Can Facebook Really Recognize Your Face?

View this newsletter online | Newsletter Services | More Newsletters » Follow @pcworld on Twitter June 17, 2011 PCWorld.com The Best of PCWorld

Ever since Facebook confirmed that it would be using facial recognition software to suggest tags (in this case, names) to attach to pictures of friend's pictures, privacy advocates have been in an uproar. The idea that Facebook might be able to automatically identify someone's face gave lots of folks the creeps. Among those creeped out were regular PCWorld contributor Sarah Jacobsson Purewal and staff editor Megan Geuss--so they decided to dig a little deeper. Yes, facial recognition may seem a bit Big Brotherish, but should we really be worried? Put another way, does it work? The only way to answer that was to put Facebook's technology to the test, which Purewal and Geuss did, with great gusto, in "Facebook's Facial Recognition Flops." Turns out, we can all breathe a sigh of relief, for now at least. Even if there may be some, er... compromising photos of us out there. --Editorial Director Steve Fox Top Stories Facebook's Facial Recognition Flops If the cutting-edge technology can't detect your face most of the time, what is there to fear? Buying a Back-to-School Laptop: What You Need, What You Don't Looking to buy a new laptop for the new school year? Our list of priorities will help you find just the right one. 5 Reasons to (Still) Consider Android Over the iPhone, iOS 5 Are the catch-up features coming in IOS 5 sufficient to solidify the iPhone as the leader? Not necessarily. For more smartphone news visit PCWorld.com. Top Tweets From @PCWPluggedIn 5 PC upgrades almost everyone does wrong No. 1: not spending a few extra bucks to buy a new machine. Ken dumps Barbie in Greenpeace video Unrepentant Barbie last seen arranging safari date with GI Joe. Higher-resolution iPad rumored for the holidays Most people won't really need it until New Year's, presumably. Follow us every day on Twitter: @PCWPluggedIn News Do Government Policies and Laws Hinder Tech Advances? We take a look at some foreign and domestic legal efforts to regulate or stifle the Internet, smartphone apps, the U.S. patent system, and streaming media sites, among others. You may be personally affected. Mom's First iPad: An Unexpected Reception Analysis: For years, I've been trying to get my mother online. Rather than give up, I bought her an iPad. LulzSec Continues Attacks Hacker collective LulzSec is continuing its campaign of harassment to Internet users, including taking EVE Online down for a second time. For the latest reports, visit our News page . PCW Business Center How to Use Twitter Like a Pro Twitter has evolved into a powerful social medium and an effective platform for engaging customers and business partners, but only if you use it wisely. Visit the PCW Business Center. Blogs Dial-a-Hacker: LulzSec Opens Request Line for Next Target The group claims it received 5000 missed calls and 2500 voicemails from people who called its number. Apple's Unlocked iPhone Not as Magical as It Seems Apple is now selling its iPhone 4 unlocked in the United States--but for most users, the move isn't as magical as it may sound. World's First Virtual Heist? BitCoin User Loses $500,000 A BitCoin collector has lost around the equivalent of $500,000 of the online currency in possibly the biggest-ever heist of virtual currency. For the latest news and opinion, visit our Blogs page . Reviews 10 Must-Have Mobile Apps and Web Services for a Successful Summer Vacation With these essential apps, you can avoid road rage, bedbug-infested cabin fever, and other travel maladies while maximizing your relaxation time. Dell Latitude E6420 ATG Review: A Fast, Tough, and Pricey Laptop The Dell Latitude E6420 delivers all the power you'd want in a business laptop plus outstanding battery life, but its weight and high price tag make it overkill for mainstream users. Compare prices on laptops. For more reviews, visit PCWorld.com. How-To Taking Good Handheld Photos at Night New cameras from Canon and Sony have low-light photo modes, but here's how to get a similar effect with the camera you already own. Tips for Online Tools: Gmail, Xmarks, Sumo Paint Clear old messages from Gmail, use Xmarks to back up your bookmarks, and edit images online with Sumo Paint. For more tips, visit PCWorld.com. Videos How to Install an SSD in Your Laptop Laptops are ideal candidates for solid state drives: These drives are more rugged and shock resistant than standard hard drives, since they have no moving parts. For more videos, visit PCWorld.com. Downloads Guinness Glass Wallpaper Your computer has been working hard, too: Pour up this free wallpaper and give it a break. For more free and trial software, visit PCWorld.com. PC World Community New Life for Dead Laptop Join the discussion. Visit the PC World Community How to Build a Home Entertainment Network Learn to use your computer network as a next-generation entertainment hub. Get started. Advertisement No matter what you do, your hard drive is going to fail! Start protecting your digital life for FREE with 5GB of IDrive Online Backup - secure, fast and simple online backup for Windows and Mac. Most Popular Searches Android Google Windows 8 Freeware Games Product Reviews Symantec Norton AntiVirus 2011 93 Pros Good interface; Strong malware detection Cons Scan speeds lag behind top performers Read Complete Review » Top 10 Paid Antivirus Programs for 2011 » Top 5 Paid Antivirus for 2011 » Sony Alpha SLT-A55 89 Pros Can autofocus while shooting video; Fast continuous shooting mode; Very good image quality; In-viewfinder level; Multi-shot noise reduction Cons No program shift; Electronic viewfinder only Read Complete Review » Top DSLR and Interchangeable-Lens Cameras for Image Quality » Best DSLR Cameras Under $1000 » Best DSLRs and Interchangeable-Lens Cameras for Video » Top 10 DSLR and Interchangeable-Lens Cameras for Sharpness » Acer Aspire M3400 74 Pros Above-average general performance; Excellent case design Cons Underwhelming storage capacity; Internal wiring inhibits upgrading; Lacks diversity in connection types Read Complete Review » Top 10 Budget Desktop PCs » Get Big Savings When you Shop at PCWorld.com Shop online at PCWorld.com, where you can compare product information, read trusted reviews, and find the best prices on consumer electronics. MacBook Pro MC700LL/A Notebook (2.3GHz Intel Dual Core i5, 4GB DDR3, 320GB HDD, DVDRW DL, Mac OS X Snow Leopard, 13" LED) Price: $1099.99 No User Ratings Yet Be the first to review Essential G560 0679ALU Notebook Price: $429.99 No User Ratings Yet Be the first to review Browse more Best Prices on Laptops, Notebook Accessories, Wireless Networking, Desktops Top News on PCWorld.com IBM Turns 100: Some Perspective IBM celebrates its 100th birthday this week. In tech years, by our estimation, that makes the company approximately 4,976 years old. Share: Google's 'Me on the Web' Tool Alerts You to Personal Data Leaks The service allows users to create e-mail alerts when information is uncovered by Google's search bot. Users can then use Me on the Web to remove personal information from Google. Share: Top Reviews on PCWorld.com The Laptop and Desktop Specs That Matter Contrary to what you might think, speed isn't always the most important thing when you're buying a new computer. Share: 10 Upcoming Android Devices We Just Can't Wait For We use our time machine to take a look at upcoming Android devices. Share: The Camera Specs That Matter Big LCD screens and lots of megapixels may sound great in a camera, but other features will give you more bang for your buck. Share: The HDTV Specs That Matter In TVs, size really does matter -- but that doesn't mean bigger is always better. Share: Downloads: Editor's Collection PCWorld Reviewers' Favorite Files: May 2011Our reviewers can't get enough of utilities. Geeky stuff like benchmarking, drive partitioning, memory testing. Must-haves like desktop organizers and security helpers. Microsoft Office improvements. But we like to have fun, too, so we couldn't resist some great media software, sci-fi themepacks, and designing our own cursors. These are just the highlights from the merry month of May. Doctor Who Windows 7 Theme   3241 Downloads  |  Free  |  Filed Under Themes This Doctor Who Windows 7 theme starts with the first Doctor and goes all the way to the eleventh. PCMark Basic   3968 Downloads  |  Free  |  Filed Under Benchmarking Put your hardware through its paces, and then compare your performance online, with this free program. RealWorld Cursor Editor   12174 Downloads  |  Free  |  Filed Under Tools Create static or animated cursors for Windows XP, Vista, or 7; make cursors from images. See (11) more PCWorld Reviewers' Favorite Files: May 2011 » Browse DownloadsAntivirus & Security • Design & Multimedia • Utilities • Games • Chat, Email, & the Web • Sponsored Downloads Privacy SolverHelps remove traces of Internet activity and every-day computer use, including cookies, temporary Internet files, typed URLs and more. Gives you the choice of both automatic and manual protection capabilities. You can even set advanced protection rules to exclude legitimate items from being removed. Customers benefit from free technical support through the exclusive SupportBase.NET service and access to the renowned after-sales service from MyCustomerBenefits.com. (Compatibility: Windows XP) Use discount code MULT-5IQ4-STAF for 50% off! Flip Video Converter--15% off!A creative digital device which includes the Flip Ultra, the Flip Ultra HD, the Flip Video Mino, and the Flip Video Mino HD. Flip video Camcorder records video in .MP4 format. Encode flip video to common video formats and extract audio tracks from referred video formats to a variety of file types. Enjoy captured flip videos on your iPod, iPhone, Apple TV, PSP, Zune, BlackBerry, Gphone or other MP3/MP4 player. Join multiple flip video files into one file by tick Merge into one file option. Crop and Customize Video Frame Size Customize video frame size according to the scale of cropped video. Apply effects like brightness, contrast, saturation, grey, emboss, and old film. Convert multiple flip video files at one time, making your conversion much easier. (Compatibility: Windows NT/2000,Windows XP,Windows NT/2000/2003/SBS2003,Windows Vista)

Newsletter Subscription Resources You are subscribed to this newsletter as: dediyuan.technoworld@blogger.com Unsubscribe from this newsletter here. To add or remove newsletters, change your address, or change your format (HTML or text-only), please go here. If you have questions or comments about PCWorld e-mail newsletters, please contact: webmaster@pcworld.com PCWorld Privacy Policy © 2011 PCWorld Communications, Inc. All rights reserved. Reproduction in whole or in part in any form or medium without express written permission of PCWorld Communications, Inc. is prohibited. PCWorld is a registered trademark of International Data Group, Inc. All other trademarks used on PCWorld are the property of their respective owners. PCWorld Communications, Inc., 501 2nd St., San Francisco, CA 94107.