Strangest book layout yet: BedBooks

I like reading books. But the inventor of BedBooks must like reading them at least couple of degrees more. So, he sells books printed sideways. It has to be seen to be believed. (via LibrarianInBlack)
In fact, if he were not selling them, this method would be a perfect candidate for the halls of ChinDogu.

On a serious note, it is interesting to note that the business like this must only be possible due to 2 factors: Copyright expiration (currently under threat) and Print-on-Demand technology.

Alex.

Robert Burns’ night in a virtual world.

There are many ways to celebrate Robert Burns’ birthday, but doing it in a virtual world is certainly one of the odder ones. Even if you don’t know what SecondLife is, the pictures are worth looking at.

For myself, I danced the whole evening at New York’s RSCDS branch.

Alex.

Great WikiBook on Computer Assisted Language Learning

I have collected many links to help me learn French with computers. But the resource I have just discovered is really the best.

It is a WikiBook on Autonomous Technology-Assisted Language Learning (ATALL) written by Gary Cziko. It has resources organised by work type and acquisition method. There are language neutral as well as language specific links. And – as with all WikiBooks – anybody can add relevant material.
Highly recommended!

Alex.

Reading classics with “Squashed Philosophers”

I have always wanted to read through the classics of the Western literature. But the life is too short and too busy to try slogging through the volumnous writings. Now, the “Squashed Philosophers” website (via StingyScholar) offers condenced versions of materials where only the important points are kept – in the original language – and the long rambles are excised.

And for those who don’t like reading from the screen, they have a printed version. I suspect this is done with the Print-on-Demand technology, also a good match for a book with uncertain sell-through expectations.
Great idea and it is certainly on my bookmarks now.

Alex.

Where are the blogs of computational linguists?

I have a lay interest in the field of computational linguistics. So I want to read the current thoughts of the people in the people. But where are they all? You would think they would blog, after all they are good with computers and they are good with languages.

But no! I can find teachers blog, I can find doctors blog, I can find CEOs blog. But I cannot find any computational linguists blog. Ok, I found one, but that is really not enough.
Where are you people? I want to know what you thinking about now. 🙂

Alex.

Technorati tags: computational linguistics