Google invests in social with Kevin Rose hire

Google confirmed Friday that it has hired Digg co-founder Kevin Rose and other members of the team at his latest project, Milk, an incubator for startups making "apps" for mobile gadgets. The 35-year-old serial entrepreneur considered a Silicon Valley star will evidently be putting his skills to work on the Google+ social network launched in a challenge to Facebook. "It's with excitement that I can confirm the rumors that Kevin Rose, Daniel Burka and other Milk folks have joined Google," said Google+ vice president of product management Bradley Horowitz in a post at the social network. "They're going to fit in really well here." Along with starting up Digg, Revision3, Pownce and Milk, Rose has been an Internet television personality as well as an early investor in companies such as Facebook, Twitter and Square. Google's venture capital arm was a backer of Milk. "It's been a privilege to use Google products over the years (I still remember begging for a Gmail invite) and I can't wait to be part of the amazing team that is shaping the future of the web," Rose said in a Google+ post. Rose's profile at Google+ describes him as a tech angel investor, entrepreneur and "drinker of tea." Digg, among the hottest Internet destinations until its luster began fading about two years ago, lets users submit stories to the site where they are ranked by popularity or interest.