Google Goggles is a smartphone application that allows users to search the web by snapping a picture (generating an image) of almost anything and finding out what and where it is. These images could be a landmark, book, store front, artwork, or products labels. For location-based images such as a building, Goggles matches the image and returns information via Google Maps presumably linking to Google's Android application Places Directoryhttp://googlemobile.blogspot.com/2009/06/places-directory-app-for-android.html. This page brings together the latest news, reviews, blog posts, Twitter tweets, and videos about the new Google Goggles.

Google Goggles is an example of increasingly popular augmented reality applications that combines the physical real world of images, compass, and GPS available on a smartphone with virtual data. http://mashable.com/2009/08/19/augmented-reality-apps/ The move towards image-based search is consistent with the increasing popularity of touchscreen devices where input is less dependent on typing and smartphones in particular have built-in cameras. There is even the Parrot iPhone Helicopter that streams video from a camera to an iPhone ... imagine a screen capture (or video frame) from a helicopter video being sent to image search!

Goggles is still in Google Labs meaning it is still experimental and a work in progress. Real-world testing of visual search has mixed results at this point. http://news.cnet.com/2300-1038_3-10002032.html?part=rss&subj=news&tag=2547-1_3-0-20 http://www.androidcentral.com/google-goggles-demoed-xperia-x10 http://www.pcworld.com/article/183933/a_handson_tour_google_goggles_visual_search.html http://media.www.thespartandaily.com/media/storage/paper852/news/2010/05/04/Tech/Googles.Goggles.Boggle.Results-3916695.shtml However, Google Goggles will now be on the Nexus One in the February update to Google's smartphone.http://www.redorbit.com/news/technology/1818527/touch_and_3g_coming_to_nexus_one/ Google Goggles will also be coming to the iPhone 4.http://www.eweek.com/c/a/Search-Engines/Google-Goggles-Coming-to-the-iPhone-Soon-Says-Google-892705/

Google Goggles offers Google another way to augment the maturing of the US search market whose double digit growth rate is slowing.http://www.fastcompany.com/1612054/search-engine-use-down-in-the-us-new-mobile-search-methods-needed

Google Goggles requires an Android device running version 1.6 or later, a QVGA screen, and a camera with autofocus.http://www.google.com/support/mobile/bin/answer.py?hl=en&answer=168142 A Chrome browser extension is in the works.http://news.cnet.com/8301-30685_3-10412216-264.html While Google anticipates the application will be available on other platforms, no time frame has been specified. http://www.pcworld.com/article/184011/confirmed_google_goggles_will_reach_other_platforms.html Faces are currently blurred for privacy reasons although facial recognition is possible. http://www.telegraph.co.uk/technology/google/6770788/Le-Web-Google-Goggles-to-blur-faces.html

Goggles works best on objects that don't change shape or have a single orientation.http://www.nytimes.com/2009/12/20/business/20ping.html?_r=2 For example, trees grow and blow in the wind while pictures of a car can be taken from different orientations. To help identify store fronts more easily, Google has a Favorite Places program where a QR code (two-dimensional barcode) sticker is attached. A smartphone user just snaps an image of the QR sticker and information about the "favorite place" is returned. If the image is in a foreign language, just press a button and Google Translate will return the translation in your requested language.http://gizmodo.com/5532652/google-goggles-gets-text-translation-see-cest-bon

Hatrmut Neven manages the team responsible for advancing Google's object and face recognition technologies. http://www.neowin.net/news/main/09/12/07/google-testing-goggles-visual-search

HTC EVO 4Ghttp://www.eweek.com/c/a/Mobile-and-Wireless/HTC-Evo-4G-Offers-Android-21-Google-Googles-Hotspot-680042/

Google Goggles Android Apphttp://www.pcworld.com/article/195792/google_goggles_text_translation_a_handson_trial.html

Replacement business card scanner - just use Google Goggles.http://androidsocialmedia.com/apps/scan-business-cards-with-google-goggles-on-android

Here is a list of related image search applications like Google Goggles.

Acrossair in the UK has an iPhone application to find the nearest underground (aka metro) stop and link to underground system routing.http://searchengineland.com/augmented-reality-is-also-a-form-of-search-23859 http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/technology/8193951.stm

Pongr provides image recognition capabilities and appears to be wanting to get into the marketing (campaigns) side of image search using augmented reality applications.http://blog.pongr.com/image-recognition-augmented-reality/

In April 2010, Google acquired the visual search engine Plink .http://www.intomobile.com/2010/04/12/google-acquires-plink-to-boost-google-goggles.html Plink has a free Android app to identify, discover and share art.

A group of researchers suggest that users of image-based search prefer being guided through search results rather than just being presented with a list.A Picture is Worth a Thousand Keywords