Google+ opens to everyone

After a few months of closed testing and users begging friends for invites, Google+ has opened its doors. Moving from the closed testing to an open beta environment, the influx of new sign-ups should add a lot of new content.

One of the biggest additions is search. Now users can look for others and posts by using the top search bar and also apply filters.

Google+ also released new features to Hangouts in Google+. The multi-user video chat was updated on the Android version of Google+ with an iOS update in the near future.

Hangouts also received these updates with the open beta of Google+:

Public broadcasts: giving traffic-generating users the ability to stream live with up to nine others with public viewing for other users

Sketchpad: communal art

Screensharing: let other users view your screen

Google Docs: allowing multiple users to work within documents

Named Hangouts: create and join other users in certain topics

These features are still works-in-progress so perfect functioning should not be expected. The new additions to the Google+ service and the open beta will allow Google to test this new environment pretty well. Once Hangouts becomes a stable environment, there might be a lot more work being completed purely online with others in real-time.

For any user looking to join Google+, they just have to head to http://google.com/+.