Google's social networking service, Orkut has opened it's doors to the general public. Previously Orkut was an invite-only service.
If you already have a Google Account you can now login to Orkut and set up a page. If you don't have a Google account, you can sign up for one on the Orkut homepage.
While Orkut doesn't seem to be a big deal in the US, the rest of world has flocked to it. Orkut currently boasts over 29 million users worldwide, and it's particularly big in Brazil where it's estimated that 10% of the population uses Orkut.
Along with opening the public door, Google has integrated its Google Talk application into Orkut. You can now chat with your friends on Orkut through Google Talk. I couldn't find a way to do it, but it seems likely that it will be possible to embed the chat application in your public Orkut page to easily connect with your friends.
Perhaps now that it's publically available (though Google still isn't promoting it too much) Orkut might catch on here in the States. For the time being though, MySpace's dominance will likely continue unabated.
