Google has been shopping around a lot lately. The latest product or should I say start up in its cart is Like.com. Like.com is a visual search engine, almost like Plink, which too has already been snagged by the internet search giant. Now, Google has announced that it will release its visual search app "Google Goggles" for iPhone by the end of this month. So, if Google's actions are any indicator, then the company is planning to shake up the visual-search segment in a big way.
Recently, Google showed off the potential of Goggles at Stanford University. In simple terms, under visual search, you use photographs or images, instead of text query, to search for relevant information. The company has said that its iPhone app would be customized for iOS and it claims its database to be about 1 billion images strong. However, the search concept is still in its infancy and its success rate hovers around 33%. But Google's decision to join iOS is going to beneficial as it will help in building the database.
Google is also considering releasing an open API, which may give a fillip to 'augmented reality' functionality. The company is also working towards integrating visual search with iPhone camera to enhance the user experience. Although, despite the fact that Goggles has the ability to recognize, the company has decided not to deploy it in the app for the privacy reasons (cough, cough). Anyways, We cannot wait to see this app on our iPhones and have fun with it. How about you?
Via: PCmag, Image: Intomobile
