[Grimsin]

Sure you can pull the names of the top 3 pending. You could use that to highlight things maybe. BUT You can not get an accurate count of how many mails you have. Because that information is only available once you open the mailbox.

And here is where we may all have some confusion... and your right phanx none of it is magic...

So im pretty sure that at some point in time the blizzard UI displayed a actual number of total mail on the mail icon when you had mail in the box. I just ran the original blizzard UI and noticed that it no longer shows a number, all it shows is the top 3 names of unopened mail. Sooo maybe your right now... but im pretty sure at one point in time blizzards ui was capable of showing a mail total when you could not get one yourself without opening the mailbox. I will go back and check into the calendar stuff again as well but...