Lifebrowser

Machine learning is being applied in new ways to understand people and to assist them with daily work and activities. Presented at Microsoft TechForum 2012, Lifebrowser leverages machine learning and reasoning to help people to navigate through large personal stores of their own information, appointments, photos, and activities, including their history with searching and browsing on the Web over days, months, and years. The prototype learns about and infers “memory landmarks” — events and activities that people would find important and memorable. The system builds a timeline around inferred landmarks, and allows users to zoom in on details of the timeline around inferred landmarks with a “volume control.” The system also enables users to perform search and retrieval of content in the context of the landmarks.