Get your Google Goggles on

This tip is for those of you with Android smart phones or Android tablets with cameras, or for those of you with iPhones.

Google Goggles is a free android app (you’ll need android operating system on your smartphone or tablet computer with camera – or an Apple iPhone) that lets you search by taking a picture. Google uses image recognition technology to recognize objects, images, paintings, books, DVDs, CDs, famous landmarks, businesses, products and more.

Currently it has quite a few options. You can take a picture of various things and Google Goggles tries to identify them and then gives you information about them. Take a picture of text, landmarks, books, art, logos, items and more and Google Goggles finds information about it. You can take a picture to translate text to and from different languages. It can recognize text in a document and give you a link to its online version. You can even scan barcodes to get product information.

Here are some examples I have used:

1. Landmarks – when visiting a landmark, take a picture with your camera and get all the details about the landmark. While crossing the Mackinac Bridge, I took a picture and Google Goggles recognized it and pulled up a page telling all I ever wanted to know about the bridge, its history and more.

2. Barcodes when shopping – Gives more information about the product, finds product reviews, brings up comparisons so you can price shop, and more.

3. Take a picture of a new wine you want to try to learn all about its characteristics, ratings, taste and more.

4. Take a picture of a book cover and get more information about it.

It does not do well with animals, furniture, apparel, plants, etc., but they will be continuing to update the capabilities. Imagine how nice it will be to take a picture of a plant or flower and have Google Goggles identify if for you.

You can get your Google Goggles on at http://www.google.com/mobile/goggles/#text. Go googling with your Google Goggles!