Face Up to Google Image Search

June 11th, 2007 by David Bradley >> 6 Comments

A couple of weeks ago we showed you a simple Google hack that gives you more results in the search results page.

Well, Google added another feature, that involves hacking the search results URL. If you are searching for a mugshot of someone, whether they are in the news, a celebrity or whatever, do a normal image search and if the face you are after does not show up right away or you get a load of photos of the person with lots of background where you would prefer a nice closeup, simply add “&imgtype=face” without the quotes to the end of the address in the address bar and hit return. Worked first time when I searched David Bradley and then again with the hack in place. Unfortunately, the one, very old photo of yours truly that shows in the initial search is demoted by the hack but at least so too is the picture of a DB tractor.

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Wayne Smallman // Jun 12, 2007 at 8:57 am

I went to a seminar a couple of years ago, with a panel made up of the (then) head of ‘out there’ technology research for British Telecom and some really smart guys from Sheffield University.

The guys from SU were working on an image search engine, which purported to offer facial recognition, among other things.

My question is, are there issues of privacy with such things as this?

While you might think someone being caught on a camera while on holiday isn’t exactly demonstrative of their desire for anonymity, being on holiday and finding yourself on a strangers’ photo you might never see again is you being anonymous.

So is it right for someone to use said photo to track you down, or find your identity?
David Bradley // Jun 12, 2007 at 10:45 am

Very interesting point Wayne. There privacy issues in all walks of life and with Google potentially offering to give us a genome search engine some time soon (well maybe not quite so soon), the conspiracy theorists are going to have a field day. Conversely, think of the crime-fighting potential of true face recognition, its use in Praia de Luz in the search for missing toddler Madeleine McCann is just one investigation that springs to mind as potentially benefiting from such software.
Wayne Smallman // Jun 12, 2007 at 11:34 am

To paraphrase Bill Shakespeare: there’s no such thing as ‘evil’ technology, only people with hidden agendas make it so…
David Bradley // Jun 12, 2007 at 11:48 am

Too right
David Bradley // Oct 5, 2007 at 8:04 am

Just in from Blogoscoped, you can now choose Extra Large Images as an option when searching Google Images. A quick test search found several images of 3600 x 1500 pixels. Now, that’s not quite as big as the pixelwidth on some cameras but that’s big enough to create a wallpaper for even the widest of widescreen monitors.

db
komodo dragon // Jun 7, 2008 at 7:54 pm

thanks for the cool trick of the trade, it’s much appreciated