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Nick at Dial A Phone says:

An interesting patent has surfaced indicating that Microsoft might be planning to enter the mobile dating industry. The patent, entitled Image-Based Face Search details how Microsoft could be developing complex facial recognition software. The patent explains how a photo could be uploaded from a mobile phone or PC and compared with millions of other pictures to find similar matching faces.

Nick goes on to imagine a dating site that allowed you to upload a photo of a certain hot celebrity and then returned profiles of all the users who looked like them.

There are a few companies working on this type of application. Not necessarily uploading the photo, which doesn’t make sense, because you would have a gallery of celebrities to choose from and make advertising revenue off the gallery pageviews.

Nick thinks another implementation of the software is a HotOrNot style application – the user is shown a face and then rates it according to how attractive they find the person.

HotorNot had a mobile application, which they shelved in 2006, saying it was too early. Other competitors include Bluepulse and several HotorNot Clones.

Snapping a pic with your phone and uploading it for image for analysis would be fun in a place like New York, “Hey isn’t that Kate Moss over there?” Snap a pic, upload, and find out it’s not your favorite supermodel. For your effort, Starbucks will send a coupon for a $5 latte to your phone, redeemable at the ‘bucks right across from your unsuccessful star sighting.