In an amazing display of internet capability, users anywhere in the world can help the search for missing adventurer Steve Fossett via Amazon's (NASDAQ: AMZN) Mechanical Turk. The Mechanical Turk service acts as a middleman for companies that need to incorporate in their web processing tasks that their computers cannot handle.

For example, if I repeatedly needed to search blocks of 1,000 portraits for the one best resembling Humphrey Bogart, I could write a piece of code that would automatically throw it to Mechanical Turk. MT would then identify the go-to person for such a task, assign the work, and send me the results when finished. For the company and the customer, the process is indistinguishable from using outsourced computing power, and provides work for behind-the-scenes experts.

In this case, Mechanical Turk is asking volunteers to review digital satellite images of the possible crash area, provided in high resolution to their PCs. The organizers hope to have five to ten people review each segment to minimize the possibility of overlooking potential sites.

The concept of a flashmob working together reviewing digital imaging has incredible potential for search and rescue. It also stands to make millions of potential customers aware of Amazon's Mechanical Turk service, which could give it a huge shot in the arm.

I only wish the occasion weren't a search for one of our modern pioneers.

Via Mashable