Today I learned about new technology which will change the way we "Google". For years, to search for something on the Internet, we used a search engine, typed in our phrase, and were shown a list of search results. Google is once again revolutionizing the way we find things.

With Google Goggles, there is no need to type your search anymore. Just take a picture, and Google will tell you about it. For example, using Google Goggles, if you take a picture of a famous landmark, Google analyzes it and then displays information about that landmark. They say it works well for landmarks, covers of books, business cards, artwork, places, logos and more.

The more I think about this, the more excited I get about its genealogical implications. Say you have a picture of an unidentified ancestor. Would Google Goggles be able to tell me who it is, where they lived, and who their parents are? Probably not now. But future development could very well lead to this.

I took hundreds of pictures of buildings and landmarks on our last Legacy Genealogy Cruise. At the time the buildings meant something to me, but looking at all of the pictures today, I do not remember their significance. Using Google Goggles, Google could probably tell much about these pictures.

Still in its infancy, Google Goggles is currently only available via the Android cell phone. Those with an Android can take pictures and Google Goggles will tell you about it. I hope that in the future I can simply choose a picture from my computer and put Google Goggles to work.

To learn more about Google Goggles, click here.