It was a big day for Google and the Google+ team. Senior VP of Engineering Vic Gundotra shared some great news for Google on his Google+ stream yesterday morning: Google has acquired Nik Software of San Diego, Calif.
Image credit: Ant Pruitt for aNewDomain.net
Nik Software is all about digital photography. One of its top applications is Snapseed, a pretty nifty utility that lets users edit and enhance photos. Of course, once these photos are edited, they can be share through the app. iOS devices are supported now, Android apps will be next.
What does this mean for Google+ users? I really enjoy the ease of sharing photos with my Google+ circles on the web or through the Android mobile app. The desktop app’s editing tools are handy and fun to use. Will Nik Software offer even more tools for the social platform? Even integration into Hangouts?
On the social front, Gundotra announced that more than 400 million new users have registered with Google+ with 100 million active monthly users. That’s an amazing number considering popular opinion that Google+ is a “graveyard.” I totally disagree. The 100 million monthly active users disagree as well. Sure it has a slow adoption rate, but Google+ is positioned to overtake the other social networks, in my opinion.
I thoroughly enjoy Google+ over the other social networks for several reasons. It’s all about the people. I have the best conversations and discussions with my circles. It isn’t always about “what are you doing today” as some social media outlets thrive on. The discussions I’ve had range from fun and silly to intelligent and thought-provoking. Google+ is just much more engaging for me.
What other tools will be added to Google+? Google clearly wants this to be a user’s one-stop shop for search, social media, news and even multimedia. Is Google Play Music next? There are third party extensions available for the browser, but what about a Google product that integrates?
I’m Ant Pruitt and this is aNewDomain.net.
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