Google has just announced that it’s acquired reCAPTCHA, the company that not only helps to reduce spam, but also helps to digitize books by improving Optical Character Recognition technology through the use of CAPTCHAs.
As Wikipedia explains, “A common type of CAPTCHA requires that the user type letters or digits from a distorted image that appears on the screen.” (The image you see above is an easy one. It’s not unusual for users to reload the CAPTCHA until they finally get one they can read!)
The reCAPTCHA website explains that they’re currently helping to digitize old editions of the New York Times, but according to Google’s announcement, they plan to use it to improve their Google Books and Google News Archive Search.
See also: Google Researches New Captcha Approach In Which Users Rotate Images Upward
[Via Official Google Blog. Image by Google. Thanks DPic!]
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