Google+ Hangouts are great for straight-up talking, and they have some productive features, too. Now, though, the gates are open to third-party apps. The first batch is mostly games and goofiness, but two tools stand out.

After launching a Hangout, look for an "Apps" button at the top of your screen (and don't worry if you don't see it today or tomorrow—it is, like all things Google, "rolling out"). Click it, and you can choose to add another layer to your Hangout. One of the neatest tools is Cacoo, a free diagram/flowchart tool we've previously covered in its webapp form. As a Hangout tool, though, you can hear tips and approvals from your small crowd as you piece together your inter-connected charts. There's also a SlideShare app, so you can pull in presentations on the popular sharing site to show to the crowd. You could previously show Google Docs Presentations in a "Hangout with Extras," but SlideShare is a good, popular option to have handy.

What apps would you really benefit from seeing available in a Google Hangout?

Do more with more apps in Google+ Hangouts | Amit Fulay - Google+

Whether you just like to listen to music while you work, you want to make sure you hear someone sneaking up behind you while you play, you need to video conference with colleagues, or you just want to make sure you can hear and be heard in your favorite multiplayer games, you'll need a good headset—one with great audio, crystal clear voice quality, and one that's comfortable and well built. Last week, we asked you which models and brands you thought were the best. Then we took a look at the top five headsets with attached microphones, and put them to an overall vote. Now we're back to crown the champion.

This one was a close vote, but at the end of the day, Sennheiser took the top spot with 34% of the vote, thanks to its PC and HD headset models, most notably the PC 360 and PC 350, some of your favorites. In second place with 25% of the votes cast was Logitech, its G35 and G930 leading the way as some of your most recommended devices in the comments. Right behind Logitech in third place with 15% was Steelseries, specifically the Siberia v2 and the 7H, the former coming highly recommended and the latter being the topic of some debate and discussion. In fourth place, hot on Steelseries' heels with 14% of the vote was Astro, with the A30 and A40 audio systems coming in highly recommended by the people who own them. Bringing up the rear with 12% of the votes cast was Plantronics, with many of you pointing out that it's a great company that's made its way from "cheap, flimsy business headset maker" to high-end desktop audio company, with specific praise for its Gamecom line of headsets.

The Hive Five is based on reader nominations. As with most Hive Five posts, if your favorite was left out, it's not because we hate it—it's because it didn't get the nominations required in the call for contenders post to make the top five. We understand it's a bit of a popularity contest, but if you have a favorite, we want to hear about it. Have a suggestion for the Hive Five? Send us an email at tips+hivefive@lifehacker.com!

Whether you're getting your game on, hopping into a Google Hangout, or videoconferencing with friends or coworkers, you need a good headset to hear the action and be heard by other people listening. The trouble is, there are tons of great options. This week we want to know which headset (with an attached microphone) you think is the best all-around model for the job—one that offers great audio quality and voice clarity to the people on the other end.

It can be tricky to find headsets that don't totally trade audio quality and comfort for voice quality (or vice-versa), but there are some great ones out there. Keep in mind we'll select based on brand—not necessarily specific model number, unless there's overwhelming love for a specific device. Leave us a comment below with the model or brand that you prefer.

The call for contenders is closed! To see which of your favorite headsets got enough nominations to make the top five, head over to the five best headsets with attached microphones and cast your vote for the overall winner!

Hive Five nominations take place in the comments, where you post your favorite tool for the job. We get hundreds of comments, so to make your nomination clear, please include it at the top of your comment like so: VOTE: BEST HEADSET WITH ATTACHED MICROPHONE. Please don't include your vote in a reply to another commenter. Instead, make your vote and reply separate comments. If you don't follow this format, we may not count your vote. To prevent tampering with the results, votes from first-time commenters may not be counted. After you've made your nomination, let us know what makes it stand out from the competition.

About the Hive Five: The Hive Five feature series asks readers to answer the most frequently asked question we get: "Which tool is the best?" Once a week we'll put out a call for contenders looking for the best solution to a certain problem, then YOU tell us your favorite tools to get the job done. Every weekend, we'll report back with the top five recommendations and give you a chance to vote on which is best. For an example, check out last week's five best non-iPod digital music players.

The Hive Five is based on reader nominations. As with most Hive Five posts, if your favorite was left out, it's not because we hate it—it's because it didn't get the nominations required in the call for contenders post to make the top five. We understand it's a bit of a popularity contest, but if you have a favorite, we want to hear about it. Have a suggestion for the Hive Five? Send us an email at tips+hivefive@lifehacker.com!

Photo by Brendan-C.

Chrome: Google's chat feature is useful for sending quick IMs and starting video chat sessions, but you can only view it when you're on a Google page like Gmail. Google has released an official Chrome extension that detaches it from your browser, allowing you to view it no matter what web page you're viewing.

This extension has actually been out for awhile, but was Chrome OS only. Now, you can grab it for Chrome on other platforms, letting you carry on chats, make voice calls, and even start Google Hangouts right from your desktop (my personal favorite feature). It doesn't have support for phone calls with Google Voice, which is kind of a bummer—that would take this from "cool" to "fantastic"—but it's helpful all the same, especially if you're tired of switching back to your Gmail tab to chat. Hit the link to check it out.

Chat for Google is a free download, works wherever Google Chrome does. Of course, if you want more than just Google Talk on your desktop, you can always install a multi-protocol instant messaging client like these instead.

Chat for Google | Chrome Web Store via #tips