Pinterest is encouraging people to "search outside the box" with its new tool that will let users know more about something interesting or pinteresting, they see just by pointing a camera phone at it.
Pinterest Lens is an Android app that takes advantage of human beings' tendency to be more visual than anything else plus the fact that many people like to do some window-shopping every now and then.
People usually go "I want that!" or "That would be great in my kitchen!" when they spot something they like such as a nice pair of shoes worn by a woman walking by or that chic-looking dining table in the restaurant. The problem is that when it's time to describe that item to someone, they usually end up searching for words.
With Pinterest Lens, users can simply point their camera phone at the object, shoot and instantly see related styles. The app also gives suggestions on how to wear and pair the item. The app also works with food and home designs. The app is still in beta right now and is limited to popular Pinterest subjects like food, clothes and home decor ideas. The Lens will eventually get a fuller version which will be capable of recognizing more objects.
According to 9to5Google, Lens is not the only new feature Pinterest is introducing. There's also the Instant Ideas feature which is the company's attempt to make Pins more personal as time goes by. Instant Ideas will show items that are related to those that the user Pin on their page.
Another new Pinterest app is the Shop the Look. As the name implies, the new feature will help a user shop for a certain look that he or she likes. They can track the look or product down just by tapping on the circle on the item which will then take them to a selection of styles related to it. This feature is made even better by the fact that users can Pin a number of items on one selection.
Last year, Pinterest acquired Fleksy and its group of engineers that are mainly involved in a visual search. Though the Fleksy product was ditched, Pinterest got some great engineering minds to help develop new features such as the new Visual Discovery tools.
