Acting more and more like Google, Microsoft announced today the release of a fun little product from its Live Labs; a web-browser plug-in for Windows IE and Firefox called PhotoSynth. Many may find this product uncharacteristic as far as other products from Microsoft go, which generally connect only to other products created by Microsoft (furthering the monopoly of what you do with your computer). PhotoSynth supports Firefox, mines pictures from Flikcr and is also targeted for release on the Mac at some point.

You remember the scene. Rick Deckard finds a Polaroid in a suspect’s apartment. It seems innocent enough. But once scanned by the ESPER Machine, the photograph is transformed into a 3D interpolation of the scene allowing Deckard to see beyond the frame of the orginal image. The science behind the idea is not so far fetched, but that’s another discussion.

Today, PhotoSynth allows you and me to create a 3D scene from a series of snapshots.

The goal of PhotoSynth is to create photographic panoramic views through which you can navigate. A cool idea. And if it fulfills this promise, we’ll have completely navigable virtual view of the world using photos. Great for scouting locations for your next vacation or big budget movie.

Installing the plugin is a snap; you don’t even need to restart your browser like most other plug-ins require. And using the service is just as easy as using Google Earth (which is one of the PC Reb Favs). And as you play with this service, you’ll hear yourself saying “cool” more than once.

Each collection of photos is called a photosynth and you can play with photosynths created by others, or roll your own. Check out the photosynth created by National Geographic. It’s easy and if you already have a Flickr account, you’re just a few clicks away from posting your own photosynth.

One perplexing thing about PhotoSynth is you need both a Microsoft Passport and a PhotoSynth account. And with this version of PhotoSynth, any photosynth you create is public for all to see. PhotoSynth doesn’t mine the Internet for photos to make photosynths. It requires account holders to proactively contribute to the project.

PC Reb is now curious about the other projects being developed by Live Labs. Visit the PhotoSynth web-site and download this toy. We love it!

PC Reb