Google has announced a series of new features to facilitate web searches on mobile, boosted, in certain cases, by generative AI. The idea is to be able to launch a search at any time from any media format (video, photo, text) without having to switch applications.

Google's most striking announcement is undoubtedly the "Circle to Search" feature. As its name suggests, this allows you to search the web for something featured in an image that you circle, highlight or scribble over directly on your smartphone screen. And it works equally well for video (with freeze-frame). Simply select an item (or product) that interests you, and you'll immediately get information about it, overlaid on the same screen.

The feature is activated by a long press on the smartphone's home button or navigation bar. From then on, you can circle or scribble over any item on the screen to launch a web search. Related search information is then displayed in a window at the bottom of the screen, without you ever leaving the original application.

The other major development made possible by advances in artificial intelligence is Multisearch, a feature that enhances Lens, Google's image search program. This feature enables text and image searches to be carried out at the same time. So, in addition to circling an element in an image, you can also ask a related question. If you circle a culinary dish, for example, you can then ask what its origin is, or what ingredients are needed to make it.

"Circle to Search" is due to launch on Wednesday, January 31, 2024, in several languages, exclusively on selected high-end Android phones, starting with the Pixel 8, Pixel 8 Pro and Samsung Galaxy S24. Multisearch, on the other hand, is expected to arrive initially in the US, with Google yet to disclose an international roll-out date.

January 31 coincides with the release of the Samsung Galaxy S24, which will be the very first smartphone to make use of additional possibilities offered by Gemini, the multimodal language model unveiled by Google earlier this year. Via Google Messages, for example, smartphone users will be able to write unique texts in different styles, with excited, formal or even lyrical tones. It will also be possible to create new emojis from your own photos.

 - AFP Relaxnews