Google has announced that the Google Plus APIs for search, +1s and comments are now available to developers. Search was integrated into Google Plus when it opened to the public, and now developers can build apps that incorporate search.
The Google Plus API first opened on September 15, but the initial release was limited to basic public data. When Plus opened to all users on September 20, the API for hangouts – the video chat feature – was released as well. Now that search and the rest of the conversation features are available, Google Plus apps can get a little more interesting.
Building The Conversation
Today’s API release makes available more of the features that make Google Plus compelling, and building apps on top of +1s and comments could turn the already chatty social network into a powerful tool for conversation.
Since Google put out a call for Plus developers, the API has been hotly anticipated, as we found in a ReadWriteHack poll this summer. But the releases have been slow and incremental, and the apps produced so far have been basic proofs of concept.
What kinds of apps would you like to see for Google Plus? Let us know in the comments.