I’ve never had much luck with Google Goggles; it’s a fancy feature tacked on to the Google Search iOS app that’s supposed to return search results related to any item or text photographed from within the app. But it’s sent me shopping for dresses after I’ve snapped a picture of speakers, and tried to conduct searches using text it thinks it’s found — when their wasn’t any.
Brand-spanking-new CamFind attempts more-or-less the same trick — only it’s better at it.
As with Google Goggles, there’s more functionality than just identifying an object and throwing up shopping results. You can scan barcodes and QR codes; snap an image of a restaurant’s sign and CamFind displays the eatery’s menu; or take a photo of a famous landmark to learn more about it.
One drawback to CamFind: It’s slow.
When he was eight, Eli Milchman came home from frolicking in the Veld one day and was given an Atari 400. Since then, his fascination with technology has made him an intrepid early adopter of whatever charming new contraption crosses his path. He calls San Francisco home, where he works as a journalist and photographer. Eli has contributed to the pages of Wired.com and BIKE Magazine, among others. Hang with him on Twitter.
