Hitachi Releases Facebook Application of Similar Image Search Engine 'Gazopa'

December 9, 2008

Hitachi announced today that it released 'GazoPa book' a new Facebook application that enables users to search for images both inside Facebook and on the web similar to their profile photo and photos at their albums.

'GazoPa book' enables users to find images on the web that are similar to their photo at profile and albums. Images similar to their friend's profile and albums can be also searched. Now users can search for similar images that are stored at Facebook. Users do not always tag their images at their albums and there is no way for other users to search for images without tags. But since 'GazoPa' can search for images without tags by using image features such as color and a shape, users can look for similar images easily.

This application enables users to connect to other users who have similar images with them. Users may sympathize with other users who have similar images. Images can be go-between in the users. Facebook has a feature to recommend other users that users may know. 'GazoPa book' can also recommend other users who have similar photos. The more users participate in this application, the more new users can be connected each other.

This 'GazoPa book' is the first step that Hitachi has released an application of 'GazoPa' that connects to third party platform. In the future, Hitachi plans to release additional applications that can work at third party platform.

Users can get 'GazoPa book' at http://www.facebook.com/apps/application.php?id=36689117046

GazoPa is a Hitachi Web image search engine in private beta release, that uses features from an image to search for and identify similar images. In addition to images found using keyword searches, GazoPa enables the use of users' own photos and drawings, and images found on the Web, as search keys to locate similar images. GazoPa can support not only photos but also the search of video thumbnails.

Provided by Hitachi