Comments on: Go To Google Similar Images, Hit “Similar,” Find Live Search

By: virtual worlds for kids

virtual worlds for kids — Fri, 24 Apr 2009 03:08:46 +0000

I think somehow along the way, as technology developed, Google established itself as a trusted brandname, and so inevitably often creates more hype than any other similar product that may have been released before Google did it. We call web search “Googling” or we say, “Let’s Google it”, and not “Let’s Live Search it”. Could be a vicious cycle: when Google first started out, there was a large media coverage probably because it was then, a new product, provided free-of-charge and user-friendly. And probably, a refreshing change and challenge to the Microsoft monopoly which would have been welcomed by Microsoft detractors. Naturally, the media continued to provide coverage on Google innovation because that is what the masses want to know.
As much as I think other developers have provided similar products and services that may be better than what Google is offering, I think the advantage that Google has is just that it has become a one-stop solution for all the user’s web search needs. As a user, I’d rather go to a place that can provide all that I need, even if it’s individual products and services may not be as good as what another singular developer is offering.

By: dinesh vadhia

dinesh vadhia — Thu, 23 Apr 2009 18:11:26 +0000

Have a look at the Xyggy beta image search at:

http://www.xyggy.com/image.php

Drag ONE or MORE images from the left-hand set of images into the search oval. The results will appear on the right.

Add additional images to the search by dragging and dropping more images. Remove images from the query by clicking on the image. Click the search oval to clear the search and start a new one.

Isn’t this what image search should be all about? Imagine being on any web page and dragging and dropping images from that page into the search oval to find similar images.

Dinesh

By: S

Wed, 22 Apr 2009 19:45:05 +0000

“Microsoft… appears to have had one of its own borrowed by Google here”

Wow, don’t go too far out of your way to correct yourself there.

Given the flack that Microsoft gets, I think the call out was legitimate. But despite the comparison, your tone at the end makes it sound like “Google’s is still better, and if you insist on pointing out Microsoft, well, guess what – Microsoft was one of *many* we didn’t cover.” That doesn’t justify the exclusion as much as it shows apparent bias.

By: Imran Hussain

Imran Hussain — Wed, 22 Apr 2009 19:34:16 +0000

TinEye offered this way before Microsoft and Google if I’m not wrong.

By: Shakir Razak

Shakir Razak — Wed, 22 Apr 2009 17:28:12 +0000

Hi,

Actually, when was the last time that Google did anything truly original, more often then not it’s an ignorant media on the google cool-aid that hypes the company and it’s creations no matter historical fact – just re-publishing those press releases and happy to give attention to company spokespeople.

Microsoft, as well as Amazon, as well as Yahoo, even Aol, et al, have repeatedly out-innovated well in advance, and have not got coverage for their work, yet google launches mobile products, or latitude or street-view or sea-view/space in Earth and hours and hours of air-time and column-inches are given over to it.

Kind regards,

Shakir Razak

By: aham

aham — Wed, 22 Apr 2009 16:40:04 +0000

Exactly what I thought when people were commenting they copied MS.

By: Robert

Robert — Wed, 22 Apr 2009 16:11:33 +0000

Yes MS was there (maybe a imitated some other) But http://www.like.com/ doesn’tt seem to be in the search business…

By: udkl

udkl — Wed, 22 Apr 2009 15:47:11 +0000

The copyscape of Images is here.
This will allow owners to track their copyrighted image usage.

By: Jamie Thomson

Jamie Thomson — Wed, 22 Apr 2009 15:41:05 +0000

“because Google is user friendly”

Eh? What are you talking about? People use Google cos its better. What does “user-friendly” mean?

By: Luther

Luther — Wed, 22 Apr 2009 14:42:04 +0000

Found this one on Reddit:

http://tinyurl.com/cvwhep

By: Rohit

Rohit — Wed, 22 Apr 2009 11:56:54 +0000

Its all about keeping some information private, lesson learned by Live!

By: pc repair

pc repair — Wed, 22 Apr 2009 09:27:20 +0000

It is not Google’s fault no one knew this feature existed on Live Search. Sure, a few people knew, but the fact is, very few people use Live Search compared to Google search because Google is user friendly
Sorry, forgot to add great post! Can’t wait to see your next post!

By: pc repair

pc repair — Wed, 22 Apr 2009 07:28:20 +0000

By: ey

ey — Wed, 22 Apr 2009 04:51:13 +0000

More clarification. What they are offering now is a complete reimplementation and not built off what they had back in late 2003/early 2004. However, the idea is that WebIM integrated directly within Hotmail was offered much earlier than GTalk within GMail (or anyone else, if I’m not mistaken).

By: ey

ey — Wed, 22 Apr 2009 04:49:02 +0000

Actually, they did that back in late 2003. It was offered to limited accounts in US, UK, and Japan. Unfortunately, MSFT did not seem to realize how innovative and important this was going to be and never deployed it widely. In fact, they kept cutting down on the number of users getting the offer because it was expensive to run.

It wasn’t until GOOG got all the praises that they started to regret never patent it, and finally put in some effort to make it widely available.

Of course, UI wise, what you got yesterday was very different from what was offered back then, since Hotmail’s UI has changed dramastically in the last few years. I actually think it had better experience then, but that may be just me.

By: future

future — Wed, 22 Apr 2009 03:39:49 +0000

I called this as image search future. Nice to know MS is leading us to future.

By: Shawn Drewry

Shawn Drewry — Wed, 22 Apr 2009 02:21:21 +0000

ugh huh..LOL

By: Jean-Michel Decombe

Jean-Michel Decombe — Wed, 22 Apr 2009 01:16:17 +0000

It’s not like anyone stole anyone else’s idea here. Image comparison algorithms have been discussed in the literature for eons, and adding that feature to an image search is an obvious idea (and not as easy to implement well as it may seem).

To Microsoft’s credit, they were the first *big* company to make the feature available. To Google’s credit, they were definitely better at marketing it. So who matters, in the end?

By: MG Siegler

MG Siegler — Wed, 22 Apr 2009 01:14:21 +0000

Wait, I got as far as Web IM in Hotmail — wasn’t that just launched yesterday?

http://windowsl...ve.com/blog/cns!2F7EB29B42641D59!38982.entry

By: Mohamed Elsherif

Mohamed Elsherif — Tue, 21 Apr 2009 23:47:55 +0000

http://www.live.com

By: ey

ey — Tue, 21 Apr 2009 23:40:48 +0000

Actually, MSFT has beat GOOG on innovation many times before, just never got credit for it.

GOOD got a big buzz for incorporating GTalk into Gmail. Hotmail had Web IM integration way back in 2003.

Christopher Payne announced in August 2004, in a seach summit panel discussion, that they were working on Desktop Search, and Google rushed to get their verison out, leveraging their web search technology. When MSFT’s desktop search came out in December many people, including folks on Slashdot (a well known anti-MS site), literraly said “this takes Google to the cleaners”.

MSFT was the first to tie deskbar to Desktop Search. GOOG had deskbar in beta for years and didn’t know what to do with it. As soon as MSN Toolbar Suite 2.0 Beta (the first release of desktop search with integration with the various toolbars) came out, GOOD did the same tie in.

The whole interactive map that Google Map is so well known for was implemented by Live Local first.

This list goes on and on. Obviously, MSFT needs to reflect upon themselve the lousy PR job they have been doing. However, GOOG have been enjoying undue innovation credit way too often and for way too long.

By: DS

DS — Tue, 21 Apr 2009 21:58:07 +0000

I drink your milkshake? REALLY?

By: sdman

sdman — Tue, 21 Apr 2009 21:55:19 +0000

Hey live wier
Who said Google did it better? Have you tested it thoroughly? Why you guys are so fast in judging and just saying stuff like “google can do better”? Test both of them side-by-side… then use your god-given intelligence in your head to speak out. Google does many things better, but that does not imply they can do everything better. For example their products search sucked big time – but people like you will ignore those. Anyway, does not matter, as blind people like you will lose at the end as other non-biased people will adopt whatever is better and use them.

By: Falafulu Fisi

Falafulu Fisi — Tue, 21 Apr 2009 21:54:18 +0000

NickyD said…
GOOG and MSFT guys are just testing if it’s worth building something out of it.

Totally agree.

By: funny

funny — Tue, 21 Apr 2009 21:54:12 +0000

I don’t even know the url for microsoft’s search engine.