14 DAY TRIAL // Mountain View-based Internet giant Google has just announced a series of improvements brought to Google Goggles, packed inside a new version of the application for Android phones. The new Google Goggles 1.3 arrived in the Android market with increased speeds, as well as with new features.
The new flavor of Google Goggles should be able to scan barcodes almost instantly, Google says. Moreover, the app would also come with the ability to recognize print ads in popular magazines and newspapers, as well as with a new feature aimed at Sudoku fans.
The new Android version of Google Goggles was enhanced so as to scan barcodes and QR codes much faster. All that one would have to do is to open the application and hover the phone over the code, and the results will be delivered in a matter of seconds without having to press any button.
“Simply tap on the result to read product reviews, check in-store availability and compare prices,” a recent post on Google's Mobile Blog reads.
One of the new features that Google packed inside Goggles was meant towards bringing together the online and offline media.
The new version of the application would recognize print ads from newspapers and would deliver search results on the product or brand. The feature is available for print ads in major U.S. magazines and newspapers starting with August 2010.
“This feature is different from the marketing experiment that we announced in November. We're now recognizing a much broader range of ads than we initially included in our marketing experiment,” the said post continues.
“And when we recognize a print ad, we return web search results. While in the experiment, we return a specific link to an external website.”
One new features packed inside the application should appeal a lot to those who like to spend several minutes solving a Sudoku puzzle, and was aimed at fixing an issue that would render the puzzle unsolvable in case a mistake was made.
“Now, Goggles on Android and iPhone can recognize puzzles and provide answers to help make you faster than a Sudoku champ. So if you ever get stuck, take a clear picture of the entire puzzle with Goggles and we’ll tell you the correct solution. Check out this video to see how it works,” the said post reads.
Google Goggles 1.3 is available for download from the Android Market. The recognition of print ads and Sudoku solver was made available both for Android and iPhone users (through the Goggles component of the Google Mobile App on iPhone).