Google technologies: 10 useful inventions

Google Lens service

In 2015, Google filmed a funny video about the instant translation service Google Translate.
This is the beginning of the history of Google Lens . The service distinguishes between objects by simply pointing the camera.
Bird and restaurant recognition is not all the service can do. Google Lens comes in handy for connecting to Wi-Fi – just point the camera at your username and password.
Thanks to the integration with Google Assistant, its capabilities are expanded. Development Director Scott Huffman gives an interesting example of how to use Google Lens: an assistant adds appointments and notes to the calendar using a photo with date and event:

Google for job search

Anyone who has ever looked for a job probably dreamed of finding all the offers in one place. Google heard prayers and collected job vacancies from all sites in search. Specify parameters in the search bar and … that’s it.
The trick is useful for employers as well: they can study market trends.

Google.ai

Artificial intelligence is the future. Google is deeply engaged in research in the field of machine learning. See the results and subtotals at Google.ai .
News, the latest documentation, research, and the opportunity to play with experimental technology are all in the public domain to help professionals in a variety of fields, from medicine to education.

Google started showing interesting facts

Google users noticed that for English-language queries like “fun facts” (fun facts) or “I’m feeling curious” (I’m curious), the search engine began to show a special block with a random question and an answer to it, as well as a button “Ask another question ”(Ask more). The block is located at the very top of the search results and contains a link to the source of information, if the user suddenly needs to clarify the essence.

There is no official announcement of the new Google feature, and so far it is available only for English requests and only in the English version. Google’s knowledge of fun facts is vast: the system provides answers to questions such as “Can you freeze a bacterium”, “How long does it take to fly to Mars at the speed of light” or “When was Thanksgiving.” The source is most often either Wikipedia or educational sites.

The search giant has other options for a fun but slightly more rewarding search. For example, when you query “I’m feeling wonderful” Google will immediately start showing world landmarks from its “World Wonders” project. If you try to search for the phrase “I’m Feeling Doodly”, you will see a list of doodles that have once visited the Google home page. I’m Feeling Stellar will return search results with images of constellations (if their names are added to the phrase). Finally, the “I’m feeling lucky” button is shown by Google right on the home page.

Google Assistant on iPhone

Since mid-May 2017, Google Assistant has been available to iPhone owners in the iTunes store.

The screenshot demonstrates the speed and high level of understanding of Google Assistant :

Not bad. True, it takes time to get used to the service. The main feature is the ability to understand complex issues. Plus skillful integration of third-party companies.

Google Home updates

It is a wireless voice controlled speaker that supports voice personal assistant. In 2017, Google Home received several updates:
  • The ability to make hands-free calls within the USA and Canada. It is enough to add a phone number in the profile. The service accurately recognizes the voice and calls the number specified by this particular user.
  • Proactive system. She independently determines the importance of events and reminds of them. For example, if you have a meeting in the center, where there are always traffic jams during the day, the assistant suggests leaving the house early.
  • Visual response. Google Home responds to a visual request and redirects you to a gadget (smartphone or TV with Internet access) if you ask, for example, to show a direction or a road.

Android O

This is a new version of the operating system – more accurate, faster and more economical. One of the advantages is the ability to display picture in picture.
You watch, for example, a video on YouTube. Do you want to reply to the message in the messenger. With Android O, you don’t need to close the video: press Home, it shrinks to a small screen (but won’t stop playing) and waits for you to complete the task.

From GPS to VPS

Can GPS find lost keys, TV remote or headphones? Hardly. But the new VPS technology can.
VPS is a visual positioning system. It uses the Tango augmented reality platform, which receives data from smartphones and tablets and builds a virtual navigation network.
The technology helps in stores, warehouses and wherever you need to quickly find a needle in a haystack. And also in the field of tourism – such an orientation in space is relevant for small, tangled streets.

Gmail: smart reply

We returned from vacation, and there are rubble in the mail. Sound familiar? After a break from work, it is especially difficult to clean up the order in the box. Of course, you can set up an auto reply and warn your colleagues that you are on vacation and it is better not to send mail.
So that you do not lose urgent and important emails among spam, the Smart Reply function analyzes your incoming messages and suggests quick replies.
Options can be supplemented with your own text.
The technology is still available in Gmail and All o instant messaging, but will soon be available on Android and iOS in English-speaking countries. Over time, the feature will come to Russia.

Virtual reality headset

Google is no stranger to virtual reality. Remember the cardboard Google Cardboard helmet? Even if it is expensive and not very convenient, it is not bad for a pen test.
In 2017, the company presented a joint work with HTC and Lenovo – an independent helmet (glasses and headphones) that works without external sensors thanks to World Sense technology. What does it mean? That the helmet doesn’t need a computer or smartphone. And this is a breakthrough!
Google’s high tech never ceases to amaze. The company sets trends that can be used for marketing strategies.