A VC - Latest Comments in More Lazy Web Thoughts

Re: More Lazy Web Thoughts

Franz — Tue, 12 Aug 2008 04:47:08 -0000

a lazy web and a lazy way to browse flickr http://www.facesaerch.com/f...
(and every other kind of RSS feed i.e.: http://www.facesaerch.com/f... )

Re: More Lazy Web Thoughts

ARozenberg — Sat, 09 Aug 2008 13:01:43 -0000

Love the "Shazam for pictures" idea.
A few thoughts on that:
1- The end game is a sensible picture correlation engine and a Google bank of advertisers through images...match made in heaven, but not there today.
2- The industry has 3 stabs (to the best of my knowledge) at it.
The first is direct image correlation (www.mobot.com). But I believe in the lack of having tons of Google power from advertisers on their side, they look like a Bangalore shop of human correlators for 10 campaigns. (no offense Mobot)
The second is code scanning. Check this out (http://amir4.blogspot.com/2.... I was working for a company in this space and we mapped the Boston freedom trail. clearly this could extend to any other field (shopping etc.). I think though that the human behavioral change to understand and use codes is challenging and eventually operators would love to kill it.
The solution in between is stenography (human invisible code embedded in the image), however that one is highly dependent and sensitive to the image quality, which makes the user experience rather poor. I believe though, that Voda (http://www.intomobile.com/2... launched something like that not too long ago.

Re: More Lazy Web Thoughts

Imran Ali — Sat, 09 Aug 2008 10:16:45 -0000

Perhaps you find that funny Mark - but I'd like to disavow you of your prejudice. I'm also from Bradford and have had a successful career for over a decade working in tech startups between London, Yorkshire, Boston and San Francisco. I'm doing things to help extend those opportunities to others. Cynical sniping at the efforts of others trying to make a difference isn't helpful.

Drop me an email - I'll be happy to illustrate how the region is transforming itself and the historical contribution it has made to the internet industry.

Re: More Lazy Web Thoughts

fredwilson — Sat, 09 Aug 2008 06:22:04 -0000

Then, I'd love an intro

Re: More Lazy Web Thoughts

campden — Sat, 09 Aug 2008 06:18:57 -0000

That's how they described themselves.
http://www.SnapNow.co.uk/wh...

Re: More Lazy Web Thoughts

Gotham Gal — Sat, 09 Aug 2008 06:09:20 -0000

walk up the stairs....ha!

Re: More Lazy Web Thoughts

fredwilson — Sat, 09 Aug 2008 05:33:04 -0000

Are they doing "shazam for images"?

Re: More Lazy Web Thoughts

campden — Sat, 09 Aug 2008 03:57:12 -0000

Fred - I am VC in London. I was presented to by http://www.snapnow.com/corp..., the CEO whom we know quite well.
Your comment reminded me of them. They have some fascinating technology. The 'shazam for images' idea has all manner of potential applications. Happy to make an introduction.

Re: More Lazy Web Thoughts

nav — Fri, 08 Aug 2008 18:09:39 -0000

Shazam for photos sounds awesome : Ideally a mash-up concept between Microsoft's Photosynth and Riya/Like?

Re: More Lazy Web Thoughts

Robert Seidman — Fri, 08 Aug 2008 15:03:39 -0000

It seems to me that just as a result of this post and this comment the chances of this *not* happening are asymptotically approaching zero.. I see a follow-up "new in our portfolio" post linking back to this one in the near future. If so, between that and Brett Favre, it's an especially good time to be you ; )

Re: More Lazy Web Thoughts

fredwilson — Fri, 08 Aug 2008 12:07:12 -0000

That's sweet

Re: More Lazy Web Thoughts

fredwilson — Fri, 08 Aug 2008 11:57:09 -0000

If there's one thing I got from my short visit to edinburgh was a desire to come back

Re: More Lazy Web Thoughts

Mark Bean — Fri, 08 Aug 2008 11:32:51 -0000

"hopefully to introduce him to the emerging technology ecosphere of the North of England."
Funniest thing I have read all day, Fred. I am originally from Bradford - 10 miles away from Leeds but moved to California due to a distinct lack of said 'ecosphere'.
Best thing about Leeds is Harvey Nichols.

Re: More Lazy Web Thoughts

fredwilson — Fri, 08 Aug 2008 11:14:11 -0000

Hopefully someone will do it and then come show it to us and ask us to invest in it!

Re: More Lazy Web Thoughts

fredwilson — Fri, 08 Aug 2008 11:14:08 -0000

Neat. I'll check it out

Re: More Lazy Web Thoughts

fredwilson — Fri, 08 Aug 2008 11:14:07 -0000

You are right about that

Re: More Lazy Web Thoughts

Anne Johnson — Fri, 08 Aug 2008 10:23:05 -0000

re : your title on Flickr .. Scott Monument, not Scott Memorial. Edinburgh looks gray and cool. Pity not to get any time to look around - this is the height of the Festival and Fringe season - great art exhibitions, a huge variety of music, a book festival, comedy, etc .. many thousands of events.

Anne (who used to live there, and looks forward to going back)

Re: More Lazy Web Thoughts

Sean Ammirati — Fri, 08 Aug 2008 09:43:48 -0000

Fred,

You should also consider wikinear which (when allowing FireEagle to know your location) solves the same use case -- http://wikinear.com/ Basically, it shows you relevant articles in wikipedia based on where you are.

Thanks,
Sean

Re: More Lazy Web Thoughts

bijan — Fri, 08 Aug 2008 08:57:52 -0000

shazam for photos.

i love that idea.

Re: More Lazy Web Thoughts

Chi-chi Ekweozor — Fri, 08 Aug 2008 08:38:21 -0000

Looking forward to hearing your talk later today. One of the few making it across the Penines from Manchester.

Re: More Lazy Web Thoughts

Imran Ali — Fri, 08 Aug 2008 08:35:18 -0000

Hey Fred, I think Yahoo's Berkeley R&D labs did something similar a couple years ago called 'Zonetag' (http://zonetag.research.yah...

Re: More Lazy Web Thoughts

Geoff — Fri, 08 Aug 2008 08:09:43 -0000

Would have loved to pop up to Leeds to hear your talk. Not possible due to prior family commitments. The web really needs a way of keeping track when and where folks are giving talks.

Re: More Lazy Web Thoughts

John A Arkansawyer — Fri, 08 Aug 2008 07:37:21 -0000

If it's fast enough, you could become a tour guide without having to do any work.

Well, not quite. This method would have told me about the Chagall mosaic my friend took me to in Chicago, but it wouldn't have gotten me there in the first place. The "guide" part of the experience, eh?

Re: More Lazy Web Thoughts

James — Fri, 08 Aug 2008 06:22:15 -0000

Reminds me slightly of this TED talk demo

http://www.ted.com/index.ph...

Re: More Lazy Web Thoughts

Jenilia — Fri, 08 Aug 2008 05:50:46 -0000

Lazy, because only lazy programmers will want to write the kind of tools that might replace them in the end. Lazy, because only a lazy programmer will avoid writing monotonous, repetitive code – thus avoiding redundancy, the enemy of software maintenance and flexible refactoring. Mostly, the tools and processes that come out of this endeavor fired by laziness will speed up the production.
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Jenilia
New York Treatment Centers