Mobile Content Bits: Google Goggles; Layar; Mobile Twitter; Admob

—Google (NSDQ: GOOG) Goggles: Google has released a new version of its “visual-search” app that expands the kinds of content that the app can scan and search. The 1.3 app for Android can now scan barcodes on products and return reviews, comparative prices and in-store availability of an item (presumably the last of these, though, is only for participating merchants). Meanwhile, the new version for both iPhone and Android is now able to deliver search results based on any advertisement appearing in a “major” U.S. magazine or newspaper from August 2010 onwards. And for fun, the new app can now also play Sudoku, from a picture of the puzzle. (Blog post)

—Layar: More activity in the augmented reality space… Layar has released an updated version of its iPhone app. The 4.0 edition features support for the iPhone 4’s gyroscope, which helps objects move in “closer sync with your motions,” says the company. “This creates a much smoother experience and takes Augmented Reality another step towards the blending of the digital and real world.” The new app also includes enhanced functionality for the Camera View, as well as the ability to multi-task between Layar and other apps. (Blog post)

—Mobile Twitter: A stat that underscores how significant mobile is for Twitter’s business model: over 40 percent of all tweets are made from mobile devices, according to Twitter’s CEO Dick Costolo, speaking at the CES show last week. That’s an increase of 25 percent from a year ago. He added that the growth in traffic was down to new “official” Twitter apps that have been released for BlackBerry, iOS and Android smartphone platforms. (via MarketingWeek)

—Admob: Google’s mobile advertising network has reached a milestone: 2 billion requests per day. Admob says that represents a quadrupling of traffic over the last year. It also noted that 100 million unique Android and iOS devices requested an ad each month, a figure that nearly doubled over the last six months. (Blog post)