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Google Gmail

Play Snake Game within Gmail

SUMMARY: Take a break responding to e-mail in Gmail with a Snake Game.

Tired of dealing with dozens of business e-mail messages in Gmail and need to take a break? Or are you logged in and waiting for someone else to join you for a chat?

You can take a break from chatting and e-mailing with Google's take on the old snake game. If you have used computers for awhile you may remember the old game. You control a small snake and must eat dots. As you eat, you grow and move faster. Continue to grow and eat dots until you run into a wall or yourself.

Playing "Old Snakey" in Gmail

To enable this game:

1. Click the "Settings" link near the top-right of Gmail.

2. When the "Settings" page appears, click the "Labs" tab.

3. Next to "Old Snakey", click the "Enable" radio button.

Enabling "Old Snakey" in Gmail

4. Click the "Save Changes" button.

5. If keyboard shortcuts are turned off, turn Gmail's keyboard shortcuts on.

To turn on "Old Snakey", press the ampersand key. Use the cursor keys to move the snake. The zero key pauses the game and the space bar restarts. Press the "Close" button or press the Esc key to end the game.

This tip was written on November 11, 2008. Gmail's interface, especially the Labs, are subject to change.