It was only a matter of time. Google has entered the social networking craze by launching its own take on how, when and why people might want to share their thoughts and activities with the world.

Buzz is starting to roll out to users’ Gmail inboxes as I type. We’re lucky enough to have already had a quick play with it to see what it’s made of.

Some may argue that it’s just yet another social networking tool to add to a growing list. Others are suggesting that the new kid in town has learnt from the bad habits of others and delivered something really innovative and worthwhile.

Clearly, many people will at least try the service out, if for not other reason to see whether anyone else is.

Twitter started off as consumer fodder. And it has achieved phenomenal success. Of late, many businesses have also jumped on the Twitter bandwagon to see how they can capitalise on its popularity (You can see our beginners’ guide to Twitter for business here).

So, with that thinking, it’ll be whether businesses embrace Buzz that shows how well it’s doing. Google reckons it’s already got that covered and claims it’s catering for corporate and individual needs as well as offering a feed-based API for developers.

Nicole’s also feeling a bit buzzy by Google’s latest announcement. Catch her blog here.

Have you experienced Buzz yet? What do you think? Is it all hype and no action or a very useful communications tool? Have your say by dropping us a line.

YouTube last week announced that its service has become so popular that it is now experiencing more than one billion video views each and every day. That’s a whole lot of video.

“This is great moment in our short history and we owe it all to you,” YouTube’s chief executive and co-founder Chad Hurley, said in a post on the company’s blog.

Making the celebratory statement some three years after YouTube was acquired by Google, Hurley added: “As bandwidth has increased, so has our video quality… We’re working hard to keep up with the fast pace of technology to bring you everything you would expect from the world’s largest video site: better quality; a full spectrum of choices and tools for users, partners and advertisers; and ways to make the YouTube experience your own anywhere, anytime.”

So, YouTube has evolved from its very early days and has bigger, even better things in mind for the future. I’m intrigued.

It’s finally here. Well, for the chosen few anyway.

So what’s all the fuss about Google Wave? We’ll be bringing you our considered thoughts about its merits for businesses as soon as we can, but in the meantime the video below tries to explain what Google Wave is and why you should care.

“What did people do before the internet?” is a question I’ve heard many times. Having been around pre-web, I can just about remember what life was like. People certainly used to talk to one another more, we used to write letters or call people and libraries and bookshops did a lot more trade than they do now.

But when the web first came along, many of us were a bit bewildered by this big new virtual beast that seemed to connect things. We didn’t understand it. Many of us certainly didn’t know how to use it. Then along came search engines. The good, the bad and the downright ugly.

It’s a truth universally acknowledged that search is still not as good as we, the users, want it to be. But how to improve it? You can’t change what you don’t understand, so to see just where search is going right, and wrong, we’ve started the big search debate.

We want to hear what you really rate and hate about your search experience. Has it got better over the years or worse? However you feel about search, let us know here. It’ll take just a few moments of your time.

You could also win an Xbox 360 Elite for your trouble too.

Tomorrow is not just another Tuesday. Oh no. Apparently, tomorrow Opera will be re-inventing the web.

I’ve never tried to re-invent the web myself before, so I’m not quite sure how long it will take, or just how tricky a task it is. But I guess I’ll find out tomorrow.

We’ve been invited to attend a webcast tomorrow afternoon that promises to reveal all. Until then, we’re left with a very cryptic holding page on Opera’s website and an invitation that claims Opera will use its 15-year history to “introduce a technology that will forever change the fundamental fabric of the web.”

The company’s chief executive and chief development officer will be among the speakers, during an event that promises to give us more detail about “one of Opera’s most significant innovations to date.”

What could it be? There’s a cloud on the holding page… A hint I wonder, or perhaps then again just a pretty picture?

Watch this space..

Fresh from the high of his well-received talk at Apple’s Regent Street store, Stephen Fry found himself stuck in a lift on the 26th floor of London’s Centre Point building.

He soon started tweeting about his experience (hence how I know as I clearly wasn’t there!) and was kept amused by a steady flow of chirpy (sorry!) comments from his followers to keep his spirits up.

Fry was clearly not amused by the in-lift technology pointing out the bleedin’ obvious to him during his unscheduled stay in said elevator.

Pictures below from Mr Fry’s Twitpic feed - a presumptuous thanks in advance to him for letting me share them with you.

It’s nice to be popular isn’t it? Stephen Fry would know, as he is single-handedly taking over the Twittersphere. Or at least his followers are. All 100,000-plus of them.

At the time of writing this post, Fry was being followed (gosh, sounds like stalking doesn’t it) by 101,602 followers, was himself following 32,058 people and he’d posted 1,045 updates to his feed. As an avid Twitterer or Tweeter (whatever the de rigeur term is these days), those figures won’t stand still for long.

I’ve only recently got into Twitter. I’m not as ‘on it’ as many people I know but I do find it a great source of both amusement and information. I’m also following Fry’s feed as he is an incredibly witty, knowledgable and charming individual. I’m also following Jonathan Ross’ feed. He posts with the same gusto and frequency as Fry and his feed is palatable for exactly the same reasons.

No, I’m not a celebrity Twitter following addict. In fact, I quite dislike the whole notion of celebrity. Granted, Fry and Ross are two gents who appear on TV/in the papers/insert media medium here a lot but their appeal goes way beyond what good lighting, stage directions and being seen with the right people achieves. They’ve got a bit of substance too.

Although Twitter’s been around for a while, there are many people just like me who’ve only recently started to dabble and I’m quite intrigued as to where it will all lead.

Update: This post has only taken 5 mins to write and already Stephen Fry’s Twitter following has reached 101,650. That’s a whole lotta followers per minute.

A recent survey by internet service provider (ISP) Plusnet and YouGov revealed that 92 per cent of Brits see their broadband pipes as such a necessity now that, even when tightening their belts during the current credit crunch, the tech is on their ‘keep’ list.

As an online addict who can’t cope being more than a few hours away from my next fix of web, I can fully understand why the figures are so high. What’s more, the survey showed that more than a third of people would rather ditch cigarettes, alcohol and magazine subscriptions than lose their precious web access.

I’m guessing if the same survey was conducted among businesses, the percentage would probably be much higher. After all, if we as consumers can’t get our web fix we just get a bit grumpy and feel a bit disconnected from goings on. The story is somewhat different for corporates, with loss of reputation and earnings on the menu if the online world puts them in purgatory.

How much time do you spend online each day/week? Do you feel your web usage is borderline addictive? I’m intrigued to find out if I’m ‘normal’ or not. Whatever that may be….

Today is National Work From Home Day, so where are you working? I’ve been in the office all day but that’s not because I had to, it was more a case of choice. Plus, I noticed the tube and train here were less crowded and much more pleasant than usual. I vote for a National Work From Home Day every day to carry on the better commuting experience!

Seriously though, I recently wrote a feature for IT PRO looking at the issue of flexible and remote working and spoke to some businesses who’ve been doing it for years. They know the benefits for employers, employees and environment (the three es) alike and don’t need convincing or badgering from government or workers.

However, there are still many archaic companies out there who - with the caveat of those businesses for whom remote working is just not practical - rely on bums on seats to demonstrate productivity. The ‘if I can’t see you I don’t trust you’ mentality. Trust in any relationship, whether one base on friendship, professionalism or romance is the key to success. Break that trust or don’t have it to begin with and you’re doomed. It’s as simple as that.

So, where did you work from today and how does your boss feel about remote/flexible working?

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