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On the topic of Google Lens, I don't really understand the hype around it. People are talking about how it is able scan a bar code of SSID and password to conn

On the topic of Google Lens, I don't really understand the hype around it. People are talking about how it is able scan a bar code of SSID and password to connect to router. Isn't that ancient technology? And for other uses like overlay maps info, aren't those just running standard CV/ML algorithms on their mega-servers plus simple integration with other apps in their ecosystem?

jaflo 9y ago
I think it is that simple integration that makes or breaks the product. Because Google controls the OS, it allows for a more seamless experience: you wouldn't download an app just to scan and connect to Wi-Fi networks, but because it's a feature built into your phone you are much more likely to use it.
- majewsky 9y ago
  Anecdotal evidence suggests otherwise. Plenty of visitors download a Barcode Scanner app to log onto my home WiFi because they don't like to punch in a 30-letter code by hand.
- TeMPOraL 9y ago
  If only they did that. One of the things that annoys me the most about modern smartphones is that every single feature has a separated, isolated app for it (usually each from a different vendor), and none of those apps properly integrate with one another. The more they can integrate at OS level, the better for the user experience (though I'm not having high hopes - Google has a long history of dumbing down applications to the point of making them barely useful for anything).
floatboth 9y ago
Yeah it's literally a relaunch of Google Goggles which worked on like… Android 1.x?
jpalomaki 9y ago
If they open this to developers, it could be quite powerful and interesting feature. Point your phone to something, Google recognizes what's in the picture and makes this information available on platform. Applications can then be activated based on context and they can additional information to screen. Of course things like this already exist, but my phone does not feel particularly "smart" when I need to be making the choices which app to use on which occasion. They could also tie in app discovery to this. "Hey, you are pointing at movie poster but don't have any related apps, would you like to see a list.." The true power of this of course comes with the augmented reality headsets (Google Glass or whatever it will be in future). Maybe one reason for introducing it already now is to start collecting data. It is certainly interesting for Google to know what kind of things people are pointing their phones at in order to recognize things.
- dzhiurgis 9y ago
  Having 7nth way to pay for something is cute, but not exciting. The real bother is fragmentation. The amount of time wasted integrating to each vendor speech, vision, backend API's is just going to be enormous. > Maybe one reason for introducing it already now is to start collecting data With Google, this is always the reason. This is sort of cleverness I admire about them.
  - fixermark 9y ago
    This has generally been resolved in the past by third-parties acting as an infrastructure glue---building one API that can manipulate the other APIs.
ocdtrekkie 9y ago
The open source Barcode Scanner app by ZXing can do the SSID thing. The text translation feature is actually lifted straight from Word Lens, a company they bought and absorbed a couple years ago. And Google Goggles did most of the rest.
Ajedi32 9y ago
What's not to be hyped about? It's pretty much the first step towards ubiquitous sci-fi style augmented reality. Even in it's current form it's already fairly useful (you can get info on pretty much anything just by snapping a photo of it), and it's only going to get better from here.

jaflo 9y ago

I think it is that simple integration that makes or breaks the product. Because Google controls the OS, it allows for a more seamless experience: you wouldn't download an app just to scan and connect to Wi-Fi networks, but because it's a feature built into your phone you are much more likely to use it.

majewsky 9y ago
Anecdotal evidence suggests otherwise. Plenty of visitors download a Barcode Scanner app to log onto my home WiFi because they don't like to punch in a 30-letter code by hand.
TeMPOraL 9y ago
If only they did that. One of the things that annoys me the most about modern smartphones is that every single feature has a separated, isolated app for it (usually each from a different vendor), and none of those apps properly integrate with one another. The more they can integrate at OS level, the better for the user experience (though I'm not having high hopes - Google has a long history of dumbing down applications to the point of making them barely useful for anything).

floatboth 9y ago

Yeah it's literally a relaunch of Google Goggles which worked on like… Android 1.x?

jpalomaki 9y ago

If they open this to developers, it could be quite powerful and interesting feature. Point your phone to something, Google recognizes what's in the picture and makes this information available on platform. Applications can then be activated based on context and they can additional information to screen. Of course things like this already exist, but my phone does not feel particularly "smart" when I need to be making the choices which app to use on which occasion. They could also tie in app discovery to this. "Hey, you are pointing at movie poster but don't have any related apps, would you like to see a list.." The true power of this of course comes with the augmented reality headsets (Google Glass or whatever it will be in future). Maybe one reason for introducing it already now is to start collecting data. It is certainly interesting for Google to know what kind of things people are pointing their phones at in order to recognize things.

dzhiurgis 9y ago
Having 7nth way to pay for something is cute, but not exciting. The real bother is fragmentation. The amount of time wasted integrating to each vendor speech, vision, backend API's is just going to be enormous. > Maybe one reason for introducing it already now is to start collecting data With Google, this is always the reason. This is sort of cleverness I admire about them.
- fixermark 9y ago
  This has generally been resolved in the past by third-parties acting as an infrastructure glue---building one API that can manipulate the other APIs.

ocdtrekkie 9y ago

The open source Barcode Scanner app by ZXing can do the SSID thing. The text translation feature is actually lifted straight from Word Lens, a company they bought and absorbed a couple years ago. And Google Goggles did most of the rest.

Ajedi32 9y ago

What's not to be hyped about? It's pretty much the first step towards ubiquitous sci-fi style augmented reality. Even in it's current form it's already fairly useful (you can get info on pretty much anything just by snapping a photo of it), and it's only going to get better from here.