Kind of out of nowhere Google has release its answer (more or less) to Friendfeed or Twitter as it seems.
Embedded into Gmail, Google Buzz allows user to post status updates, follow friends, post links and pictures, and more all from within the Gmail interface. This is slowly being deployed out to Gmail users and I received my invited today.
When intially setting up the feature, you are asked to link various sites including twitter, Blogger blogs, and more. Once that’s done, it tries to be smart and find anyone in your contact list who you can follow. However with my contact list it found people that don’t even use Gmail (therefore not having access to Buzz) and asking me to follow them. Not sure how useful this move would be.
Then in the same window, it listed people that are apparently already following me. There was one random Asian dude who I had never met bet before already following me. Thanks mate.
Once setup was completed I had a great list of posts from Felicia Day and myself which had been mirrored from my Twitter feed. I made a quick post:
My first “Buzz” entry. Kinda annoyed there is another place on the web for Status Updates.
and then thought to myself “Now what?”
Overall I felt somewhat unimpressed by this new addition as out of the box offers nothing new that other services that I am currently joined to don’t already offer.
So Gmail users, get ready for yet another place to post status updates.
To check out my Buzz feed, go to: http://www.google.com/profiles/burrowes and click on the Buzz tab.