Google Play Movies X-Ray Interactive Android 4.0 App Uses Facial And Sound Recognition Software To Provide Actor or Music Information In Real Time
The Google Play X-Ray, a new interactive app the company is testing that utilizes facial and sound recognition software, will automatically give Android 4.0 Ice Cream Sandwich users at-a-glance information cards about their favorite actors, music and other related content while Google Play Movies are playing on their tablets.
The feature, which is currently only available to US customers running Android 4.0 Ice Cream Sandwich or higher, is expected to expand to more countries and devices soon, according to Google.
On Wednesday, Google added India and Mexico to its list of nations which support Google Play Movies.
The app allows users to easily learn more about actors, related films and even what musical score is playing during a viewing of a Google Play movie.
Once users press pause on their Android tablet, cards will pop up with information about the actors on screen or music currently playing on the soundtrack.
Alternatively, users can also simply tap on an actor's face to learn more about him such as his place of birth, age, recent work and other information. Once the movie returns to play mode the cards automatically disappear.
Tapping on actor Jack Black's face, for instance, will reveal that he was born in Hermosa Beach, is 43 years old and, with a single click, users are taken to the web where more fun facts are readily available.
According to Google, the new feature is offered for hundreds of Google Play movies and more are added every day. Thanks to Knowledge Graph, the technology which Google launched last year and boasts hundreds of millions of connections, the company will have little trouble building up its movie data base.
The new technology has already brought up comparisons to Amazon's X-Ray technology, which just announced its new service had come to TV shows via Instant Video.
The Amazon feature will be available for 13 TV shows, such as The Walking Dead, Game of Thrones, Downton Abbey and others. But, Amazon is working in conjunction with IMDb in order to expand the service.
"Our vision is to make X-Ray available on every movie and TV show, we're excited to make another big step forward today, and we are working hard to add X-Ray to more TV shows and movies in the future," IMDb CEO Col Needham said in a statement.
