Gmail’s mobile application is getting a useful upgrade today. You can now compose and send emails when in a low/no coverage area and have them automatically delivered in the background when you regain a signal. While this is essentially the same way that offline email works on Blackberries (my device of choice) – which can already be tied to your Gmail account – the new Gmail for Mobile will allow you to perform these functions on other handsets like the Nokia N95 and Sony Ericsson W910i.

Along with the offline support, Gmail has added a few other features. Most notable is the ability to switch between multiple Gmail/Google Apps accounts from the Gmail Mobile interface. There are also shortcut keys for performing basic functions like jumping to the top or bottom of your mailbox, or undoing your last action.

As a Google product manager explains in the brief demo below, the offline support is probably going to be most useful for users that bounce in and out of coverage when traveling:

—Related Articles at Mashable | All That’s New on the Web:GMail on Your Desktop Yet?Zoho Mail: Now With Offline and Mobile SupportGmail Mobile Gets an UpdateGmail Mobile Version 1.5 Not Lookin’ So GoodGMail Phasing In IMAPGoogle Gears Now Works on MobilesGMail Adding Greasemonkey Support?

Source:Mashable!

There has been a lot of talk over the last couple of weeks about two Twitter ranking tools, Twitter Grader and Twinfluence. Any tool that measures the effectiveness of a Social Media site for a user is important to serious and casual users alike. The fact that there are now two tools presenting a user’s “ranking” in different ways is an indication of the efforts of Social Media to be taken seriously.

Tools that give an indication of the “influence” of a particular user are of use not only for users seeking authoritative users to follow, but for professional users seeking key “influencers” to work with. I decided to run an experiment with them both to see what actions affect your scores and what don’t and if affecting my scores actually did anything for me other than improve my own sense of self worth.

Twitter Grader and Twinfluence

Twitter Grader bases your score on the number of followers you have, the power of this network of followers, the pace of your updates, the completeness of your profile and “a few other factors.” Twinfluence gives you a slightly more sophisticated scoring, though I have found the system has a lag of about 24 hours. Twinfluence breaks your Twitter ranking into Reach, Velocity, Social Capital & Centralization:

• Reach measures the maximum number of people a particular Twitter could get a message to (basically your followers and their followers).

• Velocity measures the average of first order followers and second order followers added on a daily basis since you started your account.

• Social Capital measures the value of your followers network, e.g. how many followers do your followers have?

• Centralization measures how dependent your reach or ability to influence is on a small number of followers who have a large following. E.g. If the bulk of your network is made up of 10 superstars each with thousands of followers, then you have a very centralized network and it is perceived by Twinfluence to be fragile because if one or more of those superstars stops following you, your reach collapses in direct proportion.

How they compare

The two systems agree on the first factor being measured. Twinfluence’s measure of Reach is the same as Grader’s first two factors - the number of followers you have and the influence of those followers. After this, according to their descriptions they diverge. Grader adds the completeness of your profile, which does not seem to be a factor in your Twinfluence ranking. Grader measures the pace of your updates, Twinfluence doesn’t count that. Grader has a secret sauce, which may well contain some of the elements that Twinfluence is measuring as well.

At this point I can’t say which method I prefer most. Grader has the advantage of presenting a single grade, which makes it easy to see and take in, but I think some of their measures are great (profile completeness?). Twinfluence has some great metrics. I like Social Capital as a measure, but I find the site seems to have a lag that Grader doesn’t.

The experiment

Using these metrics I decided to see if I could affect my own score by trying different strategies. As I already mentioned, simply shotgunning Twitter and following hundreds of people might give you a short term boost in your score, but eventually it will backfire.

Why? Because it speaks directly to Social Capital. If by some chance you manage to attract followers who are highly ranked themselves but provide nothing but a stream of updates about your cat, the state of the coffee in your office and what you are going to eat for lunch, you are going to lose followers, and with them will go their followers and on both systems your ranking will diminish.

Analyzing top Twitter users

Just following the top 10, 20 or 50 Twitter users will lead you to similar problems. Here is an analysis of the top 5 Twitter users who have a score of 100 on grader right now:

• MarsPhoenix - Followers: 36,453 Following: 2

• Hodgman - Followers: 12,306 Following: 40

• wilw - Followers: 19,380 Following: 69

• Dooce - Followers: 17,771 Following: 60

• Timoreilly - Followers: 11,316 Following: 323

See the pattern there? Yes, they all have more followers than they do followees. So getting them to follow you and your adventures in cat training, coffee drinking and lunch eating is highly unlikely.

So how do you go about increasing your score? Well, the answers are really simple:

• Be Passionate: Think about why you want to network in the first place. What is it that you want more of? Search for like-minded individuals and follow them.

• Share: Provide useful, timely information to your network. Remember, it also appears on the public timeline (unless you protect your posts), which will attract more followers.

• Ask: And you will receive. Post questions, make them relevant of course - not “why is the sky blue?”

• Review: Check your network. Do you have spammers in there or people who aren’t contributing? Take them off your list of follows, unless of course they are your family and friends, in which case get them to read this post.

So, why would you care about improving your score? You probably shouldn’t apart from the fun factor. But by following the steps above, what you will find yourself with, in a very short space of time, is an amazing network that you can reach out to. People that you can help and that can help you. People that will provide you with a wealth of information and to whom you can pass along great information.

Let’s face it, with all that is contained on the Internet, it is impossible for one person to monitor everything that is going on, but with a significant number of people reading, watching, listening and most importantly, sharing, it becomes a little easier to obtain the information that is important to you.

At the beginning of this week I had a score of 36/100 on Grader, as of the time of writing my score was 66.

Simon Salt is CEO of marketing communications company the IncSlingers. He writes daily at www.simonsalt.com and weekly at Chris Brogan’s parenting blog Dad-O-Matic, and is also an avid Twitter user. He is focused on dragging traditional marketers into Web 2.0 before the arrival of Web 3.0. He loves to help out and volunteers his time and knowledge whenever asked. He is Director of Technology for the Austin Chapter of the AMA and is currently working on a Twitter guide for all users.

—Related Articles at Mashable | All That’s New on the Web:Mashable’s 2007 Predictions: How Well Did We Do?Twitter Mobile InterfacePageflakes Targets the Education Market TooQuick Fix For Twitter TroublesDon’t Send Bac’n: Use TwitterSearchMosio Uses Twitter For Mobile Q&ACheck A Restaurant’s Report Card Before Dining Out

Source:Mashable!

Company Name

Coolspotters

20-Word Description

Coolspotters is your place to discover and buy the products, brands, and fashions being used by your favorite celebrities.

CEO’s Pitch

Put simply, Coolspotters is an association engine - centered around pop-culture. It provides tools for users to share everything they know about their favorite celebrities, products, brands, and entertainment.

Through a set of simple and easy-to-use tools, users can “spot” celebs with the fashions they wear in their real lives, or with the movies in which they’ve appeared, etc. Users can also spot products or brands with the TV shows and movies in which they’ve been featured. The result is a universe of interconnected profiles, allowing users to discover the latest style trends in pop-culture and entertainment.

Mashable’s Take

There are many places in the celebrity media space that position themselves as pseudo news and marketing engines. You know, the standard “who are you dating and who are you wearing?” scrutiny that the Peoples, US Weeklies and PopSugars of the world dedicate themselves to dishing piecemeal to a hungry audience.

Coolspotters does away with the gossip, and sticks strictly to what sells. If you want to learn about Madonna’s divorce, you’ll need to consult other sources. Instead, if it is the bag she’s toting or car she’s driving, Coolspotters promises you the details. And for some items, the site will even direct you to places where you can spend your cash on those very things.

Based on user contributions and user ratings, the product discoveries shown on Coolspotters are not just taken from sightings in Beverly Hills or during the red carpet stroll had before and after screenings at Cannes, Toronto, Tribeca, Sundance, and elsewhere. Picks from movies and magazines, advertisements, etc., are all presented in kind.

Does all this whet your consumerist appetite? Perhaps less so now than in years past, I’ll venture to guess. A toss salad of economic matters can do that to your wallet. But if you simply harbor an interest for things the famous carry, and as well as the automotive carriages they carry those packages with, Coolspotters does the trick. And just to be thorough, names in the political realm are not beyond users’ purview. A search for Republican VP candidate Sarah Palin brings up quite a few items. Democratic presidential candidate Barack Obama, too.

Editor’s Note: This post is part of an ongoing series at Mashable - The Startup Review, Sponsored by Sun Microsystems Startup Essentials. If you would like to have your startup considered for inclusion, please see the details here.

Sponsored By: Sun Startup Essentials

Below are five of the newest startups according to Killer Startups for the period ending May 9, 2008. Check out previous Killer Startups posts.

3DegreesInc - Carbon Calculator

3Degrees is a site that focuses on protecting the environment by supporting clean energy and carbon reducing projects. The name comes from the scientific projection that in 2100 the earth’s temperature will rise by 3 degrees Celsius which will cause huge environmental issues that will affect society. 3Degrees is a great site to visit and educate yourself on the impacts of pollution and ways in which you can reduce your negative contribution.

Coolspotters - Dress Like the Celebrities

It’s no secret that there is a huge market for gossip, news, photos, and any other material relating to celebrities. Coolspotters.com is a new site that focuses on celebrity fashion and beauty – and on unlocking their secrets. The site covers products being used by the stars both in real life and on-screen, and displays photos of the stars along with guides revealing what they are wearing.

Planet Eye - Where Do You Want to Go?

PlanetEye asks the question, "where do you want to go?" Skipping the grid requires few things: cash, clothes, tooth brush and camera to snap a gig or so full of memories. But then what to do with all those pictures? There’s the "I’ve just traveled to Angkor Wat, Vientiane, and Bangkok for good measure, so where do I go next route", ie, the lazy, "I’ve done it, let’s move on" approach. Then there’s the flickr, twitter, Facebook, IGoUGo sharing method.

The Man Registry - Wedding Registry & Tips for Grooms

Wedding planning and registering for gifts are activities that often fall mostly in the hands of a bride-to-be. The Man Registry is a site that aims to get men more involved, and to help ensure that they enjoy at least some of the wedding gifts received. The site features a wide range of gifts, in the following categories: Auto & Travel, Bar & Games, Electronics, Grill, Outdoors, Tools & Garage, and Kitchen & Appliance.

Bizzlr - Leveraging Social Networks for Better Biz

Social networks are huge—that’s nothing new. Given the numbers, businesses can’t afford to be left out. That’s where the recently released app Bizzlr comes in. Bizzler leverages the most popular social networks to drive customers to your business. They utilize a propriety recommendation engine which targets customers based on their tastes and preferences. They also make it easy for customers to recommend products/services to their friends.

Partner Links
– Web Jobs
– NY Tech Directory
– CenterNetworks LinkedIn Business Group
– CenterNetworks Facebook Fan Page
– Purchase an Apple iPhone