Google Lens may add translation and restaurant ‘filters’

https://www.engadget.com/2019/04/21/google-lens-translation-restaurant-filter-code/

As clever as Google Lens can be, it’s still quite limited in what it can do before it points you to another app. You might not have to lean on those other apps quite so often n the near future. In the wake of an initial discovery earlier in April, the 9to5Google team has spotted evidence that Lens could soon include a host of "filters" aimed at fulfilling specific augmented reality tasks. A "translate" filter, for instance, might auto-detect one language and offer to convert it to another instead of simply copying text and asking to launch Google Translate.

There are also references to a "dining" filter that would search nearby restaurants, including popular dishes. A "shopping" filter appears to focus on more generic goods. Combined with the translation feature, it appears as if Google wants to offer a range of specialized searches instead of a one-size-fits-all function.

It’s not certain when the upgraded Lens might arrive, assuming it does at all. With I/O starting on May 7th, though, it wouldn’t be surprising if Google revealed or even releaseed the feature as its developer conference got underway.

Source: 9to5Google

via Engadget http://www.engadget.com

April 21, 2019 at 06:39PM

Meal kits might be better for the planet than a trip to the store

https://www.engadget.com/2019/04/22/university-michigan-meal-kits-food-waste-emissions/

It turns out the meal kits you can have delivered to your door by services like Blue Apron, HelloFresh and even Walmart might be more than convenient. They could be better for the environment, too. It’s a bit counter intuitive given all the packaging and delivery involved. But a study by the University of Michigan found that the carbon dioxide emissions tied to the average grocery store meal were two kilograms higher than those linked to most pre-packed options.

The difference is in the amount of food waste meal kits prevent. While grocery store meals have less packaging per meal, more food has to be purchased and that leads to higher household food waste. It turns out all the cardboard and plastic wrap involved isn’t as bad for the environment as the extra chicken breast that gets freezer burned or forgotten about — given all of the resources that went into producing the chicken breast in the first place.

The meal-kit model also reduces some of the waste that’s common in grocery stores — like overstocking to prevent shortages. And it’s more efficient for one truck to deliver multiple meals than it is for multiple drivers to make a trip to the store. Those last-mile emissions accounted for 11 percent of the average grocery meal, compared to four percent for meal-kit dinners.

These emissions savings are good news considering that meal kits are on the rise. In 2018, US sales reached $3.1 billion, according to the Packaged Facts research firm. Few studies have been done on this relatively new model, but they could help us understand more ways to minimize the impacts of the food system by further reducing food waste and coupling it with advances in transportation logistics and more sustainable packaging.

Source: University of Michigan

via Engadget http://www.engadget.com

April 22, 2019 at 11:27AM