Google Launches Google Buzz

Gmail users got a surprise this week. Upon signing in, they likely saw a screen inviting them to try Google Buzz, the latest feature rolled out by Google. If they accept, Buzz will automatically begin following the 40 users they e-mail most. Early users fault its lack of integration with Facebook amidst widespread concern over privacy. Still, if Google can work out the kinks, it could be a compelling service.

Buzz Capabilities

Essentially, Google Buzz adds a kind of news feed inside Gmail. It aggregates content – RSS feeds, friends’ Twitter updates, photos from Flickr and Picasa, even videos from YouTube. It allows both a public Twitter-like feed and a private, Facebook-like one. Users can post updates without a character limit and it fully integrates with Google mobile offerings. The one glaring oversight is the lack of Facebook integration, but there are others.

Privacy Concerns

A furor quickly erupted over privacy. One’s 40 most-contacted users become public by default, problematic for people dealing with abusive relationships, looking for new jobs, and even journalists who use anonymous sources. Google has since added an opt-out feature to make followers private.

If Google Buzz can efficiently aggregate and streamline many sources of content while giving more control over public/private information, it’ll be a force.