This and that.

[denny]

Couple of random links from my friends page:

http://www.pettingzoowigs.com/wiggallery.html - wigs in many manga etc styles. Kind of cool, in a geeky sort of way.

http://66.221.1.112/miscimages/ashleykelly/pic1.jpg (NWS) - nasty. Nasty, nasty, nasty. How do you even get to be that shape and still be alive?

In other news, I am considering (again) a plot to buy a nice barcode scanner, so that I can get all my books listed on my PC (probably using Readerware as several people have recommended it to me in the past). However, the decent scanners seem to cost a fortune. It occurred to me that I may have more than a few friends who would like to do similar book-recording things, but cannot afford a scanner. So.. if I did buy one, would anyone be interested in hiring mine from me, for something like say ten/twenty quid a go? (exact price would depend how many people were interested) (I dunno what 'a go' is, just however long it takes you to scan all your books, without taking the piss and keeping it for weeks) That way I could pay for a decent one, but get back some of the cost so I don't cry for days when I get my credit card statement, and everyone could post their book collections on LJ so we could geek at each other :)

Comments

[deano977.livejournal.com]

Long shot, but: we used to be (but aren't any more, I'm afraid) part of the National Shopping Monitor research thingydoodah, who supply you with a PDA equipped with a barcode scanner to scan in your weekly shopping... maybe you could apply to join, and do some l33t h4xxoring (erm) of the PDA to pop the Readerware software on for your own purposes?

[megashrike.livejournal.com]

There's a mac app called delicious library that does the same thing, however it just uses webcam input. If it's been done on a mac no doubt someone else will have done it

[skx.livejournal.com]

I remember looking into this with a cheap scanner a while back - the kind of scanner that can read an ISBN number and turn it into keys typed into the keyboard.

The problem I found is that I have a lot of books which either have a missing ISBN number, or have a number which isn't recognised by anything I can type into google/amazon/etc.

(Yes I have a lot of old second-hand books!)

So this was sufficient to put me off investigating it more thoroughly. I did get have a quite look at two Linux applications (http://blog.steve.org.uk/articles/2006/07/23/i-swear-i-dont-know-how) for the job.

[wechsler.livejournal.com]

We've got a couple of scanners for this purpose at work that were something like 20 quid each, off ebay, and they work fine. I'll try and find out what sort they are.

[dennyd.livejournal.com]

I was specifically looking at getting a cordless one, on the grounds that most people (who would be interested in this) have books all over the place, and a PC which isn't inclined to move. They seem to cost well in excess of £200 from what I've found so far.

Thinking about it, it migh be simpler (or at least cheaper) to steal libellum's laptop (if I can pry it from her warm lively fingers), buy two copies of the software, and then export the database from her Windows machine to my Linux machine once I was done scanning.

[theorb.livejournal.com]

I've been using a laptop and a cuecat (via a usb/ps2 adapter, since my laptop doesn't have a ps2 port). Cuecats are still pretty cheap on eBay. A real barcode scanner would be somewhat nicer, but the cuecat does pretty well and is *much* cheaper.

[sevenhelz.livejournal.com]

I really wish I hadn't seen that last one.
Ah well.

Shiny baritone needs a name, and is currently asking to be called Denny.
Thought you ought to know, although as we get to know each other better it may change its mind.
xx

[dennyd.livejournal.com]

What does shiny baritone look like? :)

[sevenhelz.livejournal.com]

http://www.signetmusic.com/zone/images/brass/lmi_RO55_300.jpg

[pndc.livejournal.com]

Would you like to borrow my hacked CueCat?

[dennyd.livejournal.com]

Yes please!

(meant to reply to this ages ago but kept forgetting) (except when I was on the tube, where I inevitably remember everything I want/need to do online)