Google Plus aka Facebook/Skype killer comes out with an Android app. iOS to wait

Google Plus, the social thingie from Google is out. This project is under the wraps from Google and as all things Google, it made a subtle launch. The service is rolled out but it is invitation only and you can sign up here.

Google has said this with a lot of gumption in its blog post about Google Plus :

The problem is that today’s online services turn friendship into fast food—wrapping everyone in “friend” paper—and sharing really suffers

As per Google Plus, today’s sharing and social networks are sloppy, scary and insensitive. And I can’t agree more. On facebook whatever I share is just out there for everyone to see. On twitter, a link which might be meant for a few tweeples cannot be posted. And there is no way to have a group conversation on twitter, nor facebook. Skype has it but it misses all the other elements of a social network.

Google Plus is set to change all that. In fact Google + isn’t just another social product. It is an extension of Google itself. Hence the plus. To do that it has introduced Circles, Hangouts, Huddle and Sparks.

Google Plus isn’t basically a one hammer hits all nails approach. It is one hammer for all important nails. Facebook and Twitter can suck on that. Or not.

Circles

From your group of friends you can share what matters to the people who matter the most. Stuff related to cricket can be shared with people who are just cricket fans in your circle. There is no ranting about Munaf Patel or Sreesanth and filling up everybody’s timeline like what happens in twitter. Relevance is paramount for Circles.

Sparks

Sparks is a new content sharing and discovery engine. On facebook all the family updates, picture updates and a video you liked get the same kind of attention. With Sparks you can separate that attention out. Something personal, it will go in to circles. Something interesting and worth sharing, come hang out in Sparks.

Huddle

Huddle is to let everyone in the circle know what’s going on. Kind of an asynchronous messaging system like Google Wave but much simpler.

Hangouts

This is a group messaging app aimed at smartphones and tablets and most importantly at Skype. Facebook can integrate with Skype all it wants but Hangout is much cooler. Huddling up is like walking in to a bar and telling everyone that you are  available for some face time. This will be the uninterrupted face time you spend with the people. You are hanging out.

Mobile

Of course what good is a social product without mobile, location and instant uploads. Google + has all the location love you need along with Instant uploads. Get a load of all this from the Android app.

iOS folks might just have wait a bit for an app. Sorry folks, I was told, with 500,000 Android activations a day, they are ruling the roost. [Via Google Blog]