(Image Source: Google)
BY STEVEN HSIEH
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Google + opened to the public Tuesday – after three months of invitation-only service.
The company also announced nine additional features to their social network site. A writer for Slash Gear lists the highlights.
“Want to video chat via G+ on your phone? You can do that today. Want to broadcast a video for the public? You can do that today. Want to share your screen, share a live-drawn sketchpad, work with Google Docs, or name a Hangout to handle your specific needs? All of that is live today.”
Google Plus’ public launch comes a day after media expert Dan Reimold claimed the service irrelevant. The journalism professor wrote for PBS…
“Google+ is dead. At worst, in the coming months, it will literally fade away to nothing or exist as Internet plankton. At best, it will be to social networking what Microsoft's Bing is to online search…”
But a writer for Wired says – Google + has its advantages in the social media market, namely Hangouts, its group video chat feature. He writes – the company just needs to keep innovating…
“In order to keep users coming back, Google+ has to continue offering new experiences… It doesn’t have to be Facebook, where users while away their time distracting themselves by clicking cows and updating databases.”
When asked how Google intends to handle competitors such as Facebook – Senior VP Vic Gundrota offered this dodgy answer…
Gundotra: “Well, we expect people use many different tools to share. The most popular mechanism people use to share today, still is email. Then, of course, there are the other services you mentioned.” (BBC)
As of Tuesday – Google + has more than 25 million users. It’s main competitor, Facebook, touts 750+ million. Speaking of Facebook - be sure to “like” us there!
Transcript by Newsy.
