Comments on: Face-Recognition Web Search: Just a Matter of Time?

By: Jonathan

Jonathan — Thu, 17 Nov 2005 18:19:04 +0000

Interesting comments, thanks.

Bernard, if you follow the link it leads to a couple of blog posts about Google’s acquisition of Riya.

Brock, yes, Riya would be very helpful as part of Picasa, and for any business that uses a photo database. The categorization of photos is currently a huge time-sink for anyone who has to do it. And of course you are right about video. That is the problem from the POV of privacy: this technology has so many good uses that it will be impossible to restrict its development.

Shannon, like you I rarely use encryption. I assume that everything is public. Also, there is so much information floating around that the odds someone who wants to harm you will find your information are low.

By: Brock

Brock — Thu, 17 Nov 2005 17:57:06 +0000

I just realized this would also be useful for Google Video. They could search still frames of video for people & places. Combine that with searchable voice recognition technology and video becomes as searchable as a text-based blog.

By: Shannon Love

Shannon Love — Thu, 17 Nov 2005 17:55:48 +0000

I seldom use encryption because I think it safer to always operate on the assumption that your electronic information is readable by all.

By: Brock

Brock — Thu, 17 Nov 2005 17:48:46 +0000

This would save me considerable time if they integrated it into Picasa.

As for the Privacy issues, I suggest anyone who wants to get an idea of what living in a post-Google world will be like should read “The Transparent Society” by David Brin.

By: Bernard Moon

Bernard Moon — Thu, 17 Nov 2005 17:38:31 +0000

I’ll assume you didn’t know about Riya (www.riya.com)? Rumors flying around in Silicon Valley that Google is about to buy them out (before they launch) for about $40 million.