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2 years, 2 months ago about Google Goggles

Translation of images via Google Goggles was announced last month. What are useful applications of this new capability?

A brief article "Will Google Goggles get lost in translation?" reports on the announcement made by Google CEO Eric Schmidt at the Mobile Web Congress in Barcelona, Spain. (link)

I can see the process of Google Goggles doing an OCR on a large sign and then sending to Google Translation being of help for tourists. However, I don't see how it would be useful for small characters like a menu. Am I missing something?
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wy | 2 years, 2 months ago
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For menu, it may be useful to know what I’m going to order. For example, if I’m in a French (or in countries in which the languages I don’t understand) restaurant, I use Google Goggle on the menu to know what are on the menu.

The application can be real cool, if it is indeed real-time.
Imagine I pick up a book or any document in French and be able to read it like I know French, by moving my Android along the words or sentences.
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wy | 2 years, 2 months ago Report

It's not only for menu. It can be a book, document etc.

Some of the OCR iPhone apps in the market:
1. OCRtool:
http://www.iphoneappindex.com/2009/09/05/ocrtool-1-2-updated/

2. Snabiz:
http://www.iphoneappindex.com/2009/02/11/snabiz-goes-live/
Your concern of resolution has a solution according to this article: Clarify from Griffin Technology. It is a protective case with built-in closed-up len.

3. ABBYY’s OCR
http://web-odonata.blogspot.com/2009/04/ocr-for-iphone-developers.html
http://robertcarlsen.net/2009/12/06/ocr-on-iphone-demo-1043

We may be able to use flash light of iPhone camera.
If it is not built in, we can have something like iPhone torch application or even DIY.
http://www.appletell.com/apple/comment/iphone-flashlight-the-fast-way-without-apps/

Just flash before taking the picture.

happen to saw this Economist's article:
http://www.economist.com/science-technology/displaystory.cfm?story_id=15063872
Excerpt:
"Apple’s iPod and iPhone are among the latest additions to a soldier’s kit. American forces in Afghanistan and Iraq are using them for translation (one such device is pictured above) and to view intelligence information, such as pictures transmitted from unmanned reconnaissance drones."

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k2k | 2 years, 2 months ago Report

@wy, Thanks for your response. My experience with OCR technology is that you need at least 300 dpi resolution on 10 point or 12 point font. How can you get this resolution on a picture of a printed menu (10 or 12 point font typically) with a handheld smartphone whose camera probably is at best a foot or two away? In addition, many restaurants typically have low levels of lighting so the picture may not come out that well anyway - certainly not OCR quality. Any other ideas?

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