Google developers have launched an updated API of their Hangouts platform.

New features:

- Add sound effects like a laugh track or applause
- Control which guests in On Air hangouts appear in the video broadcast. (We actually used this feature to build the Cameraman app: http://goo.gl/w6TQF)
- Get more information about hangouts, including topic, preferred locale, and the YouTube ID of On Air hangouts
- Manage memory, audio and video resources more efficiently