Google has extended its ‘+snippets’ feature to Google Maps, allowing snippets related to travel to feature on the users’ Google+ account.
Since its launch in June this year, Google+ has set off a battle with social networking leader Facebook.
Initially, Facebook rubbished Google+ saying that the entrant copied its features. However, the company has also borrowed several features from Google+ to address growing privacy concerns.
Facebook not only tweaked its control settings to improve privacy features to match its new rival, it also enabled music and introduced and ‘smart lists’, a feature that mimics Google+’s ‘Circles’.
Now, Google has made a move to keep its social networking product a step ahead of Facebook. The company has turned to its popular mapping service Google Maps to launch ‘+snippets’.
The company said in a blog: "We recently launched +snippets for users and publishers, making it easy to visit a webpage and then share it on Google+. We want to make sharing across Google just as easy, so today we’re bringing +snippets to Google Maps."
The new service is designed to enable users to share directions or places with fellow travellers.
"Just click ‘Share…’ in the Google+ bar at the top of the screen, and whatever you see on Maps is what you’ll see in the sharebox — ready to share with your circles," said Google Product Management vice-president Bradley Horowitz.
With the launch, Google Maps joins other Google products like Books, Offers and Product Search in having +snippets.
The company launched the +1 button for websites in June, a tool to recommend content across the Web.
