Here's a problem digital photographers frequently face. From all the folders on our computers where we've stored images, we'd like to pull out all the pictures with a certain subject in them. All the pics, for example, containing a mug of Aunt Jean. As far as I know, that kind of search isn't available on PCs yet. Until it is, though, we can at least use something like Image Comparer ($29.95) from Bolide Software, of Seattle, to organize our photo collections by imagery rather than words.



The program will scan a collection of photos and pair images that appear similar. The original idea behind the software was to help photographers identify duplicate files in their collection, but the latest version of the application, release 3.0, announced this week, broadens its functionality. For example, by using the software's similarity threshold controls, groups of photos that are similar but not identical can be identified and cataloged.

I've tried the program and it's very fast at what it does. It analyzed some 1800 photos on my computer in a little over three minutes. It also did a decent, though imperfect, job of finding similar images in my collection. Hopefully, Bolide will be able to take its Image Comparer technology to the next level and create a true image-based search application for photos.