GOOGLE BIDS ADIEU TO ITS SOCIAL NETWORK Google is bidding adieu to Google Plus, an awkwardly named social network that the American search engine had launched four years ago hoping it would become a serious rival to Facebook. Google has spent the last several months chopping up Google Plus's most useful pieces and making them separate services as it moves away from making Google Plus the central hub for all Google-related activity. On Monday, the company announced its most drastic step for breaking up Google Plus. Google has announced more sweeping changes for Google Plus over the next few months as it restructures network into two distinctly separate products: streams and photos. Many tasks Previously, many tasks within Google products (such as, say, commenting on a YouTube video) required a Google Plus profile, but that won't be the case moving forward. "People have told us that accessing all of their Google stuff with one account makes life a whole lot easier," Bradley Horowitz, Google's vice president of photos and sharing, wrote in a company blog. Google now says that in the coming months, you'll only need to create a Google account to do things such as creating a YouTube channel, communicating with contacts and other key functionalities. Google also announced it's adding a new feature to the social network called Google Plus Collections, which lets users share and read posts sorted by existing topics like sneakers, gluten-free recipes and Ireland or all-new user-generated topics. Meanwhile, the social network's location sharing ability will be moved over to Hangouts and other unspecified apps, "where it really belongs." The changes also mark a symbolic end of Google Plus as a social network meant to rival Facebook. Forcing Google users to sign up for a Google Plus account in order to the use some of the company's other products and services was a clear bid to generate interest in its social network, but it backfired with many users. Google Plus claimed 300 million monthly active users in late 2013. REFLINK: http://www.deccanherald.com/content/492026/google-bids-adieu-its-social.html Best Regards, Raghvendra R The information contained in this electronic message and in any attachments to this message is confidential, legally privileged and intended only for use by the person or entity to which this electronic message is addressed. If you are not the intended recipient, and have received this message in error, please notify the sender and system manager by return email and delete the message and its attachments and also you are hereby notified that any distribution, copying, review, retransmission, dissemination or other use of this electronic transmission or the information contained in it is strictly prohibited. Please note that any views or opinions presented in this email are solely those of the author and may not represent those of the Company or bind the Company. Any commitments made over e-mail are not financially binding on the company unless accompanied or followed by a valid purchase order. This message has been scanned for viruses and dangerous content by Mail Scanner, and is believed to be clean. The Company accepts no liability for any damage caused by any virus transmitted by this email. www.jubl.com -- This message has been scanned for viruses and dangerous content by MailScanner, and is believed to be clean.