The online chat feature of Google is something that people tend to overlook, namely because there are bigger and better discreet chat clients out there; but don’t be so quick to dismiss it. If you work somewhere that has strict firewall rules, it can be a quick and easy way to fire of an IM. Now, Google has further sweetened the deal by allowing the sending of SMS messages to U.S. based cell phones.

While SMS should have been dead and buried years ago (cell-based email is vastly superior), its use persists in a lot of countries and while it does, it is a very nice addition to the Gmail arsenal. Note that Google even one-ups Skype on this one by allowing two-way communication. You can receive as well as send. [CNET via Gear Diary]

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This is one of those things that should have come out years ago. Math is tough at the best of times, but when you throw in a bit of alcohol, it gets harder. What better way to detect if you are sober enough to send that convoluted mail expressing your undying affection to one of your co-workers

The engineers explain:

When you enable Mail Goggles, it will check that you’re really sure you want to send that late night Friday email. And what better way to check than by making you solve a few simple math problems after you click send to verify you’re in the right state of mind?

By default, Mail Goggles is only active late night on the weekend as that is the time you’re most likely to need it. Once enabled, you can adjust when it’s active in the General settings.

The whole mail goggles thing probably won’t take the world by storm, but it is a cute idea - and if it saves just one person from the humiliation of a drunken mail then it is worth all of the hours of development that went into it. [GMail Blog via Neatorama, J Walk]

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Sony have a new prototype OLED screen that they are showing off. At a thickness of 0.9mm (the TV not the screen), Sony’s prototype is mind bendingly thin, the product of carefully grinding down the glass substrate of the screen. Unfortunately this process also makes the screen extremely brittle, which means this is something that you wouldn’t want to have if you are clumsy or have kids of any age.

The screen itself appears to be the same 0.3mm screen that has been around for some time now. The prototype’s showing at CEATEC also fuels speculation that we may soon see an updated and even thinner XEL-1. [PC World Image]

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Liberation, a popular French newspaper, has published claims that Mac Pros have been releasing toxic odors. Apple is investigating claims that its flagship desktop contains “seven volatile organic contaminants,” which include “styrene, benzene and its derivatives.”

The odor, which has been described with everything from “new car smell” to “cannabis”, is alleged to be the result of a resin coating on some circuit boards. It supposedly disappears after a period of time - once the product has burned in and appears to only affect systems built before this year. [Apple Forum, Liberation via The Age]

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Despite its apparent fragility, the solar-powered Zephyr has set a new record for unmanned flight and managed to stay aloft for a total time of 83 hours and 37 minutes (not too far south of four days). The Zephyr makes use of solar panels which power and lithium-sulfur batteries to allow 24 hour flight.

Of course, this thing has military applications, the plan is to use them as a surveillance platform, with the military hoping for indefinite flight. [Associated Press via DVICE]

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