Image Search : The Other Way Around

Ever wish we had a search engine where we could input images and get text as a result? I imagine that almost all the time. Unlike where google and other search engines output images for the text you input, this one would rather have you upload the pics and identify what it is.

Today I was just wishing for the same when I was on my field visit. I came across a beautiful pink organism by the shore, which looked more like made of rubber and had few tentacles. Out of curiosity I began examining it and noticed it had eyes too! Excited, I showed it to my colleague imagining I’d click a snap of it in the next few seconds and entering its minute details, check out on web what it actually was. Maybe an anemone, a sponge or whatever. But the fact that my colleague snatched that beautiful organism from my hand that very moment and threw it into the sea is another story! . What did he think? That it’d bite me? Or maybe that it may still be alive and needs the water to survive?

Anyways back to the topic. See something or someone or anything for that matter, click a pic of it and upload it to your search engine and it searches the world wide web and tells you what the pic exactly is or could be with a series of results. Sounds impossible? Maybe not. Vodafone has already come up with a similar concept with their Otello Search Engine but it should also be noted that Vodafone failed to identify Chancellor Angela Merkel of Germany.

Though this new technology which seems too good to be true and may have a lot of demerits, it is still running trials and meant only for vodafone users. But soon there maybe a day when all of us at the comforts of our PC’s and Lappies click pics, upload to the web and obtain results

Office Internet..

I came across this really cool article on MSN on 10 things we need to know about internet at office. 4/10 points WOW-ed me and I have already begun using those. So this post is just a summary of the same article (with my comments in green) posted originally by Vauhini Vara of Wall Street Journal. So all credit and thanks go to her. Happy Reading

1. How to send giant files: Use online services such as YouSendIt Inc., SendThisFile Inc. and Carson Systems Ltd.’s DropSend, which let you send large files — sometimes up to a few gigabytes in size — free of charge. (I would suggest uploading your files on some sharing sites like zshare.com or 4shared.com or something like dat where ur files can be kept private and the link can be passed on to anyone so that they can download it).

2. How to use software that your company won’t let you download: For Instant Messaging use web based messengers of yahoo, gtalk (Google.com/talk), AIM (AIM.com/aimexpress.adp) etc. (U cud use online messengers like meebo.com or iloveim.com to sign in on all your accounts at once but I’m not sure how secure they are).

OR Go Trillian! Its from ceruleanstudios.com and lets you connect to AOL Instant Messenger, Yahoo Messenger, MSN and others — and lets you encrypt your IM conversations so that they can’t be read.

(RareIdeas.com), offers free versions of popular programs such as Firefox and OpenOffice. You can download the software onto a portable device like an iPod or a USB stick, through a service called Portable Apps (PortableApps.com). Then hook the device up to your work computer, and you’re ready to go. (But if your company blocks you from using external devices, you’re out of luck).

3. How to visit the Web sites your company blocks: Access through a proxy site, list of proxy sites are given under proxy.org

OR Use Google’s translation service, asking it to do an English-to-English translation. Just enter this — Google.com/translate?langpair=en|en&u=www.blockedsite.com– replacing “blockedsite.com” with the Web address of the site you want to visit. Google effectively acts as a proxy, calling up the site for you. (Well I dont think any sites are blocked for me, so lucky me n three cheers to my company .. but this trick is surely gonna be recommended to some of my friends).

4. How to clear your tracks on your work laptop/ PC: The latest versions of the Internet Explorer and Firefox browsers both make it easy to clear your tracks. In IE7, click on Tools, then Delete Browsing History. From there, you can either delete all your history by clicking Delete All or choose one or a few kinds of data to delete. In Firefox, just hit Ctrl-Shift-Del — or click Clear Private Data under the Tools menu. (Or Tools ->Internet Options -> Clear history and also set the days to zero so that browsing history dont stay for more than a day).

5. How to search for your work documents from home: Google, Microsoft, Yahoo and IAC/InterActiveCorp’s Ask unit have all released software that lets you quickly search your desktop documents. On top of that, some will let you search through documents saved on one computer from another one. How does it work? The search company keeps a copy of your documents on its own server, so it can scan those copies when you do a search remotely.To use Google’s software — among the most popular — follow these steps on both your work and home PC. First, you’ll need to set up a Google account on both machines by visiting Google.com/accounts. (Be sure to use the same account on both computers.) Then go to Desktop.Google.com to download the search software. When it’s up and running — again, do this on both machines — click
on Desktop Preferences, then Google Account Features. From there, check the box
next to Search Across Computers. After that point, any document you open on
either machine will be copied to Google’s servers — and will be searchable from
either machine. (Lovely! I gotta give this a shot).

6. How to store work files online: Use an online-storage service from the
likes of Box.net Inc., Streamload Inc. or AOL-owned Xdrive. (Box.net also offers its service inside the social-networking site Facebook.) Most offer some free storage, from one to five gigabytes, and charge a few dollars a month for premium packages with extra space. Another guerrilla storage solution is to e-mail files to your private, Web-based e-mail account, such as Gmail or Hotmail. (Same as point 1.. Use virtual drives like 4shared, zshare or the others mentioned here).

7. How to keep your privacy when using Web mail: For Web-based personal
e-mail, try this trick : When checking e-mail, add an “s” to the end of the “http” in front of your e-mail provider’s Web address — for instance, https://www.Gmail.com. This throws you into a secure session, so that nobody can track your e-mail. Not all Web services may support this, however. [ I love this trick! Infact am using it right now!! ]

8. How to access your work e-mail remotely when your company won’t spring for a Blackberry: You, too, can stay up to date on work e-mail, using any number of consumer-oriented hand-held devices. Just set up your work e-mail so
that all your e-mails get forwarded to your personal e-mail account. In Microsoft Outlook, you can do this by right-clicking on any e-mail, choosing Create Rule, and asking that all your e-mail be forwarded to another address. Then, set up your hand-held to receive your personal e-mail, by following instructions from the service provider for your hand-held.

9. How to access your personal e-mail on your BlackBerry: Look at the Settings area of your personal e-mail account, and make sure you’ve enabled POP — Post Office Protocol — a method used to retrieve e-mail from elsewhere. Then log in to the Web site for your BlackBerry service provider. Click on the Profile button, look for the e-mail Accounts section and click on Other e-mail Accounts. Then click Add Account and enter the information for your Web-based e-mail account. Now your personal e-mails will pop up on the same screen as your company e-mail.

10. How to look like you’re working: Hit Alt-Tab to quickly minimize one
window (say, the one where you’re browsing ESPN.com) and maximize another (like
that presentation that’s due today). [The best always comes last. This is my most favourite trick that I have already begun using, effective today . Oh yeah and a piece of advice, remember to wipe the smile off your face too! ].

For the entire six paged article with the risks of each trick and how to stay safe Click HERE. Thanks a ton to the journalist for her hardwork on enlightening us with this beautiful article and saving lots of our time .

 

Technophobia..?

There are some gadgets/technologies that scare me and sometimes I wonder, I wish there was something of this kind, or why isn’t it invented yet?? So what are we waiting for? Let’s start!

Gadgets/Technologies that Scare Me:

S When I’m online for too long in front of my PC, I sometimes worry if the monitor may blow up on my face (same applies for my mobile phone too)

S While having a hot shower, I look up at the electric water heater and think, Hey! Is dat a leak? Is the heater gonna burst? Will the boiling water be all over me? Will I be able to get out or how will I be rescued?

S Umm.. The Blow Dryer.. It blows my hair dry; will there be a day when it emits fire instead of hot air and eventually char my hair out?

S Well this is classic.. And I guess can be listed among the fears of a majority. What if your using someone else’s toilet & later it wont flush? Let’s make it a bit scarier. N there’s no water in the pipes to fill out the tank or umm u know, whatever! What will you do? . Panic Strikes! I’ve seen this happening to someone and since then have added it to my list. Prevention is better than cure, so if being in a situation like this is gonna scare u, check everything before u use some1 else’s toilet

[God forbid all of the above happening to any1, be it your best friend or your best enemy ]

Gadgets/Technologies I wish there were:

S Lotta things go missing at home and I do not find them at the right time. Sometimes they are found at places where I’d least expect them to be and that too after the purpose is served. Or when I enter the kitchen and don’t find something I need I think, Sigh! Wish we had a Home Edition of Google Search Engine! Or maybe something handy like a pager, which when u type in the item denotes the position where it is within Ur house, office etc. [GOOGLE, r u listening? This could be Ur next big business ]

S Bluetooth in digital cameras: I guess this is currently under production, but don’t u think we need them badly? Imagine u n somebody else clicking the same picture but that person has a better shot? Or you have a camera n ur friend has a mobile phone (or vice versa) and he wants the pic u just captured. N u say, “Sure! I’ll mail it to you after I connect my cam to the Comp”?? This would sound like ages if we all had Bluetooth enabled digital cams with us. Companies, Speed up the production please.. There are people like me waiting for them [Kindly excuse my ignorance incase they are already out ]

I’m sure there r quite a few gadgets that I’ve missed out while typing this, the lists will be updated as and when I recollect them