(Originally posted Feb. 12)
Well, if I hadn’t already made the switch to Mac, Delicious Library would probably have pushed me over the edge. This sweet little program catalogs your books, music, movies and games. Each product is identified by Title/Author, ISBN, or (here’s the best part) UPC Code. What good is identifying by UPC code without a scanner, you ask? That was certainly my first question. I may be a gadget slut, but I’m not likely to invest in a UPC scanner. Turns out the built-in cameras in the new Macs can function as a scanner. You just hold your book/movie/game/CD up to the lens, and BEEP! it’s scanned in, and the cover art is placed on a shelf. The artwork, as well as supporting information, a summary, and recommendations for similar items (all via Amazon lookup). I’ve mostly scanned in books so far, and it’s been a breeze. You need a bit of extra light for the scanning – using light from the screen in a dark room isn’t quite enough. An extra lamp lighting the item does the trick. The actual images were well-scaled. They’re not to scale, per se, but coffee table books are bigger than hardcovers are bigger than trade paperbacks, etc. The sizes appear appropriate, and subtle shadows and cover reflections are added to each image, giving your shelves a rich, deep feel. You can view by covers or as a list, in pretty much any sort order you can imagine.
It’s only $40. I plan to waste lots of time scanning in my libraries :)
