Google+ now available to everyone (that means you)

Google updated Google+ (Google Plus) today and part of that update included moving from “field test” to “beta,” opening the door for anyone to join the emerging social network.

I received a pretty early invite to G+, and have been playing with it since pretty early in the test. Google Plus is an interesting blend of the existing social media sites, more robust and, in my opinion, far more useful than Twitter, while allowing for a blend of personal and public sharing that up until recently Facebook hasn’t allowed.

You may have noticed the G+ share button that started showing up on our pages a few weeks ago, and we’ll definitely be using the new service as much as possible heading into winter 2011/12. We’re evaluating their emerging tools like Hangouts and Huddles/Messenger, and hope to have some cool content and possibly contests using the service this winter.

Keep reading after the break for a quick look G+ video and links to join and follow us there.

Similar to Twitter, I “follow” a number of people I don’t know personally and wouldn’t friend on Facebook, like Sergey Brin, cofounder of Google who posts great photos and stories about his adventures, Gina Trapani of Lifehacker.com who always has something interesting to share, and Michiel de Lange who posts new breathtaking photos almost every day. However, similar to Facebook, I have circles of friends, acquaintances, coworkers, and family (just to name a few groups), that I share varying degrees of content with. G+ does this far more gracefully than Facebook, even with the new updates to lists, and it’s easy to share photos of the party last night with friends, while coworkers only see photos from the company luncheon last week.

This level of control over sharing makes it a much more natural place for people who want to have more control over who sees what.

G+ has yet to roll out any kind of business profile or equivalent to the Facebook Fan Page, but there’s every indication that business pages are in the works and coming soon. In the meantime, you can follow me for SBG news, reviews, articles, and snowboard industry updates here: https://plus.google.com/108417708679404328465/posts

If you haven’t joined the fun at G+ yet, what are you waiting for? Jump on this link and join the fun: https://plus.google.com/i/Z0rqcwvLYLo:uk2u5U5LVWQ

If you’ve been using +, sound off in the comments. How have you been using it, and what do you think of the service?