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Microsoft's Photosynth Cool, If Frustrating

Web-based service creating 3-D panoramas can be difficult to use—but often worth it

By Kevin Spak, Newser Staff

Posted Aug 21, 2008 10:12 AM CDT

(Newser) – Live Labs, Microsoft’s 125-man web innovation unit, launched its first major product today, and it’s certifiably neato, Walter Mossberg writes in the Wall Street Journal. Dubbed “Photosynth” the free, web-based program converts your photos into navigable 3-D environments. It’s an amazing service, Mossberg writes, “an encouraging sign that innovation and creativity still live in Redmond.”

David Pogue, in the New York Times, has a few more reservations. He, too, believes Photosynth is “wicked cool,” but it’s also frustrating. It takes practice to create sufficiently “synthy” pictures, and navigating the finished product isn’t intuitive. But most disappointing is just how photo-oriented Photosynth is. Every picture retains its edges and identity, making Photosynth “less a virtual-reality tool than a glorified slideshow.”

In this screen shot provided by Microsoft, Photosynth, Microsoft's new online tool for presenting a collection of related digital photos, is shown. (AP Photo)

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Microsoft's Photosynth Cool, If Frustrating

Web-based service creating 3-D panoramas can be difficult to use—but often worth it

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Web-based service creating 3-D panoramas can be difficult to use—but often worth it

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OTHER STORIES ON OUR RADAR

Microsoft • cloud computing • Web apps • Photosynth • Microsoft Live Labs

MOST POPULAR STORIES

[ By Views ]

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Microsoft Office Enters the Cloud

Move ups competition with Google

Plug-in Syncs MS Office, Google Docs

Cloud Connect lets you work in Word, save online

Microsoft Recovers Nearly All Lost Sidekick Data

Meltdown not as bad as feared; minority of users affected

Ballmer Opens Up Windows 7 Beta

Beta version of Vista successor available to the public starting tomorrow

Microsoft Syncs Phone, PC Data with 'Live Mesh'

The house Gates built joins cloud computing trend

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Newser By Users

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