Google has added a number of new features to its fledgling social platform, Google+, just in time for the holidays.
The latest updates include a 'volume' slider to manage one's stream, revamped notifications, and improvements to Google+ Pages and Google+ Photos.
The volume slider appears when viewing the stream for one's particular Circles. By moving the slider, one can now adjust how posts from that Circle should appear in the main stream.
Google+'s VP of product, Bradley Horowitz, says the new feature allows users to tweak their settings to create their own “perfect stream”.
TechCrunch's Josh Constine says the slider is a major differentiator for Google+ in the saturated social networking space. “No other service offers this way to maximise content stream relevancy.”
Up until now, the Circle feature has allowed for control at an individual level, in the same way Facebook currently does. However, this approach can be extremely time-consuming for users with thousands of connections.
Referring to Google+'s notifications updates, Horowitz says, until now, the site's notifications have been “a little cryptic”, often requiring the user to navigate to the content in order to understand what happened.
“We now have easy-to-read 'sneak previews' that immediately present what's new and why you might care,” says Horowitz.
The update also allows users to see the '+1's' and 'shares' their content has received since the last login.
Pages and pics
Google+ introduced its brand pages last month, offering Google search integration and broadcast and 'hang out' features.
Horowitz says since the launch of Google+ Pages, Google has been taking note of user feedback, and has now added the most frequently requested features.
Users can now add up to 50 named managers as administrators for a page. Horowitz adds: “A new notification flow will ensure that these managers stay in the loop on all the activity that takes place on a page, giving managers the ability to stay involved in page conversations.”
Google+ will now also show some page interaction statistics, with an aggregated count of user interaction.
The final update is the revamping of Google+ Photos. “Viewing a photo in Lightbox has been completely redesigned with improved navigation, enhanced comment legibility, and better overall utility,” says Horowitz.
“And we're introducing a completely new photo-tagging experience that's both fun and fluid, and lets you quickly focus on the people in your photos.”
In October, Google's co-founder, Sergey Brin, and senior VP of social, Vic Gundotra, promised major updates that would crystallise the search giant's social strategy by Christmas this year.
Google's social platform was launched in June in a limited, invitation-only field trial. As of 20 September though, Google+ became open to the public and the service now has well over 40 million registered users.
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