Google Plus

Google+ first popped up as Mountain View’s answer to Facebook, but as the platform has grown its most useful components have been nothing to do with social networking in the traditional sense. Here are three features that might make it worth your time to dust off your Google+ account and dive back in. Google Latitude Continue Reading →

By the year 2015, more than 40 percent of media companies will employ subscription services to sustain their businesses, according to independent research group Gartner. This emerging business model of recurring revenue (also known as subscription billing) has yielded impressive results, particularly in the software as a service (SaaS) market. So how can businesses that sell SaaS Continue Reading →

After years of complaints, Google has finally dropped the real-name restrictions on its Google+ network. The company apologized for the “unnecessarily difficult experiences” the rules had created. When Google+ first launched, Google required that users sign up with their real identities. Over time, those restrictions were lessened, first for Pages and then for YouTube users. Continue Reading →

If people know that you’re good with technology, you’re bound to be asked time and time again, “Hey could you help me with…” whatever the current problem your friend or loved one is having with their computer. Sometimes the problem is an easy fix, but sometimes … not so much. But what remains true of Continue Reading →

As part of the ever expanding feature list in Google Hangouts, you can now call businesses straight from their Google search results page on PCs. Calls are free to shops in the U.S. and Canada, while calls to international numbers are charged at Hangouts standard charge rates. Google added outgoing Google Voice calls to Hangouts Continue Reading →

Google announced a suite of tools on Thursday morning for business owners, offering them a one-stop shop to update their business information, add photos, read reviews and, of course, use Google+. The service, called “Google My Business,” seems to be aimed at those who have yet to figure out how to “get on Google” so Continue Reading →

Anyone who’s taken a family vacation knows how easy it is to get overwhelmed with the pictures and videos you take on your trip. Google wants to simplify that process and help you share your best memories with two new Google Plus features. Google Plus Stories, now available on Android and the web and coming Continue Reading →

Sharing your vacation photos with family and friends just got a whole lot simpler, thanks to Google’s Auto Awesome feature. The company introduced Google+ Stories and Movies on Tuesday, both of which take advantage of the special effects function to weave photos, GIFs, videos, and maps into a digital travelogue. “No more sifting through photos Continue Reading →

The abrupt departure of Google+ creator Vic Gundotra from the beleaguered social network led to immediate speculation that its days as a competitor to Facebook and Twitter are numbered. Indeed, media reports have asserted that Google+ is being chopped up for parts or, at the very least, undergoing a strategic review. Google, for its part, Continue Reading →

On Thursday, Google’s Vic Gundotra announced that he would be leaving the company after eight years. The first obvious question is where this leaves Google+, Gundotra’s baby and primary project for the past several of those years. What we’re hearing from multiple sources is that Google+ will no longer be considered a product, but a Continue Reading →