Want to sync your Google Plus updates to other social networks, without having to use a browser extension? There's a new way to do this, called "Agent G," which is actually a special Google Plus user account. Once configured, you can automatically share your Google Plus updates to the social networks of your choice, just by adding "Agent G" alongside the names of the Circles or friends you're sharing a post with on Google Plus.
The leader in social gaming is undoubtedly Zynga, but the chase is on to catch the king of the market. As such, game developers and publishers 6Waves and Lolapps are combing forces in a merger aimed to take down the Zynga empire.
6Waves is a Hong Kong-based game publisher while Lolapps are game developers, so the partnership makes a lot of sense for the two parties. The newly formed company - 6Waves Lolapps - will take on Zynga directly with internally developed social games but also Electronic Arts that publishes third-party games. It is a significant move in the social gaming ecosystem, but how will it affect users and developers?
Facebook isn't accepting advertisements that promote Google Plus on its social network, as one self-described "Internet Geek" recently found out. After having placed an ad that informed Facebook visitors to add him on Google Plus, Michael Lee Johnson reported that Facebook shut down all his advertising campaigns, and banned him from using the Facebook advertising system.
Should photographers be concerned about Google Plus? This is the subject on an ongoing debate right now, due to the wording Google uses in its Terms of Service - specifically parts that seem to indicate it will have rights to photos posted on the new social network. But some folks, including both professional photographers and an intellectual property attorney say the reaction is overblown. The issue is not a "Google" problem - it's something to consider before posting your images online, anywhere on the Web.
This week, the lawyers at stock photography leader Getty Images have decided to weigh in on the situation, too, as it relates to the company's Flickr Collection contributors. Getty's verdict? "We're OK with Google+," it says.
Publix, a grocery chain based in Florida and typically found along the East Coast, seems to be doing something right with their new social strategy. According to the Tampa Tribune they were receiving 100 friends per minute at launch. That was only a few weeks ago and they're now pushing 18,000 fans and are already seeing considerable conversations on their page.
Are you getting "unfriended" on Google Plus? A new application called GoogleMINUS will tell you. Although Google Plus itself tells you when you're being added to Circles, it doesn't inform you when you're being removed from them. Was that one kitten post too many? Are you over-sharing? Maybe you're just doing this whole Circles thing wrong! Well, now you'll know.
"Google Plus may carry dangers for photographers," reads the headline on The Washington Post. While we agree that the Google Plus Terms of Service could use clearer wording (in fact, all Terms of Service, everywhere, could!) and we applaud those who have taken the time to actually read through the darned thing, the conclusions we're going to draw are different.
Should professional photographers stay away from Google Plus? Is Google going to steal the rights to your photos and stop you from making money from them? No, they're not.
Looking for an easy way to move your photos from Facebook to Google Plus? So were we. That's why we were happy to discover this Web application, available in the Chrome Web store, that does the work for you. Available only as a browser add-on for Google Chrome, Move2Picasa exports all your Facebook albums and photos and imports them into Picasa for you, for free. You can then share those pictures with your Circles on Google Plus.
According to independent analysis done by Paul Allen, founder of Ancestry.com, Google's new social network Google Plus will hit 20 million users by this weekend. And he estimates that the current user base has already surpassed the 10 million mark.
What's most surprising about Google Plus, however, is how quickly it has grown. The size of the user base has increased by 350% in just 6 days, says Allen.
Can't get seem to get out of Google Plus long enough to check on the status updates from your Facebook friends? Well, now you don't have to! A new Web browser extension called Google+Facebook inserts Facebook's social network right into your Google+ stream view, accessible through a new "Facebook" button at the top of the page.
Update: See bottom of post for new information.
