Technology Effect

Miriam Salpeter If you have an ear to the online sphere, you know Google+, Google’s newest social platform, is all the rage. While Google+ is still in invitation-only mode, early results indicate it could be a keeper. The Wall Street Journal estimates Google+ had 20 million visitors in three weeks. (Google declines to comment, and leaders are cagey when asked for specifics.) Many early adopters are excitedly proclaiming the new network a replacement for everything from LinkedIn to Twitter to Facebook. No one knows how things will shake out in the social networking sphere, but there is no doubt Google+ heightens the importance of your Google profile. If you use Google for search and have a profile already, you may have noticed Google provides search results “from people you know.” Current Google search results may include links (even on page one) identified as being shared by your community, assuming your contacts sha...

Skype 5.5 for Windows was officially released Wednesday after being available in beta form, and the Internet calling software and the social network continue to become more intertwined. The update allows users to see which of their Facebook friends are online and instant-message with them via a Facebook Contacts tab, without leaving the application. Users can also perform Facebook tasks including status updates, commenting on posts, and liking posts directly via the Skype homepage. Skype 5.5 for Windows also features streamlined controls for video and group calls, a new call control toolbar with redesigned icons, easier saving of phone numbers in the section labeled “call phones,” and an improved graphics interface when calls are placed on hold. Readers, are you using Skype 5.5 for Windows yet?