide that you do want it, click on the ‘Add to Google Apps’ button. A new page will open up giving you details for the Gist Gadget, customer reviews and the latest updates. Gist Gadget is totally free of charge promising to provide to you the available links of your contacts’ accounts in Twitter, Facebook and LinkedIn every time you receive an email. It also pledges full privacy of your personal data as well as full control of the application.

4. To add Gist Gadget, click on the ‘Add it now’ blue box on the top right corner of the main page. Follow the online directions given and you are done!

- Gmail Labs

Alternatively, if you do not wish to install the Gist Gadget app, you can still add Twitter, Facebook and LinkedIn into Gmail following the steps below:

1. Log into your Gmail account and click on the ‘Settings’ tab located on the top right corner of your inbox. Once you are inside Settings, click on the ‘Labs’ tab.

2. Scroll down the page and enable the ‘Add any gadget by URL’ Lab. Click ‘Save Changes’ and a new ‘Gadgets’ box will appear on your Settings list. Open it up and add the links below for each site:

* Twitter: https://twittergadget.appspot.com/gadget-gmail.xml

* Facebook: http://hosting.gmodules.com/ig/gadgets/file/10497140 4861070329537/facebook.xml

* LinkedIn: you need to enter your personal info to gain access to LinkedIn xml code.

Once you are done, log into to your Twitter, Facebook and LinkedIn account from the left app bar of your inbox, import your contacts and that’s it! Enjoy all the latest news feed from your contacts in your Gmail main page!

Sources:

1. http://mashable.com/2010/05/18/gist-gadget-gmail/

2. http://agentzoo.com/2010/05/19/add-twitter-facebook- and-linkedin-info-to-your-gmail-contacts-apps/

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