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Google+ gets baked-in YouTube functionality, seeks your +1s
Suffice it to say, Google's been steamrolling through its services this week and laying down a variety of updates and goodies. Just a day after its short-lived Gmail iOS app was released, Mountain View's veered its wheels toward the "pluses" in its portfolio. To start, Chrome users will find two new extensions, including a +1 button and a Google+ Notifications box, to more easily mark their favorite sites, while those loyal to Internet Explorer can update their Google toolbar for a similar effect -- sadly, there's no such love for Firefox at the moment. Moving on to its social front, Google has finally enabled native YouTube support in Google+. While on G+, you'll notice a YouTube slider near the right, which when clicked pops up a video module (seen above). From it, you and your circles can quickly share your favorite viral videos and view playlists, which Google says are currently being added to G+ search results. Sure, we're still anxiously wishing for things like Twitter integration, but ya gotta start somewhere, right? You'll find a shot of those extensions below, and more details at the source link.
Google says goodbye to browser toolbar, drops support for Firefox 5
Google Labs isn't the only thing winding down in Mountain View, it seems Google's Firefox toolbar is also kaput. Citing exponential growth in the browser space, the outfit declared that the Google toolbar for Firefox is no longer necessary -- modern browsers are just too darn capable. Support will continue for older versions of the browser, but Firefox 5 will have to stand on its own. Still, El Goog admits that dropping the toolbar kills more than a few features, and is offering a list of similarly featured add-ons to users via the defunct toolbar's help page. Not enough? Head on over to the announcement's comment page and join the peanut gallery, a few clever legumes seem to have uncovered a FF5 workaround. As for the rest of us, it's not like we didn't know Google had its own browser (and interests) to take care of, right?
Google Toolbar 3 official rele- no wait, it's a beta
Google has released version 3 of their Firefox Toolbar, a handy collection of Googlefied tools that tie into their ever-expanding lineup of services. This update ushers in some significant new features, including: A Bookmarks menu (finally!) for their del.icio.us-like Google Bookmarks service (notice I didn't say 'del.icio.us killer') A very functional Send To button with which you can easily share a page or excerpt via email, text message or their own Blogger service A Google Docs & Spreadsheets button that can open "most popular file types" right inside Firefox, including those you drag into the browser or even (optionally) double click from the Finder A master sign-in button for your Google Account Also apparently new in this version are custom buttons you can add to the toolbar yourself. In fact, once you install it and restart Firefox, you can right-click in our search field at the top of TUAW and add our site as a custom search to Google's Toolbar. Searching TUAW has never been so easy![Update: There is a little confusion as to how to actually get this new version. On the download page for Google Toolbar, be sure to click the Try the new Google Toolbar beta! link, not the big blue button that says "Download Google Toolbar." I imagine they keep the two versions separate so they don't force everyone into living on the bleeding edge.]
