Blinkx 2.0 Launches

I’ve come to realize that one of the main reasons I have a Mac is so I don’t spend all day playing with new search tools (most of which are PC only), and instead I can focus on my supposed real job, which is writing the book (yes, I really am writing, I swear). To that end, I can’t speak to the new launch of Blinkx, but that’s OK, a lot of other folks can.

Release in extended entry.

Update: Om notes that there may be trouble in Blinkx land, a founder is out….

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blinkx Launches Smart Folders
Monday November 15, 8:09 am ET 
blinkx 2.0 Also Introduces Implicit Query, ‘Stuff I’ve Seen’ and Peer-to-Peer Capabilities

SAN FRANCISCO, Nov. 15 /PRNewswire/ — blinkx, the smartest thing on your computer, today announced the release of blinkx 2.0, introducing the world’s first Smart Folders and enhancing the functionality currently available to over 1 million users. blinkx, which is free to download at www.blinkx.com, changes the way consumers interact with information. blinkx reads the content on a users’ computer screen and automatically links to related information — Web sites, the latest news on the Web, even documents and email on an individual’s computer. blinkx brings information directly to users, without the necessity of having to look for that information.

 
 
“Others have been talking about Smart Folders and implicit query, but blinkx is the first to actually deliver on the promise,” said Alan Pelz-Sharpe, vice president and research director, Ovum. “Fundamentally, blinkx tries to understand what users are looking for, so finding the right information is no longer a matter of an individuals’ proficiency with Boolean techniques. Implicit query may well change the rules.”

A key attribute of 2.0 is the introduction of the world’s first Smart Folders. Smart Folders are intelligent folders that automatically update their content as new information becomes available based on the ideas contained within the content of those files. Each Smart Folder contains content from multiple sources that is individually relevant to each individual, and acts as a persistent implicit query. Other features announced today include “Stuff I’ve Seen” (SIS), which acts as a contextual historical record of an individuals viewed files, and the ability of blinkx 2.0 to implicitly query peer-to-peer networks.

“The difference between text-based search and implicit query is the difference between text and context, says blinkx CEO, Mark Opzoomer. “blinkx 2.0 is the next generation in the way that people use, create and access information. Computer users no longer need to opt for dumb alternatives to organising and storing their information. blinkx thinks and links for you so you can get on with the business of using information, not being a slave to it.”

Raise Your IQ

Implicit Query is the ability to derive an implicit understanding of what a user looking for, by leveraging the contextual information from what the individuals already sees. With this unparalleled functionality, blinkx 2.0 lets individuals manage, discover and link to the content of files, documents, contacts and emails on their PC alongside news articles, Web pages and comprehensive multimedia content. IQ automatically delivers relevant information to users, without the need to search for it.

“The amount of information consumers have to deal with is growing exponentially, and new data formats are being added all the time,” according to blinkx co-founder and Chief Technical Officer, Suranga Chandratillake. “At the center of all this data is a human being trying to figure out where everything goes, where to look, what to read, what to find, and how to find what they need. The real value of blinkx is that it is the first and only resources for people to index, link and organize such a comprehensive array of information. Instead of discrete data silos for audio, video, P2P, email, Web sites, email and local documents, blinkx wraps it all up in a nice package and actually delivers it to the user.”

Smart Folders

Smart Folders, based on implicit query, are persistent intelligent folders that automatically update their content as new information becomes available, and allows information to be automatically suggested to you, based on the context (not the keywords) contained within the document. Smart Folders can be created implicitly by simply dropping a document into a folder and then the Smart Folder will be automatically populated with similar documents from your PC, news articles from the Web, TV, radio or video clips even multimedia files from P2P networks, in fact, anything from anywhere you specify. Alternatively, you can explicitly create a folder by typing in a keyword, phrase or clicking on the document you are currently reading or writing to create a Smart Folder.

Smart Folders are completely user-configurable; they can include only certain file or document types, information from specified locations or users, and alerts every time a new piece of information arrives in your Smart Folder. A wide range of filtering options also exists, based upon on the content contained in the document as well as any associated metadata.

SIS and P2P

blinkx 2.0 also doesn’t forget, it allows you to access the content of “Stuff I’ve Seen” (SIS), so you don’t have to remember what you were looking or where it came from. blinkx 2.0 also introduces its new global linking with all major peer-to-peer (P2P) networks, providing access to the largest sources and fastest possible download times for all types of multimedia content, enabling millions of files to be accessed and shared with millions of users.

How To blinkx

blinkx thinks while it links, because blinkx is not constrained by the limits of keyword-based technologies, it is able to extract the main ideas contained within any document and thus derive its meaning. blinkx uses patented Context Clustering Technology (CCT) technology to overcome the shortcomings of keyword technologies and to truly understand the ideas and context behind the words. blinkx applies its unique CCT ability to make the search experience faster, more accurate and more relevant. Approaches to searching through information using simple keyword query mechanisms fail because they do not provide enough context. In such cases users are overwhelmed by hundreds or thousands results, all of which match the query, but many that represent the different contexts within which the query term or terms can appear in. blinkx CCT is unique because it helps a user provide the context that is crucial to making keyword searching or organization – it does not second-guess a user’s needs, but seamlessly provides the automated guidance required to enrich the overall experience.

About blinkx

blinkx, the smartest thing on your computer, is changing the way that people think about search technology. Free-to-download, blinkx automatically and intelligently links to relevant information anywhere and in any format: on the Web, in the news or on the desktop. Utilizing blinkx, users are no longer limited to Boolean keyword search. Instead, blinkx automatically and implicitly conducts searches based on the content being view by each individual user. blinkx is a privately-held firm based in San Francisco and London. More information is available at www.blinkx.com.