Google Plus continues to get more open bit by bit, and just today made the service available to teens age 13 and up . Previously, Google Plus was restricted to people 18 and up. Along with the wave of new teenagers, Google Plus is also getting new privacy and security features--a fairly important thing if the service is to become something parents encourage their children to use.

Today Google announced that Google Plus Hangouts video chat is getting an upgrade.

I interviewed Google’s spokesperson Andrea Faville to learn more about the video features available on Google Plus Pages for business; along with a number of examples from businesses across the small-to-large range, and the great new “Hangouts with Extras” they’re previewing for everyone! If you haven’t already done so, I recommend also checking out Jeremy Scott’s earlier coverage here at ReelSEO on Google Plus Pages for Business & Brands . Video Examples on Google Plus Pages for Business “We've already seen a number of businesses do great things with video on their Google+ Pages.” says Andrea.

I interviewed social media strategist and video blogger Chris Brogan at the recent Blogworld New Media Expo conference in Los Angeles. Chris shared with me in this video interview why he’s a big fan of Google Plus Hangouts, along with the benefits of other online video conferencing programs for today’s business professionals

Google has announced that Google Apps are now available with Google Plus.

Google Plus, the social networking service that has long been in a restricted field test, is now officially in beta.

Google Hangouts just got a major boost in publicity from one of the biggest properties in the Google empire: YouTube. The video platform has just added a new sharing option below every video player on the site that allows viewers to start a Google Hangout session centered around that particular video This means that you and your friends–up to 10 of them–can watch and comment on it together in real time.

We know live video chat is extremely popular in personal communication and entertainment, but what is the commercial upside to it? I showcase how new cutting edge technology with live video chat is letting visitors engage directly with brand reps – providing a more personal and helpful experience for customers and client prospects, and improving the bottom line for enterprises.

Google Plus is barely more than a month old. And while it’s seen staggering growth rates in new user sign-ups during that time, sign-ups alone aren’t going to sustain Google Plus’ future. Thankfully, it’s proving itself useful in a number of ways, particularly with video, and has recently added a huge new component to help keep its members engaged: video games

Google Plus is still a juggernaut in terms of buzz (pardon the Google-product pun). Interest levels are still quite high for the fledgling social network.