First of all,  if you're waiting for me to crack a joke about how all the Internet is "buzzing" about Google's new social media offering, you can exhale now.  It isn't going to happen.  Seriously.

So what is Google Buzz exactly? Well, with Facebook's recently unveiled plans to encroach on Google's e-mail empire with Project Titan (a project that some Facebook insiders are calling the "Gmail Killer"), it appears that Google is prepared to fire a salvo back across the bow of Facebook.

Google Buzz is essentially a social media feature that will overlay on top of the Gmail platform, allowing users to integrate a new social media platform right into their email inbox. This could potentially give Google a big leg up in their attempt to gain a presence in the social media marketplace.  Google Buzz has a lot of Facebook-like features, and one of the touted key features is Buzz's ability to filter out content you wouldn't be interested in and display content that would interest you.  Depending on how well that functionality works, it could  make a significant difference.

Buzz can also notify you of updated posts in your inbox, but the notification email will show the entire post within it, so you won't have to click on a link to view the updated content. It also integrates heavily with Mobile phones that include some neat / scary options.  If your phone has GPS, Buzz will know where you are, and will attempt to figure out what building you are in and ask you if it has guessed right.  It can also geotag your posts showing where you are.  I am assuming these features can be disabled if you are privacy conscious.

Some of the less scary and more interesting Buzz features include built in voice recognition, so all you have to do is talk into your phone and it will be posted to your buzz account in real time. As well, you can click "nearby" and Buzz will show you what people are posting geographically close to you.

So will Google Buzz be the next new wave of Social Media? It's hard to say...it definitely has some interesting new features, but nothing apart from time can really answer that question with certainty. One thing is for sure though, as time marches on we're seeing the lines between different communication technologies become closer and closer,  how much longer will it be before the lines blur and then disappear?