Google search makes use of social network photos

If you're out in public, you are fair game, but as you want if a foreigner has taken the image and then ran a search to find out your name, alias online and any information about yourself through this image? We're almost there with face-recognition technology and social media aggregation. Although several companies are exploring that Kingdom, Google recently released a patent in Europe to use facial recognition and social networking combine to give visual search results.

Google Googles is a recognition of image search for mobile phones that allows users curious to take a picture of anything as a reference point, and then do a search for information about the item in question.  A user does not need to type or speak to start searching; It is as easy as opening the app, take a picture and then waiting for search results.

Although in December 2009, Google has decided not to immediately begin using facial recognition technology for Google Goggles visual search in August 2010, Google has acquired Like.com, which is a Visual search engine currently used for shopping. First Like.com helped buyers online, was a Visual search site called Riya that uses facial recognition technology to search images that users have uploaded and tagged. Way back in 2005, Google bought almost Riya. So with the acquisition of Like.com, Google has acquired technology of Riya too. Other patent filings has recently become public, suggesting that Google has worked together to apply the technology visual query to search for faces.

Recent Google patent filing for user interface for the presentation of search results for multiple areas of a Query Visual suggests that it may be evolving Visual search in Google for smartphones. When you lock a photo, often includes many things, such as buildings in the background, road signs or even people. When you run a query that the picture, Google can penetrate the picture all those different pieces and research for each object within the image--including facial recognition search.

Another Google patent, face recognition with Social Network facilitation, was recently published in Europe, even if it was made around the time that Google bought Like.com. The abstract patent describes research of facial recognition to "one or more probably names" of the people in the picture. After this query "potentially" found one or more personal identification numbers for each person, it will scour "communications applications, social networking applications, applications, calendar, and collaborative applications" to create a list of possible identity for each person. The patent description, shows that if the photo has been marked with the name of a person, "that picture could be queries used facial recognition in future to recognize the person".

As regards privacy, Google has several possible scenarios: to send just one "identifiers" to the person; optionally allowing only the subject identified to make public the photos, or to send a request, after which a person is positively identified, wondering if the image can be a result of research aimed to visual query other persons from within their social network.

InformationWeek found that the inventors listed in the patent application shall include "David Petrou, Andrew Rabinovich and Adam Hartwig" who worked also on Google Googles. It seems as if Google is close to reaching its goal of integrating facial recognition in visual search, but Google is certainly not the only company with big plans to use facial recognition search.

The interpreter has suggested other applications such as Viewdlw, with floating facial recognition on the fly could help "stalkers Government." Viewdle allows users label and save "faceprints" of people and then share the "faceprint them with other users of Viewdle so that they can recognize that the person too!" Privacy settings photosharing are integrated with the Facebook privacy settings.

Some people may not have privacy concerns with visual searches that use facial recognition, but there are a lot of people worried about protecting your privacy. For example, when you leave your home and go walking, wearing a badge in public or at the Mall as a visual aide constant for anyone and everyone to identify the user? That seems a little above me, but isn't that similar to tag a picture with the name of a person and then that image search face becoming fodder? Wear a name tag with the name at all times in public is a personal choice, but there isn't much choice, if someone decides to tag in an image.

Dictators and Governments are already identify people based on real names and photos posted in social media. CNN has posted an interview with examples of when the Internet could help a dictator like Facebook people who need to use their real name instead of aliases. Another example was after the Iranian protests were over in 2009, the Government has gone through Flickr and collected pictures of protestors, posted those pictures on the websites of the Government and then unknown faces circled in red ink.

Access time is concerned mainly with the Facebook policy requiring real names, complete and launched the online petition called, "unfriend the Dictators." Yet how much easier it is to identify dissidents when facial recognition software allows a Government to search and compare the faces photographed with their database, or even millions of photos stored on Facebook or other social networking sites?

I'm not saying that all Visual search technology of facial recognition is bad. It might be cool or it could be a dream stalkers. We all have good and bad days, so the ability to use face research could be used accordingly. It could be used for something wonderful like love at first sight and help track down that first alien visa in a crowded public place. Or it could be used for some time irascible as I take a photo to try and track down that jerk that is cut off in traffic. In the case of dissidents, do research could be a death sentence.

Hack your PS3 PlayStation Network Access, be retained forever

Circumvent the PlayStation 3 Sony security algorithms or running unauthorized software on your PS3 and Sony says that you divide access to its PlayStation Network for good. Not-really-surprising official position that the Sony PS3-unsanctioned manipulations, just announced its PlayStation Blog courtesy.

"Consumers using circumvention devices or running unauthorized or pirated software will have access to PlayStation Network and access to services of Qriocity [Download music and movies] through the PlayStation 3 terminated permanently," reads the most important part of education.

"To avoid this, consumers should immediately stop using and remove all circumvention devices and delete all software pirato or unauthorised use of their systems for PlayStation 3".

What does not address education is the question that some have about hacking PS3 to run alternative operating systems such as Linux. Sony originally allowed and supported install Linux with an option of "other OS", but removed a couple of years later to "security concerns."

While hackers have probed the PS3 safety routines for years, they've never fully "unlocked" the device until recently when jailbreaker iOS George "geohot" Hotz posted main security key of the PS3, allowing anyone to decrypt and sign the code of the PS3.

Sony was silent about the hack, but in mid January issued a civil complaint against Hotz and others involved in reverse engineering, the root security code. PlayStation Blog announcement today marks the first direct public education by addressing the issue, and to indicate what will happen if you are found in violation of the Sony PlayStation Network terms of service and user agreement. "

It seems that this one could bounce around for some time before you ordered in court. Question: If hacking your PS3 to Linux is similar to hacking an iPhone to run unofficial software. The Government of the United States exempt jailbreaking iPhone by the DMCA (Digital Millennium Copyright Act) earlier this year, implying (if not explicitly stated) that jailbreaking is legal.

But is "jailbreaking" your legal PS3? You hack Hotz also technically a "jailbreak"? What does it mean that you most likely want the hack for pirate games?

We'll see, but meanwhile Sony's position is quite clear: fooling with the trick, and you're off the grid for good.

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Greplin: a one-stop searching through the data flow and the cloud of social network

We are starting to have problems tracking your information through social networks, Web, and within the cloud? If you're a power user who always can't resist a shiny new site useful--or simply cool--Web app, the folks behind Greplin are betting that you would like to get a handle on everything that scattered data.

The idea has also appeal to those who do not have to keep track of an extensive social network across multiple services, but have different ways of storing information that access (and in part) at home, in the Office and on the road. In my case, some are available in Google Docs, more was saved in Evernote and lately I started to use Dropbox to synchronize local files, so they are available to me everywhere.

Then there are my social networks. I've got useful connections on Facebook, Twitter and LinkedIn; But even with a desktop client like TweetDeck that aggregates the networks, it is not easy to break down through multiple streams to find information on a particular topic. And none of the information that the media is tied in with my data.

With your permission, Greplin will search through your data in different sites up to seven free: Gmail, Google Docs, Google Calendar, Twitter, Dropbox, Facebook and LinkedIn. A free account is also equipped with up to 200 M of storage for the search index. (Paid accounts get more storage space and a few more services like Evernote and Google Apps. Additional services, such as Basecamp and Google Reader, I'm at work).

It is exceptionally cheap, but with a problem: I want to really start with no track record, having access to so much of my aggregated data? Even with pedigree of $ 4 million venture funding from Sequoia Capital? Finally, curiosity has exceeded my paranoia of privacy and I signed upon notification that Greplin had finally opened to additional beta testers. (My exclusive status as beta tester was short lived, however, the site is now public, Greplin tweeted).

Greplin's interface is simple, quick and easy. You sign up for an account on Greplin.com and select the services that you want included (see screenshot below). Wait to be able to create an index, then enter your search terms. You have the ability to filter search results from people, streams, files and messages, as well as from individual services. These choices are available from a drop-down menu next to the main search bar instead of having to click off to an advanced search page.

For starters, I added my Twitter account (public anyway) and Google Docs (insensitive in there). With 3152 indexed documents, including my 126 M and 500 or so files in Google Docs, I used less 5% of my store.

My test searches executed very quickly, apparently issues reported from previous beta testers. Results are grouped by type (streams, files) and also indicate the initiating service (and any standard file), with search terms highlighted in yellow.

Twitter search is fantastic. If you use Greplin for nothing else, I'd recommend, to keep up with your Twitter stream. I was surprised to see pull up results from a tweet I made back in July, since research just Twitter doesn't go back nearly so far. Is a quick and elegant way to search for Twitter users you follow (as well as your own tweets)--certainly better than I found TweetDeck.

Search result of Greplin a little differed from the internal search Google Docs. A major plus for searching within Google Docs itself: Google indexes your PDF loaded, while Greplin does not. Greplin did not find a term that was part of the title of a PDF file, which is a little less forgivable than an inability to analyze the actual PDF (lost a PDF with the word in the title surrounded by dashes, but found another that use underscores).

It also seems that the Greplin is more literal than Google, which can be an advantage or disadvantage, depending on whether you are looking for an exact match. For example, a search for "landscapes" scored results within Google Docs for documents that contain the word "landscape", but not in Greplin.

Interestingly, I have not had any correspondence on Google Docs or Greplin when searching for a specific document--until I remembered that info is actually stored in Evernote. I spoke to my need for a service like Greplin.

Bottom line? Before Greplin, I had already begun dealing with the dilemma of how to deal with important personal data, which I had sprayed in multiple locations. Greplin is probably not the complete answer to this--certainly would have been better to have consistent archiving strategy at the beginning. And despite the appeal of Greplin, will be a little if anything would be trusted any startup with sensitive information such as e-mail (in fact, still not yet I trust Gmail with messages that must be really private).

That said, however, the service clearly fills a need. In an era of Web/cloud services and social networks, it is highly unlikely that any user can store all your important data in one place. The data are not yet useful as it could be if you can't find what you're looking for when you need them ...

Greplin seems to have some elegant technology behind it, and I hope that the new round of venture funding helps to achieve even better over time. In the meantime, I look forward to more details on how we can trust the company to keep your information private and secure before adding too many more services to be indexed.

Greplin screenshots:

Choose services to index within Greplin

Search results for sample Greplin

Sharon Machlis has online managing editor at Computerworld. His e-mail address is smachlis@computerworld.com. You can follow her on Twitter @ sharon000, on Facebook or by subscribing to his RSS feed:
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