Jason Dunn
04-17-2006, 11:30 PM
<div class='os_post_top_link'><a href='http://research.microsoft.com/displayArticle.aspx?id=1434' target='_blank'>http://research.microsoft.com/displayArticle.aspx?id=1434</a><br /><br /></div><i>"There’s a new restaurant in town. Wonder what people are saying about it? Take a photo...Photo2Search works like this: Seeking information about something seen, a user takes a photo of the object and sends the photo, via e-mail or Multimedia Messaging Service, to a Web-based server, which searches an image database for matches. The server then delivers database information—whether it be a Web page featuring the object in the photo or information associated with the object—to the user, who can act on the information received: read a menu, enter a gallery, book a hotel room, make a purchase. Sounds simple, right? The devil, as always, is in the details."</i><br /><br />This is one of those examples of research that will likely take years to come into the mainstream, but holds fascinating possibilities for gaining useful data from the combination of a portable device and a camera. When I'm out shopping for something I'm often wishing I had more data about a product. Imagine something such as this linking into a product review service so you could easily read a review about the product you're about to buy. That would be excellent!