Google has revealed a range of new features designed to make web searches on mobile devices easier, with some powered by generative AI. The goal is to enable users to initiate a search at any time from any type of media format, such as video, photo, or text, without having to switch between different applications.
One of the most noteworthy new features is “Circle to Search,” which allows users to perform a web search for an element featured in an image by circling, highlighting, or scribbling over it directly on their smartphone screen. This feature also works for video, allowing users to freeze-frame and select an item of interest to retrieve information about it in real-time, overlaid on the same screen.
To activate the feature, users can do a long press on the smartphone’s home button or navigation bar. Once activated, they can circle or scribble over any item on the screen to initiate a web search. The search information will then be displayed in a window at the bottom of the screen, without the user leaving the original application.
Another exciting development enabled by advancements in artificial intelligence is Multisearch, a feature that enhances Google’s image search program, Lens. This feature allows users to perform text and image searches simultaneously. In addition to circling an element in an image, users can also ask a related question. For example, after circling a culinary dish, they can inquire about its origin or the ingredients needed to make it.
The “Circle to Search” feature is set to launch on Wednesday, January 31, 2024, in several languages, exclusively on selected high-end Android phones, beginning with the Pixel 8, Pixel 8 Pro, and Samsung Galaxy S24. On the other hand, Multisearch is expected to first roll out in the US, with Google yet to announce an international release date.
January 31 also marks the release of the Samsung Galaxy S24, which will be the first smartphone to take advantage of the additional capabilities offered by Gemini, the multimodal language model introduced by Google earlier this year. Through Google Messages, users will be able to compose unique texts in various styles, such as excited, formal, or lyrical tones, as well as create new emojis from their own photos. – AFP Relaxnews
