Google Testing Another Social Network - Shoelace

The search giant engine is giving this social network thing another go after shutting down failed Google+ in April. It's currently testing a hyperlocal network Shoelace for people who are looking for partners to join them in events like attending shows and sports.

It's currently invite-only, and promises to help you "connect with others who have the same interests." You can create a list for the activities and events you're planning to participate in, and send an invitation to friends and strangers to join you. Also, Shoelace will surface events that you might be into.

As far as we know, it looks like that was one of the first breakout projects by Google staff who wanted to try out ideas that weren't part of the firm's typical products. From past few years, it's encouraged parallel efforts with Area 120, an internal incubator that resulted in exciting apps like Game Builder, Grasshopper, Rivet, Shortwave, Supersonic, Touring Bird and Uptime.

Shoelace is currently available only in New York City and runs on Android and iOS. The Android app appears to have been removed from the Play Store, but an installer is available to sideload from APK Mirror. It'll be interesting to see if Google plays its cards differently this time around to float Shoelace once it launches widely. So we'll have to wait and see how Google opens this up to more people, you can't yet sign up for an invite.