DIGIT-ARC read-only archive · snapshot: July 23, 2026

Google Launches Search By Image & Voice.

30 posts · originally from https://geek.digit.in/community/threads/google-launches-search-by-image-voice.142408/

Rockstar11
Rockstar11 Original post #1
Jun 16, 2011 at 12:53 PM
At the Inside Search event being held at San Francisco, Google has announced a new addition to its search features - Search by Image. The Search by Image feature is something like Google’s image search application for mobile devices – Google Goggles.

Those who have used service like TinEye will be familiar with what Search by Image does. Although technically similar to what TinEye does, Google has taken it much further.

Google Voice Search is also exactly what it sounds like – you can speak your search queries instead of typing them. This feature has been available on Android phones and now Google is bringing it to the desktop as well.

Suppose you have an image you want to search about. There are three ways for you to use Search by Image to search for the image:

*
You can upload the image.
*
You can also drag and drop the image into the search box.
*
If the image is online, you can paste the URL of the image into the search box.
*
You can also use extensions for Chrome and Firefox that Google will release.

After the image has been analyzed by the servers at Google, Google will attempt to identify the image and bring up search results related to it. The technology used for Search by Image is similar to that used by Google Goggles for smartphones.

The service is not live yet and Google will roll out the feature in the coming few days. You will know that Search by Image has been activated for you when you see a camera icon at the right of the search box.


Search by image
Search Google with an image instead of text
Google Images
soumo27
soumo27 #2
Jun 16, 2011 at 1:32 PM
Tested it by uploading some pictures from my personal collection, and it works like hell. :D

Awesome feature. :hyper:
Vyom
Vyom #3
Jun 16, 2011 at 1:51 PM
Yeah.... Image search is Pretty AWESOME!!! :shock:
Although yet to try Voice Search!
jsjs
jsjs #4
Jun 16, 2011 at 2:15 PM
^you will need a mic for that
Vyom
Vyom #5
Jun 16, 2011 at 2:19 PM
^^ Yeah. How else did you thought I would Voice Search! :lol:
M
Jun 16, 2011 at 2:25 PM
I created a Screencast on NEW Google Search by Image too: :D :p



YouTube - [DEMO] NEW Google Search by an Image :)
Vyom
Vyom #7
Jun 16, 2011 at 4:00 PM
Wow... Nice screencast!
A Tip: Next time use Fade-In and Fade-Out for Audio. Just seems professional.

Btw, Subscribed! ;)
thetechfreak
Jun 16, 2011 at 4:02 PM
Image search= very impressive :D

now where is my mic? :p
A
Jun 16, 2011 at 4:12 PM
Just tried image search ... n it was bang on !!!!!!!

and about audio search have tried it on my android phn and faced some problems there :-(
asingh
asingh #10
Jun 16, 2011 at 4:25 PM
Does it archive the uploaded image...? Or just purge it out..?
buddyram
buddyram #11
Jun 16, 2011 at 4:29 PM
Image search is really amazing!!!
asingh
asingh #12
Jun 16, 2011 at 4:33 PM
Also seems to be broken for IE.
sygeek
sygeek #13
Jun 16, 2011 at 6:45 PM
Nice, Google's fading the bridge of communications between Humans and Machines.

My favorite feature is the reverse image search.
abhidev
abhidev #14
Jun 16, 2011 at 6:46 PM
but why would anyone want to search the image when they already have it.....unless if you want that image in a different resolution.....
sygeek
sygeek #15
Jun 16, 2011 at 6:49 PM
but why would anyone want to search the image when they already have it.....unless if you want that image in a different resolution.....
I used it to crack a clue in CTC, although with another service - www.tineye.com
Rockstar11
Jun 16, 2011 at 8:35 PM
but why would anyone want to search the image when they already have it.....

if you have image but you dont know the image name!!!!
Tejas.Gupta
Jun 16, 2011 at 8:55 PM
Mobile apps comming for PC's :D
Good going google bhai :D ;-)
T
Tech&ME #18
Jun 16, 2011 at 11:15 PM
Ya Its the feature I always wanted.

But try to upload your own photo, google turns you down on this ! :sad:

why I did this ? right ?

Well when you type your FACEBOOK username in the normal google search, it throws you link to your facebook account right !

Now if you upload your same FACEBOOK account PHOTO, it should again link you to your facebook account right ! But it sadly doesn't happen that way! :sad:

And this is the reason I wanted this feature in the first place!! right guys!!! :-D
Vyom
Vyom #19
Jun 16, 2011 at 11:34 PM
^^ And this is the perfect reason, why Google, even if it have the capability, might not have implemented it.
As far as I remember, Google's CEO Eric Schmidt had recently claimed, that even they have the technology, they would never implement face-recognition. (Not atleast for general public).
T
Tech&ME #20
Jun 16, 2011 at 11:55 PM
^^ NAA!!

Google does display similar photos/ person photos / linking to some other account.

The only glitch here is, Google Image Search is LEARNING.... So, future is still bright for face recognition.

There are many useful use of this technology (face recognition search), if you seriously think about it.

Usefulness:

1. Say if you can register your kids face on GOOGLE.

2. then say, when every your kids goes for search in google, GOOGLE in turn check your kids face with their database and thus, no P0*n for him!! (filter content)

3. Say, suppose you want to get contact of some person, and you only have his/her photo. then GOOGLE can give his profile details to you with the relevant contact no.

4. and many other instances of this beauty technology (face recognition search).........

Ohh! yes privacy is an issue i do missed out! Don't know what federal law America has on this!!!
ithehappy
ithehappy #21
Jun 17, 2011 at 1:53 AM
Dhoor, was so excited, uploaded two images, no result came out. Same in Tineye. :(
Faun
Faun #22
Jun 17, 2011 at 3:08 AM
awesome, i just got a higher resolution version of one image :D
M
mrintech #23
Jun 17, 2011 at 1:18 PM
Wow... Nice screencast!
A Tip: Next time use Fade-In and Fade-Out for Audio. Just seems professional.

Btw, Subscribed! ;)

Thanks :D

The Audio was from YouTube! Audio Swap BTW :) Am trying to create better and better screencast everytime - A bit Noob when using Awesome Camtasia Studio 7 ;)
vamsi_krishna
Jun 17, 2011 at 5:53 PM
No more scratching head for the name.. after seeing a hot model's picture.
N
noob #27
Jun 17, 2011 at 6:11 PM
but why would anyone want to search the image when they already have it.....unless if you want that image in a different resolution.....

imagine , i am having a image of particular popular company(logo) or place or device..but dont know its name...this will help.

forget about use-case , just think whats logic they have implemented to give this relevant search results with just upload of image.

Eg. Try to upload Angry Brids image , it gives same links in results. how the hell google came to know that image i uploaded is of Angry Birds ???????????//
Vyom
Vyom #28
Jun 17, 2011 at 7:10 PM
No more scratching head for the name.. after seeing a hot model's picture.

Finally all of the Avatar's of members here in TDF, will be unvealed! Specially, who puts hot models as one!
:flu-happy:

forget about use-case , just think whats logic they have implemented to give this relevant search results with just upload of image.

Eg. Try to upload Angry Brids image , it gives same links in results. how the hell google came to know that image i uploaded is of Angry Birds ???????????//

Their maybe various methods. The most prominent one would be to map the entire image bit by bit, and creating a string of numeric codes (like expressed in bitmap form), and then comparing that to the map of gazzilions of maps in the index of Google's servers!
Simple! Uhhh... ;)
Tejas.Gupta
Jun 17, 2011 at 7:30 PM
Finally all of the Avatar's of members here in TDF, will be unvealed! Specially, who puts hot models as one!
:flu-happy:



Their maybe various methods. The most prominent one would be to map the entire image bit by bit, and creating a string of numeric codes (like expressed in bitmap form), and then comparing that to the map of gazzilions of maps in the index of Google's servers!
Simple! Uhhh... ;)


Its speed is Beyond Imagination :O
deathwish
deathwish #30
Jun 20, 2011 at 3:07 PM
Wow. No wonder every geek wants to work for Google. If they can come up with stuff like this, who wouldn't want to work for them???! :eek: