Google+ launches in test mode
Google has launched its new project, Google+, to rival today’s popular social media sites – Facebook, to be more specific. The program is in limited Field Trial and is currently testing a small number of people on the project. Google has taken on quite a number of projects to add to its product fleet and Google+ is aimed to be somewhat of a competitor in the social media sphere.
Vic Gundotra, SVP of Engineering for Google posted a blog on Tuesday morning about everyday connections with friends and family and how it translates to social media. Gundotra writes: “Today, the connections between people increasingly happen online. Yet the subtlety and substance of real-world interactions are lost in the rigidness of our online tools. In this basic way, human way, online sharing is awkward. Even broken. And we aim to fix it.”
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Google+ offers four key features which were designed specifically for the user: Circles, Sparks, Hangouts, and Mobile. While the names of each element may sound elementary, the usability seems pretty reliable. Here’s a breakdown of what you can expect out of Google+:
Circles allows you to share information with only the people that matter the most by literally creating a circle, adding a group of friends, family members, colleagues etc. and sorting them to properly distribute the sort of information they would be into.
Sparks provides a feed of trending content from all over the web in more than 40 languages. The blog says to simply add your interests, and you’ll always have something to watch, read and share. Google’s Sparks video admits it’s a great way to nerd out and explore these topics with your friends that are interested in the same spark.
Hangouts make for an on-screen gathering of sorts that combines a casual meetup with live, multi-person video. It’s designed for users to spend time with their Circles on a more intimate level.
Mobile will focus on users’ smartphones and its GPS, camera and messaging capabilities to make for a more personal social experience. Users have the option of adding their location to their posts if they feel so inclined to do so. Additionally, the Huddle system allows users to group message everyone inside the circle about events happening now.
