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Mobli’s EyeIn smart visual search crowdsources the right images for publishers

Jun15
by on June 15, 2015 at 4:00 pm
Posted In: Apps, Around the Web, EyeIn, Images, Mobli, pictures, Videos

EyeIn

Imaging company Mobli has developed a visual search engine aimed at publishers, that combs social networks in real-time for the most relevant images and video to embed in their content.

EyeIn is smarter than your average image aggregator: it uses computer vision, natural language processing and machine learning technologies to analyze and categorize crowdsourced visual media, and surfaces the best pictures in a dynamic widget.

EyeIn widget

Let’s say you’re live-blogging a basketball game. EyeIn recognizes that a game is on between Cleveland Cavaliers and San Antonio Spurs, and pulls in pictures and video clips from Facebook, Instagram, Twitter and Mobli, the company’s own image-sharing app.

But that’s not all. The engine is smart enough to correctly categorize front-cam portraits of fans as selfies, and leaves them out of its consideration set — because that’s not what the game is about. Instead, it will display pictures of players, the venue and the crowd.

EyeIn can also analyze videos and is capable of skipping uneventful clips to surface only highlights.

The tool will come in handy for publishers who want to add genuine real-time visual media to their content without breaking a sweat. EyeIn is available as a free add-on; the company will soon introduce a monetization method based on a revenue-sharing model to benefit publishers.

Ido Sadeh, COO of Mobli Media, says:

EyeIn allows publishers to bring their readers an unprecedented level of real-time access to the events and trends that matter most to them and a degree of authenticity that can only come from a purely crowdsourced platform.

EyeIn location-based search

For other users, EyeIn is a powerful image search engine that gives them a close-up look at sporting, live entertainment and breaking news events from around the world, through pictures and videos crowdsourced in real-time.

➤ EyeIn

Read next: Creative Commons is building a mobile app to kill stock photos

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a couple of laughzillas on a blue diamond background

Mobli’s EyeIn smart visual search crowdsources the right images for publishers

Jun15
by on June 15, 2015 at 4:00 pm
Posted In: Apps, Around the Web, EyeIn, Images, Mobli, pictures, Videos

EyeIn

Imaging company Mobli has developed a visual search engine aimed at publishers, that combs social networks in real-time for the most relevant images and video to embed in their content.

EyeIn is smarter than your average image aggregator: it uses computer vision, natural language processing and machine learning technologies to analyze and categorize crowdsourced visual media, and surfaces the best pictures in a dynamic widget.

EyeIn widget

Let’s say you’re live-blogging a basketball game. EyeIn recognizes that a game is on between Cleveland Cavaliers and San Antonio Spurs, and pulls in pictures and video clips from Facebook, Instagram, Twitter and Mobli, the company’s own image-sharing app.

But that’s not all. The engine is smart enough to correctly categorize front-cam portraits of fans as selfies, and leaves them out of its consideration set — because that’s not what the game is about. Instead, it will display pictures of players, the venue and the crowd.

EyeIn can also analyze videos and is capable of skipping uneventful clips to surface only highlights.

The tool will come in handy for publishers who want to add genuine real-time visual media to their content without breaking a sweat. EyeIn is available as a free add-on; the company will soon introduce a monetization method based on a revenue-sharing model to benefit publishers.

Ido Sadeh, COO of Mobli Media, says:

EyeIn allows publishers to bring their readers an unprecedented level of real-time access to the events and trends that matter most to them and a degree of authenticity that can only come from a purely crowdsourced platform.

EyeIn location-based search

For other users, EyeIn is a powerful image search engine that gives them a close-up look at sporting, live entertainment and breaking news events from around the world, through pictures and videos crowdsourced in real-time.

➤ EyeIn

Read next: Creative Commons is building a mobile app to kill stock photos

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Facebook wants to suggest status update topics, and that’s a terrible, horrible, very bad idea

Jun15
by on June 15, 2015 at 3:34 pm
Posted In: Around the Web, Insider, Opinion

SuggestedTopics

From staged ‘candid’ Instagram photos to revising that tweet several times until it’s just the right amount of clever, we all want to appear interesting on the internet.

And while part of that means making the right comment at the right time, I’m not sure Facebook is going about it the best way.

In a new Facebook feature test, SocialTimes reports that some users are seeing “Suggested Topics” appear in their status update boxes. These topics include heavy-hitting subjects like “#NationalPeanutButterCookieDay,” “#WorldBikeNakedDay,” and a vague “#LovingDay.”
 Screen Shot 2015-06-15 at 11.18.51 AM

Another user submission suggests that Facebook also tracks your commenting activity to surface the appropriate topic for your next status update.

Image via SocialTimes
Image via SocialTimes

This is dumb. Facebook is about expressing whatever comes to mind, not what you’re prompted to talk about. The only thing worse than bandwagoning is forced bandwagoning.

In the examples above, Facebook has suggested fairly fluffy topics. Assuming this feature makes it to a full rollout, my news feed is about to get 10 times worse come election season this fall. Unlike Twitter, you can’t mute a hashtag – you deal with what Facebook surfaces based on trendiness.

We already have an issue with slacktivism on social media; we don’t need Facebook amplifying the amount of useless status updates from people who needed something new to post. It’s lazy and encourages trash content.

On the plus side, if you were looking to quit that Facebook addiction, now’s your chance.

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Skype for Web is now available worldwide, adds Chromebook support

Jun15
by on June 15, 2015 at 3:17 pm
Posted In: Around the Web, Insider

skype-logo-open-graph-730x305

If you’re not a fan of Skype’s desktop app, you can now use the company’s new Web app regardless of where you live.

Skype’s Web app is free to use and as of today works with Chrome OS and Linux, in addition to Internet Explorer, Chrome, Safari and Firefox on Windows and OS X.

Just two weeks ago Microsoft expanded the beta to include the US/UK, but today is dropping those restrictions.

In the future Skype for Web will utilize WebRTC so that you don’t need to install any plugins to get it working — meaning you only need to allow the site permission to use your webcam and microphone and you’re good to go, but for now a plugin is required to make calls.

➤ Skype for Web (Beta) [Skype Garage]

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These companies know more about your sex life than you might be comfortable with

Jun15
by on June 15, 2015 at 2:31 pm
Posted In: Around the Web, Opinion, Shareables, Social Media

shutterstock_286224446

At WWDC15 we watched a rather weird presentation by Jimmy Iovine on Apple Music. One thing that caught my attention was the clear reference to getting it on. It starts at 111:48 in the video and goes like this:

Picture this, you are in a special moment.
You are exercising, or some other special moment.
(audience laughter)
Right Dre? He exercises a lot.
(points to Dr. Dre, in the audience, invisible)
And your heart is pumping! And youre about to turn up the reps, and the next song comes on and…
(imitating a buzzer): Eeeeeh! Buzz kill!

Hmm yeah, aside from the awkward name-dropping the whole thing seemed a little creepy during an event held early in the morning. But it also made me wonder: Do companies like Spotify know when you are, ahem, exercising?

Larger commerce companies like Amazon and Target can, by analyzing your data, roughly predict whether a women is pregnant. They can even guess when her due date is.

If you’re pregnant you might buy a larger bag to accommodate diapers, unscented soap, lotion, and zinc and magnesium supplements. All those things on your shopping list can help a company target you better, even without knowing your name or email-address. A unique identifier is enough.

Dating data

Now imagine it is Saturday evening, you’ve been playing upbeat songs all day via Spotify, then around 7pm you play some dinner music and at 9pm you switch to some Barry White. It doesn’t take a genius to know what you’re doing. Spotify can guess when you are getting it on. And if your date uses Shazam to identify that Barry White song, well, it might know their patterns as well.

If you are wearing an Apple Watch (at all times, right?), FitBit or Jawbone UP then those companies have that intimate data too. Every time you turn around, or move that arm up and down, and up and down, and… well, you get the idea.

You might trust Apple not to look into your data, but take a good look at HealthKit, which shares your heart rate and general movement with a bunch of apps. Mine is connected to Withings, a heart rate app, Nike+ and a few others. I’ve really got no idea where my data is going after that.

Now how about Google? What you are searching for says something about what you are thinking about. Freudian searches anyone?

You check Facebook every 2 minutes, right? So when you and your date get together and for exactly 43 minutes don’t check anything, and then at the same time check back in again? Yep, Facebook knows.

sleepcycle

The most interesting app that knows more about your love life than you might think is Sleep Cycle. It analyzes the movements of your mattress to see when you are in deep sleep or about to wake up. In the morning it can time your alarm for when you’re between deep sleep cycles, which is really cool.

Really cool, until you realize that phone is probably also there when you are making a different kind movement. And since the app is smart enough to figure out the difference between deep and shallow sleep movements, I’m pretty sure it can very accurately analyze and identify when you’re doing it.

Maybe think about that the next time you are considering taking your phone into the bedroom.

Read next: We don’t need the quantified cock, men think with their dicks enough already

Feat image credit: Shutterstock/Chervonaya

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