Subj : Google Lens now lets you search with your voice and images
To   : All
From : TechnologyDaily
Date : Tue Aug 06 2024 04:15:04

Google Lens now lets you search with your voice and images

Date:
Tue, 06 Aug 2024 03:00:18 +0000

Description:
Android users can add audio recordings to Google Lens, and the app will try 
its best to answer your burning questions.

FULL STORY
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Thanks to a recent update, Google Lens now allows you to add voice recordings 
to image searches, giving inquiries vital context. This feature appears to 
have been discovered by Android Police after they encountered a new glow 
animation on the app. According to the report, the glowing was over the 
magnifying glass icon, and tapping it caused a Search with Voice tooltip to 
pop up on the screen, informing them of the change. 

Holding down on the shutter button expands it, and a message appears telling 
you to Speak now to ask about this image. You then proceed to issue a command 
or ask a question, and what you say appears on the screen as a floating text 
transcription. Google Lens will begin its search soon after you let go of the 
button, taking the recording into account. 

Android expert Mishaal Rahman posted a demonstration of the feature in 
action. He asked Google Lens to count how many blueberries there were on his 
plate. Rahman states inquiries are displayed on Google Search, where Gemini 
will attempt to provide an answer inside an AI Overview. You can now use your 
voice to add context to searches in Google Lens!Press and hold on the shutter 
button in Lens, and it'll say "speak now to ask about this image." After 
speaking your question, let go of the button and Google Gemini will attempt 
to provide an answer. pic.twitter.com/uHkgjNQOog August 5, 2024 Performance 

The key word in that last sentence is attempt because Google Lens doesnt 
always get things right. We received the update on our Android phone and 
immediately began testing it out, and our results were pretty mixed. 

In one test, we asked the app where we could buy a particular brand of 
sparkling water. Google Lens, with a bit of help from Gemini, showed us 
nearby stores selling that same brand. Next, we asked it to identify the food 
we were eating, and the software correctly identified it as pico de gallo. 
However, when told to count the buttons on a PS5 controller, Google Lens 
either failed or gave a wrong answer. 

The tool works pretty well for the most part, although it can fumble a 
response occasionally. Still, the update functions pretty well for something 
that saw a quick turnaround. Hints of it were first spotted in development 
about a month ago by industry deep diver AssembleDebug on X (the platform 
formerly known as Twitter). 

And now it's a full-on feature in almost no time at all. Android Police 
states the update is a server-side push, so it should already be available on 
all Android smartphones. If you dont see it, ensure you have the latest 
patches for the Google Search and Lens apps installed on your mobile device. 

While we have you check out TechRadar's roundup of the best Android phones 
for 2024 . You might also like Google's latest Android update lets you 
quickly switch calls and Wi-Fi hotspots between multiple devices Android 15: 
latest news, rumors, and everything we know so far Heres a full list of ways 
in which One UI 7 could change your Samsung Galaxy phone



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Link to news story:
https://www.techradar.com/computing/software/google-lens-now-lets-you-search-w
ith-your-voice-and-images


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