Author Archives: Michael Froomkin

Gmail Unveils ‘Custom Time’

Posted on April 1, 2008 by Michael Froomkin

Google has unveiled what looks to be a Really Useful Service as an enhancement to its Gmail (eternal Beta). They call it “custom time”.

New! Gmail Custom TimeTM  

Ever wish you could go back in time and send that crucial email that could have changed everything — if only it hadn't slipped your mind? Gmail can now help you with those missed deadlines, missed birthdays and missed opportunities.

A Google approach to email.

 


Gmail is a new kind of webmail, built on the idea that email can be more intuitive, efficient, and useful. And maybe even fun. After all, Gmail has:

Less spam

Keep unwanted messages out of your inbox with Google's innovative technology

Mobile access
Read Gmail on your mobile phone by pointing your phone's web browser to http://gmail.com/app. Learn more
Lots of space

Over 2757.272164 megabytes (and counting) of free storage so you'll never need to delete another message.

Pre-date your messages
You tell us what time you would have wanted your email sent, and we'll take care of the rest. Need an email to arrive 6 hours ago? No problem.

Mark as read or unread
Take sending emails to the past one step further. We let you make emails look like they've been read all along.

Make them count
Use your custom time stamped messages wisely — each Gmail user gets ten per year.

Worry less
Forget your finance reports. Forget your anniversary. We'll make it look like you remembered.

I can imagine so many uses…. Do be sure to note the various limits on functionality.

Posted in Internet | 10 Comments

Republicans For Obama

Posted on March 31, 2008 by Michael Froomkin

What makes Republicans into Obama supporters? Unqualified Offerings explains:

It's all about too much power in the executive branch, which is a conservative principle. Because of the war in Iraq and partisan division, Bush and Cheney convinced Republicans that this is something you should be for. But guys who went to law school know better than that.

So do gals.

Posted in Law: Constitutional Law | 1 Comment

ICDR Miami

Posted on March 31, 2008 by Michael Froomkin

I'm at the ICDR's 6th Annual Miami International Arbitration Conference today, so I won't post much if anything.

One big change from when I was in practice: much more talk, and even a significant number of rules, about ethics. Other than that, lots of little changes….

Posted in Arbitration Law, Talks & Conferences | Comments Off on ICDR Miami

Just Don’t Mention the War

Posted on March 30, 2008 by Michael Froomkin

Newsday.com, Police arrest anti-war protester, 80, at mall

An 80-year-old church deacon was removed from the Smith Haven Mall yesterday in a wheelchair and arrested by police for refusing to remove a T-shirt protesting the Iraq War.

Posted in Civil Liberties | 2 Comments

Black Friday

Posted on March 28, 2008 by Michael Froomkin

The University of Miami Law School got pasted in the latest US News law school rankings: dropped 12 places. Our faculty reputation rank still puts UM in the top 50, but lots of the other metrics hurt.

Dean Lynch has sent out a note to the community about it. I'll post the text if and when I get one; in the mean time all I have is this .gif version, which is what they sent us.

Update: .pdf version of Dean Lynch's letter.

Posted in Miami | 7 Comments

An Obituary With Bite (and Affection)

Posted on March 28, 2008 by Michael Froomkin

Most obituaries in the Miami Herald are kind of boring. Not this one, Herald librarian one of a kind, for Rose Klayman, a former Herald librarian, sometime Playboy bunny, and neighborhood fixture:

A hard-drinking, two-pack-a-day smoker who swore like a sailor, Rose Klayman died of respiratory failure.

…

She loved management conspiracy theories and gossip, and treasured her grudges.

In a bad mood — which was often — she could be mean as a snake. But she cared deeply about the colleagues she liked and turned herself inside out for them.

“She was a natural news researcher who loved the news, loved the work and loved helping reporters,” said one-time boss Elisabeth Donovan. “But it requires a calm demeanor, and Rose was never calm.”

She was, however, frequently kind, attentive and motherly, committing small acts of generosity like bringing a colleague designer jeans from a thrift shop and reminding another to keep his head up and “not let the bastards get you down.”

Former library colleague Ruthey Golden recalls that her friend “was always buying some homeless man or woman food. I know one cold day she came to work with no coat, crying. I said,
'Rose, what's the matter?' She said, 'I had to do it, Ruthey… . I just gave that woman laying in the street my coat. I feel bad for her.' That's just how Rose was.”

She loathed and loudly cursed the officious, and abusers of power.

And those are only some of the choice bits.

Posted in Miami | 8 Comments