URL shorteners are a useful tool when sending emails. Not only are long links unsightly, they often break inside email clients becoming useless. I use Gmail for my email client and was delighted to see that bit.ly introduced an application that provides a URL shortener right inside Gmail.

To install bit.ly‘s URL shortener:

1. Go to Settings > Labs
2. Scroll down to the very bottom and click the radio button to enable “Add any gadget by URL”
3. Click “Save Changes” at the bottom of the page
   
4. You should now have a gadgets tab at the top of the settings page. Click it.
5. In the “Add a gadget by its URL:” box paste this link:
   http://hosting.gmodules.com/ig/gadgets/file/107368512201818821991/bitly-shortener.xml
6. Congratulations you now have a URL shortener application right inside Gmail!