TEDTalk Tuesday: Jaw-dropping Photosynth demo

[Occulus]

For this week's TEDTALKTUESDAY, we'll be taking a look at a new way of viewing large collections of digital photos. It's jaw-dropping in the video, but it's even more amazing in actual use. Watch the video, then try it out for yourself.

Enjoy!

BLAISEAGUERAYARCAS

Talk Title: Jaw-dropping Photosynth demo (video runtime: 07:42)

(No photo available)

About this Talk

Using photos of oft-snapped subjects (like Notre Dame) scraped from around the Web, Photosynth (based on Seadragon technology) creates breathtaking multidimensional spaces with zoom and navigation features that outstrip all expectation. Its architect, Blaise Aguera y Arcas, shows it off in this standing-ovation demo. Curious about that speck in corner? Dive into a freefall and watch as the speck becomes a gargoyle. With an unpleasant grimace. And an ant-sized chip in its lower left molar. "Perhaps the most amazing demo I've seen this year," wrote Ethan Zuckerman, after TED2007. Indeed, Photosynth might utterly transform the way we manipulate and experience digital images.

[Occulus]

1. shameless self-kick

because Photosynth is such a badass little toy... right now.

Their website states that eventually you'll be able to add your own photos into the collections. Marvelous. :D

[dionysus]

2. that's really cool!

kick

[Occulus]

5. I should add

Yes, in this case, the video matches the reality. It really does run this buttery smooth and it really can disply many many gigabytes of images at once. It does this by blurring out the detail in the thumbnail view, and loading images on demand.

That doesn't mean a mouse click, necessarily; Photosynth will sense you're zooming in on an image and provide higher resolution if available. It all happens seamlessly, and it's so powerful that the art studio collection photos can become so detailed up close that you actually see the texture of the canvas the artist used.

This is some very cool stuff, and as far as I'm concerned Photosynth has vast educational potential.

[Ganja Ninja]

3. That's really impressive. n/t

[Occulus]

4. Imagine Google getting in on it.

Google images, that is. Every traveled place on Earth could have a collection.

Art and architecture classes could benefit from what is there now, and it's not even fully released yet- this is all beta stuff.

I could play with Photosynth for hours. I probably already have. That demo at the link I included is more fun every time I use it.

The Korean palace is particularly impressive. So are the space shuttle collections.

[MagickMuffin]

6. Not Mac friendly :=(

:spank:

[Occulus]

7. It's a tech preview.

That's a few steps short of a beta. I'm sure they're working on a Mac version.

See if you can get someone you know who has Windows to install it. This is one of those "not to be missed" things.

[Lorien]

9. Works great on my Mac

:shrug:

[MagickMuffin]

10. Are you using Mac Book Pro by any chance

I'm still in G4 land.

I didn't see anywhere anything about Macs.

on edit: I went to the "try it yourself link" and it is not Mac friendly. However, I just went to the view video and it works just fine.

[Lorien]

11. I have one of the new iMacs

glad the view video link worked for you. TED talks rock!

[piedmont]

8. Could this be the beginning of more detailed VR than ever imagined? nt