2011-09-21

Google+ Going Public And Brings More Features

Finally, Google+ is for everyone. And it comes with a whole bunch of new features. Both the web-version and the Android app got an overhaul. Especially hangouts are now possible on mobile devices.
This might be the biggest thing that happened on a social network ever. Imagine having a video conversations from all over the place, with your phone. And hangout is not just one-to-one communication, but a complete video-conference. Now this is facetime x 10. And it works crossover with desktops. Fun.

To learn more about the new features, you should head over to the original article at the official Google blog:

Google+: 92, 93, 94, 95, 96, 97, 98, 99... 100.:
[...] 92. Hangouts on your phone
In life we connect with others in all sorts of places, at all different times. And the connections you make unexpectedly are often the ones you remember the most. We think Hangouts should keep pace with how you socialize in the real-world, so today we’re launching it on the one device that's always by your side: your mobile phone. To get started, simply find an active hangout in the Stream, and tap “Join”:


Hangouts on your phone: Stream View (left), Green Room (center), Portrait Mode (right)


Hangouts currently supports Android 2.3+ devices with front-facing cameras (and iOS support is coming soon). The new mobile app is rolling out to Android Market today, so you can start hanging out at any time, from just about anywhere.


93. Hangouts On Air
Google+ users already use Hangouts to create intimate onscreen experiences—with family members, prayer groups, even people with certain medical conditions. But sometimes you want to speak to a large audience, or alternatively, view as a spectator. In these cases a public broadcast is what’s needed, so today we’re introducing Hangouts On Air.
[...]
94, 95, 96, 97. Hangouts with extras
[...]
  • Screensharing: for when you want to show off your vacation photos, your high score, your lesson plan or whatever else is on your screen
  • Sketchpad: for when you want to draw, doodle, or just scribble together
  • Google Docs: for when you want to write, plan or present something with others
  • Named Hangouts: for when you want to join or create a public hangout about a certain topic (like fashion or music or sports...)
[...]
The extras are still under construction, but we wanted to preview these features and get your feedback sooner versus later. So start a hangout, click “Try Hangouts with extras” in the green room, and let us know what you think.


98. Hangouts APIs
[...]
+Search: find the people and posts you care about
99. Search in Google+
You’ve been asking for it, and we’ve been busy building it, so today we’re bringing Google’s search expertise to Google+. Just type what you’re looking for into the Google+ search box, and we’ll return relevant people and posts, as well as popular content from around the web.
[...]
+Everyone


100. Anyone can sign up for Google+—no invitation required.
[...]
Posted by Vic Gundotra, Senior Vice President of Engineering