20 September 2024

VueScan Lets You Forget About Scanner Drivers

Your scanner probably came with drivers and scanner software, either from the manufacturer or from a third party like Silverfast. VueScan is probably a better choice.

Drivers were once a serious problem for scanner owners who upgraded to a new version of Windows because the manufacturers frequently failed to provide new drivers. That’s less of a problem now because most drivers created for Windows 8 or later work with Windows 10 and Windows 11.

If the scanner came with Silverfast and you have a single scanner that you use with a single computer, there’s no problem; but if you have multiple scanners or multiple computers it can be quite costly because Silverfast is licensed for a single computer-scanner pair.

I’ve been a fan of Ed Hamrick’s VueScan for a long time because a single license works with all scanners and computers you own so long as the scanner is one of more than 7000 supported models from more than three dozen manufacturers and your computer runs Windows, MacOS, or Linux. You are limited to installing VueScan on no more than four computers, but that hardly seems to be a problem. If you’re running scanners on more than four computers, you’re clearly well beyond normal single-license use.

I have a professional-grade Epson flatbed scanner, the scanner that’s built in to a standard Canon multifunction printer, and a scanner that works exclusively with 35mm film and slides.

So anyone who’s wondering “Why VueScan?” should realize that VueScan supports a huge array of scanners from many manufacturers: Canon, Epson, HP, and many more. It’s a versatile tool even for those who own older or less common scanners.

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My father provided electrical services for the Logan County Fair in Bellefontaine. One September in the late 1940s, the public address announcer asked him to report to the PA area. When he did, a photographer for the Bellefontaine Examiner took a picture. It was the day I was born. >>

VueScan has an outstanding feature set, including the ability to perform batch scans; color correction and restoration that adjusts colors and restores faded images; support for negative and transparency film scanning; customizations for resolution, color depth, and file formats; and a user interface that ranges from simple new-user options to complex controls for advanced users.

VueScan saves scanned images in all common formats, including JPEG, TIFF, PDF, and more. This flexibility allows users to choose the format that best suits their needs.

VueScan is available for multiple operating systems, including Windows, MacOS, and Linux. That makes it a versatile choice for users across all common platforms.

VueScan offers a free version with limited features and the paid version is available for a one-time purchase or as a subscription that includes frequent updates so users always have access to the latest technology.

Those who are new to scanning can use VueScan’s Basic mode, which hides advanced controls that can improve scans or ruin them depending on the user’s skills. The Basic interface shows only the simplest settings and displays on-screen instructions to guide the user. You’ll be guaranteed of acceptable scans.

After mastering Basic mode, move on to Standard mode, which opens additional options to crop, adjust color, and specify the output type. The on-screen operating instructions still appear.

Those who want to get the most out of VueScan will want the Professional mode, but approach this with care. On-screen instructions are gone and the assumption is that the user knows what each setting does. To master Professional mode, pick up a copy of The VueScan Bible and Scanning Negatives and Slides. These are old books, from 2011 and 2007 respectively. Some of VueScan’s menus have changed a bit and references to hardware are dated, but the books cover resolution, file formats, and workflows that have not changed.

Users can download VueScan for free and try it for as long as they want. Instead of limiting the time or features in the trial version, it places a watermark on each scan until it has been registered.

VueScan Basic can be used on just one computer and works only with flatbed scanners. Output is limited to JPEG files and the cost is just $25. VueScan Standard can be installed on four computers and works with document feeders, but not film or slide scanners. It costs $50. The Professional version at $100 includes support for additional output formats and film scanners.

Keep in mind that the best quality isn’t always the best choice. It’s essential to match a scan to the intended use of the output. The two extremes are speed and quality. The fastest scan will be low quality. The most accurate scan will take longer and the resulting files will consume more disk space. Sometimes the best choice will be speed, sometimes the best choice will be accuracy, and most often the best choice will be somewhere between the two extremes. Wherever the best choice is, it should be your choice, not a choice made by, or hard-wired into, the application.

VueScan is the application that should have come with your scanner. For more information, visit Ed Hamrick’s website.

Short Circuits

Sorting The Pros And Cons Of LibGenesis

Library Genesis, commonly known as LibGen, is a kind of lending library that operates in the shadows. It provides free access to books, articles, and academic papers. Millions of books, articles, and academic papers. Copyright laws are largely ignored, so Library Genesis has been quite controversial.

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Let’s examine what’s good and what’s not so good. College textbooks are astonishingly expensive. A good textbook involves one or more writers, several levels of editing, publication design, and printing. Because textbooks sell in limited numbers, the various costs must be shared among a small number of purchasers. Clearly all of the people involved in creating textbooks deserve to be paid.

But what about students? College is absurdly expensive in the United States and some students may find themselves having to choose between paying for rent or food and books. That’s where Library Genesis comes in by allowing students to obtain textbooks without cost. The ethics question is muddled at best.

• Students need equitable access to educational resources and those who have little or no income, especially those developing countries, may not be able to afford textbooks. LibGen gives these students the ability to access necessary materials that they might not be able to obtain otherwise.
• Copyright aside, some materials available on LibGen are already in the public domain or have been released under open-access licenses. In these cases, there is no violation of copyright laws and LibGen is unquestionably a legitimate way to access knowledge.
• Some who use LibGen argue that the publishing industry prioritizes profit over accessibility, and that using LibGen can be seen as a form of protest against these practices.

On the other side, copyright infringement is clearly the primary argument against LibGen because most textbooks are still under copyright.

• Downloading and distributing these materials without permission constitutes a clear violation of copyright law. As I said earlier, authors, publishers, and the development team expect and deserve to be compensated for producing educational content just as they would be for creating any other kind of publication.
• Authors and publishers are adversely affected by LibGen because they may rely on royalties from textbook sales as a significant part of their income. LibGen users undermine their ability to earn a living from their work, and that raises questions about fairness and the sustainability of academic publishing.
• There are also some long-term consequences. Over time use of LibGen could result in lower quality books and educational materials. Publishers could limit investments in new textbooks if they know the books will be widely pirated.

There are some alternatives to LibGen.

• Some colleges and universities are developing and promoting open educational resources that are freely accessible and offer openly licensed educational materials. When these resources are available, the access issue is resolved without copyright infringement.
• Some academic libraries offer textbook lending programs or digital access to textbooks. These also provide a low-cost, legal, and ethical way to obtain essential materials.
• Advocating for change that would make more educational materials available at a lower cost, or no cost, is probably the best option long-term to address the needs of all.

In the meantime, there’s LibGen.

“What Three Words” Precisely Describes Where You Are

Sometimes drinking a beer will explain something. Take Stone Brewing’s FML hazy double IPA. You may think you know what FML means, but you’re probably wrong in this case. It’s “fear movie lions”. Craft beers and particularly IPAs have odd names, but what’s this all about?

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The back of the can gives some clues, if you can read them. Bare aluminum text on a white background it challenging, but here’s what it says:

There’s a 3m × 3m square in our Richmond, VA[,] brewery with these three words painted on it. What three words? Exactly. For the uninitiated, that’s What3Words. It’s a global addressing system to bring locations to the previously unlocatable. Inspired by the positive impact of this system, we decided to name this IPA after a 3-meter square in the brewery where it was created. Check it out. So now, when someone says to you “What three words?” [y]ou can reply with your own answer.... [I]f it’s ///Fear. Movie. Lions, we’ll see you here.

But back to the name on the front of the can. Notice the triple slash in front of the name: /// Fear Movie Lions. What3Words would like that to be styled “///fear.movie.lions” and if you go to the What3Words website and type “///fear.movie.lions”, you’ll see the location associated with those three words in in a building on Nicholson Street in Richmond, Virginia. What’s the point? Why is this important? It this important?

I think it is important and several big companies seem to agree.

Let’s say you’re waiting for someone to pick you up at Bicentennial Park in Columbus. The park covers a large area. Are you at the north end by Broad Street or further south near Rich Street? What if you could tell the person whose picking you up that you’re at ///punks.beams.crab? That would mean you’re on the west side of the intersection of South Civic Center Drive and West Town Street. It’s a precise location. This is the kind of information that would help Uber and Lyft drivers, as well as police and fire first responders.

It’s even more important in rural areas. Roll, Arizona, is about as rural as it gets. Roll is east of Yuma. A friend of mine lived there after moving from Los Angeles. When I visited, the route involved taking I-8 to South Ave 36 East, then north to Roll Road to County 6th Street and South Ave 38 East into metropolitan Roll. Past the traffic light, and onto a series of smaller roads, past the end of the paved roadway, and on to the house.

Let’s say that I had car problems in one of these rurual areas. I never did, but how would I have described my location? “I’m northwest of Roll on a small dirt road” covers hundreds of square miles. But if I said that I was at ///numbs.bonds.tequila, responders who had access to What3Words would know that I was on South Avenue 39 East, north of East County Road 4th Street. That’s information I wouldn’t have.

It’s a challenge to convince businesses to adopt new technologies, but What3Words seems like a system that should be adopted. Mercedes, Mitsubishi, and Subaru have signed on. Uber and Lyft have not. Several emergency services providers use What3Words.

This is one of those startups that I sincerely hope will succeed because they provide what can be a most useful service. Visit the What3Words website for more information and to learn how to download the app for your phone.