I hope it’s not Gaudy…

Google launched a new “audio search indexing experiment that allows users to find spoken words inside videos.” Google Audio Indexing (GAUDI) was developed by Google Labs (is that where Nuance founder and hot jazz guitarist Michael Cohen lives these days?).

Gaudi is a fun name. Anyone that’s been to Barcelona has seen the unique art nouveau style of design and architecture from the very famous Antoni Gaudi.

Ironically, Gaudi sounds kind of like Gaudy which Websters defines as “ostentatiously or tastelessly ornamented”. Now I’m a fan of Gaudi (the architect), but I could see how a critic might describe some of Gaudi’s works as “tastelessly ornamented”. They certainly can be ornamented and “tasteless” is just a matter of opinion. A quick Googling shows that gaudy has ancient latin roots and no relationship to Gaudi.

Anyways…Gaudi (the software) “transforms spoken words into text and then indexes that text using search technology–users searching for spoken words inside video clips will be able to jump to portions of a video where the searched words are spoken.” Pretty cool! Isn’t that what Paul Leggo was doing over at Virage 10 or 15 years ago?

I applaud Google for bringing this to the masses. The press release then gives its standard Google spokesperson quote “Google’s mission is to organize the world’s information and make it universally accessible and useful”. They left off the part about making money through ad content and hierarchy’s of information based on what advertisers will pay.

Hey, I love all this free access to content and information. I think its fine to have some advertising on the side bars, it’s certainly fair for companies to make money. I don’t mind transaction commissions, ads, etc. as long as I know when it’s happening. I wish there was a law though that forced disclosure anytime search results are ranked by commission or dollars paid.

Someone told me the other day that some mapping programs don’t necessarily take you through the fastest route, but instead bring you by billboards they want you to see. Could that be true? Very scary. Don’t be evil!

Todd
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