When Apple updated the new iMacs with the Core i5 and i7 processors, it also quietly introduced a change to the built-in iSight camera with a new lens and a different focal length. An improvement to the barcode scanning algorithm for Delicious Library is coming soon that will provide a fix for the new iMacs and promises better accuracy for all other cameras as well. In addition, Delicious Library is coming to retail stores later this year.

I had a quick chat with Wil Shipley, the founder of Delicious Monster, and he shed some light on all of the above.

Barcode Scanning Now 7x Better

Unlike the original external iSight that featured an auto-focus system, the built-in iSight has a fixed focus. The new iMacs have a lens that shifts the fixed focus from 1′ to 2′. While this change is probably better for focusing on your face when videoconferencing, it didn’t work very well for trying to scan a barcode that is a bit small when held 2 feet away or too blurry when held close enough to fill the camera frame.

Wil has spent the last few months working on improvements to the barcode scanning algorithm that improve accuracy up to 7x. The best part is that these improvements are coming in a free update to all Delicious Library 2 customers that will improve barcode recognition on all computers, not just the new iMacs.

The new scanning is up to 700% more sensitive than it was before. It almost beeps before you’re ready. It’s kinda like that old knock, knock joke about the interrupting cow…

Knock Knock
Who’s There?
Interrupting Cow
Interrupting Cow wh… Moo!!!!

I actually have a test harness set up to test so I can measure the exact difference in recognition and it’s working great. I rewrote the DL algorithm from scratch to unblur the image as you move the book around. It just works great.

A beta release for DL2 is coming soon.

Delicious Library Coming to Retail Stores

Wil also shared that Delicious Monster has reached an agreement with Dr. Bott to distribute Delicious Library to retail outlets.

We are finally going to retail boxes and are going to be in stores. I’ve been putting it off for a long time because, you know, I was really firm against it because the retail chain takes so much money out of the product. So it took a while to get here. But now we have an agreement with Dr. Bott and a really beautiful box. We’ve heard stories of people using Delicious Library to sell Macs – come see this, this is cool – and now we can be in the stores.

I’m really proud of the box design itself. I think it’s some of the best work we’ve done yet as far as graphic feel.

Will We See Delicious Library on the iPad?

Delicious Library on the go would be great, but Shipley has run afoul of Amazon’s limitations on using data from the Amazon product info API on a mobile device in the past. The software runs fine in the iPad simulator, but the real question is if Amazon will consider the iPad to be a mobile device in the same class as a smartphone. Wil also has some frustrations about the lack of a MobileMe syncing framework for the iPhone when it exists on the Mac desktop and the lack of a public USB syncing framework for hybrid desktop/iPhone apps.

While we might not see Delicious Library for iPad, Wil did let out that he is excited about the possibilities of the new device and has a project in mind.

I’m still in the planning stages for our next program, well this idea has been gestating for five years now. I don’t have code yet so any release is 1 or 2 years out, but I think this idea could be even bigger than Delicious Library.

Personally, I can’t wait to see it.

About three weeks ago, I finally upgraded to Delicious Library 2. It is definitely a slick program. The greatest addition for me was the ability to add my gadgets to my library. It just makes sense to be able to add all my electronic gear.

You can add items in nine categories: books, movies, music, software, videogames, toys, gadgets, tools, and apparel. Sadly, the software Delicious Library 2 cannot be added via the lookup tool:

What I don’t like

There are two ways to add an item to your library, through the iSight, and through a search box like the one pictured above. It uses Amazon search, and it lets you add just about anything that you can buy on Amazon. I am not sure how Shipley designed the search for Delicious Library 2, but when I tried to add my Nintendo Wii to the library, it brought up every accessory you can buy, but failed to show me the actual Nintendo Wii. I was able to find a couple Wiis with some additional accessories, but that was about it. I don’t have the box anymore, so I couldn’t just scan it (which is the case with most of my electronic gear). The good news is that I was able to add component cables for my Wii to my library, as well as extra Wii remotes, classic controllers, nunchucks, grip covers, and remote charging stations.

There are some frustrations with searching, though. In Delicious Library 1, you could search by ISBN (which was probably because the iSight scanning did not always work). But now, in Delicious Library 2, you can’t. It is very frustrating to know the ISBN but not be able to use it to search. It is probably easier to search with keywords, but sometimes the results listed are far too broad and varied for it to be that worthwhile. I wish the option to add was as simple as this:

You can also publish your shelves to the web. I published mine to my iWeb site, and it looked pretty good. The only drawback is that it did not include links to Amazon, so if someone were viewing my library, and wanted one of my books, they couldn’t just click on the title and get to the book. They would have to copy and paste, or just look the book up. That seems like a big oversight.

What I do like

Although the release notes for this version say that the algorithm for scanning with iSight is only “slightly improved” it is far better than Delicious Library 1. I scanned the same book in both, and got a much faster scan time for Delicious Library 2. I waved it all over the screen on version 1, but with version 2, I put it right in the guides, and scanned it before it was actually lined up all the way in the guides.

That makes for much faster adding of items. I also tried it out with an external USB webcam, and that worked just as well. That made it very easy for taking it to my bookshelves, instead of bringing all my books to my computer.

Visually, it rocks. When you add an item, a “container” fills up with colored circles that becomes your item. Your items shatter or go up in flames when you delete them, as shown below.

Perhaps the best feature for the kids out there is the ability to export your library (or just selected shelves or items) to a bibliography. In college, I used EndNote for my citation needs, and if this were available, it would have been much easier. EndNote requires you to type in every single thing about your book, and only just recently came out with a very poor online search tool that doesn’t get the correct info 95% of the time. Bibliographies are available in the following formats: AMA, Turabian, APA, CBE, Chicago, and MLA. For college students who do a lot of writing, it is definitely worth the $40 or $20 (for an upgrade).

In conclusion, Delicious Library 2 is most beneficial in that it provides a record of most things that you own, and it does it in a fun way. It is actually exciting to feel like you are a checker at a store as you scan items into your library. I finally have the itemized list of stuff that I need to show the insurance company if anything ever happens. Everything I buy from now on will go right into the library, so I can have a record of it. This is a good program for those who want to catalog their stuff and have a record on the web (or iPod) that you can get to if you need it later.

Delicious Library costs $40 for a new license and $20 for an upgrade from 1.5 at delicious-monster.com

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Version 2 boasts over 100 changes and can be purchased for $40 (requires Leopard).

Some version highlights include:

• Play button on Apple remote launches file or URL associated with selected item.
• Speech input of items.
• Integration with iTunes.
• One-click web publishing.

Read the rest of the updates in the release notes here.

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I have deployed the new store (also the basis of Golden % Braeburn) and it’s taking DL1 orders right now. Will watch it, then ship DL2.

Could this mean he was up late last night, getting the code smoothed over, ready for a deploy either today or sometime this week? We will see.

Interesting note: “Golden % Braeburn” is the rumored payment-handling system for Mac ISVs that Shipley mentioned in passing at WWDC 2007.

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• Why iPad 2 Will Lead Consumers Into the Post-PC Era
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Weldon points out that Wil Shipley Twittered the closing bell on the application’s readiness a couple days ago. I hope Weldon’s assumption is correct – it’ll be pretty sweet to re-catalog all my stuff prior to packing it up for a move…

Thanks for the tip Weldon – you’d better be right!

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A quick rundown:
Delicious Library 2 goes home with the Best Leopard Application award – can’t wait to get a look at that piece of software, eh?

Coda takes the Best User Experience award – having played with the demo, that’s not surprising at all.

Best Developer tools went to CSSEdit (first) and rooSwitch (runner-up) – I’ve seen the former and been impressed, and just recently purchased the latter and am very excited about the prospects it offers of switchable application preferences.

On the Best Student Project, Picturesque grabs the honors – I’ve recently seen this and played a bit, and it’s REALLY simple and fun to use.

Great work to all the developers, and Congrats on the recognition to those who won!

Related research and analysis from GigaOM Pro:
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• Why iPad 2 Will Lead Consumers Into the Post-PC Era
• The Near-Term Evolution of Social Commerce