Google+ moves from field trial to beta, adds Hangouts on phones, search and more

Well, it appears like the “field trial” is officially over. Google today announced that its Google+ social network has moved as much as beta status and, consequently, it’s now open to everyone (no invitation required). Additionally it is rolled out a slew of latest features for the occasion, including a whole lot of improvements to the Hangouts video chat service. Featuring Hangouts to your phone (Android 2.3+ only, for now), a brand new Hangouts On Air feature for public broadcasts, and a large number of “extras” including screensharing, a sketchpad and shared Google Docs (let alone Hangouts APIs). Google’s now also finally added search functionality around the site, and it’s renamed the Huddle group chat feature to Messenger (which also incorporates a selection of new tweaks). Hit the links below for the total rundown on what’s new.