Google’s social project has been eagerly awaited by the internet world for quite sometime now. Although the project titled Google Plus was launched a couple of days ago, its only been released in test mode with limited invitations. I must, at this point, say a very special Thank You to Benjamin Deming, a tech student from Memphis, who got me an Google Plus invite in a matter of few minutes of tweeting for an invitation. Unlike others who converted the invitation into a pay-to-get or participate-in-a-contest to receive an invitation, Benjamin sent me an invite without any questions asked. Benjamin, You Rock!
If you’d like to know more about Benjamin, you can follow him on Twitter at bendeming.
It’s been a really long time since the tech world was really excited about a Google product and the initial positive reviews must be giving the Google + team Wings To Fly. So, what does Google+ have that makes it a worthy rival to social networking giant Facebook?
Google + includes 5 specially designed social features; Google + Circles, Google + Hangouts, Google + Sparks, Google + Instant Upload, and Google + Huddles. Here’s a quick look at the features of Google+.
Google Plus Circles
Why share everything with everyone?
Circles evolves around a very simple concept. Your life is filled with different set of people, personal friends, work colleagues, family, and so on. Each of these groups of people belong to a specific circle. You can hand pick each one of your social contacts and drop them into these circle of friends you created. This ensures that you share only relevant information with each of these circle of “friends”. So now, your boss no longer has to know that you’ve been partying all night on Monday.
Watch a video preview of Google + Circles.
Google Plus Hangouts
Google’s Answer to Virtual Meet Ups
If you’re hanging out at a pub, you can let specific buddies or entire circles know where you’re hanging out and they can drop by for a tete-a-tete chat. Here’s a video preview of Google + Hangouts.
Google Plus Sparks
Sparking your Passions
Get Sparks to find stuff you like or love and share them with your circle of friends. Check out this video preview.
Google Plus Huddles
Group Conversations Couldn’t be Easier
Huddle converts different text conversations into one simple group chat, so everyone gets on the same page all at once. Watch a video preview of Google + Huddles.
Google Plus Instant Upload
Uploading Multiple Photos and Videos Instantly
Whether its photos or videos, the upload is instant and automatic. All you need to do is decide which ones you want to share with your circle of friends. Watch this rather absurd video preview of Google + Instant Upload.
With Google Plus, Google appears to have finally gotten a realistic view of how users would like to hangout with their social contacts via the internet.
While I test the features and share more tutorials in upcoming posts, you can check out the videos and share your thoughts with us using the comment form below.
Google is trying to build some sort of social network but they might have hard time doing it because Facebook definitely got the head start in this game. They have very cool separate products but right now there is no glue to put them all together into social network because if our social connections/friends serve as a glue they don’t have it yet. We join Facebook because all of our friends are there and as I said Google don’t have this yet.
Well, they’ve certainly made a good start and I’m pretty sure they’re gonna do whatever it takes to bring the crowds back!
Google+ may overtake FB in the near future. Having a clean design and easy to use interface, it is much more easier than FB.
It may be too early to say how ordinary users will react to Google +. One thing that’s changed this time is that a lot of voices are talking positively about this social project and that’s a very good sign for Google, considering how it messed up it’s previous attempts to get social. 🙂
Can’t wait til I get my invite – this looks like the least cluttered, most streamlined networking yet. Hopefully, they can keep it that way, and also keep out the spam bots and everything else that eventually plagues all social network sites.
Also, great choice on the music, I love The Album Leaf and I am eagerly waiting the release of the Torey’s Distraction soundtrack, too (which has the song used here, “Torey Age 10”).
I’ve been on Google+ for a few days now and already I’m feeling the urge to never go back to Facebook and it’s clunky UI.
While most my real friends are on Facebook, and will probably resist this new network. I think eventually they’ll be in one particular circle of mine 🙂