Google tests new Contacts that blend Gmail and Google+

While Google may be breaking pieces off of Google+, we wouldn't expect its profiles to go away anytime soon, since they're poised for a bigger tie-in with Gmail. The new Google Contacts setup "pools together all your contacts, circles, and the people you talk to most in Gmail." It has a beefed up ability to eliminate duplicates in your address book, and promises to keep people's info up to date based on what's in their Google+ profile. Another convenience is that it finally includes a list of your most recent emails and meetings with a contact, right on their card. Overall, it aligns with what exec Sundar Pichai pointed to as Google+ creating a common identity across the company's products, but we'll have to wait and see if this goes over better than the YouTube integration. The new contacts experience is coming to Gmail over the next few weeks, but you can get a preview of it here.