March 14, 2015 at 03:30PM

When I first heard about Meerkat I instantly wondered why Hangouts isn't already doing this. Here's hoping the Hangouts team is listening.

How Google can own the live-streaming revolution.

(Read my column: http://goo.gl/3UROsI )

Meerkat isn't so much a product, but a feature. It should have been a feature of Google+ Hangouts on air. It still can be. Google can own this. 

Google needs only to: 

1. Enable Hangouts on air from smartphones

2. Add the option for "ephemerality" (don't record video)

3. Put the comments on a live-stream's G+ post on top of the video. 

Meerkat is awesome, but it's only a matter of time before its popularity crushes the Meerkat servers. 

Google, on the other hand, has the infrastructure and expertise to scale this up. When Meerkat starts displaying a "fail ferret," or whatever, Google needs to be there with a robust, cross-platform alternative. 

If you don't understand the Meerkat phenomenon, here's my opinion on why Meerkat works and is more compatible with mainstream usage than Hangouts on Air. 

http://ift.tt/1Fmt5uO

#meerkat   #hangoutsonair  

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