14 DAY TRIAL // Google has always talked about the importance of being able to retrieve your data from online services and, to date, it's been owning up to that talk, particularly with the Data Liberation Front initiative.
Now, it's taking it one step further with the launch of a dedicated tool, Google Takeout, to enable users to retrieve their data from several Google products and maybe, eventually all of them.
"Since we began in 2007, the Data Liberation Front has been focused on one thing: making it easier for you to take your data in and out of Google. Our first step was to make it easier to get your data out of our products, one product at a time," Brian Fitzpatrick, from The Data Liberation Front, wrote.
"While we’ve made great progress on this front, we’ve been on the lookout for even better ways to let you take your data out of Google. Today we’re pleased to announce the Data Liberation Front’s first revolutionary product: Google Takeout," he announced.
The new tool aims to be a one-stop-shop for all of your data stored on Google. It's not quite there yet, but it is a great first step. For now, Google Takeout is centered around Google+ along with Picasa and Buzz.
You can get your photos from Picasa, all of your Buzz posts, your Google profile data along with your contacts and circles. Your entire stream from Google+ is also available for download.
Of course, the big problem is that most people don't have a Google+ profile at the moment and won't have for some time to come as Google is still testing the product. What's more, if you don't have a Google+ profile, the tool doesn't seem to work at all, even if you may have Picasa photos and videos or updates on Buzz.