How and Why Microsoft Will Beat Google at Its Own Game

If this will catch – and it’s got my heart – Google is busted. Microsoft is giving a new meaning to the idea of social interaction pushing it over its limits as we know them, proving once again that what it takes to be really brilliant and to change the world is just an idea.

Besides, in the end, it doesn’t matter who wins as long as Google loses. If there is one thing I really hate, that’s hypocrisy.

Microsoft is not a company I like. As a matter of fact it does represent a lot of what we all call „corporate evil.“ But there is one thing about Microsoft that actually makes me vote in its favor if I were to choose between it and Google: Microsoft doesn’t pretend to be something it is not.

Heck, we all know that this company wants our money, that it created the most complicated operating system to make us buy even more of its products. But Microsoft doesn’t pretend to give us free things to get to our souls. Microsoft has close to no advocates and it still manages to survive. I guess one of the reasons is called „innovative thinking.“

Microsoft And the Most Amazing Innovation of All Times

I have never seen something more amazing than Photosynt. I am not a techie but I do know my way with the Web, the search, useful tools, the social media and stuff that really matters to make an online business successful.And even if this particular innovation is not really „business related“ the value is still there. The „wow“ is there, and I don’t need too long to understand the implications of such a tool.

„Photosynth itself is a vastly powerful piece of software capable of taking a wide variety of images, analysing them for similarities, and grafting them together into an interactive three-dimensional space.“

Hold that thought: „interactive three-dimensional space?“ Can you even imagine how this works?

You see, words are poor sometimes. So I invite you to watch Blaise Aguera y Arcas’ demo.

Basically what this software tells me is that one day we will be able to create a 3-D representation of any space, building or object we might choose, by combining various images we find on the web: random pictures, no matter their quality, resolution or size, no matter the format.But Photosynth goes even further:

1. Walk or fly through a scene to see photos from any angle
2. Zoom in or out of a photo
3. See where pictures were taken in relation to one another
4. Find similar photos to the one you’re currently viewing
5. Send pictures

The Wikipedia capabilities listing expresses in rather simple terms the very idea of social interactivity and this is the feature that will eventually put Microsoft on a higher position than Google – or back on its pedestal if you want. The moment Photosynth is live and ready for the users Google can kiss its popularity good bye. It’s probably a matter of public relations, branding and advertising for Photosynth to gain territory, but I actually count on the old and faithful word of mouth in this particular case. The ability to search for similar photos and to send them to friends is nothing else but sharing. The Web 2.0 is all about sharing, networking, creating webs of information. And Microsoft has finally got it.

Microsoft Vs. Google

From all Google apps I’d call Google Maps the most powerful application. But Photosynth will even beat that. If you watched the demo you already know the mapping capabilities of the software.

I know that it will still take a while till someone beats Google at search too, but never say never. It’s just a matter of time, and after you see Photosynth you can safely say: there’s room for more.