Google adds social media to Gmail

Google is adding Facebook and Twitter-like social media sharing features to its Gmail service with an addition called "Buzz."

The Buzz tab will be automatically added over the next few days to Gmail users' accounts, underneath their inbox tab. When clicked, users will be able to share status updates, news stories, photos and videos, similar to features found on Facebook and Twitter.

"It's like an entirely new world inside of Gmail," product manager Todd Jackson said during a news conference Tuesday.

The new service will feature several improvements over other social networking sites, Google executives said. Users will have full customization in the information they want to make public and the information they'd like to keep private among friends. Buzz will pull and display information from some other sites, including Twitter and Picasa.

Buzz will also automatically add followers for the user by combing their contact lists and email inbox. Google's system will also improve the "signal to noise ratio," said vice-president of product management Bradley Horowitz, by allowing users to identify and separate important information from much of the useless posts found on other sites.

The algorithm behind the feature will learn what information the user likes and suggest it to them. Users will also get recommendations on posts, based on how popular they are with their friends.

Buzz will be integrated with the user's Gmail inbox, with notifications of comments on posts showing up there.

Google is also integrating Buzz with its Maps service and with iPhone and Android devices through an app. Maps will have a Buzz layer that displays various posts made by users on specific locations, while the mobile version will integrate GPS functions. A Buzz user at a concert, for example, will be able to see what people nearby are saying about the same show.