Google+Plus attempts to deliver a solid Google+ experience in Windows 8.1. At the time of writing (and one of the reasons why I developed it in the first place), Google+Plus is the only truly native Google+ app for Windows 8.1, given that all the other ones are just web wrappers for the different parts of the Google+ universe and content (yeah, this paragraph is the same as in my app Linked).
The Google+ API is even worst than the LinkedIn API. I mean, now that I think of it and compared to the Google+ API, the LinkedIn API is actually a pretty goddamn good API lol. The problem with the Google+ API is that it doesn't support a lot of features: period. Unlike the LinkedIn API, with restricted areas which are frustrating but at least do exist, the complete set of endpoints revealed by the Google+ API is very limited, to the point that I can quickly pinpoint what one can do with it: search, access profiles, access feeds and "moments". That's it. Forget about changing your profile, getting a general network stream (in my app this is done by trickery backstage), managing your circles, interacting with the network feeds, amongst others. The "moments" resource is actually very interesting and has enormous capabilities: in theory it would allow the generation of content by any participating app (thus enabling new posts / activities), BUT the sheer visibility of that content (or the lack of) made me abandon it. Basically "moments" created by the API can only be seen by two people who have both granted access to the participating app (i.e. those not using the app wouldn't see it) AND they are hidden away in a very obscure part of our profile in a reserved section for app-generated content. If this would be fixed by Google, the usefulness of third-party Google+ apps would be GREATLY increased.
In the end, using the otherwise API features can be achieved using little time (it took me around a month to create the app part-time). I honestly don't believe that it can effectively replace a lot of Google+ usage scenarios due to the API limitations explained earlier, but some "read-only" experience can be obtained out of it.
Features (as shown in the store app):
When I talked about Linked it was, at that time, my most successful app. However, Google+Plus has been having much more adherence than all of my previous apps, considering that it is only 3 months old: it already has thousands of downloads (the download speed is double that of Linked, so it shouldn't take a lot of weeks to surpass it) and is currently (and already) the one which generates the most revenue through ads, so this means that more people use it more time. This also means that, and this is something that I had already learned from Linked, business-wise it is far more successful to deploy popular-related apps with less quality than highly capable apps that no one will use.
In terms of using the Google+ API, as I said I don't think that, at this time, I can do much more with it. However, I have seen that the Windows Phone panorama is, app-wise, the same as in Windows 8.1, i.e. the lack of a real native Google+ experience. Since the app is still relatively easy to manage, I will make the port to Windows Phone in the coming weeks (if everything goes according to plan), while the Windows 8.1 will see the usual bug fixes, performance improvements, new languages, etc.
This app was never featured anywhere (that I know of, of course), so for this app particularly I wished that you could pick it up and display it any way you can. At the same time, I hope I get meaningful and clever suggestions as to how I can further improve it.
The Store link is here.
Thank you.
The Google+ API is even worst than the LinkedIn API. I mean, now that I think of it and compared to the Google+ API, the LinkedIn API is actually a pretty goddamn good API lol. The problem with the Google+ API is that it doesn't support a lot of features: period. Unlike the LinkedIn API, with restricted areas which are frustrating but at least do exist, the complete set of endpoints revealed by the Google+ API is very limited, to the point that I can quickly pinpoint what one can do with it: search, access profiles, access feeds and "moments". That's it. Forget about changing your profile, getting a general network stream (in my app this is done by trickery backstage), managing your circles, interacting with the network feeds, amongst others. The "moments" resource is actually very interesting and has enormous capabilities: in theory it would allow the generation of content by any participating app (thus enabling new posts / activities), BUT the sheer visibility of that content (or the lack of) made me abandon it. Basically "moments" created by the API can only be seen by two people who have both granted access to the participating app (i.e. those not using the app wouldn't see it) AND they are hidden away in a very obscure part of our profile in a reserved section for app-generated content. If this would be fixed by Google, the usefulness of third-party Google+ apps would be GREATLY increased.
In the end, using the otherwise API features can be achieved using little time (it took me around a month to create the app part-time). I honestly don't believe that it can effectively replace a lot of Google+ usage scenarios due to the API limitations explained earlier, but some "read-only" experience can be obtained out of it.
Features (as shown in the store app):
- Beautiful panorama-based app
- Search support (users and activities)
- Live tile
- Geo-location supported by Bing Maps
- Video support
- Activity feeds with videos, pictures and links
- Language support (English and Portuguese)
- Page transitions
- Pin users to start screen
- Contacts shortcuts (NEW!)
- Shortcuts and navigation app bars (NEW!)
- Customizable colors (NEW!)
- Save images (NEW!)
- Share support (NEW!)
When I talked about Linked it was, at that time, my most successful app. However, Google+Plus has been having much more adherence than all of my previous apps, considering that it is only 3 months old: it already has thousands of downloads (the download speed is double that of Linked, so it shouldn't take a lot of weeks to surpass it) and is currently (and already) the one which generates the most revenue through ads, so this means that more people use it more time. This also means that, and this is something that I had already learned from Linked, business-wise it is far more successful to deploy popular-related apps with less quality than highly capable apps that no one will use.
In terms of using the Google+ API, as I said I don't think that, at this time, I can do much more with it. However, I have seen that the Windows Phone panorama is, app-wise, the same as in Windows 8.1, i.e. the lack of a real native Google+ experience. Since the app is still relatively easy to manage, I will make the port to Windows Phone in the coming weeks (if everything goes according to plan), while the Windows 8.1 will see the usual bug fixes, performance improvements, new languages, etc.
This app was never featured anywhere (that I know of, of course), so for this app particularly I wished that you could pick it up and display it any way you can. At the same time, I hope I get meaningful and clever suggestions as to how I can further improve it.
The Store link is here.
Thank you.
Last edited:
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