Social networking site Google+ now open to public

Google Plus's 'Hangout' conferencing feature will now be available on all phones running on Google's Android operating system

PTI | September 22, 2011



Internet search giant Google has thrown open its recently launched social networking service, 'Google Plus', to everyone.

The company said anyone can now sign up for Google Plus and connect with people they care about. Earlier, the service was available only through invitation as part of trial runs.

"For the past 12 weeks, we have been in field trials... We are nowhere near done, but with the improvements we have made so far, we are ready to move from field trials to beta and introduce our 100th feature: open sign-up. This way anyone can visit google.com/+, join the project and connect with the people they care about," Google Senior Vice-President of Engineering Vic Gundotra said on the company's official blog on Tuesday.

Google unveiled 'Google Plus' in late June as part of efforts to garner a share of the lucrative social networking space that has so far been dominated by Mark Zuckerberg-led Facebook, which has about 750 million users worldwide.

The company also announced several new and improved features in the service's 'Hangout' video feature and said it has applied some of its search magic to the network as well.

Google Plus's 'Hangout' conferencing feature, which lets users video chat with multiple people at a time, will now be available on all phones running on Google's Android operating system -- more specifically, users that own smart phones with front-facing cameras.

The Hangout feature currently works with phones running Version 2.3 (Gingerbread) of Google's Android system. The company also said support for Apple devices will be made available soon.

Additionally, Google is also introducing "Hangouts on Air", which allows a user to make public broadcasts, as well as allows users to view broadcasts as spectators.

The search function, now accessible from the Google+ search box, will return results that includes content from the social network and the web.

Comments

 

Other News

Who checks the books?

I read about the news about the Coimbatore library over coffee this morning. On the face of it, the headline was about a political ‘war’ between the DMK and TVK. But what stayed with me was something much more important than the blame game behind what had transpired. A writer walking through

Development paradox: Falling poverty miracle and an inequality problem

India’s reduction in poverty over the past decade is a development achievement of considerable significance. The World Bank’s April 2026 ‘India Development Update’ estimates that the share of Indians living below the international extreme-poverty line of $3.00 per person per day i

In Arunachal, a river we call mother

In Arunachal Pradesh, the Siang is not just a river. For many of us, especially the Adi people, it is part of our family. Our grandparents fished in it. Children learned to swim in it. Our farms drink from it. When someone says a huge dam will be built on it, we do not hear the word "project".

A new retelling of the Mahabharata delves into key moments

In a time when every decision carries consequences and questions of ambition, power, loyalty, identity and moral choice continue to shape our lives, Dr. Arun Krishnan’s new book, ‘Mahakshana’ (Penguin India) offers a strikingly relevant retelling of the Mahabharata.  

Cabinet approves viability gap funding to develop grid-scale energy storage systems

The Union Cabinet, chaired by PM Narendra Modi, has approved the Viability Gap Funding (VGF) Scheme for Development of Grid-Scale Energy Storage Systems, with a total financial support of Rs.14,500 crore for the period FY 2026-27 to FY 2030-31. The scheme aims to support the development o

Cabinet creates a pathway to absorb Agniveers in Defence Forces

An objective assessment in terms of organisational requirements and operational efficiency has brought out the outstanding performance of Agniveers in terms of skills, motivation levels, physical fitness and technological prowess. As envisaged earlier, based on merit, 25% of Agniveers will be offered reg

Upcoming Conferences



-->

Archives

Current Issue

Opinion

Facebook Twitter Google Plus Linkedin Subscribe Newsletter

Twitter