Mountain View, California-based Internet search giant Google has launched a test version of a feature aimed  at preventing users of its popular GMail Web-based e-mail service from sending out impulsive messages, the company announced Monday. When it is active, the new tool which is called Google Mail Goggles, requires GMail users to answer a series of five basic math problems as a deterrent to sending out impromptu e-mail messages that might in some cases be better left unsent.  The Mail Goggles feature was added to Google Labs test bed for new program ideas, and was announced Monday by Google GMail engineer Jon Perlow, who is the feature's developer, in a message posted to the GMail blog. "Gmail can't always prevent you from sending messages you might later regret, but today we're launching a new Labs feature I wrote called Mail Goggles which may help," Perlow said in the message. When using the tool's default setup the math questions appeared before sending GMail messages only during late night weekend hours, although settings were available to specify which days and times the e-mail postponing tool should operate. Options for changing the difficulty of the tool's math questions were also available. "Hopefully Mail Goggles will prevent many of you out there from sending messages you wish you hadn't," Perlow said Monday. Related Links :
|
