Google Enhances Email to Become More ‘Social’

In a bid to combat the growing use of social networks, Google announced today that it is making it easier to socialize on its e-mail service, unveiling a new “Google Buzz” feature. Gmail users will be able to create status updates on Google Buzz and read and comment on the updates posted by their friends.

Other tools turn Gmail into a showcase for sharing video, pictures and Web links to interesting stories, just as users can on Facebook and Twitter.

According to the Associated Press, Facebook now has more than 400 million worldwide users, many of whom post information that can’t be indexed by Google’s search engine. Facebook’s large audience also threatens to siphon away some of Google’s advertising sales.

Shortly after the announcement, Microsoft and Yahoo responded by taking shots at their rival, claiming they’ve been running a similar service for years.