Resources

The British Library & Google To Make 250,000 Books Free Online [News] Once complete, users will be able to peruse the collection on Google Books and The British Library’s website, with Google providing downloadable versions and the ability to conduct full text searches.

The materials include pamphlets, books and periodicals from 1700-1870 in a variety of European languages. Chief Executive of The British Library, Dame Lynne Brindley said in a press release: In the nineteenth century it was an ambition of our predecessors to give everybody access to as much of the world’s information as possible, to ensure that knowledge was not restricted to those who could afford private libraries. We are delighted to be partnering with Google on this project and through this partnership believe that we are building on this proud tradition of giving access to anyone, anywhere and at any time. Over the process of the digitization, around 40 million pages will have to be scanned.

Source: The British Library. QR Coins: Currency for the Future. Coin collecting has always taken aim for the elderly crowd.

It’s a hobby that doesn’t take too much effort, fairly easy to maintain and can really pay off in the long run. However, the Royal Dutch Mint is out to bring the future to their currency. For the first time ever, Dutch coins will contain QR codes printed on them, scannable with most modern mobile devices. The occasion is the 100th anniversary of the Dutch Mint in Utrect. Currently the silver 5€ and gold 10€ will be issued on June 22, 2011 with the promise of a surprise when scanned.

It is in question how well these will actually scan, since the larger of the two coins is still a mere 33mm in diameter. If anything, it is an interesting piece of technology and certainly shows where society as a whole is at the moment. There are plenty of ideas for marketing and tech-integration that a small idea such as including a scannable code on money can create. For more tech-money fun, check out the Dr.

60 Seconds on the Internet [Infographic] Every 60 seconds on the Internet – Geeks are Sexy Technology News. Index. Shoot now, focus later with new camera tech. A new company says it can build cameras where you don’t have to decide how to focus the image until after taking a shot.

The basic principle of Lytro is remarkably simple: the camera is set up to capture all available data from the light that can be captured by the lens, rather than putting particular emphasis on the part that is in focus. The user can then play about with the image later on and get the shot they really wanted. In effect, the concept is like recording multitrack audio and then mixing the music later on. If you’ve got Flash enabled on your browser, you should be able to see a demonstration of the concept on the image above by clicking in different locations to “refocus”: top-left and bottom-right show the differences most dramatically. It’s also claimed that Lytro cameras — which are scheduled for release later this year — will be priced in the same range as existing models. The technology developed out of Ng’s doctoral dissertation at Stanford University. About the Exhibition. The exhibition, organized by The Costume Institute, celebrated the late Alexander McQueen’s extraordinary contributions to fashion.

From his Central Saint Martins postgraduate collection of 1992 to his final runway presentation, which took place after his death in February 2010, Mr. McQueen challenged and expanded the understanding of fashion beyond utility to a conceptual expression of culture, politics, and identity. His iconic designs constitute the work of an artist whose medium of expression was fashion. The exhibition featured approximately one hundred ensembles and seventy accessories from Mr. McQueen’s prolific nineteen-year career. The exhibition was organized by Andrew Bolton, curator, with the support of Harold Koda, curator in charge, both of The Costume Institute. The Romantic Mind “You’ve got to know the rules to break them. —Alexander McQueen McQueen doggedly promoted freedom of thought and expression and championed the authority of the imagination.