What's new in Game Collector? 2015
Fixed:
- Loading of backup.xml is now more robust
Fixed:
- Improved Webcam functionality for Webcam Barcode scanning:
- Sometimes starting the webcam feature would hang the program
- Some webcams didn’t show any video
- A JPEG error could be thrown for some webcams
- Add Automatically: when you didn’t want to move a game from your wish list into your collection, it wasn’t possible.
Find Image Online tool now uses Bing Image Search
The Find Image Online tool previously used Google Images to find images.
However, it turns out that on December 1, Google terminated the free Google Image Search API
that we were using, causing our Find Image Online functionality to stop working.
Google provides a new paid version of the Search API, but it is limited to max 10K searches per day.
With the amount of customers we have, we need at least 20K daily searches (600K per month!) 🙁
The solution: Switch to BING!
Microsoft also offers a paid Bing Image Search API and this one has no limits.
Or, to be more precise, they let us pay more for higher limits.
We immediately went to work and updated all our Windows and Mac programs
to use Bing Images for the Find Image Online tool instead.
Obviously, this generates considerable extra monthly costs (well over US $1,000),
but we have decided that we will NOT pass on these extra costs to our customers.
So here it is: the new Find Image Online, powered by Bing. Enjoy!
Fixed:
- Freezes at start up for some users, caused by the webcam detection.
Fixed:
- Access Violation when starting the program after a fresh installation.
- Access Violation when closing the program.
v16.0.2: Delete Orphan Images now also works on Links/Local Files
Fixed:
- Delete Orphan Images tools didn’t account for images linked in the Links / Local Files tab.
Webcam barcode scanning
Use your webcam as a barcode scanner, to add or find games by barcode.
- Scan barcodes with your webcam
Just use the live camera view to point your webcam at a barcode
and let our software detect the barcode that is in view. - Use the webcam scanner to add games by barcode
Pop-up the scan window and scan game barcodes,
either using Direct Search or scanning into the Queue. - Or use it in the main screen to find games by barcode
Scan a game barcode while in the main screen,
to quickly search your local database by barcode. - Works best with auto-focus or manual-focus webcams
Fixed focus cameras will not work well (or at all).
