Google has added the ability to search the web using an image as the query, rather than text. Although mobile users have been able to do this for a while using the camera on a mobile phone and Google Goggles, this is the first time Google has enabled it on the desktop.
Images can either be uploaded from a computer or sourced from a URL. Google then trawls through its database of images to find those which visually most closely match the query. Results are currently somewhat mixed.
Google also launched Voice Search for the desktop. Again, this first appeared in its mobile apps. It allows you to speak a search query into a microphone on your Mac and uses voice recognition to inform its search.
Instant Pages is a step forward from Google’s Instant search. It pre-renders the top result in a search results page so that when you click on it, it loads instantly.
Both Voice Search and Instant Pages need the latest version of Google’s Chrome browser. Google also launched Voice Search for the desktop. Again, this first appeared in its mobile apps. It allows you to speak a search query into a microphone on your Mac and uses voice recognition to inform its search.
Instant Pages is a step forward from Google’s Instant search. It pre-renders the top result in a search results page so that when you click on it, it loads instantly.
Both Voice Search and Instant Pages need the latest version of Google’s Chrome browser.
