GoogleGoggles
Latest
Rumor: Google's Android camera will get smart with Goggles
Google might be working on a new feature for Android cameras that allows smartphone photo-snappers to search for information directly from their pictures, SlashGear reports. This tech would essentially combine Google Goggles, a visual-search app that's been around for years, with your Android camera (or Google Camera, if you're really into brand-name apps).
Google gesture patent would let Glass wearers 'heart' real-world objects
As it stands, Google Glass doesn't have a simple way of cataloging real-world items -- you have to snap a picture and make a note afterward. It may get much easier if Google implements a newly granted US patent, however. The technique uses a wearable display's camera to detect hand gestures made in front of objects. Make a heart shape and you'll "like" what's front of you; frame something with your fingers and you'll select it. There's no certainty that Glass will ever support these commands, but they're certainly intuitive. If nothing else, they could lead to a new, very literal take on Google Goggles.
Google Goggles update brings support for devices without autofocus
If you thought Google's perspicacious searching application was clever before, prepare for a shock. Google Goggles version 1.9 adds support for devices without autofocusing optics, giving those on budget gear a chance to use the real world as a search box. Point it at a QR code containing a URL, and it'll show you a thumbnail of the page and check its credentials against its blacklist of malicious sites. If it comes up short when searching for a product, it'll even search for similar-looking items to help you find what you're looking for, and it's available from the Play store for free -- so you don't really have any excuse.
NEC's Gaziru takes image recognition to the cloud, looks a lot like Goggles (video)
While Google's remained relatively quiet on the Goggles front, NEC's picking up where that image recognition left off with its own product, dubbed Gaziru. Showcased at Wireless Japan 2012, the company's angling its service, which aims to leverage both hardware- and cloud-based processing for smartphone queries, towards enterprise and consumer markets, highlighting its usefulness across a range of services from marketing to search. Much like the aforementioned Mountain View version, users would need only to snap a picture of an object with their phones to receive relevant search data, access product manuals or, in one scenario, car and real estate listings. Given its planned commercial launch this June, it won't be long before we'll get a chance to test this software en vivo. For now, content yourself with a translated video tour after the break.
Google applies for 'snap a landmark, find your location' patent
We're taking a trip into the fantastical world of patents, so the usual disclaimer applies. There's no guarantee we'll ever see this in a product, or that a patent will even be granted. Got that? Good. You're lost in the city and GPS isn't exactly being helpful, so whaddya' do? Well, if this application from Google get's the go-ahead, the solution might be as simple as snapping a pic of the nearest landmark. Uploading the image to Mountain View's servers, it'll compare your image to its geographical database of images and work out the closest match before sending you back your location. If it ever emerges from the two dimensional world of line drawings, it might be a handy navigation tool, or as an even more elegant way of getting around with those rumored Google Glasses.
Google+ and Goggles apps for Android updated with new features
It's time to stop ignoring that "updates available" notification and start enjoying some refreshed Google goodies on Android. You'll now be able to search posts and people from within the Google+ app, as well as add your +1 to photos and comments, see the 'online' and 'typing' status of your Messenger buddies, and upload videos and full-res photos. Meanwhile, Goggles now has a 'continuous mode' that can log multiple items without you having to fiddle with the shutter button, the ability to link straight to any online versions of hard-copy text, and also better crowdsourcing so users can add less well-known objects like toothpaste squeezers and Off the Hook shower heads to Google's ever-expanding database.
Google Goggles Android update makes your vacation photos slightly more interesting
Google Googles' powers of perception have become a little more perspicacious, thanks to a new update for Android users. With version 1.6, tourists can use their smartphones to take a picture of a given area, while Google's visual search app works in the background to identify any notable landmarks, paintings or other objects. If it picks up on anything of interest, it'll automatically notify the user, instantly endowing him or her with gooey chunks of knowledge. It seems like a pretty user-friendly refresh, though things will really get interesting if faces ever get involved. Hit up the source link below to download the update for yourself.
Google acquires PittPatt, wants to know you on a face-to-face basis
Google's quietly pitter-pattering its acquisitive ways back into the controversial realm of facial recognition technology. To do that, the company busted out its oversized wallet to fold Pittsburgh-based PittPatt into the Mountain View borg. Founded by a trio of PhD's from Carnegie Mellon University, this three-man strong outfit specializes in the sort of object recognition software you've come to know as "tagging." Is this a reversal of the Do No Evil tech giant's prior waffling on the dubious visioning tech, or just another massive weapon in its social networking crusade against Facebook? We'd err on the side of both, although the company's new employees aren't exactly playing their cards for us to see. A brief statement on the triumvirate's site makes vague mention of "computer vision technology" being core to Google's products and points to the tech's planned integration in photo, video and mobile applications. So, basically, expect to see Picasa, Goggles, YouTube and Google+ watch you as you flaunt your internet celebrity ways to that front-facing camera.
Microsoft licenses GeoVector's augmented reality search for local guidance (video)
After the ho-hum AR demonstration of Windows Phone Mango, Microsoft appears to be stepping up its game by licensing a mature set of technologies from GeoVector, (a company previously known for its defunct World Surfer application). While the details remain elusive, Ballmer's crew was granted a multi-year, non-exclusive right to use and abuse the pointing-based local search and augmented reality elements of GeoVector's portfolio -- surely capable of bringing Local Scout to the next level. While much of the technology relies on GPS and a compass for directional-based discovery, the licensor also holds intellectual property for object recognition (à la Google Goggles), although it's unclear whether this element falls within the agreement. Of course, Microsoft could have turned to Nokia's Live View AR for many of the same tools, but that would have been far too obvious. Just beyond the break, you'll find the full PR along with an (admittedly dated) video of GeoVector's technology.
Google Mobile app for iOS gets major revamp, new name
Google has released a major update to the Google Mobile app for iOS, with new features and a new name -- Google Search for iPhone (free). The app has a completely redesigned user interface, and according to the developers, they've improved fast app-switching support. Multi-touch gestures have been added -- to make a search more specific, you swipe right on the results that appear, and a vertical toolbar appears allowing you to focus on places, images, news, shopping (both in stores and online), videos, Twitter and Facebook updates, blogs or discussions. A downward swipe lets you access settings and log into your Google account. Even the help system is different in Google Search for iOS. When you tap on the question mark icon to display help, a transparent window with glowing blue spots overlaying areas of the user interface appears. Touching any of the blue spots displays an explanation of what function the appropriate icon or area performs. The previous app did not support the Google Goggles feature on the iPod touch and iPhone 3G. That has now been remedied, and it's possible to search for items by picture on all of the platforms (note: we have not checked that on the iPad 2). Be sure to take a look at some screenshots from Google Search for iOS in the gallery below. [via MacStories] %Gallery-119135%
Google Goggles now solves Sudoku, taking an interest in ads, clearly entering middle age
There are no surer signs of the apocalyptic onset of middle age than a preoccupation with puzzle-solving and an unhealthy interest in adverts and barcodes. And those just happen to be the three new features Google has added to version 1.3 of its Goggles software. The visual search application for Android is now intelligent enough to decipher tricky Sudoku puzzles (and thereby suck all the fun out of them), while its algorithms have also been tweaked to make barcode scanning "almost" instant. Popular printed ads will be recognized as well, taking you to a Google search on the relevant topic. US newspapers and magazines from August 2010 are being supported for now, but we can't imagine the rest of the world should have to wait too long for this added convenience. Video of the new Goggles' Sudoku skills after the break.
Google Goggles for iPhone recognizes ads, solves Sudoku puzzles
Your iPhone just got a little bit smarter thanks to some help from Google. As reported by MacStories, a new version of the Google Goggles component of the iPhone Google Mobile App is available for downloading, and this update does something pretty impressive -- it can help you solve those pesky Sudoku puzzles you love to torture yourself with. By using Goggles to take a picture of the puzzle you are working on, you can now take all the hard work out of figuring out the answers. In addition to the new Sudoku-solving abilities, this update also can scan any printed advertisement and return web results for whatever product or service the ad is for. Goggles can now recognize print ads "appearing in major U.S. magazines and newspapers from August 2010 onwards," a major upgrade from the way it worked in the past when it just enabled users to search the Web by taking pictures with their mobile device. I have been using the Amazon barcode scanner and Red Laser on my iPhone for what seems like forever, and Google Goggles' ability to scan and look up any ads I am interested in seems like another helpful feature to do my comparison shopping with. Click on Read More to check out video of Google Goggles solving a Sudoku puzzle. [via MacStories]
Delicious Library may regain iPhone support... sort of
Once upon a time, Delicious Library was available for the iPhone, and it was quickly yanked from the App Store due to infringing upon Amazon's API TOS. I learned all of this after recently purchasing the fantastic OS X application, and then wondering why it didn't have an accompanying iPhone app. So, over a year since the app was pulled, I had to ask the folks at Delicious Monster what was up -- would it be coming back, somehow? The answer I got back wasn't all that promising. Since Delicious Library still makes use of the Amazon API, it's still infringing upon Amazon's API rules if it goes on a mobile device. However, there's nothing stopping the OS X application from doing what it does. So, I asked, why not marry the two together? Delicious Library has the ability to make use of Bluetooth-enabled scanners to read barcodes, and since the iPhone's camera is perfectly capable of reading the same barcodes, couldn't it be used as a scanner interface to Delicious Library? Heck, Apple seems to be loosening their restrictions regarding Bluetooth. "That's an idea we're actively exploring, as it wouldn't upset Amazon's terms of service, and it'd be cool," Chief Delicious Monster Wil Shipley told me last month. "But we have nothing to announce at this time, except our next product is not going to be this." The next product he was talking about was most likely the recently announced Google Googles client, Noogle Noggles. So, could a scanner-centric Delicious Library iPhone app be next? It certainly seems plausible.
Google Goggles image recognition debuts on iPhone
Android users have been enjoying Google Goggles for a while; now, the image recognition feature has made it over to the iPhone. The first hints that GG would make the leap to iPhone came back in August, and we're glad to see it here now. Google Goggles delivers the kind of visual product search and recognition features found in SnapTell (now owned by Amazon) and Kooaba. While it's a separate app on the Android Market, on iPhone it's bundled in with the existing Google Mobile app. As the video shows, with Google Goggles (not to be confused with other, similar sounding technologies), you can use visual recognition to search for information with your iPhone's camera -- even translate text from other languages into English on demand. The service works best on copy, logos, book covers, landmarks, wine labels and other easily recognized images; it doesn't do so well with organic shapes like animals, people or food. Note that since it requires an auto-focusing camera, Goggles will only work on the iPhone 3GS and iPhone 4. If you update your Google Mobile app, you'll see a new camera icon in the top bar. The first time you tap it, you'll have to clear several screenfuls of instructions and accept a new version of the Google mobile usage agreement. You can, at your option, have your image capture history saved to your Google account. More details are available on Google's blog. Get Goggling!
Google Goggles reaches the App Store, only supported on iPhone 3GS and iPhone 4
We can't exactly figure out why Google wants to give away all of Android's competitive advantages, but hey, we doubt the legions of iOS users are kvetching. Ten months after the first public build of Goggles hit the Android Market, the same app is now making waves on the iPhone. Rather than being a standalone app, Goggles is being wrapped into a new version of the Google Mobile App; users simply tap on the camera button to search using Goggles. As you've come to expect, it'll analyze the image and highlight any object it recognizes, allowing Retina Display fanboys to touch on said objects to learn more. It'll be rolling out free of charge to App Stores worldwide today, but since it requires an auto-focusing camera, it's supported only on iPhone 3GS and iPhone 4 running iOS 4 or above. The pain of progress, we guess. [Thanks, Mark]
iPhone users may soon be putting on their Google Goggles
If iPhone owners are sometimes susceptible to a wee bit of Android envy, one reason might be Google Goggles. If you're not familiar with the Android app, Google Goggles uses pictures from your mobile phone to search the Web. Point your phone's camera at a Russian restaurant menu, and it is translated for you. Take aim at a landmark, and find out about the history of the place. Take a photo of a book cover, and you'll get a summary of the contents, bookstores that carry the title, and pricing. Or there's always the feature shown above -- the Nearby Places Overlay -- where you pan your phone's camera on a street and see labels describing every business. According to The Register, iPhone users won't have to wait very long to put on their Google Goggles. Google Staff Engineer David Petrou, speaking at the Hot Chips conference at Stanford University on Monday, mentioned in passing that the app could be released for iPhone by the end of 2010. That, of course, assumes that the app makes it through Apple's approval process -- that's never a sure thing, as the Google Voice team could share with their colleagues. [via CNET Web Crawler]
Google Goggles starts to get useful, adds text translation
In our experience, about the only thing Google Goggles is good for is telling you that your can of Coke looks like someone's face, but the company's just-released version 1.1 sounds like it might be on a whole new level of awesomeness. Basically, Goggles can now recognize text within the "region of interest" that you specify on the screen then give you the option to translate it to any language of your choosing. Between this and Google's already quite good Translate app, Android devices are getting dangerously close to letting monoglots (thanks for the great word, Google) travel safely and effectively in foreign lands. Other improvements in Goggles 1.1 include better barcode and image recognition (thank goodness), an improved UI, and the ability to initiate identification from your gallery, so it sounds like a must-download if you've got a phone running Android 1.6 or better. It's available now.
Google buys Plink, puts it to work on Google Goggles
Well, it looks like Google Goggles could soon be getting a few enhancements, as visual search company Plink has just announced that it's been acquired by Google, and that it will now focus all its future development efforts on Google's own visual search app. For those not familiar with it, Plink is the UK-based company behind the PlinkArt Android app, which lets you simply take a photo of a painting and then receive all the pertinent information about it. Of course, that's something that Google Goggles also does, but it seems that Plink will be working to make that functionality even better, and help out on other types visual search as well. Of course, that also means that the PlinkArt app itself will cease to be, but it will apparently remain functional in its current incarnation for the time being.
Google Goggles gets video demo on Sony Ericsson Xperia X10
There's little sense in resisting the obvious: Google is slowly but surely taking over your life, but rather than get indignant and discombobulated, we'd suggest letting go and appreciating how much easier things are with the folks in Mountain View squarely in control. Take Google Goggles, for instance, which aims to convert cameraphone images into useful search results on its own Android platform. Up until now, we've been shown stock demos and videos of it running on conventional handsets, but seeing the Goggles hard at work on Sony Ericsson's not-yet-released Xperia X10 is another thing entirely. Hop on past the break for the frames you're craving, but don't bank on this making the wait for said phone any simpler to stomach.
Google Goggles brings visual search to Android; Favorite Places brings QR codes to restaurant reviews
Looks like Google's been busy on the camera tip lately -- not only is it launching a new QR code-based Favorite Places mobile search product today, it's also demoing Google Goggles, a visual search app that generates local results from analyzing mobile phone images. Favorite Places isn't super-complicated, but it sounds like it'll be pretty useful: Google's sent QR code window decals to the 100,000 most researched local businesses on Google and Google Maps, and scanning the code with your phone will bring up reviews, coupons, and offer the ability to star the location for later. (It's not implemented yet, but you'll be able to leave your own reviews in the future.) Google hasn't built this into the Google Mobile app yet, so you'll need something to read QR codes with -- Android devices can use the free Barcode Scanner, and Google and QuickMark are offering 40,000 free downloads of QuickMark for the iPhone today. We just tried it out using QuickMark and it works pretty well -- although we'll wait to see how many QR codes we see in the wild before we call this one totally useful. Google Goggles is a little more interesting from a technology standpoint: it's an Android app that takes photos, tries to recognize what in them, and then generates search results about them. Goggles can recognize landmarks, books, contact info, artwork, places, wine, and logos at the moment, and Google says it's working on adding other types of objects, like plants. Pretty neat stuff -- but how about linking these two services together at some point, guys? Check some videos after the break.
