There is a powerful but little known Gmail feature that lives in Labs called “Add any gadget by URL.” Once you turn it on, you can add iGoogle gadgets (or any gadget specified by an .xml file) to the side of your Gmail account. While most of these gadgets are built by third-parties and not owned or maintained by Google, they can be super handy.

To install any of these gadgets, follow those steps:

1. From your Gmail account, go to the Labs tab of Gmail Settings.
2. Look for the Lab “Add any gadget by URL.” Enable it, then click “Save changes.”
3. Go to the new “Gadgets” tab under “Settings” and add the relevant .xml address.




Here’s a list of few worth trying out:



Wikipedia
Look for a specific query right from Gmail.

http://www.google.com/ig/modules/wikipedia.xml





Google Calculator
Make some quick calculations while typing an email.

http://calebegg.com/calc.xml






Note
Add a sticky note to the corner of your Gmail account.

http://www.google.com/ig/modules/sticky.xml





Remember the Milk

If you’re a fan of this task management system, accessing all your “Remember the milk” notes from right within Gmail can be super handy.



http://www.rememberthemilk.com/services/modules/gmail/rtm.xml





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