a canadian startup

I actually used Idée’s TinEye!

So I sometimes tease Toronto startup TinEye because I like it so much but couldn’t figure out a use for it in my day-to-day life.

But here’s a cool example of a way it actually did something useful for me.

See, RIM has been advertising for the Blackberry phone I have, the Bold, using a picture of the phone with this really cool background:

Isn’t that city background really cool? Well I wanted to use that background but RIM doesn’t actually provide a copy of it anywhere.

I am not alone. Many people on the internet have been arguing about what city that is in the picture and where they can get a copy of the background.

Read here for a forum of sad people arguing about it.

Well. I’ve solved it. Using TinEye!

I first uploaded the picture I have above, but TinEye kept showing me more pictures of blackberries. Then I cut out the center part of the image of the actual skyline and this is what TinEye responded. (There’s no “link to this search” button on TinEye but I am now requesting it).

It turns out that the original image is a stock photo of the Tokyo skyline. Here’s a link. (The Blackberry version has been photoshopped to be darker, but if you look at the stock thumbnail, it’s definitely the exact same buildings from the exact same angle)

Great job, team TinEye! I am now the envy of the Blackberry Bold community!