Google Launches 'Twitter Killer' for Gmail
Google has made a huge splash with the launch of a new social networking tool for Gmail, Google Buzz.
Not to be confused with Yahoo! Buzz, Google Buzz is a tool much like Twitter that allows you to share links, pictures and videos with all your Gtalk contacts. Positioned inside your Gmail account (if you have it, it will be listed among 'inbox,' 'outbox,' 'sent mail,' etc.), Buzz is essentially Google's attempt to take on Twitter and to a smaller extent, Facebook. It automatically sets you up to follow only the people you email and chat to frequently, but it also gives you the option to post your updates on private or public.
There's also the ability to connect to other sites you use, like Picasa, Flickr, Twitter and your RSS feed.
Automatically pulling images from links you post, it does seem to be a bit more fleshed out than Twitter, however, there doesn't seem to be a character limit, which could make things very cluttered after a while. Another thing that could make everything a little crowded is the fact that it sends notification of any feedback to your mail. Likes, comments and all the rest appear in your inbox.
Similar to Twitter's "retweet" function, Buzz will sometimes show you updates from people you're not following because a mutual friend has reposted that update. Say my brother recommends a post from someone in his office (we'll call him John Doe); this post will show up as an update from John Doe and clicking the 'Recommended' hyperlink will show you why it's appearing in my stream.
Check out the video below for more. If you're already playing around with it, let us know what you think.
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I think it's a bit late to try and take on Twitter. Even for Google.
Never to late...
Google has infrastructure that twitter doesn't have... as mentioned above.
Even though google has better infrastructure, twitter is already a social beast, and google cant expect for a gmail exclusive app to kill twitter.
Oh, and I've noticed a certain pattern that google is trying to take over every industry phones, net, books, maps, social networking, etc.. Theyre actually quickly moving into every area and trying to take over. They are getting a little out of hand.
I hope they kill each other.
Now is not the time for another social medium. New ones only work if the predominant current ones are fundamentally broken. MySpace ruled the roost until it turned into a flash infested slow site screaming random music at you - i.e. it was broken and so Facebook took it's place. Facebook is far from broken and is actively developed unlike MySpace. The same goes for Twitter. It isn't broken. It already has things like geotagging etc, there's no need for another such service.
just another platform where google can cram their ads down the throats of people.
Google is evil itself - like the clown Pennywise in Stephen King's IT - fun from a distance, but sucks the life out of people at close hand
isnt wave suposed to cancel all social networking into 1?
I hope they kill each other.
+1
I really like Gmail and have used it since the beginning. My address will contest to that, no I won't post it. I have been around for a long time and Gmail has the best spam filter out there. It also has some great options such as mail forwarding and other options.
I think it's a bit late to try and take on Twitter. Even for Google.
Except that with Google, it's about your mail client, so you have nothing to set up. Don't need to add followers, they are already in your mailing list.
Any way to remove that link from my folders / labels? I like things that I don't use turned off. Like in Google Labs.
Death to twitter.
People still use twitter?
I wonder has anybody twittered this story?
I don't like twits!
Hey, as long as google doesn't get into the hardware business like PCs, phones, consoles, they are not evil.... er...
why cant they just leave us be :-(
Now I have another place to let everybody know that I'm picking my nose and scratching my ass at the same time!!
Google does not try to "beat" Twitter, it simply addresses the millions of people not interested in twitter which also have gmail. I'm sure my dad, for example, will find this service very convenient and intuitive and he won't have to learn lots of new stuff to use it.
Yeah I guess its just another feature they can add to their information machine. I'll probably use it now and then, but I'm sure there will be a stack of people who really get into it.