TECH-LIFE

Cultureserve contributor D.Mo. sent us this info on a Jaw-Dropping Demo of Photosynth. “I watched this TED conference. In my opinion, this new application is Web 2.0 par excellence because it links together the images we share on the Web to create real-world, 3D environments we can explore on our computers as if we were holding miniature models. Photosynth is based on Seadragon technology (created by architect Blaise Aguera y Arcas which allows users to interact with dozens of images in the same way they use Google Earth to bound around the globe. You can see all of your images from a bird’s eye view of your desktop, seamlessly zoom in on an image of choice, and easily zoom back out. Although that world is only two-dimensional, Photosynth maintains that zooming tool (which feels almost like grabbing) in 3D environments constructed through hyperlinks created between images people post on the Web through sites like Flickr. It’s really quite amazing when you see Mr. Arcas use it in his demo. What will be even more amazing is when we’ll be able to use Photosynth to print out 3D objects. Yes—when explained, the science behind the application sounds complex, but the result is simple. Photosynth allows us to interact with the Web in a way closely resembling how we interact with the real world.”