Gmail Looks Out for Ya

Boy, Google really wants to help you with that problem you have e-mailing while drunk. First, it launched "Mail Goggles," a function that forces you to solve math problems before you can profess your love to that special someone you met at that dive bar two hours ago. Now, just in case you've got inebriated algebra licked, Google has introduced a new "undo send" feature, buying you a full five seconds to think about whether that note should have gone out to the world. If you just happen to have second thoughts about that email, or realize you just sent it to your mother on accident, you can hit the undo feature and capture the message before it's too late. Unless, of course, it's too late.

The Undo function is designed for more than just lubricated love notes. Users can also grab the email if they realize they put in the wrong attachment, or sent it to Bill in accounting rather than Bill in sales. As TechCrunch's Erick Schonfeld notes, Gmail is notoriously slow when compared to many other email systems. But now, you can exploit that weakness and snatch that mistaken missive before it ruins your life. As Schonfeld puts it, Google has built a "panic button" into its email system. And who doesn't panic on a regular basis?