2) dated, British. A term used for Gmail in the UK as another company claimed trademark to the Gmail name in the UK.
(note: Gmail has now retained its original name since 3rd May 2010.)
May 14, 2009 - The day that Google failed. All of google's services slowed down to an incredibly slow speed, while some like Gmail and Google Maps were completely unaccessible. While most issues were resolved by noon EST, such an epic fail on google's part has not been recorded in recent history.
Dude 1: Hey man i'm trying to check my gmail and it won't load
Dude 2: wtf?! im trying to get directions to that sushi place and google maps won't load
Dude 3: i just tried searching something on google and it took 15 minutes to load...
Dude 1: could it be?
Dude 2: i think so...
Dude 1,2 and 3: googlefail!
It is used to describe or vent frustration (although often minimal and humorous) toward someone who has not used an Internet search engine before asking a question, often one that when type directly into the search engine will provide the answer.
The etymology comes from the idea of there being a device built into computers that can be activated by a remote user where a cartoonishly large mallet comes out of the side of the computer and comes crashing down toward the non-search engine user's forehead. Google's multicolored logo is on the bottom side of the mallet and thus it will be the last thing they see before being struck, hopefully beating the idea into their subconscious.