News360, FareClock & The MA7 Hackathon in Japan

People all over the world are using Face.com’s API for new, different and amazing things.  So amazing in fact that we’d like to share some of them with you.  Let me just take off my jacket, put on my comfy blue sweater and change into sneakers.  OK, ready to share…but this isn’t make-believe:

The News360 App - There are now so many news outlets, news aggregators and blogs that it’s tough to know what to prioritize and read first (besides the face.com blog of course).  News360 is the solution.  As TechCrunch recently said, “News360 is a news reading application with semantic underpinnings that uses smart algorithms to personalize your news reading experience. Upon installation, you connect your Facebook, Twitter, Evernote, Google Reader and now, Google+, accounts to the service, which helps it determine what sort of things you would find interesting.”  News360 collects images from more than 1,500 online news sources, and then intelligently crops the photos to fit the different devices displaying the app – otherwise faces in the photos would be cut off.  This solves a huge problem because cropping portraits to a specific size is necessary but tedious work. Face.com allowed them to very easily solve this issue.

 FareClock - During High School, this app would have been my nightmare, but my boss’ dream come true.  No more having your buddy do a solid for you.  Your boy can’t punch you in so that you’re on the clock. Those glorious days are over!  FareClock uses Face.com’s face recognition software to verify that is in fact you and you’re present, ready to work.  I’m sure Fred Flintstone would have appreciated it.  The alternative left him sticking his timecard into a dinosaur’s mouth.  Congrats FareClock.  Employers everywhere are saluting you.

MA7 Mashup Awards – No, it’s not cherry blossom season…it’s Fall so that means it’s…hackathon season!  MA7 is Japan’s #1 Hackathon with a grand prize of
1,000,000 Yen.  That’s like…a whole lotta Yen. The contest started in September and winners will be announced on December 11th.  Currently using the Face.com API, is a very cool little app called HairReco.  It’s a web service that proposes various hairstyles for you.  Simple. Why this doesn’t already exist, we have no idea.  It could have saved millions of women from severe, post haircut trauma.  Lives could have been saved. We love the app and will be sending you some very chic Face.com t-shirts very soon. Good luck in the competition!

That’s it for now.  Thanks to all the developers who spent countless nights awake in their office and many sunny days shut in and closed off to the world.  The sacrifice was well worth it.  Keep ‘em coming.  We can’t wait to see what else you have in store.  OK, now to put on that jacket and loafers…back to work.

The Face Team