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Filed under: Google, Search, Web

Google launches experimental Similar images, News timeline features

Similar Images
Google has relaunched Google Labs, a site where you can find some of the latest experimental features for the company's search engine and other tools. The new Google Labs is hosted on Google App Engine, and today Google rolled out the first two new labs features we've seen in the past few months: Similar Images and Google News Timeline.

The News Timeline feature presents Google News results chronologically in a timeline view. You can zoom in and out, or navigate through the timeline by dragging or adjusting the time scale to days, weeks, months, years, or decades.

The Similar Images feature feels like something that could (and perhaps should) be added to the main Google Images site in the future. When you search for any picture using Similar Images, you'll see a link below each search result. When you click it you'll see more images that are "similar."

It's not entirely clear what information Google is using to determine what images are similar. But for the most part it works. For example, if you search for a particular actor from a TV show, like Battlestar Galactica and click on the similar images link, you'll find more pictures of that actor and of other actors from the show. If you search for something more general like "netbook" and click on a picture, you'll probably find more netbooks that are positioned similarly in the image frame. And if you search for something like "duck" and click on a picture of a yellow rubber ducky instead of an actual animal, your screen will be filled with yellow ducks.

It would be nice if you could select the criteria you want to use to compare images though. For instance, what if you weren't looking for netbooks that are photographed from the same angle, but rather laptops from the same company?

Filed under: Photo, iPhone, Search, web 2.0

Gazopa similar image search app comes to iPhone

I really like the idea of Hitachi's Gazopa, especially now that it's been released as an iPhone application. I just wish it worked a little better, that's all.

Here's what's supposed to happen. First, you choose a source image - you can choose to take a new photo, pick from photos you have saved, or even sketch something quickly right on your screen.

Gazopa then scours the net to find similar images for you, and that's where it fell short for me.

I'll be the first to admit that my attempt to draw Homer Simpson's head was a bit ham-handed, but the shape and color would certainly have given it away to any human. Gazopa, however, matched it up with pictures of Leatherman tools and sterling silver pendants, neither of which even had any yellow in them.

I won't place all the blame on Gazopa for failing on this attempt. The iPhone/iPod isn't the most fantastic drawing tool in the world, and an accurate original is probably pretty important to an image-matching service.

I tried again using an image of Columbus Blue Jackets forward Rick Nash, and again Gazopa didn't turn up any solid matches.

One more try with a more iconic image yielded better results. Using the Detroit Red Wings emblem as my source, Gazopa scored a ton of direct hits. Success at last!

Once the technology can work as well with more complex images, Gazopa will definitely be a handy tool. For now, it's still got some hurdles to overcome.

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The World's Hardest Game 2.0 - Time Waster

So, just how good at time waster games are you? Think you've got the stuff? Well, The World's Hardest Game 2.0 doesn't think you do. Yes, amazingly, it's possible to have a sequel to a game called "The World's Hardest Game". It doesn't seem logically possible, since if the first one was actually the world's hardest, how could another one come along and share the moniker? It made me doubt the name in the first place. That is, until I tried the game. The mechanics of the game are very simple. You are a small red square, ...

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