| http://creativecommons.org/weblog/entry/15764 http://creativecommons.org/?p=15764 Museums, archives, and cultural institutions have been forced to re-examine their relationship with the digital presentation of public domain works in their collections. This has brought the issue of “copyfraud” to the forefront. Recently, the UK’s National Portrait Gallery (NPG) threatened legal action under UK law against a Wikipedia user for, among other things, copyright infringement of digital photos of public domain works by uploading them to Wikipedia.
This raises some interesting legal issues related to copyright, jurisdiction, and enforcement. In the U.S., the Bridgeman v. Corel decision would probably bar NPG’s claims. Similarly, the U.S. Supreme Court in Feist held that copyright protection is not based on a “sweat of the brow” theory. UK courts have not necessarily agreed. However, there is the strictly legal, and then there is the practical. In the 2005 article Public Domain Art in an Age of Easier Mechanical Reproducibility, Kenneth Hamma, former Exec. Dir. for Digital Policy, J. Paul Getty Trust, highlights the collision of traditional approaches to control over museum collections and the digitization of the public domain:
[R]esistance to free and unfettered access may well result from a seemingly well-grounded concern: many museums assume that an important part of their core business is the acquisition and management of rights in art works to maximum return on investment. That might be true in the case of the recording industry, but it should not be true for nonprofit institutions holding public domain art works; it is not even their secondary business. Indeed, restricting access seems all the more inappropriate when measured against a museum’s mission – a responsibility to provide public access.
Restricting access via copyfraud or DRM defeats the purpose of the public domain, and damages the reputation and mission of the institution holding the original copies of these works. However, the NPG’s disappointing actions should not overshadow the many institutions working to make the public domain accessible to you, the public. The Commons on Flickr is a great example of 27 private and public institutions from all over the world who are making works available with “no known copyright restrictions”. Working with, not against, cultural institutions highlights some of the ways cultural heritage institutions and communities can work together to mutual benefit.
We hope that institutions will increasingly see the the mission value (and financial value — attracting visitors to see original works) of working with communities to open up access to curated public domain works and of proactively marking public domain works as such for humans and computers, e.g., with our public domain tools. | comments: Leave a comment   |
| http://feeds.gawker.com/~r/lifehacker/full/~3/Q7OrMNroafQ/build-a-diy-portable-air-conditioner  We've shown you how to make an air conditioner (even for as low as $30), but what if you wanted something you can put in your car and take with you?
Instructables user CameronSS has a guide to building a portable air conditioner out of materials that you may already have in your garage (if you don't, he lists the average cost for each part and where it can be purchased), including a portable cooler, 12V battery, fans, and a generous helping of ice. Plenty of pictures and sage advice from his father guide you through the building process, and CameronSS ends the instructions with a list of potential modifications to improve the already great gadget. Oh, and if you have doubts about how well a DIY air conditioning unit could work, he reported back with these results after putting it to the test in a hot truck: When the unit was started, the air in the cab was 95 degrees, parked in the shade after a morning of sun, and the outside heat index was 108 degrees. Within five minutes the cab had cooled to 75 degrees, and the air output was 65 degrees. With two quarts of water that had been refrigerated and 8 pounds of ice cubes, the ice had melted after 40 minutes, leaving 50 degree water, with an output of 65 degree air. Not only does the unit work, but it works well and efficiently! Check out the link below for detailed instructions on how to build your very own portable air conditioner and while you're down there, hit up the comments section and tell us about how you battle the summer heat.
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| http://feeds.gawker.com/~r/lifehacker/full/~3/f4ApBSbkau4/album-spotter-keeps-you-up+to+date-with-your-music  If you've ever wanted a fast, automated way to check if you've got the latest albums from your favorite bands, web site Album Spotter might be your answer.
Just export your library in iTunes (File > Library > Export library), and then upload it to Album Spotter. Once the site finishes analyzing your library, you're presented with a results page that lists every album you have (complete with album art, name, and Amazon link) along with the latest album available. When the latest album is highlighted in green, you already have the latest from that artist (the name of every album you own will show in green as well). If you'd rather just check a few artists manually, you can enter their name on the homepage of Album Spotter in the "check a specific artist" box—though this search box was a little buggy in our tests. (If you search for "Bob Dylan" it returns no results; "Dylan" works just fine.) The latest album will show up immediately, again, linked to Amazon. Thanks Bill!
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| http://feeds.gawker.com/~r/lifehacker/full/~3/R5ATIL0TOIk/summer-foods-that-cool-you-down-and-those-that-dont  When the mercury rises, a hot bowl of soup isn't nearly as inviting as, say, some ice cream or a plate of freshly cut watermelon—and with good reason. Here's what to eat and avoid during the summer months.
Photo by kurisurokku. One (obvious but effective) way to stay cool is to eat fruits and vegetables with high water content. These include leafy lettuces, corn on the cob, cucumbers, watermelon, and summer squash. All contain a significant amount of water that can thin the blood and help your body to release heat. Alternatively (and perhaps counter-intuitively), you might try adding more spice to your diet to help cool your body through sweating. Hot peppers, fresh ginger, horseradish, and black pepper should all do the trick. As for preparation, try to focus on fast cooking methods like steaming and quick sautés as opposed to more heat intensive ones. (Baking something for an hour in the oven most certainly will not cool you down.)  Concerning meals to avoid? Sadly, ice cream and ice-cold beer are on the list, at least where long-term body cooling is concerned. The Seattle Times quotes Gerard E. Mullin, the director of gastroenterology at Johns Hopkins Hospital, who says that "anything ingested that is lower than actual body temperature will initially produce a cooling effect systemically." But after 15-20 minutes, the opposite holds true. Photo by epicbeer.
In the same article, Barry G. Swanson, a professor and co-chair of Food Science and Human Nutrition at Washington State University also explains that "the body will physiologically respond to energy (i.e., heat) loss by increasing blood flow to the 'cool' region and bring the temperature back up to a physiological 'body temperature (98.6 degrees).'" For its part, NY Mag outlined its 21 coolest summer food picks several years back, but the selections are still relevant today. The list includes gazpacho, a plate of pickles, and lassi. Now that we've started you off on some cool summertime meals, let's hear what foods do and don't work for you during the dog days of summer, in the comments.
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| http://feeds.gawker.com/~r/lifehacker/full/~3/4l1Cs9weZ_U/test-out-your-mechanic-beforehand-with-minor-repair-jobs  If your car needs servicing and you don't have the necessary skills to go the DIY route, you'll need to find a capable, trustworthy mechanic. How? Test out their skill level before your car gives you major trouble.
Photo by Terry Wha. The Modesto Bee says to select a repair shop before you need one, and test them out with a simple repair job, like an oil change. If the shop can't handle the most basic of repairs in a timely and affordable manner, then you're probably better off finding one that can. Testing out the shop with small jobs will also help gauge how they treat you. Are they courteous? Responsive? Do they complete the work on time? And, though obvious, it's worth repeating that you should always get a written estimate of the work you want done, and never, ever sign an open-ended contract. Hit up the full article for other tips on how best to choose an auto repair shop, then let us know if and how you've been gouged by a mechanic so your fellow readers don't follow suit. Or if you're more of a DIY-er, check out our top ten DIY auto hacks.
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