Android App Review: Googling with Goggles
Sometimes you have to put your goggles on to get a clear view. In the case of Google Goggles, the app can help you find what an odd object is, where to get a familiar object, or, more likely, it will make the view murkier.
Installing Google Googles allowed my cell phone to read QR (Quick Response)codes. But it's not always so reliable when it comes to decoding everyday objects. Instructions warn users that Goggles can't identify people, animals, living things, clothing, and monuments. There is a whole world of consumer products it will i.d. We tried a pair of eyeglasses and it thought they were part of a mesh fence. A Cubs ballcap? No comprendo. You'd think it would compare it to some other Major League Baseball caps, but there was nothing like it in the library of images. Then Goggles said it's not good with clothing.
But we scored big with books. Goggles immediately identified a novel, told us where to get it at the cheapest price and then provided reviews. DVDs didn't work as well, depending on whether they they were packaged in a shiny covers. I thought Google Goggles was trying to tell me that our Lava Lamp was the Eiffel Tower, but it was saying it doesn't do well with monuments. Way off, Goggles.
A trip outdoors to photograph the car did better than most attempts. It didn't get the correct car, but it showed us a gallery of other cars. So it recognized the automotive nature. A vase of flowers? No go. A flower? You kidding? Back to the hardware. I tried taking a picture of an iPhone. It recognized that it was a cell phone, but that's as far as it went. C'mon, it has to be loyal to its Android heritage!
In the end, I felt that as more things are added to the database, the more accurate Google Goggles will become.
To obtain Google Goggles use your scanner on this QR image or you can find the free app in the Android Market.
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