Google is gradually building-up its new social network, Google Plus, to appeal to users, as the company on Wednesday announced several enhancements to the service, including the availability of the most unique feature of the social network, Hangout, on the mobile platform.

Google Hangout, a group video chat feature on Google Plus (Google+), has been the rallying-point for the new social network, making it possible for group of persons to engage in a live video conference on the social network. The availability of the feature on Mobile is indeed a plus to the success of the new social platform, given the need for ease mobility and the current sway the mobile web holds.

And coupled with the fact that the Hangout feature is absolutely free, Google is sure armed with a killer-tool to take-on the Facebook advances.

The mobile Hangout beta includes recording and the ability to add phone calls to a handout. But, Google strongly emphasized on the innovation of face-to-face conversation as above any other considerations, 'as email can't match looking someone directly in the eyes', stated Vic Gundotra (Google's senior VP social products).

Google is set to bring the Hangout feature to Google+ Messenger app on Android in few days time according to the release note, while its availability on iOS will follow afterwards.

Developers are not left-out, as Google has made available the Google+ API, a new way for developers to interact with Hangouts. The API will allow developers to create apps utilizing Google's face recognition technology to place, through the added media effects.

Hangout On Mobile

The pool of people have given the social networks business-wing, but how to extend that reach to the mobile front has been a great challenge. Facebooks latest move, according to a report monitored on Friday night, the acquisition of Gowalla - mobile location-sharing app developer, points to location apps as the way to capturing the mobile web.

Indeed, location-based applications are the 'Holy Grail' of mobile marketing, and the prove is not far-fetched, as even Google has turned on that direction with the purported launch of Autonomous Search. Reports has it that Facebook plans to employ the location-based service on its newest profile feature Timeline and possibly extend same in its quest to positioning the social network to be profitable on the mobile platform.

Again, the issue of tracking users activities cannot be ignored at this point., as any location-based app tracks users surfing patterns and actions to decide their likes. And such information are now made available to businesses for marketing purposes.

The growing privacy agitation by Facebook users has to be critically analyzed against the current trend, and necessary measures put in place to check excessive exploit.

However, location-based mobile applications definitely has its advantages as regards local businesses, user recommended services and  preferences. But the exploitations of users against their wish for mere business purposes certainly must be condemned.

Social Networking And Location Apps