Google+ Gets A Makeover

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Google+’s last big shake-up design wise arrived last April, when Google Inc (NASDAQ:GOOG) decided that all navigation was better served on the left side of the screen. Google also add a number of customizable features to make the user feel more at home.  Today, Google announced changes to the Google+ stream that Google says will look very similar whether the user is using a smartphone, tablet, or desktop computer. ‘Similar’ being the operative word, as the stream will be seen as 1-3 columns depending on the device you are using. Smartphone users will get one column while tablet users and desktop users will see 2-3 columns depending on their display size.

Google+ Gets A Makeover

Changes In Google+ Design Announced

The changes were announced today during Google Inc (NASDAQ:GOOG)’s keynote address at I/O, Google Inc (NASDAQ:GOOG)’s annual developers conference in San Francisco.

The design looks strangely like Pinterest’s stream, odd for a company working on self-driving cars and Google Glass to resemble a platform my 70-year old mother uses to share her most recent knitting projects. Nonetheless, it looks nice and will apparently stretch large media like photos and videos the length of the screen.

Additionally, Google Inc (NASDAQ:GOOG) has introduced another change to Google+ that will automatically add up to three hashtags based on the content being shared by the user. This feature can be modified or removed all together when it finds its way to your device today.

Lastly, regarding Google+ (Google had a lot to say today), Google Inc (NASDAQ:GOOG) has added something it’s calling “Auto Awesome.” This feature will combine photos together automatically to create new ones. It will also link multiple images together to create a motion gif, for instance. For those who rail against Google’s privacy record, you’ve been given more ammunition by Google itself today when the company announced that it has already used “Auto Awesome” on a number of your photos that you have stored in “your” Google Drive.

Another feature of “Auto Awesome” will have Google Inc (NASDAQ:GOOG) taking a series of photos where some people look better than others, someone isn’t smiling, or someone’s eyes have closed and combine these to make one “awesome” photo.

I rarely use the word “meddling” unless I’m describing a Scooby-Doo episode, but this is getting awfully close.

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