據悉，在Google宣布正在研發通過語音來進行搜索內容的幾天之后，微軟就公布了關于Photo2Search的消息。微軟表示，通過圖片與文本結合搜索的方式，可以得到更加準確的搜索結果。在上周，微軟表示它目前正研究一種可以通過手機拍攝的圖片來進行網絡搜索的方式。
據介紹，這不是一個普通的輸入搜索的請求，用戶可以把他們想搜索東西的圖片email給微軟。微軟把這個新功能稱作Photo2Search，它可以返回包含圖片中所存在物體信息的網頁或者那些包含類似物體圖片的網站。而微軟是第一家允許通過圖片來進行網絡搜索的公司，而目前很多搜索引擎是允許用戶通過發送手機短信來進行查詢。
據稱，在五月中旬，微軟的研究人員謝興將會在日本奈良舉行的移動數據管理會議上公布其研究的論文。
Microsoft Shoots for Photo Search
Microsoft this week revealed that it is at work on a way to search the Internet using photos captured by cell phone cameras.
So rather than typing in an Internet search query, someone can e-mail Microsoft a photo of what they're searching for. Photo2Search, as Microsoft calls the nascent feature, returns Web pages either with information about the objects in the photo, or sites that contain similar images.
Microsoft is the latest example of how search engines continuously try to expand Internet search's utility, whether by using cell phone text messages to make inquiries as most search engines now allow, or using photos as is the case at Microsoft.
News of Photo2Search comes a few days after Google, which views Microsoft as a chief rival, learned it received a patent for an alternative way to search the Internet using spoken words, rather than written text.
（第三媒體 2006－04－20）