Lifebrowser: Data mining gets (really) personal at Microsoft
Nancy Owano writes:
Microsoft Research is doing research on software that could bring you your own personal data mining center with a touch of Proust for returns. In a recent video, Microsoft scientist Eric Horvitz demonstrated the Lifebrowser, which is prototype software that helps put your digital life in meaningful shape. The software uses machine learning to help a user place life events, which may span months or years, to be expanded or contracted selectively, in better context.
Navigating the large stores of personal information on a user’s computer, the program goes through the piles of personal data, including photos, emails and calendar dates. A search feature can pull up landmark events on a certain topic. Filtering the data, the software calls up memory landmarks and provides a timeline interface. Lifebrowser’s timeline shows items that the user can associate with “landmark” events with the use of artificial intelligence algorithms.
A calendar crawler, working with Microsoft Outlook extracts various properties from calendar events, such as location, organizer, and relationships between participants. The system then applies Bayesian machine learning and reasoning to derive atypical features from events that make them memorable. Images help human memory, and an image crawler analyzes a photo library. By associating an email with a relevant calendar date with a relevant document and photos, significance is gleaned from personal life events. With a timeline in place, a user can zoom in on details of the timeline around landmarks with a “volume control” or search across the full body of information.
Sounds like the start towards a “personal” topic map authoring application.
One important detail: With MS Lifebrowser the user is gathering information on themselves.
Not the same as having Google or FaceBook gathering information on you. Is it?