Google+ Now Open to the General Public, Special Invitation Not Required

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In case you were wondering, Google+ is still growing and the search giant has decided to make a new announcement regarding its progress with this young social network.

The most important change is that, starting today, for the first times in 12 weeks, anyone can sign up for the service without requiring an invitation from already established Google+ users. The program is out of the “field trial” apparently and ready to be used by even more people. Google says this is its 100th feature since the social network was launched and that the open signups will be available globally.

But Google announces eight other Google+ new features today, most of them related to Hangouts. Those of you interested in video chats will certainly appreciate the arrival of Hangouts on smartphones. Initially Android 2.3+ sporting front-facing cameras will be supported with iOS support coming soon. The app will be available in the Android Market, as expected, so you can go ahead and check it out already.

Hangouts On Air is another important Hangouts-related feature. The principle is simple, a Hangout session can be transformed into a public broadcast and even recorded, so more people can follow your shows.

Moreover, Hangouts will get a few extra services that will be available to Google+ users during video calling sessions:

• Screensharing: for when you want to show off your vacation photos, your high score, your lesson plan or whatever else is on your screen
• Sketchpad: for when you want to draw, doodle, or just scribble together
• Google Docs: for when you want to write, plan or present something with others
• Named Hangouts: for when you want to join or create a public hangout about a certain topic (like fashion or music or sports…)

Developers will also be happy to hear that a set of Hangouts APIs will be available in order to include Hangout support in future apps and games.

Finally, Google said that its Plus network will also support Search features, not that we’re surprised to hear that since, after all, that’s the core of Google’s business:

You’ve been asking for it, and we’ve been busy building it, so today we’re bringing Google’s search expertise to Google+. Just type what you’re looking for into the Google+ search box, and we’ll return relevant people and posts, as well as popular content from around the web.

If you’re into photography, for example, then you’ll see other enthusiasts and lots of great pictures. If you care more about cooking, then you’ll see other chefs and food from around the globe. In all cases, Google+ search results include items that only you can see, so family updates are just as easy to find as international news.

What do you like better so far, Google+ or Facebook?