TO all those who wonder what Artificial Intelligence (AI) is for in everyday life (if Chat GPT or the new Google Bard weren’t enough) the Mountain View company responded today by announcing some important improvements to the way we search every day , overcoming – thanks to AI – all linguistic and logistical barriers.
Shouting “Your camera is the next keyboard” or “If you can see it, you can search for it“, Thank you Google Lens, Android mobile phone cameras now become real research tools (iPhone users must open the Google app and click on the camera in the search string). Practically whatever we frame with the cell phone can be searched for, and found. In addition to being translated, in the case of texts, into 133 languages.
For example, if I see a pair of glasses I like, I frame them and by clicking on the photo I access the Google search which returns information and purchase options to me. Or, I see a plant that I don’t know what it’s called, I frame it and I immediately have access to specialized sites that explain to me what plant it is.
With the new Multitask search by Google: 1 frame, 2. click on the magnifying glass and 3. immediately access the search results.
Clearly this research opens up a multitude of possibilities, from shopping to understanding something unknown for example if we are abroad, to find out without even having to ask the name of the delicious sweet we are observing from the windows of a pastry shop, for example.
In the coming months it will also be possible to use Lens for the things we see on the mobile screen. Thanks to the function “Search your screen” on Android devices worldwide, you can start a search from what we see in a photo or video on the web and in our favorite apps, such as messaging and video apps, without having to leave the specific app or experience.
Imagine that someone sent you a video on whatsapp of his vacation in London. Perhaps you have seen a monument in the background that has intrigued you, to find out more it will be enough tap and hold the power button or the home button on your Android phone, to invoke the Google Assistant e then tap “search screen”. Lens will identify the building and return all the information about that location.
Not just online, find near me
And if we want to look around you for what we have seen, the multitasking search also allows you to take a picture with the find “near me” option, to identify, for example, a neighborhood business where to buy what we are looking for. This option is currently available in English in the United States, but will be rolled out globally in the coming months.
Finally, soon it will also be possible introduce variables in multitasking search. For example, I see a square table that I like, but I would like it to be round. I take the photo, start the search and add another option (different shape, color, size, etc…). The purpose of all these innovations, as explained Prabhakar Raghavan, senior vice president of Google, is to make the research experience as easy and complete as possible in compliance with the motto of the technological giant: “Improving the lives of as many people as possible”.
And Google Maps becomes immersive
Let’s forget the traditional maps – to which we are already infinitely grateful for having guided us up to now – because today Chris Phillips, VP & General Manager of Geo (the Maps division of Google) has announced an innovation that will change everything. Immersive maps (Live View).
How many times following directions, even if precise, have we taken the wrong side or exit? It’s normal and happens to everyone, but it wouldn’t happen if there was one correspondence between the road marked on the map and what our eyes see. Thus, in addition to launching shortly the Augmented Reality for the maps of Florence and Venicewe will soon be able to plan our movements to the millimeter knowing exactly what the road looks like, the place we want to reach and all the places, even indoors, that our route includes.
In practice, by combining all the existing images of different places on Earth, Google Maps will be able to give us a 3D view of the city, complete with a reconstruction of the interior spaces (e.g. Museums, Restaurants, Shopping Centres, Airports and Stations).
The journey before the journey
Using advances in artificial intelligence and computer vision, immersive visualization merges billions of Street View images and aerial images to create an incredibly rich digital model of the world. But she doesn’t stop there. Maps is still a child of Google, so 3D viewing will be able to also provide useful information such as the weather, traffic and how crowded a place is.
For example, if we are planning a visit to the Rijksmuseum in Amsterdam, we can virtually fly over the building and see where, for example, the museum entrances are located. With the time slider, we can see what the area looks like at different times of the day and ask what the weather will be like. We can also identify the busiest places, so you have all the information you need to decide where and when to go. And if we know we’re going around lunchtime, we can explore the nearby restaurants, and even take a look inside to quickly understand the vibe of a venue before reserve.
The world in 3D
Sounds like science fiction but it’s just science. As Google explains: “To create these true-to-life scenes, uwe use Neural Radiance Fields (NeRF), an advanced artificial intelligence technique that transforms ordinary images into 3D representations. With NeRF, we can accurately recreate the entire context of a place, including the lighting, texture of materials, and background. All this allows you to understand if the moody lighting of a bar is the right atmosphere for a date night or if the view of a café makes it the ideal place for a lunch with friends“.
Let’s say goodbye to nasty surprises in the wrong place.
This type of search is currently available at London, Los Angeles, New York, San Francisco, Paris and Tokyo (for Android and iPhone). The next cities will be Barcelona, Dublin and Madrid. And then Live View will widen to 1,000 new airports, train stations and shopping centres (places where it is easier to get lost or look for toilets) in Barcelona, Berlin, Frankfurt, London, Madrid, Melbourne, Paris, Prague, Sao Paulo, Singapore, Sydney, Taipei and Tokyo. At the moment it already covers airports in the United States, Zurich and Tokyo.
More Maps news
As we have mentioned the possibility of exploring cities and streets in real time, identifying places and commercial establishments with Augmented Reality it will affect the cities of Venice and Florence first in Italy. By allowing those who visit them to instantly access a lot of useful information such as where a pharmacy is, if there is a restaurant nearby, how popular is it, what rating does it have etc… all simply by framing a street.
But among the innovations, an important focus is given to travel sustainability. If Google Maps is already able to advise us on the most ecologically sustainable route, it will soon expand its offer specifically for electric cars – with ad hoc itineraries and charging stations, at bikes – with anti-smog itineraries, ai pedestrians and who uses i public transport. Also improving the indication of the route in real time on the map and adding useful photos when you need to make a turn or find a building.
Directions at a glance
With directions at a glance, you can then follow your journey directly from the route overview or from the lock screen. You can see the estimated arrival times and the next turn, information that was previously only visible by unlocking the phone, opening the app and using full navigation mode. And if we decide to take another route, our journey will be automatically updated. At-a-glance directions will begin rolling out worldwide on Android and iOS in the coming months, and will also be compatible with Live Activities on iOS 16.1.
Those who love to get lost serenely or follow the stars, on the other hand, can continue to do so without problems.
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