Google+ has integrated more of its product line into its social network platform—now bringing Gmail and Contacts into the mix.  When a user opens an email from someone on Google+, he or she can see the most recent post they’ve shared on the right-hand side of the conversation with this change.

Other sticky elements Google+ has incorporated:

• Google+ circles can be used to filter mail and contacts.

• Contact information is updated automatically. "If your contacts have a Google profile, their contact entry in Gmail will be updated with the profile information they’ve shared with you, including phone numbers, email addresses and more. If they change it in the future, you’ll get those updates automatically."

• Users can share photos without leaving the inbox. Images can be uploaded to Google+ photos and be viewable only to the circles that the user chooses to share with.

The Lure of Gmail

It is little surprise Google+ is using Gmail to grow the social network’s. The popular, and free, email application is used to expand Google’s presence in a number of platforms. Last month an updated Google Gmail app was made available in the Apple app store. The new application has the deeper Gmail support for iOS devices including the iPad and the iPod Touch.

Gmail contacts were also the driver behind a measure introduced last month on Google News to feature articles that a user's Gmail contacts and people in his or her Google+ circles publicly +1'd in Google's News' Spotlight section.

Also in November, Google introduced several enhancements to Gmail.