Google Search can now help detect skin conditions and show how clothes look on AI models
Other search updates include Lens identifying skin abnormalities, more places to try Immersive View and more.
Google has announced a slew of new search updates, ranging from travel planning to clothes shopping — oh, and a bit of skin abnormality checking for good measure. That's right, Lens is no longer just for naming a plant or historical object but will now identify things about your skin. You simply upload a picture into Lens, and it will show you similar images. This update might be good for determining if you have a tick bite, but, like any Google searches when you're not feeling well, it could lead you down a pretty scary rabbit hole. Try to consult with a doctor if there are any spots you're unsure about across your skin.
On a more fun note, Google is also enhancing its search options to make it easier to find what you want while online shopping. You can now search by filters like style, color and pattern across retailers. Then, when you do find what you're looking for, Google is attempting to solve the main problem of shopping for clothes online: uncertainty about how it will really look on you. It's releasing a new virtual try-on tool that shows what the same top would look like on a diverse range of models. The program utilizes a generative AI technique to show the fit and look of the fabric. Right now, it's only available when shopping for tops at select retailers like H&M, Everlane, Anthropologie and Loft.
Google is also releasing quite a few new travel-centric features. For starters, it's expanding Immersive View, a tool that lets you explore a 3D model of a city, to include Florence, Venice, Dublin and Amsterdam — along with letting you get close and personal with another 500 landmarks worldwide. Immersive View already exists across cities like Tokyo and New York, as well as for hundreds of interesting sights.
Whether you have an iOS or Android phone, Google is rolling out a feature that lets you follow your trip right from the route overview or your lock screen. The "glanceable directions" provide ETA updates and instructions for walking, biking or driving. The desktop version of Google Maps is also updating "Recents" to improve trip planning and allow you to work on multiple itineraries at once by saving everything to your highlights.
In the vein of trip planning, you can also access an AI-generated summary about different locations from articles, reviews and photos. It's available through Search Labs, Google's testing center that opened up to the public in May — but there's still a waitlist. Speaking of AI experimental products, Bard will soon be using Lens to facilitate you adding photos to prompts.
