Japan’s KDDI will launch visual search on its Spring 2008 au line of camera phones, and will make the application available for download to current customers with an au camera phone. Visual search allows people to take pictures of things with their camera phone and get content based on the image—sometimes referred to as hyperlinking the physical world. The service is run by Bandai Networks and dubbed ER Search (the technology is from Evolution Robotics)—Bandai has already put the service on more than a million handsets last year, and the deal with KDDI is expected to increase the user base dramatically. The business model isn’t specified, but it probably involves referral fees when people view product information or buy something after using the service. (release)

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