Session 9: Rich Media
Video
Presenting Companies
VideoSurf
VideoSurf is a computer vision search engine that has created a new way for users to easily find, discover and watch the videos from across the Web. Founded in 2006 by leading experts in computer vision and fast computation, VideoSurf has taught computers to “see” inside videos so that videos can now be analyzed and understood. By offering a search and discovery experience powered by visual content, rather than text, VideoSurf's search engine delivers more relevant results and provides better ways for users to discover videos online. VideoSurf also allows consumers to visually navigate results to easily find the specific scenes, people or moments they most want to see, so users spend less time searching and more time being entertained. VideoSurf aims to become the ultimate destination for consumers looking to search and discover video content on the Web. |
GazoPa
GazoPa is an image search engine by Hitachi that uses features from an image to search for and identify similar images. There are abundant quantities of images on the web, however many of these simply cannot be described by keywords, keywords are not sufficient as conditions for image searches. Since GazoPa uses image features such as a color or a shape to search other similar images, a vast range of images can be retrieved from the web. 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 photo but also the search of video thumbnail. GazoPa lets users find favorite video from similarity of video thumbnail. GazoPa overcomes the limits of keyword searches and introduces a new world to image searches. |
Fotonauts
fotonauts is where people and images come together. Today hundreds of millions of digital images are captured every year, with the 500 million digital cameras in circulation and the billion plus cell phones with cameras But... as soon as these images are captured, they are "captured". 93% of them remain on the storage device they were taken on, or on the users hard drive. The remaining 7% are shared only with small groups, mainly via email. The tiny minority that end up on online services have restrictive licenses - "all rights reserved" - and therefore are not useable by others. fotonauts wants to liberate your images from "capture". Firstly, we make uploading so easy you do not need to think about it. Secondly, we enable your online service to connect you to others in the same or other online services, rather than restricting you to sharing only with those who use the same service. Finally, we enable the growth of Creative Commons licenses allowing the use of images by others. All this in the context of a real-time dialog between you and others working to create, enjoy, discover and collaborate. fotonauts has a Mac and Windows Client and a Web based service. founded by former Apple applications and NeXt CTO, Jean-Marie Hullot, and the team thet built iSync and iCal at Apple, and joined by Keith Teare, EasyNet and RealNames founder, as President, fotonauts is focused on taking social photography to the next level. The company recently completed a seed financing round of $2.3m, led by Brad Silverberg at Ignition Partners and joined by Banexi (France); Digital Garage (Japan); SofttechVC (Bay Area); Joi Ito, Reid Hoffman, Saul Klein and Ron Conway. Silverberg and Ito join Hullot and Teare on the Board of Directors. |
Bojam
Bojam is an online music collaboration service connecting musicians by giving them a platform to mix, record, and collaborate to produce original or popular music. Musicians of all levels create or discover mixes to contribute to and connect with compatible musicians worldwide. They can use the Bojam Mixer to experience a song in its multi-track format, controlling individual instruments (eg muting or panning a track) and learning how to play a given part. Users record what they play and mix it with the song, then use advanced editing and sound effect tools to clean it up. Mass collaboration has been utilized in text (Wikipedia) and software (Firefox). Bojam does so with music, open-sourcing all aspects of the music creation process, including a wiki-style platform for adding song info, lyrics and instrument tabs. Bojam is open-source music and our goal is to revolutionize the music creation process by harnessing the skill, enthusiasm, and creativity of the music community. |
Expert Panelists
 Bradley Horowitz |  Joi Ito |  Sheryl Sandberg |  Robert Scoble |
