Google Buzz - What is it?

You’re probably wondering what Google Buzz is, as I'm sure I am not the only one that's only just heard about it in the past few days. Basically Google Buzz is a set of additional services that have been added to Google’s popular web based email program Gmail.

On February 9th 2010 Google held a press conference to announce their newest product in the world of social networking and explain many of the features and functions of the new services that are immediately available to Googlemail users. The main idea of Google Buzz is a new way of sharing and connecting with friends.

The most noticeable advantage to Google Buzz is the way that e-mail comments and media, such as photos and videos, can be shared. Google Buzz automatically ‘follows’ the people who you communicate with most. Rather than broadcasting a passive “status message” like Facebook or “tweet” like Twitter, Google Buzz engages your friends by making the content that you find interesting available to them.

Google says Buzz will “weed out uninteresting posts from the people you follow,” and also says that it’s working to improve how it recommends the “most relevant conversations.” Also in the works are features specifically for business and education use inside of Google Apps.

Buzz’s five key features include:
• Automatic friends lists (friends are added automatically who you have emailed on Gmail)
• “Rich fast sharing” combines sources like Picasa and Twitter into a single feed, and it includes full-sized photo browsing
• Public and private sharing (swap between family and friends)
• Inbox integration (instead of emailing you with updates, like Facebook might, Buzz features emails that update dynamically with all Buzz thread content, like the photo viewer we mentioned above)
• “Recommended Buzz” puts friend-of-friend content into your stream, even if you’re not acquainted. Recommendations learn over time with your feedback.

Personally I found the video below to be very informative and intresting, so enjoy! Also check out Google Buzz for even more information, and how to starting buzzing!

For the latest news and updates on Google Buzz and other tech related stories check out DigiLounge