GMAIL USERS: You can now follow Mashable’s official Google Buzz profile here: http://www.google.com/profiles/mashable

Earlier this afternoon, Google announced Google Buzz, a semantic approach to social status updates that live inside Gmail. The demonstration video showed off some of what you can do with Buzz on your desktop — but what seems really exciting is what Buzz can do in your pocket.

---

Android and iPhone Optimized Sites

---

If you visit http://buzz.google.com on your iPhone or Android device, you’ll be taken to a WebKit-optimized interface for using and connecting with Google Buzz.

When you do that, you’ll either be asked to log in to your Google account or, if you’re already logged in, you’ll be taken straight into the main Buzz screen. Here you can see Buzz from the people you follow and from nearby locations, view your own posts, and find other people.

The web-based interface fits in perfectly with the Gmail-optimized webpages that iPhone users are accustomed to using — Buzz is merely a new tab in the interface.

---

Sharing with Friends

---

You can view Buzz surrounding your followers in a real-time stream. The concept is very similar to something like FriendFeed or Cliqset, in that each status update can become its own conversation.

You can also share and view photographs via Buzz.

---

The Buzz About Location

---

One of the most compelling aspects of Google Buzz is its integration with Google’s Latitude service. Using your device’s GPS or Wi-Fi connection, Buzz will find your location (or show you nearby locations) and you can send an update and pin yourself to that location. Unlike Foursquare, where you can just check in to a location, if you want to indicate that you are someplace currently (or leave an opinion about an establishment), you have to send a Buzz message.

The Nearby tab is pretty cool because it shows you information from the public stream about what’s going on nearby. If you’re in a new city or simply trying to find out what’s going on in your neighborhood, this could potentially work like Gowalla or Loopt Mix.

---

Overall

---

Like Buzz in general, Buzz Mobile is still very much in development. The web app, while well-designed, doesn’t let you actively manage any of your accounts or connections. It’s also somewhat limited, for the time being, in what you can do — based on what type of access you or your followers have been given.

Once everyone has Google Buzz in Gmail, we’re sure that the mobile options will become a bit more well-rounded. As it stands now, there’s lots of potential, but not a ton of substance.

Have you used Google Buzz for your iPhone or Android device? Let us know!

---

Reviews: Android, FriendFeed, Gmail, Google, Gowalla, iPhone

Tags: buzz, geolocation, google buzz, web applications

Go to Source

Related Blogs

• Related Blogs on What Google Buzz Means for Mobile