Many of the updates Google has made to its services over the last year or so have been in the name of tighter integration, with Google+ being a major catalyst of change. That's certainly the case for the latest Gmail update — Google+ notification emails are now completely tied into Google+ itself. Users can view, comment on, and "+1" post from directly from the Gmail inbox. Any comments you make are posted in real time, as are any responses that you might receive — the post in your notification email is just as live as it is on the Google+ page itself. It's also easier to reply to Google+ notifications on your mobile — you can reply directly to a notification email to add a comment to the post in question (similar to the way Facebook notification emails have worked for a few years now). While it's hard to say if this new integration will make users more likely to engage with Google's fledgling social network, it certainly isn't a surprising move to see the company continue to strengthen the ties between Gmail and Google+.