A new function within Internet Explorer 8 are Web Slices. I've just tested it with the RSS feed from Gmail to see if there are new messages and this works. So, you can add a Web Slice in Internet Explorer 8, fill in your username and password and stay up to date within the browser. Only the way it's shown is very..well.....but it works :-)

A screenshot,

http://www.websonic.nl/nieuws/092008/images/gmail_ie8.gif