I’m taking a new image search engine for a test drive. This thing takes a picture and compares it to images that it has indexed. Instead of indexing words, it indexes the picture by applying a sophisticated pattern recognition algorithm to each image and then it indexes the result. Given an image to search for, TinEye tells you where and how that image appears all over the web—even if it has been modified.
This tool has quite a few uses. If you find a picture of a subject, use TinEye to see where the picture might reappear. This can lead to more useful information about the subject. Any sites about the subject or owned by the subject get the same treatment if the site has images. I’m surprised what I sometimes find doing this.
The database is small in comparison to the vast number of images available on the Internet. However, I have found that this thing works very well.
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