NEW YORK—Google took aim at Facebook, Twitter and other social networking platforms on Tuesday, announcing the launch of its social networking tool, Google Buzz, which will integrate with its popular mail service Gmail.
Google Buzz will allow users to share status updates, images and videos in a new tab that will be visible on Gmail. It will also allow other users—such as friends and “followers” of the user—to comment on statuses, give recommendations, etc.
In an introductory video posted on YouTube, Google showcased the features on the new application. In contrasting with Facebook and other social networking sites, Buzz appears to allow users to integrate more rich features into posts, such as linking to YouTube videos that open inline in the Buzz application, and allowing users to insert more than one image from a pasted link.
Google Buzz will also be available for mobile platforms, such as a smartphones and others. The mobile version of Buzz can also use the GPS and location features of the phone, allowing the user to post his or her location along with a post.
Google said that the Buzz feature was only available to around one percent of Gmail users on Tuesday, but that it would open up the feature to rest of its users by the end of next week.
Social networking is one of the largest and fastest growing areas in the Internet. Facebook reported in December 2009 that it has more than 350 million active users—more than triple the number of users who used it just a year ago, in August 2008, when it reported 100 million users.
Google Buzz will allow users to share status updates, images and videos in a new tab that will be visible on Gmail. It will also allow other users—such as friends and “followers” of the user—to comment on statuses, give recommendations, etc.
In an introductory video posted on YouTube, Google showcased the features on the new application. In contrasting with Facebook and other social networking sites, Buzz appears to allow users to integrate more rich features into posts, such as linking to YouTube videos that open inline in the Buzz application, and allowing users to insert more than one image from a pasted link.
Google Buzz will also be available for mobile platforms, such as a smartphones and others. The mobile version of Buzz can also use the GPS and location features of the phone, allowing the user to post his or her location along with a post.
Google said that the Buzz feature was only available to around one percent of Gmail users on Tuesday, but that it would open up the feature to rest of its users by the end of next week.
Social networking is one of the largest and fastest growing areas in the Internet. Facebook reported in December 2009 that it has more than 350 million active users—more than triple the number of users who used it just a year ago, in August 2008, when it reported 100 million users.
