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Obama to 'Hang Out,' Answer Questions on Google+

Angela Moscaritolo
 & Angela Moscaritolo Managing Editor, Consumer Electronics

Our team tests, rates, and reviews more than 1,500 products each year to help you make better buying decisions and get more from technology.

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Those who have ever dreamed of hanging out with President Barack Obama might soon get a chance to do just that—albeit virtually.

Obama next week plans to participate in a 45-minute live video chat session on the social media site Google+ to answer questions from the public about his State of the Union address, the White House announced Monday. The chat will happen over Google + Hangouts, a video-conferencing service integrated into the social network.

The virtual interview will be streamed live on Monday, Jan. 30 at 5:30 p.m. ET on the official White House Google+ page, which was launched late last week, as well as WhiteHouse.gov.

Those with a question for Obama are being encouraged to visit the White House YouTube channel, where they can submit video and text queries until midnight on Saturday. Users can then vote for their favorite questions.

"If you could hang out with President Obama, what would you ask him?" Ramya Raghavan, YouTube news and politics manager, wrote in a blog post Sunday. "Would your question be about jobs or unemployment? The threat of nuclear weapons? Immigration reform? Whatever your question is, submit it on YouTube for the opportunity to ask the President directly."

The president will answer the top-selected questions during the live-streamed interview. Additionally, several users with the top questions will be selected to join the Hangout and chat directly with the President. The Hangout will follow Obama's State of the Union address on Tuesday.

The online event will be the first in a series of Hangouts covering a range of topics including the economy and technology, the White House said.

Meanwhile, the White House just launched its official Google+ page on Friday. It was not the Obama administration's first foray into social media, however. President Obama has his own Google+ profile, Twitter account, Facebook page (with nearly 24 million likes), and Flickr photo stream.

About Our Expert

Angela Moscaritolo

Angela Moscaritolo

Managing Editor, Consumer Electronics

My Experience

I'm PCMag's managing editor for consumer electronics, overseeing an experienced team of analysts covering smart home, home entertainment, wearables, fitness and health tech, and various other product categories. I have been with PCMag for more than 10 years, and in that time have written more than 6,000 articles and reviews for the site. I previously served as an analyst focused on smart home and wearable devices, and before that I was a reporter covering consumer tech news. I'm also a yoga instructor, and have been actively teaching group and private classes for nearly a decade. 

Prior to joining PCMag, I was a reporter for SC Magazine, focusing on hackers and computer security. I earned a BS in journalism from West Virginia University, and started my career writing for newspapers in New Jersey, Pennsylvania, and West Virginia.

The Technology I Use

My little Florida beach bungalow is brimming with smart home tech. I have a smart speaker or display in every room, allowing me to control other connected devices by voice. The Nest Hub on my bedside table lets me set wake-up alarms, control my smart light bulbs, and set the temperature on my smart thermostat. I use the Amazon Echo Show 8 on my kitchen counter to browse recipes, reorder protein powder, check the weather, and watch the news while I do dishes. 

Because I suffer from allergies, air purifiers are essential. My favorite model is the Dyson Purifier Cool TP07, which doubles as a fan and continuously sends indoor pollution data to its companion mobile app. 

My pitbull Bradley sheds, so a good robot vacuum is a must. I currently use a premium Ecovacs Deebot that can both vacuum and mop, empty its own dustbin, and wash its own mop cloth. 

For fitness, I like to mix up my routine with cycling, indoor rowing, running, and strength training in addition to yoga. I take classes on the Tonal 2 smart strength training machine, I row indoors on an Aviron machine, and track my beach runs with an Apple Watch while listening to music on my Apple AirPods Pro. On the weekends, I love riding e-bikes like the rugged, beach-friendly Aventon Aventure for fun and fitness.

My job involves a lot of virtual meetings, so a quality webcam, microphone, and ring light are important. I use the Jabra PanaCast 20 webcam, the Elgato Wave: 3 microphone, and a Yesker tripod ring light. 

As for my preferred phone platform, I'm an iPhone person, but I've also extensively used Android for product testing.

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