Webb on the Web: Reverse Image Search From Your Toolbar!

A while back, I introduced you to TinEye, which is an innovative tool enabling you to do a reverse-image search. To look up information on an image, just submit the file (jpeg, png or gif) to TinEye to find out where it came from, how it's being used, if it has been modified in any way, if other versions exist, if better resolutions exist...you name it! As far as we know, TinEye is the first image search engine that evaluates the image itself to identify these characteristics rather than using the metadata or keywords associated with it.

TinEye is now available as a browser plugin -- and it's a heck of a lot easier to use! Plugins are tiny computer programs that interact with your browser (Firefox, Safari, Opera, etc.) and deliver specific functions or content on demand. You're probably already using plugins with realizing it. For example, Adobe Reader offers a plugin that allows you to read PDF documents online. And if you've ever seen a rich, moving graphic on the Internet, you're using Adobe's Flash Player. There are thousands of available plugins to browse through at Firefox, Safari, Internet Explorer, Google's Chrome and Opera.

If you've already used TinEye or want an easy way to do reverse image searches right from your browser, try downloading the plugin here. Let me know what you think!

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Amy Webb is a digital media consultant and head of Webbmedia Group, LLC. She has also launched Knowledgewebb, a new website for multimedia training. You can also follow Amy on Twitter and delicious. Webbmedia Group is a vendor-neutral company. Any opinions expressed about products or services are formed after testing, research and interviews. Neither Amy Webb nor Webbmedia Group or its employees receives any financial or other benefits from vendors.