Google has released a new application for Android cell phones that will allow users to search for information about a place, landmark or object, simply by clicking a photo of the same.

The application named as 'Google Googles' will be able to identify most of the tourist attractions, books & DVDs, landmarks, logos, contact info, artwork, businesses, products, barcodes, or text. The user has to focus the phone camera on the object and Google will try the match the picture with its database of images. It will then provide a list of search results thought to be appropriate to the image, including Wikipedia links, web pages, and news links.

Bringing into play the GPS, digital compass and geo-tagging technology, Google will also be able to trace the location of the phone user operating an Android based cell phone.

"Sometimes a picture really is worth a thousand words," said Shailesh Nalwadi, product manager for Google Goggles. "For many search queries, using an image to search is easier and more useful than text alone, especially on a mobile phone. Computer vision technology is still in its infancy, but Goggles demonstrates its potential.

"We are hard at work extending our recognition capabilities. You can imagine a future where visual searching is as natural as pointing your finger."

Google Goggles works best when the camera is held in "left landscape" mode. With the application still in development stages, it does not quite recognize pictures of animals, plants, cars, furniture, or apparel.

The application is available as a free download from the Android market and is currently available for devices running Android 1.6+ (Donut & Éclair).

The live demonstration video of Google Googles will provide a clearer idea of how the application actually works.