Google Plus Now Accessible By General Public

Google+ has opened its doors for everyone and you won't require an invitation anymore to join the search engine's social network.  What this translates to is that anyone can sign up for Google+.

Alongside its public launch, Google+, now in its beta mode, has a number of improvements accompanying it. Among these enhancements is that 'Hangout', Google Plus's web conferencing feature that lets user's video chat with multiple people at a time, will now be available on phones running on Google's Android OS - more specifically users with smartphones with front facing cameras. Hangout's currently support Android 2.3+  devices, with Apple iOS support said to be available soon.

Additionally, Google is also introducing "Hangouts on Air", which allows a user to make a public broadcast as well as allowing users to view their broadcast as spectator. While anyone can tune into a person's 'broadcast', only a total of nine other participants can join the particular 'Hangout'. Google will be showcasing this service when Black Eyed Peas member Will.iam will have his own 'Hangout' on Wednesday.

To further encourage information-sharing Google Plus will allow users to share one's computer screen with others, make collaborative doodles - using the Sketchpad feature, allow users to create a Hangout around a specific topic - through Named hangouts, and create and work on Google docs from Hangout.

Google has also incorporated its search engine into the social network, which will allow users to find results about shared information from the social network as well as relevant information from the web.

Google's opening up of its social network assumes even more importance given its intensified competition with Facebook (will be hosting its F8 conference on September 22), with the latter bringing out a lot of improvements to it's social network in response to Google Plus's  innovative features. It will be interesting to see how the future of social networks pans out with increased competition between these two internet giants.

You can find more information at Google's blog.

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