"Like" Facebook? You'll "+1" Google

For ages, it’s been rumored that Google was planning a social network to rival Facebook, since Facebook has radically changed the way so many of us use the web. Google has finally unveiled its next big thing, but it’s not a social network at all. It’s more of a “social search” function built into its popular search engine results.
It remains to be seen if Google +1 will be able to successfully compete with Facebook’s Like button, since Facebook has such a huge head start. But like Facebook, Google is expected to have its +1 button showing up on other webpages (like the one you’re reading now), paid ads, and lots more.