Google+ adds YouTube party app, lets you inflict cat videos on everyone

Someone at Google must like Airtime as much as we do, because it just added a roughly equivalent YouTube party mode to Google+ Hangouts. As long as everyone has the web app running, they can share individual videos or whole playlists that run in sync. Any set of videos is shareable through Google+ or YouTube proper. Voice chat, mercifully, flips to a push-to-talk requirement to prevent friends from talking over your favorite clip. While there’s no accounting for taste in what you play, Google can at least promise immediate, worldwide support for your group cat video sessions.

Official YouTube Blog

Bing gets big remake with Snapshot, social sidebar, dig at Google (video)

Microsoft’s determination to ratchet up the search engine wars just got clearer with a major rethink of Bing that includes a few potshots at Google. While the search results themselves are still prominent, there’s now a Snapshot area in the middle that aggregates the common tasks linked to your search, such as booking a hotel room. Bing hasn’t avoided the siren’s call of putting social networking into search results, putting in both search hits as well as the option of asking friends, but has tucked the results into a social sidebar at the far right. Not surprisingly, Microsoft has already declared it a far better alternative to Google+ in-line results, which it sees “cluttering your results with social updates.” You’ll currently have to use a desktop web browser to see all the new Bingness, although Microsoft is promising a mobile-friendly update within weeks.

Bing Search Blog

Bing

Google+ gets a major update, simpler UI and heavier focus on Hangouts (video)

Google isn’t quite calling it version 2.0, but today’s update to its flagship social product is just that. As with most Mountain View projects, the new Google+ will rollout gradually, but as it does it may just lure back some of those who jumped ship early on. The UI has been greatly streamlined with a customizable ribbon of shortcuts on the left and your buddy list moved to the right. The main interface has been tidied up quite a bit and a new focus has been placed on one of the universally beloved features of the beleaguered social network — Hangouts. The video chat party lines will be getting their own dedicated home page too, allowing you to quickly peruse any Hangouts that are available to you. Even profiles are getting a dramatic facelift with larger photos and Sparks have officially been retired in favor of an Explore tab. Perhaps most welcome though is the enhanced multimedia sharing. To see all the fancy new features in action check out the videos after the break. And, of course, let us know if you’re seeing the shiny new layout on your end — we’re still waiting on Google to flip the switch for us.

Google updates Chrome Web Store with offline badges, subcategories and trending apps

With Google tasking itself to organize all of the world’s information, you’d think its own Chrome Web Store would be a bit easier to navigate. Apparently this revelation dawned on someone at the company, because it’s just introduced several enhancements that should help users find new and useful extensions for their browser. Along with faster autocomplete searches and new subcategories, you’ll now find badges that denote an application’s offline functionality and games that can be played on Google+, with additional badges said to be in the works. There’s even a new trending section, where users can discover recently popular titles that rank from “warm” to “on fire.” If it’s been a while since you’ve last visited the Chrome Web Store, now could be an ideal time to peruse the new features. You might even start a trend.

The Verge

Google Chrome Blog

Google+ Opens It Doors To Teenagers, Adds Additional Safety Features

Google has today opened its Google+ social networking site up to users aged 13 years and over, dropping the signup age from 18 years an over. Google+ is now available to anyone that is old enough to have a Google Account, which is 13+ in most countries.

In opening the Google+ doors to younger users Google has also added a few safety features, and has tweaked kits Hangouts service to accommodate the younger users. Now if a younger member joins a Hangout, Google+ will automatically cut off audio and video to the younger user, asking them if they would like to participate or leave.

Google Bradley Horowitz explains:

“Teens and young adults are the most active Internet users on the planet. And surprise, surprise: they’re also human beings who enjoy spending time with friends and family. Put these two things together and it’s clear that teens will increasingly connect online. Unfortunately, online sharing is still second-rate for this age group.

In life, for instance, teens can share the right things with just the right people (like classmates, parents or close ties). Over time, the nuance and richness of selective sharing even promotes authenticity and accountability. Sadly, today’s most popular online tools are rigid and brittle by comparison, so teens end up over-sharing with all of their so-called “friends.” With Google+, we want to help teens build meaningful connections online. We also want to provide features that foster safety alongside self-expression. “

More information on the new service is available over on the Google+ blog post.

Source: Google

Google Adds Fun New Meme Text Feature To Google+

Today Google has rolled out a new fun feature to its Google+ social network that now allows users to add text to images. Enabling them to create their very own Memes directly within Google+.

Google has made it extremely easy to add text to a images. Simply drop an image in to the “Sharebox” on Google+, then click the “Add text” and your away. If you a Google+ user brace yourself for a tidal wave of images covered in text trying to be the next global meme.

Google explains:

“Adding a few words can turn a silly photo into a ROFL, or draw attention to what you find most interesting. Today we’re rolling out a feature that makes it easier to add big, bold text on top of your photos.

To try it out, drop a photo into the sharebox on Google+, then click the “Add text” button underneath the photo. Type in something funny, then share and enjoy.”

So don’t delay head over to your Google+ account now and start create your very own Meme’s using Google’s new image text feature. If its not enabled on your account already, be patient as Google has said that the new feature will be rolling out to all Google+ users over the next few days. Enjoy!

Source: Google : TFTS

Google+ per Android: ecco in video i luoghi di ritrovo Hangouts

Con un articolo nel blog ufficiale, Google mostra una delle ultime funzionalità introdotte in Google+ che permetterà di avere i luighi di ritrovo anche sul cellulare Android. Google+ Hangouts è infatti utilizzato da moltissimi utenti Google+ che però si sono lamentati dell’assenza di questa importante funzionalità nella versione mobile dell’applicazione sviluppata su Android.

L’aggiornamento permette appunto di avviare la funzionalità direttamente dal cellulare. Video a seguire

Google+ To Enhance Photo Sharing With Upcoming Find My Face

Just came from an all-night party and can’t wait to see your own photos taken by your friends? Google+ tries to make it easier for you, with an application called Find My Face to be launched soon.

Once the new feature is ready for Google+ users, all one has to do is to enable the application to get quick access to photos that will be posted by your friends. Find My Face will be turned off by default, in what seems to be a move to avoid any complications with privacy issues.

A team engineer at Google+ said more options and features will be added to Find My Face to make it easier for friends and family to share their photos.

While Google+ may be fairly new, it has around 40 million users and counting. Features such as Find My Face are expected to lure in more people to try it out.

Via: newstonight.net

Hands-on with Google Music MP3 store for web and the new Music app

By now, most of us are familiar with Google Music, but as Mountain View just outed its new tunes purchasing platform, we had to try it out for ourselves. It’s a painless process, particularly for those who have used the Android Market and already have a credit card in Google’s system. To grab songs or albums through the new service, you simply go to the Google Music page and click on the “Shop” link in the upper right hand corner. That’ll bring you to the music section of the Android Market, where you’re then able to purchase individual songs or entire albums to find your personal sonic bliss. Pricing’s pretty much identical to what you’ve seen elsewhere: songs are either 99 cents or $1.29, and albums are around ten bucks. Once you’ve made a selection, you’ll be prompted to log into the Market if you haven’t already to complete your purchase. After doing so, it also asks if you’d like to share your new tunes on Google+, and lets you choose who gets to see (and listen to) the musical post on your profile. Easy peasy.

Shortly after buying the album, it showed up in the Google Music app on our Android device and we were listening to Jay-Z’s lyrical stylings in no time. While doing so, we poked around the updated app and found a few new features in the update. The UI has been tweaked slightly, as you can now scroll horizontally through the categories up top, which makes sifting through your library by title, artist or genre easier than ever. Users can also create instant mixes from playing songs and the player itself has gotten some sprucing in the looks department. Unfortunately, the Market app doesn’t enable music purchases on phones just yet, but Google said it’s in the pipeline, and we’ll be letting you know all about it when it arrives.

Pogoplug Cloud offers 5GB of free mobile storage, a home for your Beatles collection

Is that 2GB of free storage from Dropbox just not enough to house all of your mobile music habits? Don’t fret, as Pogoplug Cloud now offers 5GB of secure space for all your storage, sharing and streaming needs. The service offers Dropbox-esque folder sharing and automatic uploads for all those vacation pictures without time lost to manual syncing. If that’s not enough extra space for your coveted Jericho episodes (and the Season 3 comics), you can spring from the 50GB and 100GB paid plans at $9.95 and $19.95 per month. You’ll also be able to post your cloud activity, should you so desire, to Facebook, Twitter or Google+ via native smartphone apps. All of the aforementioned services are available now via the coverage link below — after you install the free Android or iOS app, of course.

Pogoplug Cloud

Google announces Q3 earnings: $9.72 billion in revenue, $2.73 billion net income, 40 million Google+ users

Google’s just announced its third quarter earnings and, as expected, the company’s numbers are continuing on the upswing (even beating expectations). That includes $9.72 billion in revenue, which represents a 33 percent jump compared to the third quarter of 2010, along with $2.73 billion in net income, which is up from $2.17 billion a year ago. Somewhat notably, Google also choose to lead off its press release announcing the financial results (included after the break) with the news that Google+ has just passed the 40 million user mark — the company further notes that “people are flocking into Google+ at an incredible rate.” There’s not a ton of surprises to be found in the results otherwise, although Larry Page and co. sure seem to be busy hiring new folks — they’ve brought on 10 percent more employees in the span of three months (for a total of 31,353 full-time employees as of September 30th).

Update: During the company’s earnings call, CEO Larry Page confirmed that there’s now 190 million Android phones activated around the world, and 200 million users of the Chrome web browser (although it’s not clear how many of those are active users). Page also took a moment to post his remarks to Google+ during the call.

Google

Ice Cream Sandwich leak outs Music 4.0.1 for download, previews Google+ 2.0

A funny thing happened to the folks at Android Police, the same group responsible for leaking some of the first screenshots of Ice Cream Sandwich. They’ve since come across a few apps from Google’s upcoming release — purportedly straight from a Nexus Prime. The first is Google Music 4.0.1 — a marked upgrade from the current 3.0.1 found in the Market today — which sports refined tabs, a contextual dialog and new player controls. For reference, the latest version is shown on the right, which is most likely installed onto a Gingerbread device. Best yet, the APK is currently up for download (which you’re able to grab for yourself from the source). There’s also a sneak peek of the upcoming Google+ 2.0, which suggests Messenger (formerly Huddle) and Conversations will be renamed to… get this… Chords. Feel free to take a peek after the break, or check out the full gallery at the second source link below.

Android Community

Android Police (1), (2)

Google+ moves from field trial to beta, adds Hangouts on phones, search and more

Well, it looks like the “field trial” is officially over. Google today announced that its Google+ social network has moved up to beta status and, as a result, it’s now open to everyone (no invitation required). It’s also rolled out a slew of new features for the occasion, including a number of improvements to the Hangouts video chat service. That includes Hangouts on your phone (Android 2.3+ only, for now), a new Hangouts On Air feature for public broadcasts, and a number of “extras” including screensharing, a sketchpad and shared Google Docs (not to mention Hangouts APIs). Google’s now also finally added search functionality across the site, and it’s renamed the Huddle group chat feature to Messenger (which also includes a number of new tweaks). Hit the links below for the complete rundown on what’s new.

Google (1), (2)

Google+ iOS app now supports iPad and iPod touch, still not optimized for iPad

Google curiously chose not to make its iOS app for Google+ a universal app when it first released it last month, but it’s now finally letting iPad and iPod touch users in on the act as well. Unfortunately, the iPad part of the equation comes in the form of a blown-up iPhone app rather than a properly optimized version, although that’s not exactly surprising considering it’s much same situation that Honeycomb users still find themselves stuck with. Also included in the update are additional Huddle settings, aggregated circle add notifications to cut down on some of the noise, and the usual performance and stability improvements. You know what to do to get your hands on it.

The Next Web

iTunes

Page: growth on Google+ has been great, over one billion items shared

Wondering why Google+ ran out of disk space? Looks like it might be a casualty of growth: in today’s earnings call, Google CEO Larry Page revealed that since its launch, more than ten million people have joined Google+, sharing some one billion items every day. Those numbers not big enough for you? Then chew on this: that little +1 button? It gets clicked 2.3 billion times per day in its own right. It’s still a far cry from the 750 million users actively addicted to Facebook, but still, that’s a heck of a start.

Google+ iOS app already submitted for Apple's approval, employee says

Whereas Android users were able to get their hands on a Google+ app as soon as the social network launched, iOS users have thus far been left out in the cold, with nary a soul to “hang out” with. Fortunately for them, though, their arduous, week-long wait may be coming to an end, now that Google+ has applied for App Store citizenship. The confirmation came yesterday from Erica Joy, a Mountain View employee who shared the news on her Google+ profile. According to Joy, the app has already been submitted for approval, leaving it up to Apple’s council of elders to give the yea or nay. Joy didn’t specify the exact date on which Google applied for iOS entry (saying only that it happened prior to yesterday’s post), nor did she speculate as to when the app may be ratified. But unless it’s laced with political rhetoric or packing a dictionary, Google+ should sail through the approval process… maybe.

Beatweek Magazine

Erica Joy (Google+)

Google+ invite received, we go hands-on

It’s hard to argue with Google’s track record. The company has scored a hit in nearly every space in which it’s dabbled: search, email, ads, office software, etc. There’s always been one glaring exception to this rule, however: social networking. The company hasn’t made much of a dent in a world dominated by Facebook (and, once upon a time, MySpace and Friendster). For Google+, however, the company dove in with both feet, launching a multi-faceted service that brings a lot to the table with features like Circles, Hang Out, and Huddle. Is it enough to end Google’s streak of misteps in the social world? Join us as we take a dive deeper into Google’s latest attempt to find out.

Those who have spent any time at all on Facebook will find it nearly impossible not to draw comparisons upon logging in. Let there be no question: Google is going after the world’s largest social network — and it’s doing so in a big way. The page is constructed around a familiar content stream populated with content from your friends’ updates and posts — things like links, photos, and location updates. The “Circles” feature comes into play in the stream, offering users the option of sending posted content to specified groups or making it public for all the world to see.

Google launches all out social networking assault with Google+ (video)

Social networking has long been Google’s white whale. The company has done plenty of dabbling in the space, releasing Orkut, which has failed to catch on in the US, and rolling out Buzz to the relative indifference of its massive user base. Announced today after seemingly endless leaks, Google+ represents a major push for the software giant. The service began showing itself to a smattering of users last night, as a black bar across the top of various of the company’s properties. A “+You” button on the far left of the bar currently brings you to the service’s landing page, offering a tour of the many features that fall under the Google+ umbrella. Get to know the services better after the break. Among the sub-services is Circles, which lets users divide up which of their friends / followers can see which content, assuring that only your “Epic Bros” and not your boss sees what you were up to at last night’s bachelor party. Hangouts, meanwhile, offers up multi-person video chat with members of your Circle. Sparks is a customized feed aggregator of content you curate from across the web — remember when RSS feeds were a thing? This is kind of like that. There’s also, not surprisingly, a mobile element to the service. Huddle offers up group messaging, largely targeted at arranging real-world meetups for those times you actually want to, you know, socialize with humans in the flesh. The Instant Upload feature makes it easy to transfer photos to private albums in the cloud. Google+ is still in a limited trial mode and has a few “rough edges,” according to the company. In the meantime, we want to know what you think. Is Google finally giving Facebook a run for its money? Is this just the latest social flop from the company? Let us know in the comments, and while you’re at it, check out a whole bunch of officially sanctioned Google+ videos below.