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Google Lens Is Coming To All Android Phones Running Google Photos (theverge.com)

Posted by BeauHD on from the heads-up dept.

Google announced that Google Lens, a machine learning-powered image analyzer, will be rolling out to more Android devices and make an appearance on iOS. "This means users will be able to scan things through the app to receive information, like a dog's breed or a flower type," reports The Verge. Some phones will also be able to access Lens through the Google Assistant too, including flagships from Samsung, Huawei, LG, Motorola, Sony, and HMD / Nokia. "Google says Lens is rolling out in batches, so you might not get the update right away," reports The Verge.

23 of 57 comments (clear)

  1. So this means by war4peace · · Score: 3, Interesting

    That every picture taken goes up to their servers, gets analyzed and then the response is sent back?

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    ...gis sdrawkcab (usually not responding to ACs; don't bother posting as AC)
    1. Re:So this means by Mr0bvious · · Score: 2

      Yeah a bit like Google Photos I suppose.

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      Never happened. True story.
    2. Re:So this means by war4peace · · Score: 1

      True.

      --
      ...gis sdrawkcab (usually not responding to ACs; don't bother posting as AC)
    3. Re:So this means by Darinbob · · Score: 1

      "This picture appears to be a baby sitting in the bath naked. We have notified the police, please do not move from your present location."

    4. Re:So this means by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 1

      Don't be naive, Google has removed the uninstallation capability from its bundleware long time ago. You will bend over and just take what they want your phone to have.

    5. Re:So this means by el_smurfo · · Score: 1

      They get 3 years of security updates, just not OS updates.

    6. Re:So this means by war4peace · · Score: 1

      Thank you, I was hoping they implement a local analysis method, like generating a signature of various shapes and comparing them against a database.

      --
      ...gis sdrawkcab (usually not responding to ACs; don't bother posting as AC)
  2. Receiving Information by R3d+M3rcury · · Score: 1

    This means users will be able to scan things through the app to receive information, like a dog's breed or a flower type

    Or a sheep.

  3. Do I want this? by no-body · · Score: 1

    No ** 2000 (hope filter here now swallows it!

  4. Skynet now has eyes. by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 1

    Google can use your CPU to do the data analysis and then send them the results. This is a massive neural network and the birth of mass computer vision, which is linked to every person on the planet.

    It is a historic / global event.

    1. Re:Skynet now has eyes. by ColdWetDog · · Score: 1

      You must be new here.

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      Faster! Faster! Faster would be better!
    2. Re:Skynet now has eyes. by el_smurfo · · Score: 1

      Wasn't that the plot of "Kingsmen"?

    3. Re:Skynet now has eyes. by jtgd · · Score: 1

      Seeing as his ID is 127863 yours is 752185 I'd say YOU must be new here. :)

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      J
  5. audio ? by swell · · Score: 1

    I'd like to identify bird calls. I'm new to SoCal and don't recognize the sounds of many birds here. If Google can't do it, do you know of any catalog of bird sounds? Gak. How would they be indexed? There's no way to index noises! Google is my only hope.

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    ...omphaloskepsis often...
    1. Re:audio ? by Darinbob · · Score: 1

      Google says that's not a bird you hear whistling, but that you have a deviated septum.

    2. Re:audio ? by ace123 · · Score: 1

      Bird sounds visualized using machine learning... hmm, where have I seen this before?

      You want an app? I bet Google's already on it.

    3. Re:audio ? by swell · · Score: 1

      Thanks for the link Ace. Interesting but it doesn't help me identify a random bird by its sound. I hear them during my walks but I rarely see them. Yesterday it was a flock of parrots, easy to recognize that sound, but usually they are just a mystery.

      Maybe I can reach the people who put that experiment together. Should be as easy for them/Google to do a search based on a sound as a search based on an image. I could record the sound with my phone during my travels and paste it into their search engine.

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      ...omphaloskepsis often...
  6. The first thing people will try by Gaygirlie · · Score: 1

    The first thing people will use this thing with will be dicks. Then boobs.

    1. Re:The first thing people will try by 93+Escort+Wagon · · Score: 1

      I can't speak for you; but I suspect most people don't have any trouble identifying either of those things - no Google assistance required.

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      #DeleteChrome
    2. Re:The first thing people will try by 93+Escort+Wagon · · Score: 1

      Spotted dick pics will be most often in Britain, while Sula nebouxii (Blue-footed booby) will be mostly from the eastern Pacific,

      The internet being what it is... I'm too afraid to test your theory out.

      Especially on the first one.

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      #DeleteChrome
  7. XKCD by darkain · · Score: 1

    Obligatory XKCD: https://xkcd.com/1425/

  8. Will it support QR Codes? by drinkypoo · · Score: 1

    I have a barcode reader app, but so far the only Android devices which ship with the ability to recognize a bar code are Android M devices with Google Now On Tap. This is even more pathetic than still not supporting pinless pairing in 2018 even though BlueZ does it.

    --
    "You're right," Fisheye says. "I should have set it on 'whip' or 'chop.'"
  9. Oreo only by simasg · · Score: 1

    Seems to be Android 8 (Oreo) only for now.