Circles -- the means of organizing contacts on Google+ (in the same vein as Facebook and Twitter lists); allows for customized sharing of posts and profile information to each separate circle, mimicking levels of familiarity with real-life contacts (a defining feature of Google+); also allows for filtering of posts from those circles; organization is done via a drag-and-drop interface; privacy settings allow for users to hide the contents of their circles as well as whose circles they are in; default circles are Friends, Family, Acquaintances and Following

Communities -- places for users to gather based on shared interests (along the same lines as Facebook or LinkedIn Groups); available as public and private; serve as online discussion boards where users engage in an on-going conversation around that shared interest/passion; self-described as a "gathering place for your passions"

Events -- feature that allows users to create an event (page), invite people to attend (Google+ user or not), share photos and media from the event via its page; feature integrates with Google Calendar; users can share photos and videos from the event in real-time by using Party Mode in the Google+ app on their smartphone; event attendees can share any photos and videos they take while at the event to a single collection – its page

Hangout -- feature that facilitates video chat with up to 9 other Google+ users - essentially group video chat; users must possess the URL unique to the hangout in order to access it; built-in features include Google productivity apps (i.e. - Drive, Docs), allowing for collaborative work on shared files in addition to video conferencing

Hangouts On Air -- ability to live-stream a hangout to the world; after inviting others to join in a hangout, that hangout can then be broadcasted live to the public at large, with a live player posted to your Google+ page and YouTube channel; the hangout is also recorded to/through your YouTube channel, allowing for the editing and sharing of the hangout video post-live broadcast

Local -- allows users to post photos and reviews directly onto the Google+ page of a particular business; integrates across the Google family of products (i.e. - Search); features reviews and ratings from Zagat (purchased by Google in September 2011, increasing the functionality and usefulness of Local with Zagat content); serves as a means of discovering new places and sharing places; able to get recommendations based on people in your circles, past reviews and your current location; reviews from people you know and trust highlighted in your search results

Photos -- means for storage and sharing of photos (similar to other social network sites); offers customizable levels of sharing (a hallmark of Google+), users are able to choose who sees what photos; via Instant Upload feature on Android devices, users can upload photos taken on their Android smartphone directly to the cloud, ‘storing’ them with their Google+ account; able to tag yourself and friends in photos (similar to other social networks); Find My Face feature automatically locates photos of you when friends upload pictures; user has control over who can tag them in pictures, user can remove tags they do not want; built-in photo editor gives users the option to artistically adjust and stylistically customize photos uploaded and shared