Briefs

CNet (08/09/04); Kanellos, Michael

The New Paradigms for Using Computers Conference highlighted several search efforts:

Inxight showed off software that tracks how and where search items get mentioned on the Web, thereby creating a graphical representation of the hidden connections between groups or individuals.

University of California at Berkeley researchers demonstrated their Flamenco search system that focuses on artwork and antiques stored in museums worldwide. Flamenco relies on descriptive text used by those museums when digitizing their work, but does not actually search any of the pieces' visual information.

Microsoft researcher Jim Gemmell says one of the lessons his company has learned from its MyLifeBits project is that ad hoc file categories are not useful in the long-term.

Internet Archive founder Brewster Kahle spoke at the New Paradigms conference and said his organization is on the way to archiving some 100 million published books, more than 2 million audio recordings, up to 200,000 movies, approximately 50,000 software titles, and a growing amount of TV broadcast and Internet data.

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