Google+ switches circles, targets enterprise users with new features

Avi Aggarwal, August 30, 2012

In an attempt to help business colleagues collaborate more easily and getting things done faster, Google has announced some new features for its social networking app targeting business centric users.The search giant is offering a full preview mode for its Apps customers, who will be able to use the business features of Google+ for free through the end of 2013.

Now Google Apps users will be able to make use of Restricted posts, a feature that keeps posts shared by an organisation private, thereby disabling re-sharing of posts. But users will have the discretion to share a post with particular partners or colleagues outside the organisation if they will.

Privacy is a key element for any organisation and that's why Google+ now gives users administrative controls to set company-wide defaults for post restrictions. These can also be set for just having private meetings within the company.

Hangouts has been a prominent feature of Google+ allowing multiple users to video chat at a time. Now organisations can make use of this feature directly from Gmail. Colleagues can view, share and even edit documents together via Hangout.An additional advantage is that they will also be able to add a hangout to a calendar event allowing attendees to join the meeting directly from the invite or Calendar entry.

Apart from these new features, Google also plans to roll out a mobile version of Google+ for enterprise users with greater administrative controls.

Samsung Galaxy Note 2 launches at IFA 2012

Popular phone and tablet the Samsung Galaxy Note has been updated with an improved screen and performance, as well as a better stylus.

The original Galaxy Note was launched last year at IFA 2011, and despite muted critical reaction the 5” phone and tablet went on to sell surprisingly well.

The updated version improves the stylus that allows users to write notes and select areas on the screen, and also incorporates the success of design features now found in the Galaxy SIII phone. It also increases the screen size to 5.5" without making the device bigger overall.

With Samsung recently ordered by a US court to pay Apple $1billion for copyright infringement, analysts at CCS Insight said that the announcement of improvements to the device in a category of products that Samsung created were “a timely response to criticism that Samsung is a follower not an innovator”. The firm added that the S-Pen stylus is now of “high strategic importance and the Note 2 offers opportunity to truly differentiate in the smartphone market”.

New features in the Note 2 improve the operating system, upgrading it to Android 4.1, and now include a quad-core 1.6GHz processor and a 5.5” Super HD Amoled screen. Additional S-Pen features allow users to hover over photos or video, as well as emails or calendar entries, to see more information.

The 9.4mm thin, 180g device also allows users to write notes on the ‘back’ of photographs and improves the ease with which notes can be written while a phone call is being made at the same time. Prices will be announced nearer the October launch, and while 3G and 4G models will be offered it is not yet known whether the device will be compatible with the UK’s first 4G service, from Everything Everywhere via Orange, T-Mobile and Three.