[LINK] DIY Book Scanners Turn Your Books Into Bytes

[Kim Holburn]

Now we're seeing ebook readers capable of being used to read  
electronic books in a reasonable way, how long before book publishing  
is forced into the third millenium?

http://www.wired.com/gadgetlab/2009/12/diy-book-scanner/

> For nearly two years, Daniel Reetz dreamed of a book scanner that  
> could crunch textbooks and spit out digital files he could then read  
> on his PC.
>
> Book scanners, like the ones Google is using in its Google Books  
> project, run into thousands of dollars, putting them out of the  
> reach of a graduate student like Reetz. But in January, when  
> textbook prices for the semester were listed, Reetz decided he would  
> make a book scanner that would cost a fraction of commercially  
> available products.
>
> So over three days, and for about $300, he lashed together two  
> lights, two Canon Powershot A590 cameras, a few pieces of acrylic  
> and some chunks of wood to create a book scanner that’s fast enough  
> to scan a 400-page book in about 20 minutes. To use it, he simply  
> loads in a book and presses a button, then turns the page and  
> presses the button again. Each press of the button captures two  
> pages, and when he’s done, software on Reetz’s computer converts the  
> book into a PDF file. The Reetz DIY book scanner isn’t automated–you  
> still need to stand by it to turn the pages. But it’s fast and  
> inexpensive.
>
> “The hardware is ridiculously simple as long as you are not  
> demanding archival quality,” he says. “A dumpster full of building  
> materials, really cheap cameras and outrageous textbook prices was  
> all I needed to do it.”
>
> Reetz went on to upload a 79-step how-to guide for building a book  
> scanner (.pdf). The guide has sparked more than 400 comments. It has  
> also spawned a website, DIYbookscanner.org, where more than 50  
> independent book scanners spread across countries such as Indonesia,  
> Russia and Britain have contributed hardware refinements and  
> software programs.
>


-- 
Kim Holburn
IT Network & Security Consultant
Ph: +39 06 855 4294  M: +39 3494957443
mailto:kim at holburn.net  aim://kimholburn
skype://kholburn - PGP Public Key on request