Google dives into photo-sharing apps with Pool Party

Google (NASDAQ:GOOG) quietly introduced Pool Party, a free photo-sharing application optimized for both Android and iOS devices.

Pool party is a free photo-sharing app for both Android and iOS devices.

Currently available exclusively on an invitation-only basis (although available for download from Google's Android Market and Apple's [NASDAQ:AAPL] App Store), Pool Party enables users to create group albums and see friends' photos in real time. Pool Party was developed by Slide, the social media startup acquired by Google last summer for $182 million.

Pool Party is Google's second major social networking effort to emerge this week. On Tuesday, the company unveiled a beta version of Google+, which promises to rival Facebook by enabling users to selectively share materials with friends and family sorted into "circles." Google+ also includes Hangouts, a multi-person video chat solution, as well as Huddle, a group messaging feature supporting real-time texting to multiple people.

Google+ also touts its own instant photo upload feature, enabling users to transfer images to a private cloud service accessible over multiple devices. Users may then determine which photos they wish to share with Google+ contacts. It is unclear what role if any Pool Party plays in relation to Google+.

For more:
- read this Business Insider article

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