Google’s search by Image

Google has announced the launch of a new image search feature, search using an image as the source, Google then searches for images similar to it and returnes both image and text results. This technology has been available on mobile for some time from Google Goggles, but now it’s coming to the desktop.

Google explains:

You might have an old vacation photo, but forgot the name of that beautiful beach. Typing [guy on a rocky path on a cliff with an island behind him] isn’t exactly specific enough to help find your answer. So when words aren’t as descriptive as the image, you can now search using the image itself.

To search using an image, go to images.google.com and just put your picture in the search box. There are many ways to do this:

Google says the feature returns the best results for images that have related content already on the web, it's most effective with things like landmarks, artworks as opposed to images of family.

Google also announced a bundle of other new search features, including bringing voice search to the desktop, Google Instant for Images, and something called Instant Pages, which in Google's Chrome browser pre-loads popular pages before you click on the search results, meaning you view them far quicker.

These new features will be comming out to users on Google.com over the coming weeks.

The Mobile Spring Tide

Tablets, netbooks and smart phones coupled with modern operating systems, fast browsers and the infamous cloud. All the pieces of the puzzle are finally coming together for a spring tide in the mobile computing arena.

Asus got the ball rolling, Apple reminded us that we wanted it and Google’s been patiently waiting for everything to fall neatly into place. Technology has finally reached a point where we are comfortably able to continue working beyond the office. The Asus Eee PC released in 2008 woke everyone up to the fact that PC components are now small enough and cheap enough to package the basics into one inexpensive simple design.

Apple made the mobile sphere trendy and built up the excitement with the iPad but this excitement has in my opinion, clouded some of the practicality of mobility especially in business. This fog is starting to clear and tablets and netbooks are making their way into the hands of the corporate world. Sure it’s cool to surf the web and share your family album but the real gem with tablet PCs and netbooks is the ability to take your work with you wherever you go.

Cloud computing was simply a buzz word in tech circles up until recently but for the common person it simply means being able continue working using the simplest of devices from anywhere in the world. Compiling a spreadsheet in Google Docs, collaborating in an online project plan, attending a video conference on Skype, sharing files on Dropbox, working on a company portal, the list goes on.

These are just the tip of the iceberg in terms of what can be done in the cloud using nothing more than a tablet PC. One is given a strong sense of freedom when your work is able to move with you wherever you go.

A new era in IT

 

Network Support

Network Support was formed in 1995, and a lot has happened in the time until now. Us old folk have stories of Spectrums, Commodores, XT'S, AT's, DOS, Windows for Workgroups. This post serves to set the set the theme for the nature of the NS post in the future.

Bigger and Smaller

In the past 10 years, things have got bigger and smaller in the same breath, bigger in capacity, and smaller in foot print.

Until recently, the item that has changed the least has been the screen or monitor as we used to call them. Those bulky Cathode Ray Tube monitors occupied the real estate on the desk. Now the LCD screen frees up so much working space, and we put a second screen on our desks.

The Power of The Web

Web 2 technology has changed the internet horizon for the better and allowed dynamic websites like Facebook to emerge and totally dominate the web landscape. How far we have come since my first published website in 1993.

More Mobile and More fun

Never before has computing been so exciting. There are changes in technology and new devices that are changing the way we work. The iPad has totally dominated the tablet space, and led to renewed interest in the Apple brand.

The Cloud

Cloud computing has been spoken about for years, attempted for years, and only now seems to be adopted seriously by business. The concept of storing your "stuff" somewhere, that can only realistically described as "not here" requires a paradigm change, but more importantly requires bandwidth. Time will tell whether we have sufficient bandwidth.

The Future of the Net-Sup Blog

In this blog we will be bringing new and regular information as we give reviews, advice, tips, in the same way that our Newsletter has done in the past year. The contributors will be young and old, as we attempt to provide a service to our current customers, and people that we want to be our customers.

Terry Lewis

http://www.facebook.com/lewyterry

http://www.facebook.com/NetSup

http://za.linkedin.com/in/terrylewis

Twitter@terryelewis