How do I buzz on my mobile?

When Google announced their new Google Buzz, I found it quite interesting to watch the reaction of people as they tried out Google Buzz and thought, meh. Its like Twitter in your email. Its like Facebook without logging in etc. Seemed a little underwhelming but flying low under the radar and hiding under the shadow of this announcement, Google also  launched the Google Maps for Mobile 4.0. This new update (which you all should now go and download) includes Google Buzz built into the maps. Meh, I hear you say. 
Actually, Google Buzz's biggest advantage comes within the form of Google Maps. The feature allows you to "buzz" to the world about anything you want, from your current location and this is really what Google was getting at. 


Why use Buzz on your Mobile?

• If you are in a new city, and would like to know where to get good coffee, send out a buzz and watch complete strangers reply to your buzz with their recommendations.  

• You are heading to a restaurant and someone's buzz appears - they just discovered a great restaurant. You don't know them but you decide to change plans and check out this restaurant. 
• A store decides to give out free ice creams so they post a buzz to advertise this to the technologically astute users like you. 
• Five of your friends are using latitude to see where  you are and when you will meet them somewhere, so you send out a buzz for all to see, that you are running late because the train has been delayed. 

• As you leave the grand final of your favourite sport, you watch the "buzz" around you literally as people in the stadium post buzzes about what they thought of the game.
  
  All except number 5 are examples of buzzes that I have just seen in one city on my phone on Google maps. 

How to turn it on?

Download Google Maps 4.0 from maps.google.com and then go to OPTIONS --> LAYERS and select Buzz so that there is a green tick next to it. Scroll around the map and you should be able to see small speech bubbles appear on your map. 

When you can't buzz. Note that you cannot post a buzz by

1. Faking your location using Google Latitude (the buzz will be based on your "my location" which you can see by pressing 0)
2. Turning off my location. The option to "Add Buzz" will disappear from your OPTIONS menu.

Replies Any replies to other people's buzz will not reveal your location. Your name according to your Google profile will appear in any buzz you send out. 

Remember if you post via your mobile, there does not seem t be an option to make the buzz a "private" one which only your friends can see. Everyone will be able to see your buzz from the mobile so buzz carefully :) 


Pictures You can also post photos from your mobile to the map. They will appear as a speech bubble with an asterix next to it like this one. 

One press of the navi-key will reveal the photo that was posted. Unfortunately, the photo must be already taken and on your phone before you can post it. There are so many possibilities now with Buzz and as a social media watcher, I can really see the potential for this in marketing, advertising and bringing people back to interacting in the real world! Try it out and leave your thoughts below.

Next time you buzz, maybe give a shout out to us @ MyE63 :)