12/1/2006
By Diane Haddad
Separated at birth? Not likely. But once the MyHeritage ancestor photo database is populated, webmasters say its technology will identify similar faces so submitters can connect.
Have you ever been mistaken for Sophia Loren? Told you have Mel Torme's nose? My Heritage <www.myheritage.com>, a family history Web site based in Israel, offers a non-genealogical hook that's generated widespread media coverage and lured reams of curious surfers: You can upload your photo and use the site's facial recognition technology to scour a database of celebrity pics for famous look-alikes.
More than 3.3 million registered users have taken the bait since MyHeritage debuted in January 2006, says CEO Gilad Japhet. ABC's "World News Tonight," the Chicago Tribune and USA Today have covered MyHeritage, and it's ranked among the world's most-blogged-about sites.