Now, Google once again shows they're serious about visual search by acquiring UK company Plink, which develops the mobile visual search engine PlinkArt. It's an Android app that lets you identify works of art by taking their picture with the phone's camera. From what is said on Plink's official blog, Google plans to merge Plink's technology with Google Goggles. From the blog:
"Google has already shown that it’s serious about investing in this space with Google Goggles, and for the Plink team the opportunity to take our algorithms to Google-scale was just too exciting to pass up...We’re looking forward to helping the Goggles team build a visual search engine that works not just for paintings or book covers, but for everything you see around you."
As far as PlinkArt goes, it won't be abandoned (yet). The Plink team claims that "nothing is changing for now," but they will be "shifting development efforts towards Google Goggles."