UPDATED 14:46 EDT / JANUARY 10 2011

Google Goggles 1.3 Takes on Barcodes, Print Ads and Sudoku

Google had announced in its blog it’s launching Goggles 1.3 for Android. The latest version of the app is available for both Android and the iPhone, and thanks to the update, all versions of the now faster Goggles can recognize print ads in major U.S magazines and newspapers posted from August 2010 onwards. After processing an ad, Goggles will display relevant search results on the user’s device, unlike the Googles marketing experiment which displayed a specific link.

“Within a second the phone gently vibrates and presents results, without requiring a button press. Simply tap on the result to read product reviews, check in-store availability and compare prices.”

In addition to increased speed and print ad recognition, there’s also the Sudoku solver. This component of Goggles 1.3 actually recognizes individual puzzles and provides answers. The Sudoku solver is still in its first version, but even if it isn’t that big a success from the technical stand point, it’s a good buzzworthy concept.

See here for details on an early Google Goggles marketing experiment. We also covered Google’s other mobile product releases and updates, including the launch of Google Maps 5.0 for Android and the rather fresh updates to Google Voice.  All of Google’s mobile initiatives circle back to the company’s larger goals around advertising, with new ways to incorporate visual and audio cues for our search needs and contextualization.


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