Google planning to integrate Facebook,Twitter like features in Gmail

Google will be integrating new features into Gmail to combat the growth of social networking sites Facebook and Twitter and retain its number one ranking.

The new additions include an exchange of status updates amongst friends and sharing of web content links. Users would be able to view updates through a new module, which will emulate the Facebook, Twitter and MySpace updates.

The updates would be also feature new additions on YouTube, Picassa and probably Orkut accounts, which are a part of Google.

Previously, status updates such and YouTube videos could be seen on the chat interface and Picassa updates via mail.

Google had tried to incorporate more social features into Gmail through Google profiles and some Labs features.

Yahoo too had added the update feature for its users in 2008.