Google (NASDAQ: GOOG) introduced on Thursday a new feature called Bubble-Zoom, for reading comics on Google Play Books. The app will now use Artificial Intelligence to recognize speech bubbles and automatically expand them.
Comics are an increasing business in the United States. Google introduced last year vertical scroll for reading our favorite superheroes stories. The company said that mobile users are downloading more comics than ever. Companies such as Marvel and D.C. Comics have been expanding their superheroes franchises by introducing new characters. Google said it wanted to take advantage of its “superpowers” for improving the comics experience, using the same technologies it already uses in Google Photos.
The software giant headquartered in Mountain View presented Bubble-Zoom at the San Diego Comic-Con on Thursday. Users can now tap on bubbles to expand them without making zoom. This feature would improve readability, as the full-page experience won’t be affected.
Bubble-Zoom is already available in the Google Play Books app. The feature works with all comics from Marvel and D.C., said Google in a blog post. The company is offering 50% off on select comics until July 24 when using the code SDCC2016.
“Bubble zoom expands the speech bubbles of a comic one-tap-at-a-time, making them super easy to read on your mobile device. It’s much easier to read digital comics one-handed as Bubble Zoom automatically identifies and expands each speech bubble for readability,” said Google in a blog post.
San Diego Comic-Con: Netflix and Marvel’s Luke Cage and Iron Fist, Cara Delevigne
Netflix and Marvel presented on Friday at the San Diego Comic-Con new teasers for the TV series Luke Cage. The 2-minute-video shows actor Mike Colter fighting with guys in New York’s Harlem, in the middle of a massive explosion.
Marvel also introduced a teaser for Iron Fist, a new TV series starring Finn Jones and Danny Rand. The 30-second-video shows a child in the Himalayas that ends up in New York City, where Jessica Jones, Daredevil, and Iron Fist live. Netflix has already confirmed the third season of Daredevil, after successful season 2.
Marvel and Netflix are planning to create a series called The Defenders, featuring Jessica Jones, Daredevil, Iron Fist and Luke Cage fighting the bad guys together, as reported by The Independent.
Cara Delevingne joined actor Dane DeHaan and director Luc Besson on Thursday, to promote “Valerian and the City of a Thousand Planets” at the San Diego Comic-Con. The 23-year-old model made an appearance on Jimmy Kimmel Live, showing a new haircut and color.
Former U.S. spy Edward Snowden made an online appearance at the Comic-Con on Thursday. He joined a Q&A session alongside film director Oliver Stone and actors Joseph Gordon-Levitt and Shailene Woodley, who will be starring the new movie “Snowden.”
Snowden said that he finds ironical having a film about himself because he has always been a privacy advocate, as reported by USA Today. He also added that his family had approved Gordon-Levitt’s acting.
Source: Android Official Blog