Google Buzz is a social integration and messaging tool by Google, designed to integrate into the company’s web-based email program, Gmail. Shared links and messages show up in the user’s inbox. Buzz focuses on integrating photos, videos, and links as part of the “conversations” aspects of Gmail like conversation threading.
Buzz allows users to choose to share publicly with the world or privately to a small group of friends each time they post. Picasa, Flickr, Google Reader, YouTube, Blogger, and Twitter are currently integrated. The creation of Buzz was seen by industry analysts as an attempt by Google to compete with social networking websites like Facebook. Buzz also includes several interface and interaction elements from other Google products (e.g. Google Reader) such as the ability to like a post. Buzz would help bridge the gap between work and leisure.
