Google+ has been around for a few months now and I'm still unsure if it will become part of the daily routine or if it's just something I'll look at every now and again. Does this new real life sharing application have the ability to take over Facebook? Already, I can see that there are some features it has that Facebook is missing.

You will probably already know (if you're a user) that it takes a lot of time to build up a network of friends and a gallery pictures etc. on Facebook, so can we really be bothered to go through this hassle again? Facebook is an excellent way to socialise with your friends, family and work colleagues and has become a huge part of many people's lives.  At the same time however, we are becomming increasingly aware of the need to protect our privacy, to keep family life and work separate and at this time Facebook has issues addressing these points.

Google+ has come up with some great features/applications and it's no surprise that the number of users has reached over 20 million already and is growing fast!  We have listed below some of the fantastic features Google+ has to offer:

Circles - if like most people you like to keep your social life and work completely separate, then you will love Google+ circles. They help you to organise friends, work colleagues, family etc. into separate networks giving you the ability to share posts, links etc. with the selected circle. You can customize your profile to each circle as well... for example, you may just want your family to have your personal contact details, keeping them hidden from work colleagues.

Uploading Photo's - If you have the Google+ app on your mobile phone there is an instant upload feature. Once you have enabled instant upload, as soon as you take a picture this will instantly be uploaded to your Google+ and they will only be visible to you unless you would like to share them to your circles.

Sparks - If you are interested in a particular subject/hobby (e.g. Web Design), you can search for these interests in the 'Sparks' section. Add your chosen topics as an interest and you can keep up to date with what is going on for that particular subject matter.

Group Chat - Ever wanted to have a chat with more then 1 person at a time? Group chat on Google+ allows you to chat with any number of people at one time. A great application if you are planning a night out with your friends or an event for your work acquaintances.

Google has pulled all the pieces together in one place... social interaction, maps, email, documents, web search and much more.  Despite being the new kid on the block, it's clean and functional and is fast becoming a huge success!