Google+ is opening up. The service that the enthusiastic and curious once begged to join is now open to anyone with a Google account, except those unfortunate Apps users (what’s up with that?). Users new and old also get to play with plenty of new desktop and mobile toys to remind them what was exciting about G+ in the first place. New APIs even let developers in on the fun.

So what’s new? For starters, Google’s finally adding the biggest and most-requested no-brainer of all: search.

As you can see from the photo, in the search box that once found only other profiles, users can search over...

InformationWeek’s Charles Babcock saw NYSE Euronext CIO Steve Rubinow speaking at this past VMworld on how the NYSE’s cloud effort will democratize access to exchanges, and he drank the kool-aid. Babcock writes that the NYSE’s new cloud datacenter, which was built in a former rock quarry in upstate NY, will “open a privileged club” by giving (almost) direct access to the stock exchange to anyone and everyone.

But is this really true? Will the NYSE’s cloud platform really put a private wealth manager in Peoria, IL, on a level playing field with the Wall Street big boys? Certainly, many of the p...