| out for new software that will give a new face to | | | | that two different pictures of the same person will be |
| search engines. Rather, a program that includes faces | | | | recognized as one distinguished face; unless it has |
| in the search function. A new California-based | | | | been trained to recognize specific faces, photos of |
| company, Ojos, developed the online photo-based | | | | one person in, say, five different angles may very well |
| search service named Riya. With the use of | | | | be identifies as five different people. Although it may |
| avant-garde technology that allows face recognition | | | | be able to tell correctly that two different photos |
| within photos, the system is made to recognize | | | | contain the same person, its capacity to do so will only |
| individual persons as well as text in the user’s | | | | increase as it is told whom the different faces belong. |
| digitally captured photos and labels them | | | | The reason for using an email address to help identify |
| automatically—no more tedious searching for | | | | a person on a photo is to provide each face a |
| people in unnamed photos. | | | | matchless classifier. This way, the amount of training |
| Despite its only-recent use in search engine | | | | you’ve spent time on can be instantly shared |
| technology, the face recognition software is not | | | | with other users of Riya. For instance, if you’ve |
| entirely new. This is a development of a company | | | | trained the system to recognize the individual members |
| called Evolution Robotics, used in software that | | | | of your family, then other relatives can also gain from |
| operates in the revolutionary Sony AIBO robot. In | | | | your work in training the system. It is up to you if you |
| addition, Adobe’s Photoshop Elements 4.0, a | | | | would like to share your Riya training, which would then |
| photo-modification program, has a somewhat similar | | | | allow the other user, given your permission, to search a |
| function, although it does not have the ability to label | | | | member of your family once, using the exact same |
| individual photos with exact names. | | | | email address you used to tag the family member, and |
| Of course, Riya will not be able to recognize certain | | | | it will at once single his or her pictures out from the |
| faces immediately after you have installed the | | | | other user’s personal photo collection. |
| software. You need to put in several minutes of | | | | Something about the workings of this system might |
| training the program to identify a certain person whose | | | | not seem appealing to some people; they may even |
| pictures you need to find, although once it’s | | | | find it frightening, to think that tons of photos with their |
| done, you can easily carry on with the search. Not a | | | | faces in it and labeled with their email addresses may |
| bad service at all for tech savvy individuals, who are | | | | be accessible to others, maybe even strangers, at any |
| fast becoming shutterbugs. | | | | time. It would be comforting to know that only the |
| Moreover, training the service can be pretty easy. | | | | company can completely access this record of faces. |
| While organizing your photos, just be sure to input the | | | | Those who may post pictures with your face in it can |
| name and email address that corresponds to each | | | | allow others to view them, as well as make the |
| new face you happen upon. The second time you see | | | | system training open to them, but rest assured that the |
| that same face, a drop down list of options will include | | | | email address linked to the person is by no means |
| the associated name, so you can simply choose from | | | | revealed through the software. |
| there. In due time, the service will become accustomed | | | | In effect, another user will fail to identify you with the |
| to identifying your family, relatives, friends, business | | | | use of the Riya database if he or she does not |
| contacts, and others that pop up often enough in your | | | | already know your email address and possess photos |
| photo collection. Tags will then be made automatically, | | | | with your face in them. Ideally, those who do know are |
| and the best way to ensure it does this is to train it | | | | people you know and can entrust with personal data, |
| often. | | | | yet some users are still reluctant to entertain the idea |
| For the most part, Riya is a Web-based system that | | | | of having a software company gathering email |
| requires the user to have a small-sized file that helps | | | | addresses without their knowledge or assent, despite |
| your computer upload pictures to servers of the | | | | its non-disclosure policy. |
| company. You just need to indicate on the PC module | | | | Initially, Riya was only able to recognize faces in |
| the part of your computer to look for your photo | | | | photos that are deliberately posed, with the person |
| collection in, and you can continue to do work as it | | | | staring right into the camera. Even a post-launch |
| serves up the files in the background. However, | | | | internal testing was able to reveal a number of serious |
| uploading hundreds of photos have taken more than a | | | | bugs to Ojos’ team, which they were able to |
| few hours during post-launch software tests. This is a | | | | fix in a matter of days, thankfully, but only future |
| shortcoming that Ojos must work on to continue | | | | upgrades will unveil its full potential. Until then, imagine |
| developing Riya into a top-notch application. Meanwhile, | | | | the convenience of having Riya in your computer |
| the company has recommended that heavy users | | | | system. Image files containing text will be easily |
| schedule the uploading during their sleeping hours. | | | | searchable, visually, while finding people in your digital |
| The service will then scan for people’s face in | | | | pictures collection will be a breeze. In the future with |
| your photos once you have uploaded them. At first, no | | | | Riya, locating the files you need while you work on a |
| tagging will be done, as it will only collect the thumbnails | | | | website design or composite photo will be much faster |
| that correspond to every unique face found in your | | | | and possibly hassle-free. |
| set of pictures. Of course, there’s no guarantee | | | | |