Ebook Information I

IT Essentials: PC Hardware and Software Labs and Study Guide (3rd Edition) (Lab Companion) : 9781587131981

2008-02-25T06:52:00.003-08:00

The IT Essentials: PC Hardware and Software version 4 course in the Cisco® Networking Academy® is designed to prepare you to take and pass the CompTIA A+ exams based on the 2006 objectives. You must pass both the A+ Essentials and one of the technician exams to earn the A+ certification. Chapters 1 through 10 cover the foundational knowledge that aligns with the CompTIA A+ Essentials exam (220-601). Chapters 11 through 16 explore more advanced concepts in greater depth to prepare you for the specialized CompTIA A+ technician exams (220-602 for IT Technician, 220-603 for Remote Support Technician, and 220-604 for Bench Technician).

IT Essentials: PC Hardware and Software Labs and Study Guide, Third Edition, is designed as a valuable teaching and learning tool, incorporating new features to improve your hands-on skills and reinforce the key topics of the course. Each chapter contains a Study Guide section and a Labs section.

The Study Guide section is designed to provide additional exercises and questions to reinforce your understanding of the course topics, preparing you for the course assessments and focusing on preparing for the associated certification exams.

The Labs section features the complete collection of the lab exercises and worksheets specifically designed by Cisco to give students hands-on experience in a particular concept or technology.

Chapters 1–10 cover the following skills and competencies:

Core competencies in the latest hardware and software technologies

Information security skills

Safety and environmental issues

Soft skills for career development

Chapters 11–16 cover the following skills and competencies:

Advanced troubleshooting skills

Preparation for all three CompTIA job environment certification exams

Advanced installation of computers, peripheral devices, networks, and security components

About the Author

Patrick Regan has been a PC technician, network administrator/engineer, design architect, and security analyst for the past 16 years after graduating with a bachelor’s degree in physics from the University of Akron. He has taught many computer and network classes at Sacramento local colleges (Heald College and MTI College) and has participated in and led many projects (Heald College, Intel Corporation, Miles Consulting Corporation, and Pacific Coast Companies). For his teaching accomplishments, he received the Teacher of the Year award from Heald College, and he has received several recognition awards from Intel. Previously, he worked as a product support engineer for the Intel Corporation Customer Service, a senior network engineer for Virtual Alert supporting the BioTerrorism Readiness suite, and as a senior design architect/engineer and training coordinator for Miles Consulting Corp (MCC), a premiere Microsoft Gold Certified Partner and consulting firm. He is currently a senior network engineer at Pacific Coast Companies, supporting a large enterprise network. He holds many certifications, including the Microsoft MCSE, MCSA, MCT; the CompTIA A+, Network+, Server+, Linux+, Security+, and CTT+; the Cisco CCNA; and the Novell CNE and CWNP Certified Wireless Network Administrator (CWNA).

Over the past several years, he has written several textbooks for Prentice Hall, including Troubleshooting the PC, Networking with Windows 2000 and 2003, Linux, Local Area Networks, Wide Area Networks, and the Acing series (Acing the A+, Acing the Network+, Acing the Security+, and Acing the Linux+). He also coauthored Exam Cram 70-290 MCSA/MCSE Managing and Maintaining a Microsoft Windows Server 2003 Environment, Second Edition.

Introduction to Computer Graphics: Using Java 2D and 3D (Undergraduate Topics in Computer Science) : 9781846288470

2008-02-25T06:52:00.001-08:00

Computer graphics comprises the creation and representation of simple graphical elements and images, as well as modern techniques for rendering a virtual reality. To apply these techniques correctly, one requires a basic understanding of the fundamental concepts in graphics.

This book introduces the most important basic concepts of computer graphics, coupling the technical background and theory with practical examples and applications throughout. Its user-friendly approach enables the reader to gain understanding through the theory at work, via the many example programs provided. With only elementary knowledge of the programming language Java, the reader will be able to create their own images and animations immediately, using Java 2D and/or Java 3D.

Features:

Presents computer graphics theory and practice in integrated combination

Focuses on the increasingly used Java 3D (and 2D in the first section of the book)

Uses many pedagogical tools, including numerous easy-to-understand example programs and end-of-chapter exercises

Offers Internet support for students and instructors (found at http://public.rz.fh-wolfenbuettel.de/~klawonn/computergraphics), such as additional exercises, solutions, program examples, slides for lecturers and links to useful websites

Provides an ideal, self-contained introduction to computer graphics

Written for second year undergraduates and above, this reader-friendly, clear and concise textbook will be an essential tool for those studying Computer Science and Computer Engineering.

Frank Klawonn has many years of experience teaching computer graphics and coordinating application projects with companies.

Internet Multimedia Communications Using SIP: A Modern Approach Including Java Practice : 9780123743008

2008-02-25T06:48:00.009-08:00

Session Initiation Protocol (SIP) was conceived in 1996 as a signaling protocol for inviting users to multimedia conferences. With this development, the next big Internet revolution silently started. That was the revolution which would end up converting the Internet into a total communication system which would allow people to talk to each other, see each other, work collaboratively or send messages in real time. Internet telephony and, in general, Internet multimedia, is the new revolution today and SIP is the key protocol which allows this revolution to grow.
The book explains, in tutorial fashion, the underlying technologies that enable real-time IP multimedia communication services in the Internet (voice, video, presence, instant messaging, online picture sharing, white-boarding, etc). Focus is on session initiation protocol (SIP) but also covers session description protocol (SDP), Real-time transport protocol (RTP), and message session relay protocol (MSRP). In addition, it will also touch on other application-related protocols and refer to the latest research work in IETF and 3GPP about these topics. (3GPP stands for "third-generation partnership project" which is a collaboration agreement between ETSI (Europe), ARIB/TTC (Japan), CCSA (China), ATIS (North America) and TTA (South Korea).) The book includes discussion of leading edge theory (which is key to really understanding the technology) accompanied by Java examples that illustrate the theoretical concepts.

Throughout the book, in addition to the code snippets, the reader is guided to build a simple but functional IP soft-phone therefore demonstrating the theory with practical examples.

This book covers IP multimedia from both a theoretical and practical point of view focusing on letting the reader understand the concepts and put them into practice using Java. It includes lots of drawings, protocol diagrams, UML sequence diagrams and code snippets that allow the reader to rapidly understand the concepts.

KEY FEATURES

* Focus on HOW multimedia communications over the Internet works to allow readers to really understand and implement the technology
* Explains how SIP works, including many programming examples so the reader can understand abstract concepts like SIP dialogs, SIP transactions, etc.
* It is not focused on just VoIP. It looks At a wide array of enhanced communication services related to SIP enabling the reader put this technology into practice.
* Includes nearly 100 references to the latest standards and working group activities in the IETF, bringing the reader completely up to date.
* Provides a step-by-step tutorial on how to build a basic, though functional, IP soft-phone allowing the reader to put concepts into practice.
* For advanced readers, the book also explains how to build a SIP proxy and a SIP registrar to enhance one's expertise and marketability in this fast moving area.

Integrated Formal Methods: 4th International Conference, IFM 2004, Canterbury : 9783540213772

2008-02-25T06:48:00.007-08:00

The fourth conference in the series of international meetings on Integrated Formal Methods, IFM, was held in Canterbury, UK, 4–7 April 2004. The conference was organized by the Computing Laboratory at the University of Kent, whose main campus is just outside the ancient town of Canterbury, part of the county of Kent.

Kent is situated in the southeast of England, and the university sits on a hill overlooking the city of Canterbury and its world-renowned cathedral. The University of Kent was granted its Royal Charter in 1965. Today there are almost 10,000 full-time and part-time students, with over 110 nationalities represented.

The IFM meetings have proven to be particularly successful. The first meeting was held in York in 1999, and subsequently we held events in Germany in 2000, and then Finland in 2002. The conferences are held every 18 months or so, and attract a wide range of participants from Europe, the Americas, Asia and Australia. The conference is now firmly part of the formal methods conference calendar. The conference has also evolved in terms of themes and subjects represented, and this year, in line with the subject as a whole, we saw more work on verification as some of the challenges in this subject are being met.

Information Processing in Medical Imaging: 16th International Conference, IPMI'99, Visegrad, Hungary : 9783540661672

2008-02-25T06:48:00.005-08:00

This book constitutes the refereed proceedings of the 16th International Conference on Information Processing in Medical Imaging, IPMI'99, held in Visegrad, Hungary in June/July 1999.

The 24 revised full papers and the 28 posters presented have been carefully reviewed and selected from a total of 82 submissions. The volume addresses the full range of current topics in the area in particular new imaging techniques, 3D ultrasound and PET, segmentation, image analysis of the brain cortex, registration, feature, detection and modelling, cardiovascular image analysis, shape modelling and analysis, segmentation and detection, measurement and quantitative analysis, and analysis of image sequences and functional imaging.

Information and Communications Security: 9th International Conference, ICICS 2007, Zhengzhou, China : 9783540770473

2008-02-25T06:48:00.003-08:00

This book constitutes the refereed proceedings of the 9th International Conference on Information and Communications Security, ICICS 2007, held in Zhengzhou, China, in December 2007.

The 38 revised full papers presented were carefully reviewed and selected from 222 submissions. The papers are organized in topical sections on authentication and key exchange, digital signatures, applications, watermarking, fast implementations, applied cryptography, cryptanalysis, formal analysis, system security, and network security.

Implementing ITIL Configuration Management : 9780132425933

2008-02-25T06:48:00.001-08:00

Practical, Real-World ITIL Configuration Management–From Start to Finish

The IT Infrastructure Library® (ITIL) places the “best practices” in IT operations at your command. ITIL helps you make better technology choices, manages IT more effectively, and drives greater business value from all your IT investments. The core of ITIL is configuration management: the discipline of identifying, tracking, and controlling your IT environment’s diverse components to gain accurate and timely information for better decision-making.

Now, there’s a practical, start-to-finish guide to ITIL configuration management for every IT leader, manager, and practitioner. ITIL-certified architect and solutions provider Larry Klosterboer helps you establish a clear roadmap for success, customize standard processes to your unique needs, and avoid the pitfalls that stand in your way.

You’ll learn how to plan your implementation, deploy tools and processes, administer ongoing configuration management tasks, refine ITIL information, and leverage it for competitive advantage. Throughout, Klosterboer demystifies ITIL’s jargon, illuminates each technique with real-world advice and examples, and helps you focus on the specific techniques that offer maximum business value in your environment.

Coverage includes

Assessing your current configuration management maturity and setting goals for improvement

Gathering and managing requirements to align ITIL with organizational needs

Describing the schema of your configuration management database (CMDB)

Identifying, capturing, and organizing configuration data

Choosing the best tools for your requirements

Integrating data and processes to create a unified logical CMDB and configuration management service

Implementing pilot projects to demonstrate the value of configuration management and to test your planning

Moving from a pilot to wide-scale enterprise deployment

Defining roles for deployment and ongoing staffing

Leveraging configuration management information: Reporting and beyond

Measuring and improving CMDB data accuracy

About the Author

Larry Klosterboer is a certified IT architect specializing in systems management. He works for IBM’s global service delivery team out of Austin, Texas. Larry has more than 18 years of experience in service delivery, spanning technologies from mainframe to networking to desktop computing. His areas of focus have included network design, UNIX® systems administration, asset management, and most recently, implementing IT service management.

Introduction to Constraint Databases : 9780387987293

2008-02-12T02:48:00.009-08:00

Constraint databases provide extra expressive power over relational databases in a largely hidden way at the data-storage or physical level. Constraints, such as linear or polynomial equations, are used to represent large sets in a compact manner. They keep the view of the database for a user or application programmer almost as simple as in relational databases. "Introduction to Constraint Databases" comprehensively covers both constraint-database theory and several sample systems. The book reveals how constraint databases bring together techniques from a variety of fields, such as logic and model theory, algebraic and computational geometry, and symbolic computation, to the design and analysis of data models and query languages. Constraint databases are shown to be powerful and simple tools for data modeling and querying in application areas¿such as environmental modeling, bioinformatics, and computer vision--that are not suitable for relational databases. Specific applications are examined in geographic information systems, spatiotemporal data management, linear programming, genome databases, model checking of automata, and other areas. Topics and features: *Offers a database perspective and a focus on simplicity at the user level *Utilizes simple tools for determining whether queries are safe or not *Incorporates scientist-supplied descriptions of applications *Explains constraint databases from a developer's viewpoint *Provides extensive exercise sets, and sample software systems, that facilitate rapid learning of the topic within a real-world software context This volume presents a comprehensive introduction to the theory and applications of constraint database systems, which provide new methods for the design of data models and query languages. It is an essential resource for advanced students, practitioners, and professionals in computer science, database systems, and information systems.

Introduction to Assembly Language Programming: For Pentium and RISC Processors (Texts in Computer Science) : 9780387206363

2008-02-12T02:48:00.007-08:00

Assembly language continues to hold a core position in the programming world because of its similar structure to machine language and its very close links to underlying computer-processor architecture and design. These features allow for high processing speed, low memory demands, and the capacity to act directly on the system's hardware. This completely revised second edition of the highly successful Introduction to Assembly Language Programming introduces the reader to assembly language programming and its role in computer programming and design. The focus is on providing readers with a firm grasp of the main features of assembly programming, and how it can be used to improve a computer's performance. The revised edition covers a broad scope of subjects and adds valuable material on protected-mode Pentium programming, MIPS assembly language programming, and use of the NASM and SPIM assemblers for a Linux orientation. All of the language's main features are covered in depth. The book requires only some basic experience with a structured, high-level language.

Topics and Features: Introduces assembly language so that readers can benefit from learning its utility with both CISC and RISC processors [ NEW ].- Employs the freely available NASM assembler, which works with both Microsoft Windows and Linux operating systems [ NEW ].- Contains a revised chapter on "Basic Computer Organization" [ NEW].- Uses numerous examples, hands-on exercises, programming code analyses and challenges, and chapter summaries.- Incorporates full new chapters on recursion, protected-mode interrupt processing, and floating-point instructions [ NEW ].

Assembly language programming is part of several undergraduate curricula in computer science, computer engineering, and electrical engineering. In addition, this newly revised text/reference can be used as an ideal companion resource in a computer organization course or as a resource for professional courses.

Insider Computer Fraud: An In-depth Framework for Detecting and Defending against Insider IT Attacks : 9781420046595

2008-02-12T02:48:00.005-08:00

An organizations employees are often more intimate with its computer system than anyone else. Many also have access to sensitive information regarding the company and its customers. This makes employees prime candidates for sabotaging a system if they become disgruntled or for selling privileged information if they become greedy. Insider Computer Fraud: An In-depth Framework for Detecting and Defending against Insider IT Attacks presents the methods, safeguards, and techniques that help protect an organization from insider computer fraud.

Drawing from the authors vast experience assessing the adequacy of IT security for the banking and securities industries, the book presents a practical framework for identifying, measuring, monitoring, and controlling the risks associated with insider threats. It not only provides an analysis of application or system-related risks, it demonstrates the interrelationships that exist between an application and the IT infrastructure components it uses to transmit, process, and store sensitive data. The author also examines the symbiotic relationship between the risks, controls, threats, and action plans that should be deployed to enhance the overall information security governance processes.

Increasing the awareness and understanding necessary to effectively manage the risks and controls associated with an insider threat, this book is an invaluable resource for those interested in attaining sound and best practices over the risk management process.

Information Security Applications: 8th International Workshop, WISA 2007, Jeju Island, Korea, August 27-29, 2007 : 9783540775348

2008-02-12T02:48:00.003-08:00

This book constitutes the refereed proceedings of the 8th International Workshop on Information Security Applications, WISA 2007, held in Jeju Island, Korea, August 27-29, 2007.

The 27 revised full papers presented were carefully selected during two rounds of reviewing and improvement from 95 submissions. The papers are organized in topical sections on Public Key Crypto Applications, Biometrics/Information Hiding, Secure Hardware, Secure Systems, Wireless and Mobile Security, Application Security/Secure Systems, Access Control/DB Security, Smart Cards/Secure Systems and Anonymity and P2P Security.

Information Access through Search Engines and Digital Libraries (The Information Retrieval Series) : 9783540751335

2008-02-12T02:48:00.001-08:00

The Information Management Systems group at the University of Padua, led by Maristella Agosti, has been a major contributor to information retrieval (IR) and digital libraries for nearly twenty years. This group has gained an excellent reputation in the IR community and has produced some of the best-known IR researchers, whose work spans a broad range of topics.

The papers in this book deal with e.g. automated text categorizations, web link analysis algorithms, retrieval in multimedia digital libraries, and multilingual information retrieval. The presentation of original research results built on the past work of the group which at the same time summarizes past findings and opens up new directions and new areas of possible future research and cooperation will appeal to researchers and developers in institutions and companies working on search engines and information retrieval algorithms.

About the Author

Maristella Agosti is full professor in computer science, with a main focus on databases and information retrieval, at the Faculty of Humanities and at the Department of Information Engineering (DEI) of the University of Padova. She is the leader of the Information Management System (IMS) group of DEI and coordinates a number of national and international research projects. Her current interests are digital libraries, system architectures with a special focus on annotations, and multimedia digital archives.

Interactive Curve Modeling: with Applications to Computer Graphics, Vision and Image Processing : 9781846288708

2008-01-31T05:26:00.005-08:00

Interactive curve modeling techniques and their applications are extremely useful in a number of academic and industrial settings, and specifically play a significant role in multidisciplinary problem solving, such as in font design, designing objects, CAD/CAM, medical operations, scientific data visualization, virtual reality, character recognition, and object recognition, etc. Various problems such as iris, fingerprint, and signature recognition, can also be intelligently solved and automated using curve techniques.

This broad-ranging textbook covers curve modeling with solutions to real life problems relating to computer graphics, vision, image processing, geometric modeling and CAD/CAM. Well-explained, easy-to-understand chapters deal with basic concepts, curve design techniques and their use to various applications, and a wide range of problems with their automated solutions via computers.

Features and topics:

Provides a class of practical solutions to real life and multidisciplinary problems

Offers students supporting pedagogical tools in the form of a thorough introductory chapter, individual chapter introductions and end summaries, as well as end-of-chapter exercises

Presents both classical and up-to-date theory, with practice to get problems solved in diverse disciplines

Focuses on interdisciplinary methods and up-to-date methodologies in the field

Imparts a description and analysis of a variety of classes of splines for use in CAGD (computer-aided geometric design), CAD (computer-aided design), CAE (computer-aided engineering), computer graphics, computer vision, image processing and other disciplines

Aims to stimulate views and provide a source where readers can find the latest state-of-the-art developments in the field, including a variety of techniques, applications, and systems necessary for solving problems

Interactive Curve Modeling also will serve as an important tool for readers; as an extremely useful textbook for senior undergraduates as well as graduate students in the areas of computer science, engineering, and other computational sciences. This comprehensive text can equally act as an invaluable resource for those practitioners and researchers looking for an introduction to the state-of-the-art on the topic.

Professor Sarfraz has many years of experience researching and teaching in the field, winning an award for Excellence in Research at the King Fahd University of Petroleum and Minerals, Saudi Arabia.

Information Assurance: Dependability and Security in Networked Systems (The Morgan Kaufmann Series in Networking) : 9780123735669

2008-01-31T05:26:00.003-08:00

In todays fast paced, infocentric environment, professionals increasingly rely on networked information technology to do business. Unfortunately, with the advent of such technology came new and complex problems that continue to threaten the availability, integrity, and confidentiality of our electronic information. It is therefore absolutely imperative to take measures to protect and defend information systems by ensuring their security and non-repudiation. Information Assurance skillfully addresses this issue by detailing the sufficient capacity networked systems need to operate while under attack, and itemizing failsafe design features such as alarms, restoration protocols, and management configurations to detect problems and automatically diagnose and respond. Moreover, this volume is unique in providing comprehensive coverage of both state-of-the-art survivability and security techniques, and the manner in which these two components interact to build robust Information Assurance (IA).

KEY FEATURES

* The first and (so far) only book to combine coverage of both security AND survivability in a networked information technology setting

* Leading industry and academic researchers provide state-of-the-art survivability and security techniques and explain how these components interact in providing information assurance

* Additional focus on security and survivability issues in wireless networks

Implementation Patterns (Addison-Wesley Signature) : 9780321413093

2008-01-31T05:26:00.001-08:00

Software Expert Kent Beck Presents a Catalog of Patterns Infinitely Useful for Everyday Programming

Great code doesn’t just function: it clearly and consistently communicates your intentions, allowing other programmers to understand your code, rely on it, and modify it with confidence. But great code doesn’t just happen. It is the outcome of hundreds of small but critical decisions programmers make every single day. Now, legendary software innovator Kent Beck–known worldwide for creating Extreme Programming and pioneering software patterns and test-driven development–focuses on these critical decisions, unearthing powerful “implementation patterns” for writing programs that are simpler, clearer, better organized, and more cost effective.

Beck collects 77 patterns for handling everyday programming tasks and writing more readable code. This new collection of patterns addresses many aspects of development, including class, state, behavior, method, collections, frameworks, and more. He uses diagrams, stories, examples, and essays to engage the reader as he illuminates the patterns. You’ll find proven solutions for handling everything from naming variables to checking exceptions.

This book covers

The value of communicating through code and the philosophy behind patterns

How and when to create classes, and how classes encode logic

Best practices for storing and retrieving state

Behavior: patterns for representing logic, including alternative paths

Writing, naming, and decomposing methods

Choosing and using collections

Implementation pattern variations for use in building frameworks

Implementation Patterns will help programmers at all experience levels, especially those who have benefited from software patterns or agile methods. It will also be an indispensable resource for development teams seeking to work together more efficiently and build more maintainable software. No other programming book will touch your day-to-day work more often.

About the Author

Kent Beck, one of the software industry’s most creative and acclaimed leaders, consistently challenges software engineering dogma and promotes ideas like patterns, test-driven development, and Extreme Programming. Currently affiliated with Three Rivers Institute and Agitar Software, he is the author of many Addison-Wesley titles, including Test-Driven Development (2003) and, with Cynthia Andres, Extreme Programming Explained, Second Edition (2005).

IP Networking over Next-Generation Satellite Systems: International Workshop, Budapest, July 2007 : 9780387754277

2008-01-22T08:51:00.001-08:00

With the boom of Internet, IP-based applications, such as WWW and multimedia, bave been an essential part of our life, and there is an ever-increasing demand for accessing high-speed Internet services anywhere and anytime. This trend unavoidably has huge impacts on the design of the next-generation satellite systems. On the other hand, with its broadcasting nature and unique coverage, satellite systems also can play an important role in the next-generation Internet. For example, satellite systems can be a good driver for the deployment of IPv6 in the Internet, and can provide a fast way to reach end-users because they do not rely on construction of a high-speed terrestrial networks. The workshop proceedings will focus on the IP networking of next-generation satellite systems. Topics include IPv6 over satellites, new architectures of next-generation satellite systems, satellite and terrestrial network integration, network monitoring and measurement, and perfmance enhancement.

About the Author

Dr. Linghang Fan is a research fellow of the Centre for Communication Systems Research in the University of Surrey, UK. He received his B. Eng. in Automatic Control from Southeast University, China, and his M. S. and Ph. D. in Telecommunications from the University of Bradford, UK. From 1998 to 2000, he was a researcher at the University of Bradford and worked on EU projects SINUS and SUMO. In 2003, he joined the University of Surrey and worked on EU projects STRIKE, Ambient Networks, MAESTRO and SATNEX. Currently, he is working on the EU projects SATSIX and ECGIN. He has published more than forty papers in international journals and conferences.

Dr. Haitham Cruickshank is a lecturer at the University of Surrey. He has worked there since January of 1996 on several European research projects in the ACTS, ESPRIT, TEN-TELECOM, and IST programs. His main research interests are network security, satellite network architectures, VoIP, and IP conferencing over satellites. He also teaches Data and Internet Networking and Satellite Communication courses at the University of Surrey.

Professor Zhili Sun is the Chair of Communication Networking in the Centre for Communication Systems Research, Department of Electronic Engineering, University of Surrey, UK. He received his B. S. in Mathematics from Nanjing University in China and Ph. D. in Computing Science from Lancaster University, UK. He was a Postdoctoral Researcher, from 1989 to 1993, in the Telecommunications Group, Queen Mary and Westfield College, University of London before coming to Surrey. He has been a principal investigator and technical coordinator in many European projects including the ESPRIT BISANTE, VIP-TEN, GEOCAST, ICEBERGS, SatLife, SATSIX, and Euro-NGI projects.

IT Project Management : On Track from Start to Finish, Second Edition : 9780072232028

2008-01-15T15:47:00.005-08:00

Get expert advice on planning and steering a successful IT project using PMBOK-driven principles. Expert author and PMI certified Project Management Professional, Joseph Phillips, walks you through each step of the IT project management process, and shares critical strategies that engender smoothly-run, on-time, and within-budget projects. Find the best path to initiate a project, uncover techniques for project planning, focus your managing skills on picking the most qualified team members, and discover ways to deal with management. Then, establish communication channels and realistic timetables and learn how to track financial obligations. These concepts are also illustrated through interviews with leading IT project managers.

Define a project goal and create the project charter

Create a feasibility plan and establish a priority list

Determine strategy and obtain budget dollars

Work with management and define their role

Determine project expenses—including estimated required hours

Organize a project team—assess internal skills as well as utilize external resources

Delegate responsibilities and manage project schedules

Resolve disagreements—as well as address delays and budget increases

Track progress and implement quality testing

Maintain leadership and keep your team focused

IT Project+ Study Guide, 2nd Edition (Exam PKO-002) : 9780782143188

2008-01-15T15:47:00.003-08:00

Here’s the book you need to prepare for the latest version of CompTIA’s IT Project+ exam. This Study Guide was developed to meet the exacting requirements of today’s certification candidates. In addition to the consistent and accessible instructional approach that has earned Sybex the “Best Study Guide” designation in the 2003 CertCities Readers Choice Awards, this book provides:

Clear and concise information on IT project management

Practical examples and insights drawn from real-world experience

Leading-edge exam preparation software, including a test engine and electronic flashcards

You’ll also find authoritative coverage of key exam topics, including:

IT Project Initiation and Scope Definition

IT Project Planning

IT Project Execution, Control, and Coordination

IT Project Closure, Acceptance and Support

Look to Sybex for the knowledge and skills needed to succeed in today’s competitive IT marketplace.

IPSec: The New Security Standard for the Internet, Intranets, and Virtual Private Networks : 9780130461896

2008-01-15T15:47:00.001-08:00

The Internet connects millions of people around the world and allows for immediate communication and access to a seemingly limitless amount of information. Data, video, and voice, almost every single type of communication, travels across the Internet. Some of this communication is private.

The language of the Internet is IP, the Internet Protocol. Everything can, and does, travel over IP. One thing IP does not provide, though, is security. IP packets can be forged, modified, and inspected en route. IPSec is a suite of protocols that seamlessly integrate security into IP and provide data source authentication, data integrity, confidentiality, and protection against replay attacks.

With IPSec, the power of the Internet can be exploited to its fullest potential.

Communication is the lifeblood of business. Without a guarantee that a customer's order is authentic, it is difficult to bill for a service. Without a guarantee that confidential information will remain confidential, it is impossible for businesses to grow and partnerships to be formed.

Unless there is a guarantee that records and information can remain confidential, the health care industry cannot utilize the Internet to expand its services and cut its costs.

Personal services, such as home banking, securities trading, and insurance can be greatly simplified and expanded if these transactions can be done securely.

The growth of the Internet is truly dependent on security, and the only technique for Internet security that works with all forms of Internet traffic is IPSec. IPSec runs over the current version of IP, IPv4, and also the next generation of IP, IPv6. In addition, IPSec can protect any protocol that runs on top of IP such as TCP, UDP, and ICMP. IPSec is truly the most extensible and complete network security solution.

IPSec enables end-to-end security so that every single piece of information sent to or from a computer can be secured. It can also be deployed inside a network to form Virtual Private Networks (VPNs) where two distinct and disparate networks become one by connecting them with a tunnel secured by IPSec.

This book discusses the architecture, design, implementation, and use of IPSec. Each of the protocols in the suite commonly referred to as "IPSec" (the Authentication Header, Encapsulating Security Payload, and Internet Key Exchange) is examined in detail. Common deployments of IPSec are discussed and future work on problem areas is identified.

This book is intended for an audience with an interest in network security as well as those who will be implementing secure solutions using IPSec, including building VPNs and e-commerce, and providing end-to-end security. Cryptography and networking basics are discussed in early chapters for those who are neither cryptography nor networking professionals.

IP Addressing and Subnetting, Including IPv6 : 9781928994015

2008-01-15T15:46:00.003-08:00

This book covers every aspect of the current version, as well as what will be a widespread migration starting in late 1999. These include: increasing the IP address size from 32 bits to 128 bits; supporting more levels of addressing hierarchy and an increased number of addressable nodes; supporting simpler auto-configuration of addresses; improving the scalability of multicast routing by adding a "scope" field to multicast addresses; and using a new "anycast address" to send a packet to any one of a group of nodes. As in other Syngress books, this one makes a complex subject accessible by including appendices, summaries, extensive art, and detailed indexes. (Coq)

Introduction to Parallel Computing, Second Edition : 9780201648652

2008-01-15T15:46:00.001-08:00

Increasingly, parallel processing is being seen as the only cost-effective method for the fast solution of computationally large and data-intensive problems. The emergence of inexpensive parallel computers such as commodity desktop multiprocessors and clusters of workstations or PCs has made such parallel methods generally applicable, as have software standards for portable parallel programming. This sets the stage for substantial growth in parallel software.

Data-intensive applications such as transaction processing and information retrieval, data mining and analysis and multimedia services have provided a new challenge for the modern generation of parallel platforms. Emerging areas such as computational biology and nanotechnology have implications for algorithms and systems development, while changes in architectures, programming models and applications have implications for how parallel platforms are made available to users in the form of grid-based services.

This book takes into account these new developments as well as covering the more traditional problems addressed by parallel computers.Where possible it employs an architecture-independent view of the underlying platforms and designs algorithms for an abstract model. Message Passing Interface (MPI), POSIX threads and OpenMP have been selected as programming models and the evolving application mix of parallel computing is reflected in various examples throughout the book.

Introduction to Automata Theory, Languages, and Computation (2nd Edition) : 9780201441246

2008-01-15T15:44:00.009-08:00

It has been more than 20 years since this classic book on formal languages, automata theory, and computational complexity was first published. With this long-awaited revision, the authors continue to present the theory in a concise and straightforward manner, now with an eye out for the practical applications. They have revised this book to make it more accessible to today's students, including the addition of more material on writing proofs, more figures and pictures to convey ideas, side-boxes to highlight other interesting material, and a less formal writing style. Exercises at the end of each chapter, including some new, easier exercises, help readers confirm and enhance their understanding of the material.

Introduction to 3D Game Engine Design Using DirectX 9 and C# : 9781590590812

2008-01-15T15:44:00.007-08:00

Introduction to 3D Game Engine Design Using DirectX 9 and C# illustrates the process of creating a simple 3D game engine. During this process, author Lynn Harrison demonstrates many facets of the DirectX 9 software through clear-cut explanations and examples.

Throughout the course of the book, you'll develop an off-road driving game that brings such features as management of large scenes, environmental effects, and physics into play. To write the game, you'll use cutting-edge technologies—C# and DirectX, and the .NET Framework—and you'll go beyond simple graphics to explore audio, user input, artificial intelligence, and multiplayer design.

Introducing Microsoft WinFX: The Application Programming Interface for the Next Generation of Microsoft Windows, Code Name Longhorn : 9780735620858

2008-01-15T15:44:00.005-08:00

Get a headstart evaluating and programming with Microsoft’s next-generation client operating system. Get an expert, developer-focused introduction to the next generation Windows client operating system. Windows programming authority Brent Rector takes you inside the WinFX application model, explaining how its unified, managed-coded environment dramatically simplifies many programmatic “housekeeping” tasks and provides application security services from the very beginning of the development process. Then you’ll jump right into compiling, deploying, and running your first applications. From learning the new Extensible Application Markup Language (XAML) to taking advantage of the radical enhancements in security and privacy features, unified storage, file system APIs, rich media, and collaboration and communication services—you get the prerelease insights and preview code to dig into the “Longhorn” API right now.

Discover how to:

Design applications using the WinFX application model

work with the Microsoft .NET Build Engine

Exploit XAML to produce media-rich user interfaces and enhance online page navigation

Use the new WinFS storage system in Longhorn to access, manipulate, extend, and share data with less programmatic complexity

Move information between a .NET object and the UI and back again—without writing any procedural code—using data binding

Create security-enhanced communication applications—from Web services to RemoteObjects—with the new Windows communications technology, code name “indigo”

Write mobile applications with improved power management, grab-and-go docking, and wireless networking capabilities

Introducing Microsoft .NET, Third Edition : 9780735619180

2008-01-15T15:44:00.003-08:00

What problems can Microsoft .NET solve? What architectural approaches does it take to solve them? How do you start using .NET ,and how do you profit from it? Get the answers to these questions and more in the third edition of this popular, high-level .NET review—now updated for Microsoft Visual Studio .NET 2003 and .NET Framework version 1.1. Its organization makes it easy to decide how deep technically you want to go. The author expertly covers a single topic from the top down in each chapter, introducing simpler concepts first them progressing to greater technical detail. He makes his points with a minimum of jargon, a maximum of wit, a multitude of diagrams, and a wealth of meaningful analogies and clear explanations. By the end of this illuminating walk through, you’ll know enough about .NET to plan for the future of software as a Web service.

Topics covered include:

What the heck is .NET anyway?

.NET Framework objects

Microsoft ASP.NET and Web Forms

XML Web services

Microsoft ADO.NET

Handling XML

Events and delegates

Threads

Windows Forms

Data access

Bonus chapters on the Web about Windows Forms controls and Web Forms controls

New chapters in this edition:

.NET Remoting

The Reflection namespace

Inside Windows Storage: Server Storage Technologies for Windows Server 2003, Windows 2000 and Beyond : 9780321126986

2008-01-15T15:44:00.001-08:00

"Dilip Naik's Inside Windows Storage is an invaluable reference for developers and customers alike and is a must-read for anyone wishing to implement Windows-based storage networking."
—Tom Clark, Director, Technical Marketing, Nishan Systems

The Windows and enterprise storage markets are converging. Migrating upwards from low-end servers, Windows is becoming a genuine platform for running mission-critical applications. The enterprise storage market is moving from high-end servers to also include medium range servers. Thanks to a slew of enterprise storage related features, Microsoft Windows storage technologies are rapidly gaining widespread acceptance. System administrators, programmers, and technical managers need to learn to appreciate and to tap the full potential of Windows enterprise storage.

Inside Windows Storage is the first book to provide a comprehensive look at new and emerging Microsoft storage technologies. The text begins with an overview of the enterprise storage industry and Windows Server architecture, including the Windows NT I/O subsystem. With that foundation in place, readers explore the ins and outs of current Windows offerings, upcoming Windows server releases, and third-party products.

Key topic coverage includes:

Direct Attached Storage, including the new Windows Storport driver model

Fibre Channel Storage Area Networks (SANs)

Network Attached Storage (NAS), including the Windows NT network stack and an overview of CIFS

Backup and restore technologies, including Windows XP and Windows Server 2003 Volume Shadow Copy Service

File systems and disk virtualization, including a detailed overview of NTFS as well as a study of Windows cluster file systems

Storage management, including the new Windows Virtual Disk Service

IP Storage and Infiniband

High availability, including RAID mirroring as well as multi path I/O solutions

This extensive guide concludes by tracing Windows NT storage features as they appear in Windows NT 4.0, Windows 2000, and Windows Server 2003, and by offering a preview of what to expect from future Windows server releases. In short, Inside Windows Storage will help IT professionals gear up for the major role that Windows servers will surely play in the future of enterprise storage.

Inside Microsoft. NET IL assembler : 9780735615472

2008-01-15T15:40:00.009-08:00

.NET IL Assemble is the intermediate language that the .NET common language runtime converts to machine language in .NET applications. Get the inside scoop on this critical low-level language with an architectural guide from the most reliable authority-the language's designer, Serge Lidin. You'll discover common structures, functions, and rules for designing .NET applications, explanations for how .NET executables compile, details on the .NET IL Assembler, IL Disassembler and Metadata Validation tools, and more.

Inside Microsoft Visual Studio .NET 2003 : 9780735618749

2008-01-15T15:40:00.007-08:00

Learn how to put all the built-in power of Microsoft® Visual Studio® .NET 2003 to work with this comprehensive, in-depth programming guide. It drills down into the internal workings of Visual Studio .NET to help you get the most out of its features, editors, and project-management capabilities. You'll see how to extend this rich, integrated development environment to maximize your productivity for any project, no matter where you are in the development cycle—or which language you use. You'll also learn how to use macros and add-ins to simplify your work. Code examples in every chapter show you exactly what to do.

Inside Java 2 Platform Security: Architecture, API Design, and Implementation (2nd Edition) : 9780201787917

2008-01-15T15:40:00.005-08:00

Inside Java(TM) 2 Platform Security, the definitive and comprehensive guide to the Java security platform, has been thoroughly updated to reflect key additions and revisions to Java security technologies currently in use by leading technology companies. This second edition, penned by the Java experts at Sun Microsystems, provides a detailed look into the central workings of the Java security architecture and describes tools and techniques for successful implementation on even the most demanding network computing environment.

While Java has always provided a stronger security model than other platforms, this book reviews all the methods and practices required to improve security without sacrificing functionality. With tips on how to customize, extend, and refine the Java security architecture, users will have everything they need to protect their information assets from both external and internal threats.

This book's in-depth coverage encompasses security architecture, deployment, customization, new developments, and much more.

Security fundamentals

Secure class loading

Specifying fine-grained security policy

Enforcing security policy with AccessController, SecurityManager, and more

Digital certificates, certification paths, signed code, JAAS, and other authentication measures

Java-based cryptography with code examples

JSSE, Java GSS-API, and RMI for network security

Previews of other platforms for security, including Java Card, J2ME and Jini

Designed for both the system administrator and software practitioner, this book delivers vital knowledge for building and maintaining a secure system using the Java 2 platform. With detailed code and usage examples throughout, Inside Java(TM) 2 Platform Security, Second Edition, is an indispensable resource for all platform security needs.

The Java(TM) Series is supported, endorsed, and authored by the creators of the Java technology at Sun Microsystems, Inc. It is the official place to go for complete, expert, and definitive information on Java technology. The books in this Series provide the inside information you need to build effective, robust, and portable applications and applets. The Series is an indispensable resource for anyone targeting the Java(TM) 2 platform.

Inside COM+ Base Services (Microsoft Programming Series) : 9780735607286

2008-01-15T15:40:00.003-08:00

COM+ is not a radical departure from COM-it is the next stage of evolution of the COM programming model. COM was originally designed as a minimalist's component architecture. With the advent of the three-tier programming model, applications have become more complex. To help developers who work in this new world, COM+ offers a richer set of services than was available in COM. These services evolved from the technology previously known as Microsoft Transaction Server (MTS) and include features such as automatic transactions, role-based security, load balancing, object pooling, queued components, the in-memory database, and an external publish-and-subscribe event model.

COM+ offers many powerful and useful run-time services that save you the effort of building similar services yourself. While working on this book, we came to realize that it is impossible to explain these services without first explaining the fundamental component model at the heart of COM+. Whether or not you use these services in your components-for some developers, COM+ services offer little advantage1-you must understand the fundamental COM+ programming architecture before you can use COM+ effectively.

Inside COM+ Base Services describes the fundamental component model at the core of COM+. Once you understand the issues involved in building software components, you'll be able to decide where and how to use the COM+ component services effectively. Inside COM+ Component Services (forthcoming from Microsoft Press) covers these services in detail, along with issues involved in building multitier enterprise applications.

In this book, we make two assumptions-that you're interested in learning about COM+ and that you're familiar with a modern programming language such as C++, Microsoft Visual Basic, or Java. One of the central tenets of COM+ is the concept of language neutrality, so we've structured Inside COM+ Base Services around that idea. Although you can build COM+ components in a wide variety of development environments, we focus on the most popular trio: C++, Visual Basic, and Java. Visual Basic and Java developers will learn a lot from this book even though these languages hide a large part of the COM+ infrastructure. In many cases, we present examples in C++ and then show how components written in higher-level languages can tie into the same functionality. However, you must understand the fundamentals of C++ in order to use many of the sample programs.

Remember the Sojourner rover that roamed the surface of Mars during the summer of 1997? It ran on an 8-bit Intel 80C85 processor containing only 6500 transistors (compared with 5.5 million transistors in a Pentium). It had a radio modem capable of 9600 bps and was powered by solar energy and nonrechargeable lithium D-cell batteries. It was a feat of modern engineering achieved with the most basic components. In a less dramatic way, COM+ is like that-it consists of a fundamental set of ideas that can give rise to some amazingly powerful systems.

Inside ASP.NET : 9780735711358

2008-01-15T15:40:00.001-08:00

Inside ASP.NET presents experienced software and web developers with accurate and concise information on the technologies and concepts introduced in Microsoft's new and revolutionary platform, .NET. Inside ASP.NET covers topics such as ADO.NET, XML Web Services, cache control, globalization, and mobile device development, providing the most comprehensive overview of ASP.NET available.

Inside the C++ Object Model : 9780201834543

2008-01-14T15:47:00.009-08:00

Inside the C++ Object Model focuses on the underlying mechanisms that support object-oriented programming within C++: constructor semantics, temporary generation, support for encapsulation, inheritance, and "the virtuals"-virtual functions and virtual inheritance. This book shows how your understanding the underlying implementation models can help you code more efficiently and with greater confidence. Lippman dispells the misinformation and myths about the overhead and complexity associated with C++, while pointing out areas in which costs and trade offs, sometimes hidden, do exist. He then explains how the various implementation models arose, points out areas in which they are likely to evolve, and why they are what they are. He covers the semantic implications of the C++ object model and how that model affects your programs.

Highlights

Explores the program behavior implicit in the C++ Object Model's support of object-oriented programming.
Explains the basic implementation of the object-oriented features and the trade offs implicit in those features.
Examines the impact on performance in terms of program transformation.
Provides abundant program examples, diagrams, and performance measurements to relate object-oriented concepts to the underlying object model.

If you are a C++ programmer who desires a fuller understanding of what is going on "under the hood," then Inside the C++ Object Model is for you!

Inside Microsoft Windows 2000, Third Edition : 9780735610217

2008-01-14T15:47:00.007-08:00

The third edition of Inside Microsoft Windows 2000 is intended for advanced computer professionals (both developers and system administrators) who want to understand how the core components of the Microsoft Windows 2000 operating system work internally. With this knowledge, developers can better comprehend the rationale behind design choices when building applications specific to the Windows 2000 platform. Such knowledge can also help developers debug complex problems. System administrators can benefit from this information as well because understanding how the operating system works under the covers facilitates understanding the performance behavior of the system and makes it easier to troubleshoot system problems when things go wrong. After reading this book, you should have a better understanding of how Windows 2000 works and why it behaves as it does.

Inside Flash : 9780735711051

2008-01-14T15:47:00.005-08:00

This is a unique book. A unique approach. To a unique technology. Coders and creatives are both drawn to this thing called Flash, each riffing in different directions off the same tool.

Inside Flash is a world of information, ranging from foundation knowledge, to creative technique, to an exhaustive exploration of ActionScripting and Flash programming.

With the release of Flash 5, Macromedia has positioned Flash as a tool not just for creating interactive and engaging animated Web sites, but also for high-end Web applications. Add to that the integration of Flash and Generator and you can dramatically extend the power of your applications.

The high penetration of Flash into the browser market means that, as designers and developers, we finally have a viable alternative to the standard HTML/DHTML site.

Inside ColdFusion MX : 9780735713048

2008-01-14T15:47:00.003-08:00

Welcome to Inside ColdFusion MX! This book is intended to be a comprehensive guide for ColdFusion developers. It provides the knowledge to leverage the power of the new, J2EE-based ColdFusion Server to create dynamic web applications.

The release of ColdFusion MX constitutes a major overhaul for the ColdFusion product. ColdFusion MX is the first version of ColdFusion built to leverage the J2EE initiative, and it enhances the ColdFusion developer's ability to create applications that are scalable and portable. With ColdFusion MX, you can easily extend ColdFusion by tying your application architecture to other existing J2EE-compliant applications throughout an organization. You can also deploy ColdFusion applications across a wide range of J2EE-compliant server products. This is an exciting and necessary advance for the ColdFusion product, and it will require you to gain a unique understanding of the new ColdFusion product and how you can leverage that power.

Inside ColdFusion MX takes you through the changes that that will affect you most when moving existing ColdFusion applications from ColdFusion 4.X and ColdFusion 5 to the ColdFusion MX architecture. In addition, Inside ColdFusion MX provides unique guidance for creating real-world applications from the ground-up that are built exclusively to leverage the power of ColdFusion MX and its uniquely new infrastructure. As the authors of this book, we have had daily involvement with the creation, management, deployment, and support of a multitude of enterprise-level ColdFusion applications. We are not removed "from the trenches," so to speak. We spend the majority of our time facing the real-world problems that you face, and in this book, we strive to give you a complete reference where you can find solutions and support for your problems.

Innovation and Imagination at Work, 2nd Edition : 9780074714539

2008-01-14T15:47:00.001-08:00

In this revised and expanded second edition of Innovation and Imagination at Work, the Australian Institute of Management presents the thoughts of leading management thinkers and practitioners on how to create innovative organizations.

From a management and leadership perspective, this best-selling business book examines:

what business leaders and managers need to know about the future

why innovation will be imperative for corporate survival

how to transform an organization into an innovative enterprise

which innovation strategies are right for your organization

how to generate a constant stream of new ideas

how to manage and harness the creative energies of employees

why all organizations need to become entrepreneurial.

Each self-contained chapter combines theory, real-life application and practical guidance, with take-aways for the manager to explore and employ in the workplace.

Inside Windows Server 2003 : 9780735711587

2008-01-14T15:33:00.001-08:00

Inside Windows .NET Server contains comprehensive information on deploying, managing, and troubleshooting systems using both Windows .NET and its predecessor. Readers get the in-depth, practical knowledge they need to master the hundreds of complex and often frustrating features found in Windows .NET Server. Inside Windows .NET Server is structured around a production deployment of Windows .NET in a global enterprise. Each chapter contains a lively feature description followed by extensively illustrated procedures for setting up and managing each service. All along the way, Boswell includes proven advice for improving stability, performance, and security. Readers of Boswell's Inside Windows 2000 Server declared it to be the best resource on the market. Inside Windows .NET Server improves coverage of existing features while expanding the scope to include the new features and improvements that make Windows .NET a must-have upgrade.

Imperfect C++ Practical Solutions for Real-Life Programming : 9780321228772

2008-01-14T15:32:00.001-08:00

C++, although a marvelous language, isn't perfect. Matthew Wilson has been working with it for over a decade, and during that time he has found inherent limitations that require skillful workarounds. In this book, he doesn't just tell you what's wrong with C++, but offers practical techniques and tools for writing code that's more robust, flexible, efficient, and maintainable. He shows you how to tame C++'s complexity, cut through its vast array of paradigms, take back control over your code--and get far better results.

If you're a long-time C++ developer, this book will help you see your programming challenges in new ways--and illuminate powerful techniques you may never have tried. If you're newer to C++, you'll learn principles that will make you more effective in all of your projects. Along the way, you'll learn how to:

Overcome deficiencies in C++'s type system

Enforce software design through constraints, contracts, and assertions

Handle behavior ignored by the standard--including issues related to dynamic libraries, static objects, and threading

Achieve binary compatibility between dynamically loading components

Understand the costs and disadvantages of implicit conversions--and the alternatives

Increase compatibility with diverse compilers, libraries, and operating environments

Help your compiler detect more errors and work more effectively

Understand the aspects of style that impact reliability

Apply the Resource Acquisition Is Initialization mechanism to a wide variety of problem domains

Manage the sometimes arcane relationship between arrays and pointers

Use template programming to improve flexibility and robustness

Extend C++: including fast string concatenation, a true NULL-pointer, flexible memory buffers, Properties, multidimensional arrays, and Ranges

The CD-ROM contains a valuable variety of C++ compilers, libraries, test programs, tools, and utilities, as well as the author's related journal articles.

Information and Complexity in Statistical Modeling (Information Science and Statistics) : 9780387366104

2008-01-09T08:12:00.001-08:00

No statistical model is "true" or "false," "right" or "wrong"; the models just have varying performance, which can be assessed. The main theme in this book is to teach modeling based on the principle that the objective is to extract the information from data that can be learned with suggested classes of probability models. The intuitive and fundamental concepts of complexity, learnable information, and noise are formalized, which provides a firm information theoretic foundation for statistical modeling. Inspired by Kolmogorov's structure function in the algorithmic theory of complexity, this is accomplished by finding the shortest code length, called the stochastic complexity, with which the data can be encoded when advantage is taken of the models in a suggested class, which amounts to the MDL (Minimum Description Length) principle. The complexity, in turn, breaks up into the shortest code length for the optimal model in a set of models that can be optimally distinguished from the given data and the rest, which defines "noise" as the incompressible part in the data without useful information.

Such a view of the modeling problem permits a unified treatment of any type of parameters, their number, and even their structure. Since only optimally distinguished models are worthy of testing, we get a logically sound and straightforward treatment of hypothesis testing, in which for the first time the confidence in the test result can be assessed. Although the prerequisites include only basic probability calculus and statistics, a moderate level of mathematical proficiency would be beneficial. The different and logically unassailable view of statistical modelling should provide excellent grounds for further research and suggest topics for graduate students in all fields of modern engineering, including and not restricted to signal and image processing, bioinformatics, pattern recognition, and machine learning to mention just a few.

Introduction to Digital Video, Second Edition : 9780240516370

2008-01-03T03:34:00.001-08:00

Covers the essential fundamentals of digital video: from video principles, to conversion, compression, coding, interfaces and output.

Written for television professionals needing to apply digital video systems, equipment and techniques to multimedia and /or digital TV applications, as well as for computer system designers, engineers, programmers, or technicians needing to learn how to apply digital video to computer systems and applications. The text is based on the acclaimed industry `bible' The Art of Digital Video, but covers only the essential parts of this larger reference work.

It starts right from the basics from what a digital signal is to the how digital video can be applied.

John Watkinson is an international consultant in Audio, Video and Data Recording. He is a fellow of the AES, a member of the British Computer Society and Chartered Information Systems Practitioner. He presents lectures, seminars, conference papers and training courses worldwide. He is author of many other Focal press books including MPEG2, Art of Digital Video, Art of Digital Audio, Art of Sound Reporduction, Introduction to Digital Audio, Television Fundamentals and Audio for Television. He is also co-author of the Digital Interface Handbook and a contributor to The Loudspeaker and Headphone Handbook.

new edition has more on the computing aspects of videoincludes extra material on digital video broadcasting and video principlescovers more basic colorimetry and picture principles as well as progressive versus interface scanning

Written for television professionals needing to apply digital video systems, equipment and techniques to multimedia and /or digital TV applications, as well as for computer system designers, engineers, programmers, or technicians needing to learn how to apply digital video to computer systems and applications. The text is based on the acclaimed industry `bible' The Art of Digital Video, but covers only the essential parts of this larger reference work. It starts right from the basics from what a digital signal is to the how digital video can be applied.

About the Author

John Watkinson is an international consultant in audio video and data recording. He is a Fellow of the AES, a member of the British Computer Society and a chartered information systems practitioner. He presents lectures, seminars, conference papers and training courses worldwide and writes for many industry magazines. His other books for Focal Press are widely acknowledged as standard reference works and industry `bibles'. John is author of MPEG2, The Art of Digital Video and the Art of Digital Audio, An Introduction to Digital Video, An Introduction to Digital Audio, The Art of Sound Reproduction, Television Fundamentals, Co-author of The Digital Interface Handbook and Contributor to The Loudspeaker and Headphone Handbook.

Invisible Engines: How Software Platforms Drive Innovation and Transform Industries : 9780262050852

2007-12-18T04:23:00.001-08:00

Winner of the Business, Management & Accounting category in the 2006 Professional/Scholarly Publishing Annual Awards Competition presented by the Association of American Publishers, Inc.

Software platforms are the invisible engines that have created, touched, or transformed nearly every major industry for the past quarter century. They power everything from mobile phones and automobile navigation systems to search engines and web portals. They have been the source of enormous value to consumers and helped some entrepreneurs build great fortunes. And they are likely to drive change that will dwarf the business and technology revolution we have seen to this point. Invisible Engines examines the business dynamics and strategies used by firms that recognize the transformative power unleashed by this new revolution--a revolution that will change both new and old industries.

The authors argue that in order to understand the successes of software platforms, we must first understand their role as a technological meeting ground where application developers and end users converge. Apple, Microsoft, and Google, for example, charge developers little or nothing for using their platforms and make most of their money from end users; Sony PlayStation and other game consoles, by contrast, subsidize users and make more money from developers, who pay royalties for access to the code they need to write games. More applications attract more users, and more users attract more applications. And more applications and more users lead to more profits.

Invisible Engines explores this story through the lens of the companies that have mastered this platform-balancing act. It offers detailed studies of the personal computer, video game console, personal digital assistant, smart mobile phone, and digital media software platform industries, focusing on the business decisions made by industry players to drive profits and stay a step ahead of the competition. Shorter discussions of Internet-based software platforms provide an important glimpse into a future in which the way we buy, pay, watch, listen, learn, and communicate will change forever. An electronic version of this book is available under a Creative Commons license.

About the Author

David S. Evans is Managing Director of the Global Competition Policy Practice at LECG LLC. Andrei Hagiu is Assistant Professor of Strategy at Harvard Business School. Richard Schmalensee is John C. Head III Dean and Professor of Management and Economics at MIT Sloan School of Management. Evans, Hagiu, and Schmalensee are also with Market Platform Dynamics, a management consulting firm that focuses on strategic analysis and product design for platform-based firms. Richard L. Schmalensee is John C. Head III Dean and Professor of Management and Economics at the MIT Sloan School of Management. He is co-editor of Management: Inventing and Delivering Its Future (MIT Press, 2003).

Implementation and Applications of DSL Technology : 9780849334238

2007-12-18T04:22:00.005-08:00

This book offers deep industrial insight into the development of DSL technologies and their related applications in the telecommunications industry. It compiles the expertise of industry specialists from various perspectives, including chip designers, information theorists, systems engineers, service providers and more. It addresses in a rigorous manner specific issues that have been fundamental in the success of DSL technology, including insights into the theory that sustains DSL development, constraints, and challenges. It also offers a vast array of information not currently in the public domain, including the results of many years of practical experience that has never before been put to paper.

IC Interconnect Analysis : 9781402070754

2007-12-18T04:22:00.003-08:00

As integrated circuit (IC) feature sizes scaled below a quarter of a micron, thereby defining the deep submicron (DSM) era, there began a gradual shift in the impact on performance due to the metal interconnections among the active circuit components. Once viewed as merely parasitics in terms of their relevance to the overall circuit behavior, the interconnect can now have a dominant impact on the IC area and performance. Beginning in the late 1980's there was significant research toward better modeling and characterization of the resistance, capacitance and ultimately the inductance of on-chip interconnect.

IC Interconnect Analysis covers the state-of-the-art methods for modeling and analyzing IC interconnect based on the past fifteen years of research. This is done at a level suitable for most practitioners who work in the semiconductor and electronic design automation fields, but also includes significant depth for the research professionals who will ultimately extend this work into other areas and applications.

IC Interconnect Analysis begins with an in-depth coverage of delay metrics, including the ubiquitous Elmore delay and its many variations. This is followed by an outline of moment matching methods, calculating moments efficiently, and Krylov subspace methods for model order reduction. The final two chapters describe how to interface these reduced-order
models to circuit simulators and gate-level timing analyzers respectively.

IC Interconnect Analysis is written for CAD tool developers, IC designers and graduate students.

IBM On Demand Technology Made Simple, Third Edition : 9780977356911

2007-12-18T04:22:00.001-08:00

The Fastest Way to Learn about IBM Strategy and Technology Since October 2002, IBM has been laser focused on a sweeping strategy known as "On Demand Business." Since then, every IBM product line and service offering has been steadily infused with the technology and function necessary to support the On Demand Business model. In this freshly updated "Third Edition" of "IBM On Demand Technology Made Simple," popular technology author Jim Hoskins starts by describing the IBM vision known as On Demand Business so you can see the big picture and understand how your business can benefit. We then move in for a closer look at the computing infrastructure necessary to support an On Demand Business. You will come away with a new understanding of how you can evolve your current computing infrastructure to achieve the flexibility so vital in the on demand era.

This MaxFactsTM Guidebook presents an easy-to-read overview of key building block products such as IBM servers, storage, printer, and software including WebSphere, DB2, Tivoli, Lotus, Rational and Linux from an On Demand Business perspective. You will learn about the IBM Systems Agenda which guides the development of all IBM server and storage product lines. You will see how virtualization can be leveraged to improve utilization and reduce costs. You will see how to evolve your infrastructure towards the goal of end-to-end integration by leveraging hardware and software that adheres to open standards. To help you stay current, this book provides you with a personal password for accessing the companion Web site which offers up-to-the-minute On Demand Business news, "More on the Web" links highlighted throughout the book, and additional resources. This book will help you:

* Get inside IBM's companywide On Demand Business strategy

* See how best to evolve your infrastructure for the future

* Update your knowledge on key IBM server, storage, printer, and software product lines

* Understand where IBM is headed with Linux

* Stay current through the "members only" companion Web site

IssueWeb: A Guide and Sourcebook for Researching Controversial Issues on the Web : 9781591580782

2007-12-09T16:32:00.005-08:00

What student has graduated from col lege with out writing an opinion or position pa per? We dare to venture that the num ber is quite small. After all, opinion papers are an av enue for teaching critical think ing skills. They can help stu dents understand whether their opin ion on a topic has a bias, is based on suf ficient information, and falls within a continuum of widely held be liefs. It is a way for individuals to be gin play ing lifelong val ues and be liefs off those of so ciety as a whole, to evaluate their own be liefs, and to de termine what roles they wish to play in society. However, to accomplish all these things, one must be exposed to new and dif ferent ideas. One important route to this exposure is research.

The idea for this book came from an on line Internet course in which we teach students to use the Web for research pur poses. Top ics that lend themselves well to our assignments are those that are con troversial in na ture. We have discovered in the years of teaching this course that not only do students need to learn about search techniques and tools they also require instruction in the evaluation of pub lished or on line materials. Put simply, what the student knows or believes colors his or her un derstanding of the sig nificance or pur pose of what he or she reads. For instance, if we ask students to judge whether a Web site is trying to sway opin ion, one student might think it is not if the Web site corroborates his or her own worldview, while an other stu dent might think it is if the view stands in opposition to his or her own beliefs.

We have also found that the ease of us ing search en gines, such as Google or AltaVista, en courages students to take a noncontextual, key word approach to research. Spit in a word and see what co mes out. Not only does this present the student with an overwhelming amount of material, it pro vides a hap hazard lump made of pieces that are unrelated in context. An ad might ap pear in the same re - sult list as a scholarly ar ticle. An ex tremist in dividual's Web page might be grouped with a student assignment posted to a course Web site. How do we get past this? How do any of us move from be ing in dividuals who can only see con troversial in formation we read through the lens of our own bias? And how do we find material that is grouped ap propriately by type? This is the process we are at tempting to address here.

About the Author

KAREN R. DIAZ is an Instruction Librarian at the Ohio State University Libraries, Columbus. She currently teaches online courses on research skills for college students. She has held positions as Web librarian, reference librarian, and online coordinator in academic libraries. Karen holds a Masters of Library Information Science from Louisiana State University. Other publications include articles and an edited book about online reference and research. NANCY O'HANLON is currently an Instruction Librarian at the Ohio State University Libraries, Columbus, where she is responsible for developing and managing online information literacy programs. Nancy received an M.S. in Library Information Science from University of Illinois, Urbana, in 1983. In addition to holding various library positions at Ohio State, she was Associate Director of the Eisenhower National Clearinghouse for Mathematics and Science Education, and has also worked as a freelance Web developer. She has published a variety of articles on instruction-related topics.

Introduction to Probability with Statistical Applications : 9780817644970

2007-12-09T16:32:00.003-08:00

This book provides a calculus-based introduction to probability and statistics. It contains enough material for two semesters but, with judicious selection, it can be used as a textbook for a one-semester course, either in probability and statistics or in probability alone.

Each section contains many examples and exercises and, in the statistical sections, examples taken from current research journals.

The discussion is rigorous, with carefully motivated definitions, theorems and proofs, but aimed for an audience, such as computer science students, whose mathematical background is not very strong and who do not need the detail and mathematical depth of similar books written for mathematics or statistics majors.

The use of linear algebra is avoided and the use of multivariable calculus is minimized as much as possible. The few concepts from the latter, like double integrals, that were unavoidable, are explained in an informal manner, but triple or higher integrals are not used. The reader may find a few brief references to other more advanced concepts, but they can safely be ignored.

Introduction to Discrete Event Systems : 9780387333328

2007-12-09T16:32:00.001-08:00

As its title suggests, this book is about a special class of systems which in recent decades have become an integral part of our world. Before getting into the details of this particular class of systems, it is reasonable to start out by simply describing what we mean by a “system”, and by presenting the fundamental concepts associated with system theory as it developed over the years. This defines the first objective of this chapter, which is for the benefit of readers with little or no prior exposure to introductory material on systems and control theory (Sect. 1.2). Readers who are already familiar with concepts such as “state spaces”, “state equations”, “sample paths”, and “feedback” may immediately proceed to Sect. 1.3.

The second objective is to look at useful classifications of systems so as to reveal the features motivating our study of discrete event systems. Historically, scientists and engineers have concentrated on studying and harnessing natural phenomena which are well-modeled by the laws of gravity, classical and nonclassical mechanics, physical chemistry, etc. In so doing, we typically deal with quantities such as the displacement, velocity, and acceleration of particles and rigid bodies, or the pressure, temperature, and flow rates of fluids and gases. These are “continuous variables” in the sense that they can take on any real value as time itself “continuously” evolves. Based on this fact, a vast body of mathematical tools and techniques has been developed to model, analyze, and control the systems around us. It is fair to say that the study of ordinary and partial differential equations currently provides the main infrastructure for system analysis and control.

Introduction to CDMA Wireless Communications : 9780750652520

2007-12-09T16:29:00.007-08:00

The book gives an in-depth study of the principles of the spread spectrum techniques and their applications in mobile communications. It starts with solid foundations in the digital communications that are essential to unequivocal understanding of the CDMA technology, and guides the reader through the fundamentals and characteristics of cellular CDMA communications.

Features include:

* A very clear and thorough description of the principles and applications of spread spectrum techniques in multi-user mobile communications.

* Matlab-based worked examples, exercises and practical sessions to clearly explain the theoretical concepts.

* An easy-to-read explanation of the air interface standards used in IS-95 A/B, cdma2000, and 3G WCDMA.

* Clear presentations of the high speed downlink and uplink packet access (HSDPA/HSUPA) techniques used in 3G WCDMA.

The book is a very suitable introduction to the principles of CDMA communications for senior undergraduate and graduate students, as well researchers and engineers in industry who are looking to develop their expertise.

Introduction to Bayesian Scientific Computing: Ten Lectures on Subjective Computing : 9780387733937

2007-12-09T16:29:00.005-08:00

The book of nature, according to Galilei, is written in the language of mathematics. The nature of mathematics is being exact, and its exactness is underlined by the formalism used by mathematicians to write it. This formalism, characterized by theorems and proofs, and syncopated with occasional lemmas, remarks and corollaries, is so deeply ingrained that mathematicians feel uncomfortable when the pattern is broken, to the point of giving the impression that the attitude of mathematicians towards the way mathematics should be written is almost moralistic. There is a definition often quoted, “A mathematician is a person who proves theorems”, and a similar, more alchemistic one, credited to Paul Erd˝os, but more likely going back to Alfr´ed R´enyi, stating that “A mathematician is a machine that transforms coffee into theorems1”. Therefore it seems to be the form, not the content, that characterizes mathematics, similarly to what happens in any formal moralistic code wherein form takes precedence over content.

This book is deliberately written in a very different manner, without a single theorem or proof. Since morality has its subjective component, to paraphrase Manuel Vasquez Montalban, we could call it Ten Immoral Mathematical Recipes2. Does the lack of theorems and proofs mean that the book is more inaccurate than traditional books of mathematics? Or is it possibly just a sign of lack of coffee? This is our first open question.

This book has been written for undergraduate and graduate students in various areas of mathematics and its applications. It is for students who are willing to get acquainted with Bayesian approach to computational science but not necessarily to go through the full immersion into the statistical analysis. It has also been written for researchers working in areas where mathematical and statistical modeling are of central importance, such as biology and engineering.

Introduction to Artificial Neural Systems : 9780314933911

2007-12-09T16:29:00.003-08:00

The recent resurgence of interest in neural networks has its roots in the recognition that the brain performs computations in a different manner than do conventional digital computers. Computers are extremely fast and precise at executing sequences of instructions that have been formulated for them. A human information processing system is composed of neurons switching at speeds about a million times slower than computer gates. Yet, humans are more efficient than computers at computationally complex tasks such as speech understanding. Moreover, not only humans, but even animals, can process visual information better than the fastest computers.

The question of whether technology can benefit from emulating the computational capabilities of organisms is a natural one. Unfortunately, the understanding of biological neural systems is not developed enough to address the issues of functional similarity that may exist between the biological and man-made neural systems. As a result, any major potential gains derived from such functional similarity, if they exist, have yet to be exploited.

This book introduces the foundations of artificial neural systems. Much of the inspiration for such systems comes from neuroscience. However, we are not directly concerned with networks of biological neurons in this text. Although the newly developed paradigms of artificial neural networks have strongly contributed to the discovery, understanding, and utilization of potential functional similarities between human and artificial information processing systems, many questions remain open. Intense research interest persists and the area continues to develop. The ultimate research objective is the theory and implementation of massively parallel interconnected systems which could process the information with an efficiency comparable to that of the brain.

Intelligent Sensor Design Using the Microchip dsPIC (Embedded Technology) : 9780750677554

2007-12-09T16:29:00.001-08:00

In this book, readers will find:

In-depth design techniques, real-world examples, detailed figures and usable code

Application chapters thoroughly exploring temperature, pressure and load, and flow sensors

A FREE CD that provides a toolkit of software models in both C and assembly language

Intelligent sensors are revolutionizing the world of system design in everything from sports cars to assembly lines. These new sensors have abilities that leave their predecessors in the dust! They not only measure parameters efficiently and precisely, but they also have the ability to enhance and interpret those measurements, thereby transforming raw data into truly useful information.

Within the pages of this book, expert designer Creed Huddleston teaches readers to become quickly proficient in the application of the most popular digital signal controller on the market, the Microchip dsPIC, which handily marries beefy DSP processing power to the ubiquitous PIC. Digital signal controllers have proven to be an optimal way of adding intelligence to sensors because they combine the control advantages of a microcontroller with the speed of a digital signal processor. Through concrete examples and in-depth information on real-world sensor systems, Intelligent Sensor Design Using the Mircrochip dsPIC enables designers to easily produce more accurate code, even while slicing time off product design cycles!

Unlike many embedded systems books that confine themselves strictly to discussing software, this book also delves into the supporting electronic hardware, thereby providing a complete understanding of interfacing to three specific types of sensors (temperature, pressure and load, and flow sensors). This practical, easy-to-read resource offers insight into the real problems designers face in the course of their daily work, and guides readers toward solutions that will help them to take advantage of the powerful tool that is the intelligent sensor.

Intelligent Agents for Telecommunication Environments (Innovative Technology Series) : 9781903996294

2007-12-09T16:20:00.001-08:00

Mobile agents are program instances (or processes) capable of moving within the network under their own control. They consist of three parts: code, data state, and execution state. Migration of mobile agents takes place between hosts. These hosts execute the agents and provide functionality to them. This functionality includes communication with other agents and users, migration to other hosts, and other services such as persistency (i.e. storing data or agent snapshots), services lookup (i.e. finding agents that offer a service), location of agents (either locally or on a larger scale), integration of legacy systems such as databases, and the like.

Being the technical basis for applications, mobile agents offer a number of advantages. These include the saving of network bandwidth and increase in the overall performance by allowing the application to process data on or near the source of data (e.g. a database), asynchronous processing, i.e. the possibility to fulfil a task without the need to have a permanent connection from the client to a host, achieving true parallel computation by employing a number of agents working on different nodes, the replacement of a fault model where network failures can interrupt every phase of the computation by one where network failures can influence only the migration of an agent (as the rest is then done locally on the same node), and so on. Additionally, mobile agents "inherit" the advantages of mobile code systems, especially the possibility to transport functionality automatically to nodes where it has not been installed before.

For mobile agents, security is a very important aspect since neither the provider of a host or an agent-based service, nor the owner of an agent wants to be harmed by employing this technology. This is a non-trivial requirement in mobile agent systems, because firstly, the executing party has no vital interest in executing a program correctly, and secondly, the employer of a program has to give away the control over its execution.

Inside the Publishing Revolution: The Adobe Story : 9780321115645

2007-12-09T16:19:00.005-08:00

Tech journalist Pamela Pfiffner explores the rich history behind the modernpublishing revolution, as seen through the lens of one of its most importantplayers. In the past 20 years, Adobe Systems has become synonymous withgreat design tools, and the company's impact on how we work in publishing,graphic arts, and on the Web is unmatched. Join Pfiffner on a colorfuljourney from the roots of the desktop publishing revolution through the riseof the Web and interactive design. Along the way, you'll witness the birthand evolution of PostScript, the explosion of the Photoshop market, therealization of the paperless office, and other events that have shaped theway we communicate.

Inside the Publishing Revolution is not one of those dull historicaltomes you know and loathe from high school. Pfiffner packs its pages withlively, insightful interviews with world-class designers and illustrators,as well as personal insights and recollections from John Warnock, ChuckGeschke, Jonathan Seybold, and other publishing luminaries. Richlyillustrated and beautifully designed, the book features galleries ofhistorically significant work by leading artists and rare photographs fromthe Adobe archives. For added perspective, Pfiffner walks you through anillustrated timeline of the publishing revolution. As with history, thefinal chapter of the Adobe story remains to be written, so the book endswith an eye toward the future: an exclusive overview of the company'svision of publishing in the next decade.

About the Author

Pamela Pfiffner's 14-year career in publishing encompasses print, Web, and television. She has been editor in chief of such magazines as MacUser and Publish, working to extend the publications' brands to the Internet. She joined the launch team of the 24-hour cable television station ZDTV (now TechTV) in 1997 as executive producer of its dynamic media Web site. In 1999 she launched creativepro.com as an independent portal for creative professionals.

Inside SQLite : 9780596550066

2007-12-09T16:19:00.003-08:00

SQLite is a small, zero-configuration, custom-tailored, embeddable, threadsafe, easily maintainable, transactionoriented, SQL-based, relational database management system. There is no separate install or setup procedure to initialize SQLite before using it. There is no configuration file.

SQLite is open source, and is available in the public domain (for more information on open source, visit http:// opensource.org). You can download SQLite source code from its homepage http://www.sqlite.org, compile it using your favorite C compiler, and start using the compiled library. SQLite runs on Linux, Windows, Mac OS X, and a few other operating systems. It has been widely used in low-to-medium tier database applications.

This Short Cut discusses design principles, engineering trade-offs, implementation issues, and operations of SQLite. It presents a comprehensive description of all important components of the SQLite engine.

Information Theory and Statistics: A Tutorial : 9781933019055

2007-12-09T16:19:00.001-08:00

Information Theory and Statistics: A Tutorial is concerned with applications of information theory concepts in statistics, in the finite alphabet setting. The topics covered include large deviations, hypothesis testing, maximum likelihood estimation in exponential families, analysis of contingency tables, and iterative algorithms with an "information geometry" background. Also, an introduction is provided to the theory of universal coding, and to statistical inference via the minimum description length principle motivated by that theory. The tutorial does not assume the reader has an in-depth knowledge of Information Theory or statistics. As such, Information Theory and Statistics: A Tutorial, is an excellent introductory text to this highly-important topic in mathematics, computer science and electrical engineering. It provides both students and researchers with an invaluable resource to quickly get up to speed in the field.

Information Systems Reengineering and Integration : 9781846283826

2007-12-09T16:14:00.007-08:00

The strategic importance of information systems is now widely accepted, and over the last three decades these systems have received considerable investment. Systems have evolved from file systems, through database systems, to the emergence of Management Information Systems (MIS) and more recently Executive Information Systems (EIS). With the advent of each new form of the technology there has been a need to redesign and re-implement existing systems. Hence the dramatic increase in the amount of resources put into the area of reengineering.

Reengineering involves the re-design of an existing Information System, whilst utilising as much of the existing system as possible. This text takes a practical approach to re-engineering existing systems and looks at data integration, and focuses on proven methods and tools for:

the conversion of hierarchical or network database systems into relational database technology, or from relational to object-oriented and XML databases

the integration of database systems and expert systems to produce MIS and EIS systems

Taking a very practical approach, the book describes in detail database conversion techniques, reverse engineering and forward engineering, and re-engineering methodology for information systems, offering a systematic software engineering approach for reusing existing database systems built with "old" technology, Many examples, illustrations and case studies are used, making the methodology easy to follow, and a CD is included containing solutions to problems.

This book is used for a text book of undergraduate and first year graduate students, and also for a reference book of computer professionals.

An Instructor's Guide is available on web site: www.springer.com for lecturers, and a help desk for using the CDROM is available on web site: www.udw.com.hk/helpdesk.

About the Author

Professor Fong teaches a course for which the book is required reading, which attracts between 80 and 90 students.

Information Retrieval for Music and Motion : 9783540740476

2007-12-09T16:14:00.005-08:00

A general scenario that has attracted a lot of attention for multimedia information retrieval is based on the query-by-example paradigm: retrieve all documents from a database containing parts or aspects similar to a given data fragment. However, multimedia objects, even though they are similar from a structural or semantic viewpoint, often reveal significant spatial or temporal differences. This makes content-based multimedia retrieval a challenging research field with many unsolved problems.

Meinard Müller details concepts and algorithms for robust and efficient information retrieval by means of two different types of multimedia data: waveform-based music data and human motion data. In Part I, he discusses in depth several approaches in music information retrieval, in particular general strategies as well as efficient algorithms for music synchronization, audio matching, and audio structure analysis. He also shows how the analysis results can be used in an advanced audio player to facilitate additional retrieval and browsing functionality. In Part II, he introduces a general and unified framework for motion analysis, retrieval, and classification, highlighting the design of suitable features, the notion of similarity used to compare data streams, and data organization. The detailed chapters at the beginning of each part give consideration to the interdisciplinary character of this field, covering information science, digital signal processing, audio engineering, musicology, and computer graphics.

This first monograph specializing in music and motion retrieval appeals to a wide audience, from students at the graduate level and lecturers to scientists working in the above mentioned fields in academia or industry. Lecturers and students will benefit from the didactic style, and each unit is suitable for stand-alone use in specialized graduate courses. Researchers will be interested in the detailed description of original research results and their application in real-world browsing and retrieval scenarios.

About the Author

Meinard Müller is a Member of the Multimedia Signal Processing Group, Bonn University, working as a Researcher and Assistant Lecturer. His research interests include digital signal processing, multimedia information retrieval, computational group theory, and combinatorics. His special research topics include audio signal processing, computational musicology, analysis of 3D motion capture data, and content-based retrieval in multimedia documents.

Infection and Local Treatment in Orthopedic Surgery : 9783540479987

2007-12-09T16:14:00.003-08:00

Bone infections involve enormous social, economic and human impact. Despite improvements in surgical techniques, asepsis and prevention, the increasing use of surgery in orthopaedics and trauma means that the absolute number of bone infections is progressively increasing in western countries.

The work of orthopaedic surgeons is increasingly assisted by industrial innovation designed to meet new requirements and achieve what clinical and scientific evidence indicates in terms of prevention and treatment of bone and joint infections.

In particular, new technologies in recent years, such as those allowing local treatment with antibiotic-loaded cements and preformed spacers, havemade it possible to improve substantially the effectiveness of infection treatment in orthopaedics. This book collects the scientific contributions of eminent European and International scientists, which were presented during the International Congress organized by Tecres Spa (Verona, Italy) and held in Verona at the “Palazzo della Gran Guardia” (7–9 September 2006).

Specialists of surgery and medicine (orthopaedic, trauma and infection surgeons, microbiologists and pharmacologists) from all over the world met to exchange the latest information. This is a collection of their personal clinical experience in the treatment of orthopaedic implant infections.

With the hope that this book may represent a useful tool for updating those who dedicate themselves to the difficult art of treating osteo-articular infections, we wish a good reading!

Indian Medicinal Plants: An Illustrated Dictionary : 9780387706375

2007-12-09T16:14:00.001-08:00

In 2004, Springer-Verlag Heidelberg published C.P.Khares "Encyclopedia of Indian Medicinal Plants" which contained 400 monographs comprising classical as well as contemporary research findings.

"Indian Medicinal Plants. An Illustrated Dictionary" is the second major one-volume reference work by C.P.Khare which has been dedicated to the distinguished scientist, Dr. A.P.J.Abdul Kalam, who did pioneering work by reviving the glory of medicinal and aromatic plants in Rashtrapati Bhavan.

Scientific monographs of "The Wealth of India" series (17 volumes) have been capsulised in the dictionary and corroborated with the judicious findings of German Commission E, European Cooperative on Phytotherapy (ESCOP) and WHO. Therapeutic leads, active indications and contraindications are salient features of the core text. These are based on herbal pharmacopoeias, compendiums and latest editions of standard reference works like "PDR for Herbal Medicines," "(Laurance) Review of Natural Products", "Natural Medicines Comprehensive Database". Leads for further research have been provided at a number of places.

The Dictionary is the first updated source of Ayurvedic, Unani and Siddha synonyms of their botanical counterparts, after a gap of more than 30 years. The synonyms which appeared in "The Wealth of India" series (1948-1976) and in Chopras "Glossary of Indian Medicinal Plants" (1956) have been updated till January, 2007.

More than 2000 medicinal plants of "The Ayurvedic Formulary of India" and "The Ayurvedic Pharmacopoeia of India" and more than 100 species of non-Indian origin, incorporated in "National Formulary of Unani Medicine" have been covered in the Dictionary. Divergent sources of Ayurvedic, Unani and Siddha herbs have been identified and a number of controversies have been sorted out.

Pharmacognosy experts have selected important herbs, which were specially collected from leading pharamaceutical companies and pharmacopoeial laboratories and included in the dictionary as four colour photographs under the "Crude Herb Identification Guide" section. This is a unique feature and makes it an exclusive treat.

The Dictionary has been presented in a user-friendly format, as a compact, handy, easy to use and moderately priced one-volume reference work. It unfolds hidden virtues and potentials of Indian herbs for busy professionals, researchers, practitioners of herbal as well as modern medicine, and library frequenters. It will prove a ready information source for students of botany, economic botany, pharmacy, agricultural and medical sciences, who aspire to have an edge over others and are keen to keep themselves abreast of the times.

In The Name Of Terrorism: Presidents On Political Violence In The Post-world War II Era : 9780791466179

2007-12-08T16:03:00.007-08:00

No book like this could have been written without the generous assistance of the staffs of Lyndon B. Johnson Presidential Library, the Jimmy Carter Presidential Library, the Ronald Reagan Presidential Library, and the George Bush Presidential Library. Going far beyond providing normal access to internal documents, the staffs of these libraries helped me puzzle through various issues that crossed the administrations covered in this book.

My ability to complete the manuscript was possible due to the professional leave, the travel support to the various libraries, and the graduate research supportthat I received from Ahmed Abdelal, Dean of the College of Arts and Sciences at Georgia State University. I am particularly grateful to Mary Ann Romski and Carolyn Codamo, who assumed the Georgia State Department of Communication chair duties in my absence. The patient administrative hand of Dean Lauren Adamson allowed me complete final revisions. Many colleagues have contributed thoughtful comments in an effort to improve this book. My initial interest in terrorism was spawned when I was conducting research for Dr. Chuck Kaufman at the University of Maryland.

More recently, Mary Stuckey offered not only expert editorial commentary, but knowledge of resources from allied professional disciplines that spoke to themesof the manuscript. Other important commentaries were provided by Marilyn Young, Celeste Condit, Karlyn Campbell, James Darsey, Thomas Goodnight, David Cheshier, Robert Newman, Cori Dauber, and Gordon Mitchell. I am also grateful for the comments from the anonymous reviewers of SUNY Press who provided detailed commentary throughout the manuscript, the watchful eyes of my copyeditor, Wyatt Benner, production editor Diane Ganeles, production assistant Ryan Hacker, and the assistance of Michael Rinella, who shepherded me through the first part of the publication process at SUNY Press.

Image Analysis: 15th Scandinavian Conference, SCIA 2007, Aalborg, Denmark, June 10-24, 2007, Proceedings : 9783540730392

2007-12-08T16:03:00.005-08:00

This book constitutes the refereed proceedings of the 15th Scandinavian Conference on Image Analysis, SCIA 2007, held in Aalborg, Denmark in June 2007.

The 66 revised full papers and 33 revised poster papers presented were carefully reviewed and selected from 228 submissions. The papers are organized in topical sections on computer vision, 2D and 3D reconstruction, classification and segmentation, medical and biological applications, appearance and shape modeling, face detection, tracking and recognition, motion analysis, feature extraction and object recognition.

IM Instant Messaging Security : 9781555583385

2007-12-08T16:03:00.003-08:00

Securing Instant Messaging (IM) is one of the top three priorities for IT managers to consider in the next 12 months. If IM security problems have been keeping you up at night . . . they should! According to research firm IDC, corporate IM users will jump from nearly 50 million in 2003 to over 181 million by 2005.

If your company is like many others, contributing to that exponential growth in IM usage, it likely means that the potential for major security breaches in your organization is very high. By their very nature, popular IM services can introduce major security vulnerabilities to the organization. Once used simply to send short notes out among computer experts at MIT and other institutions of higher learning, IM is now a widespread, efficient medium for everyday business users to collaborate, organize strategy meetings, and share internal files and information. According to the analyst firm Yankee Group, IM will continue to grow at an explosive rate of 150 percent per year between 2003 and 2005.

I Married an eBay Maniac : 9780789735621

2007-12-08T16:03:00.001-08:00

Has your spouse been spending more and more time on the computer? Do they hide the screen when you walk in the room? Have new items been appearing in your house while your older possessions seem to disappear? Perhaps the explanation is in "it" - eBay mania!

I Married an eBay Maniac offers a glimpse into the world of eBay. Get up to speed on the basics of buying and selling on eBay, and find how to bring every family member to eBay so that you no longer have to eat dinner with your spouse clicking away on the keyboard. Turn their obsession into a family affair. This book describes how to play off one another's strengths and weaknesses, how to divide tasks to maximize efficiency, fun, and profits, and how to arrange a household to separate eBay from the non-eBay life. You'll be able to keep frustration levels down and income levels high! With tips, tricks, and insight from an experienced eBayer, this book shows how much family fun and income can be had when the Maniac is no longer alone.

About the Author

Jayne Perry went from eBay Novice to pro when she helped propel her husband's eBay mania into a full-time home business. They soon reached an upper-tier PowerSeller rating, the frequent-flier tier of eBay sellers. They hired two part-time employees. They maximized their income. All with the help of her insight. Her husband, Greg Perry, has since become an eBay Education Specialist trained by eBay and they both write and teach others how to excel at eBay now that both of them enjoy eBay together. With her help, they've learned ways to minimize the time they spend on eBay so the rest of their priorities remain top priorities.

Iwork '05: The Missing Manual : 9780596100377

2007-11-29T05:25:00.005-08:00

Introduced by Apple in January 2005, iWork '05 is an innovative new suite of document and presentation software that's the same caliber as Apple's groundbreaking digital media applications and that's wholly dedicated to what Mac users like you care about most: artistry and creativity. iWork '05 isn't about "office productivity"--it's about creating slick and stylish documents and cinema-quality digital presentations that say precisely what you want them to say.

While iWork '05 helps you create stunning documents and presentations, the suite doesn't come with any in-depth documentation of its own. That's where iWork '05: The Missing Manual comes in. The book that should have been in the box, it gives you everything you need to master iWork '05.

Seamlessly integrated with the wildly popular iLife '05 and designed to take advantage of the advanced typography and graphics engine of Mac OS X, iWork is actually two separate programs: Pages and Keynote 2. Pages is a brand-new, streamlined word processor and page layout program that allows nonprofessionals to quickly and painlessly produce gorgeous brochures, newsletters, letters, invitations, product data sheets, and more. You can start documents from scratch or use one of the 40 professionally designed templates as a starting point. Keynote 2 is a significant upgrade to Keynote, Apple's PowerPoint-like presentation software that allows you to build unique presentations, demonstrations, storyboard animations, interactive slideshows, and more.

Like every Missing Manual, this one is refreshingly entertaining and scrupulously detailed. iWork '05: The Missing Manual gives you all the essentials of Pages and Keynote 2, including an objective look at each program's capabilities, its advantages over similar programs, and its limitations. The book delivers countless goodies that you won't find anywhere else: undocumented tips, tricks, and secrets for getting the very best results from both exciting new applications.

With the iWork '05 suite and iWork '05: The Missing Manual, you are totally equipped to give your work the style it deserves.

Ivor Horton's Beginning Visual C++ 2005 (Programmer to Programmer) : 9780764571978

2007-11-29T05:25:00.003-08:00

You'll learn the essentials of Visual C++ 2005 and get a thorough introduction to the techniques used for accessing data sources in both Microsoft® Foundation Classes and Windows® Forms applications. Plus, the exercises included at the end of most chapters will help you apply what you've learned as you make your way to becoming an effective C++ programmer.

What you will learn from this book

How to use the capabilities of Visual C++ 2005 to create applications

Unique aspects and new features of Visual C++ 2005

The basic ideas and techniques involved in debugging

Ways to build a graphical user interface for your application

How Microsoft Windows applications are structured

Tips for understanding the nuances of C++ without getting confused by the complexities of Windows GUI programming

Who this book is for

This book is for novice programmers who are looking to write C++ applications for the Microsoft Windows OS. No previous programming experience is required.

Wrox Beginning guides are crafted to make learning programming languages and technologies easier than you think, providing a structured, tutorial format that will guide you through all the techniques involved.

About the Author
Ivor Horton is one of the preeiminent authors of tutorials on the Java, C and C++ programming languages. He is widely known for the tutorial style of his books, which provides step-by-step guidance easily understood even by first-time programmers. Horton is also a systems consultant in private practice.

Ivor Horton's Beginning Java 2, JDK 5 Edition : 9780764568749

2007-11-29T05:25:00.001-08:00

Combining simplicity with power, Java has become the object-oriented language of choice for Internet programming and cross-platform applications. This comprehensive and easy-to-use guide provides you with the essential information you'll need to know in order to develop dynamic programs using the Java 2 Standard Edition 5.0 or later.

You'll be introduced to the fundamental ideas about the structure of Java programs and how they work. You'll gain a clear understanding of all the latest features of the Java language as well as the key packages in the Java class library. And with the help of numerous working examples, you'll find out how to apply the material so you can write your own full-featured applications and applets.

This book teaches you how to start programming in Java, covering everything from putting together statements and performing calculations to applying the capabilities provided by the Java class libraries, and much more.

What you will learn from this book

The basics of how the Java language works

Ways to apply key language elements

Methods for storing data in a program

How to define and utilize classes

How to create applets for use in interactive Web pages

Techniques for implementing an application with a graphical user interface

How to use the JDBC capability to work with relational databases

All the skills to become a knowledgeable Java programmer

Who this book is for

This book is for anyone who wants to explore how Java works and discover how to write fully featured and effective Java programs. No previous Java experience is necessary.

ITV Handbook: Technologies and Standards : 9780131003125

2007-11-29T05:23:00.007-08:00

Interactive television (iTV)—an evolutionary merging of digital TV and the Internet—is set to take the world by storm! For consumers, iTV technology offers powerful new ways to interact with content providers and merchants. These include enjoying video on demand; participating in online shopping, banking, and gambling; and taking advantage of bonus multimedia features and controls added to news, sports, entertainment, and educational programming.

Organizations assembling the technologies and agents needed to deliver the content, though, find that providing iTV service is a monumental, multifaceted task. The sheer complexity also means that those proficient in one area of the service are often unfamiliar with the workings of other areas. iTV professionals seeking a better understanding of how it works and how it all fits together will find that iTV Handbook: Technologies and Standards, by topic authority Edward M. Schwalb, provides a welcome introduction to all the key issues, technology solutions, and standards surrounding the service.

This book covers:

Issues concerning the most links in the iTV "food chain"—content authors, producers, distributors, broadcasters, cable system operators, receiver manufacturers, and viewers

Details of the hardware, software, technologies, protocols, and standards that define iTV

Graphics, audio, video, and asset-management formats used in iTV, as well as security considerations, the broadcast file system, and more

iTV Handbook: Technologies and Standards provides a thorough overview of the iTV service and shows how everything fits together—it's the ideal introductory reference for technical managers, technical sales people, engineers, executives, content authors, and consumers interested in iTV technologies.

It's Not About the Technology : 9780387233505

2007-11-29T05:23:00.005-08:00

This book attempts to answer the question: “What is that mindset, that particular kind of thinking, that is required of us to be successful in a high technology company and why?”

To be sure, the “high” in the high technology does not accord the company any special place in the market. But a unique ingredient distinguishes a high technology company: the culture of innovation that leads to new, often highly complex, technologies. The flip side of this unique culture is the excessive fixation of these companies on the technology superiority. The baggage of this excessive fixation has quite often led these companies to disconnect from the end customer, unwittingly so. Hence our question and this book.

A series of semiconductor startup experiences spurred me to write. The bizarre life in the high technology profession, always precariously disconnected from the world at large, provided the problematic. And a rush to connect back lead to this book.

If you are not careful, this profession can make you feel isolated from the rest of the world. What starts off as a genuinely rewarding career of learning new technologies, creating new designs, coming up with products that people liked and bought, can quickly turn into a schizophrenia of a respectable sort. How we purport ourselves at work, the extreme stress we undergo to achieve that teamwork spirit, the unending project deadlines that we are always scrambling to meet, seem to put us on a tangential path from the every day life of our families, our children and parents. When this happens, the disconnect is near-complete.

Truly great corporations have become so by attending to this single trait. Leadership at these companies, at every level up and down the hierarchy, are unusually sensitive to this disconnect. Genuinely spirited startups are this way. But these sensibilities do not come packaged in best practices, nor found in the quality assurance manuals. None of this is part of any engineering or business school curriculum, at least not in a way that is impressive. Perhaps the simplicity of this sensibility is not rigorous enough to be included in the academics.

On the contrary, these sensibilities are a direct manifestation of a particular kind of mindset of a few random individuals. Drawn from their own personal experience, these leaders often are not, at first, conscious of the culture they germinate. Nor do they consult manuals to cross-check if their thinking is correct.

It's Never Done That Before: A Guide to Troubleshooting Windows XP : 9781593270766

2007-11-29T05:23:00.003-08:00

Most computer problems aren’t that violent or that dramatic, but the
immediate result is often the same: you sit there in a state of shock, staring at
the computer, saying to yourself, “What happened? What should I do now?
It’s never done that before!” This book will tell you how to understand and
fix most personal computer failures, whether they were caused by the
computer hardware, by the Windows operating system, or by some other
program running on the computer.

There’s not much you can do when your computer explodes except to
sweep up the remains and open a window to let the smoke out of the room.
But if Windows won’t start, or your hard drive breaks down, or you get a
cryptic Blue Screen error message, or any of a jillion other things go wrong,
you can almost always restore the machine to useful operation and recover
most of your data if you take an organized approach to troubleshooting.
The tools for understanding most computer problems are out there on the
Internet, in manuals and user guides, and through both on- and offline
communities of people who use similar equipment and programs. But they
won’t do you any good unless you know where to find them. That’s what this
book is for.

This is a book for people who use their computers all the time but who
don’t always know how to deal with the major and minor problems that
eventually seem to attack most computers. It will tell you how to apply
troubleshooting techniques and methods to evaluate and solve computer
problems, with an emphasis on computers running Windows XP. It won’t tell
you exactly what to do for every possible problem that might appear, but it will
tell you where to find detailed explanations of most problems and instructions
for fixing them. I will also show you how to recognize specific symptoms
and how to understand and use error messages, beep codes, and other
diagnostic tools that aren’t always clear on first inspection. I’ll also show you
where to find help from Microsoft, from other manufacturers and users, and
from the Combined Wisdom of the Internet. And finally, I will tell you how
to decide if the time and cost of a repair just isn’t worth the effort.

iText in Action: Creating and Manipulating PDF : 9781932394795

2007-11-29T05:23:00.001-08:00

Imagine a publisher who wants to "stamp" his ebooks on the fly with the name of the buyer (to discourage sharing). Such a publisher would (and we know one who does) use iText for the task. Developers looking to enhance web- and other applications with dynamic PDF document generation and/or manipulation will find this book unique in content and readability. Based on ongoing examples that encourage learning "in action," they will finally understand PDF and learn how to build applications that produce professional, high-quality PDF documents. While the basic functionality of iText is easy to acquire, this book lowers the learning curve for more advanced functionality. It explains how to use iText to create/manipulate PDF documents on-the-fly in one or more of the following situations:

Due to time or size, the PDF documents can't be produced manually

The content of the document must be calculated or based on user input.

The content needs to be customized or personalized.

The PDF content needs to be served in a web environment.

Documents are to be created in "batch process" mode.

All the examples are written in Java, but they can be easily adapted to .NET by developers using one of the .NET ports: iTextSharp (C#) or iText.NET (#J). While iText is a free Java library and the examples are written from the point of view of the Java developer, nine out of ten examples can be run by .NET developers with only minimal changes.

Iterating Infusion: Clearer Views of Objects, Classes, and Systems : 9781590595374

2007-11-29T05:20:00.007-08:00

Iterating Infusion: Clearer Views of Objects, Classes, and Systems is a one-of-a-kind book, not dependent on any single technology. Rather, it provides a way to integrate the most efficient techniques from a variety of programming methods, in a manner that makes designing and programming software look easy.

Iterating Infusion presents comprehensive tools for you to best manage and work with object orientation. These include simplified fundamental concepts, popular language comparisons, advanced designing strategies, a broad usage progression, thorough design notations (interaction algebra), and data-oriented (fundamentally-OO) languages.

The title, Iterating Infusion, alludes to the fact that any system has multiple, coexisting functional levels and that new levels--both lower and higher--are continually added to the same functional area. The practical effect is to bring processes into more focus, always clarifying the vague. The extreme form of this is when separate but compatible technologies are brought together to create advancements; these can be baby-steps or great leaps, with varying amounts of effort. In more general terms, the same thing in a different context can take on much more power. And actually, this phenomenon is at the heart of object-oriented software.

Readers have been confirming that, compared to books on just low-level details, Iterating Infusion presents cohesive insights that allow you to solve more problems with the same effort in more key places.

Iterated Function Systems for Real-Time Image Synthesis : 9781846286858

2007-11-29T05:20:00.005-08:00

Natural phenomena can be visually described with fractal-geometry methods, where iterative procedures rather than equations are used to model objects. With the development of better modelling algorithms, the efficiency of rendering, the realism of computer-generated scenes and the interactivity of visual stimuli are reaching astonishing levels. Iterated Function Systems for Real-Time Image Synthesis gives an explanation of iterated function systems and how to use them in generation of complex objects. Contents include: Discussion of the most popular fractal models applied in the field of image synthesis. Presentation of iterated function system models, including recent developments in IFS representation. Exploration of algorithms for creating and manipulating fractal objects, and techniques for implementing the algorithms. Use of practical examples to demonstrate the implementation and application of IFS models.

The book contains both a description text and pseudo-code samples for the convenience of graphics application programmers.

About the Author

Slawomir S Nikiel is an assistant professor of Computer Science at the University of Zielona Gora in Poland. He received his MSC in computer and information science in 1991 and his Ph.D in computer vision in 1995 from the technical University of Wroclaw, Poland. In 1997-1998 he received a one year post-doc NATO fellowship in Hull, UK. His current research interests include fractals, rendering and animating complex structures for real-time computer graphics and virtual environments. His research area is related to Digital Cultural Heritage. Dr Nikiel is an author of over 30 papers in these fields.

Itanium Architecture for Programmers: Understanding 64-Bit Processors and EPIC Principles : 9780131013728

2007-11-29T05:20:00.003-08:00

Step-by-step guide to assembly language for the 64-bit Itanium processors, with extensive examples

Details of Explicitly Parallel Instruction Computing (EPIC): Instruction set, addressing, register stack engine, predication, I/O, procedure calls, floating-point operations, and more

Learn how to comprehend and optimize open source, Intel, and HP-UX compiler output

Understand the full power of 64-bit Itanium EPIC processors

Itanium® Architecture for Programmers is a comprehensive introduction to the breakthrough capabilities of the new 64-bit Itanium architecture. Using standard command-line tools and extensive examples, the authors illuminate the Itanium design within the broader context of contemporary computer architecture via a step-by-step investigation of Itanium assembly language. Coverage includes:

The potential of Explicitly Parallel Instruction Computing (EPIC)

Itanium instruction formats and addressing modes

Innovations such as the register stack engine (RSE) and extensive predication

Procedure calls and procedure-calling mechanisms

Floating-point operations

I/O techniques, from simple debugging to the use of files

Optimization of output from open source, Intel, and HP-UX compilers

An essential resource for both computing professionals and students of architecture or assembly language, Itanium Architecture for Programmers includes extensive printed and Web-based references, plus many numeric, essay, and programming exercises for each chapter.

About the Author

JAMES S. EVANS is Professor of Computer Science and Chemistry and Director of Information Technology Planning at Lawrence University, Appleton, WI, where he teaches courses in computer architecture, hardware organization, and operating systems. He is also lead author of Alpha RISC Architecture for Programmers (Prentice Hall PTR). He holds a Ph.D. from Princeton University.

GREGORY L. TRIMPER is Principal of viika, a consultancy specializing in portable technology and field computing, software design and implementation, and project management. He holds a B.A. from Lawrence University and pursues further studies at the University of Wisconsin-Madison.

IT Services Costs, Metrics, Benchmarking and Marketing : 9780130191953

2007-11-29T05:20:00.001-08:00

IT Services is the first 100% customer-focused guide to satisfying the consumers of your company’s IT services -- and building the loyalty your IT organization needs. In this book, three leading IT professionals present a fully integrated, comprehensive approach to service delivery in today’s global, distributed environments.

You’ll discover how to establish processes, service and cost models, performance measurements, and "stretch" goals that achieve clear business benefits-and then transform those goals into reality.

Proven results, benchmarks, and case studies -- not just theory!

Linking goal-setting, process development, and metrics to the goals of the enterprise -- step-by-step

Gaining buy-in from management, internal customers, and external suppliers

Building stable, predictable and cost-effective application support infrastructures

Structuring support services for maximum effectiveness

Applicable to both in-house and outsourced operations, IT Services offers a total roadmap for executives building enterprise-wide operations centers; practical help for managers seeking to deliver cost-effective support; and invaluable insight for IT "customers" who need to know what they can expect from their technology professionals.

IT Security: Risking the Corporation : 9780131011120

2007-11-27T16:02:00.007-08:00

Even the world's largest and most sophisticated networks are vulnerable to attack-and so is yours. The scenarios described in IT Security:Risking the Corporation expose crucial flaws in operating systems, networks, servers, and software-as well as the vulnerability caused by poor training, corporate politics, and careless management.

In the previous version of this book, originally published as Intranet Security:Stories From the Trenches, Linda McCarthy drew on her experience penetrating thousands of corporate networks to identify key security risks and practical solutions. This timely update is even more compelling and offers a clear plan for improvinhg the security of your systems. You'll find useful tools and preventive measures you can take right now. In addition, McCarthy's security checklists and resource listings can help you tighten security throughout your entire IT infrastructure.

IT Security Interviews Exposed: Secrets to Landing Your Next Information Security Job : 9780471779872

2007-11-27T16:02:00.005-08:00

It's not a job. It's THE job, and here's how to get it.

What does your ideal IT security job look like? What will prospective employers expect you to know? What affects how they view you and your skills? What if you haven't had much experience? What if you're not 30 anymore?

Here's the crash course in how to discover, apply for, and land the IT security job you want. Written by a squad of highly credentialed security professionals, this guide prepares you with the technical knowledge, interview skills, strategies, and job search techniques you need to find and get the perfect job.

Meet every job search challenge

What does — and doesn't — belong on your résumé

How to survive a telephone interview

All about firewall technologies, devices, deployment strategies, and management

A review of security essentials, regulations, legislation, and guidelines

The effects of state cyber security laws, Sarbanes-Oxley, and international standards

A refresher course in network fundamentals

Everything you should know about wireless, security posture, and tools

When and how to say "no"

IT Project+ Study Guide : 9780782140682

2007-11-27T16:02:00.003-08:00

Here's the book you need to prepare for the latest version of CompTIA's IT Project+ exam. This Study Guide was developed to meet the exacting requirements of today's certification candidates. In addition to the consistent and accessible instructional approach that has earned Sybex the "Best Study Guide" designation in the 2003 CertCities Readers Choice Awards, this book provides:

* Clear and concise information on IT project management
* Practical examples and insights drawn from real-world experience
* Leading-edge exam preparation software, including a test engine and electronic flashcards
You'll also find authoritative coverage of key exam topics, including:
* IT Project Initiation and Scope Definition
* IT Project Planning
* IT Project Execution, Control and Coordination
* IT Project Closure, Acceptance and Support

This book has been reviewed and approved as CompTIA Authorized Quality Curriculum (CAQC). Students derive a number of important study advantages with CAQC materials, including coverage of all exam objectives, implementation of important instructional design principles, and instructional reviews that help students assess their learning comprehension and readiness for the exam.

Note: On August 10, 2004 CompTIA changed the name of the IT Project+ certification to Project+, "in order to better reflect the title's application beyond IT professionals." Neither the exam objectives nor the exam questions were changed. The CAQC appoved content found in this edition of the IT Project+ Study Guide therefore remains valid and suitable for candidates preparing for the Project+ certification.

IT Project+ Study Guide, 2nd Edition (Exam PKO-002) : 9780782143188

2007-11-27T16:02:00.001-08:00

Clear and concise information on IT project management

Practical examples and insights drawn from real-world experience

Leading-edge exam preparation software, including a test engine and electronic flashcards

You’ll also find authoritative coverage of key exam topics, including:

IT Project Initiation and Scope Definition

IT Project Planning

IT Project Execution, Control, and Coordination

IT Project Closure, Acceptance and Support

Look to Sybex for the knowledge and skills needed to succeed in today’s competitive IT marketplace.

IT Project Portfolio Management : 9781580537810

2007-11-27T16:01:00.001-08:00

While consulting for a large company’s information technology (IT)
department, I was asked to help find a way to better manage the various
IT projects that were spread among all of its business units. The executives
wanted me to research tools that would help them prioritize the
projects so they would know which ones were healthy contributors to
the corporate strategy and which ones could be axed. The market in
which they were selling their products was slowing down, and they
wanted to centralize corporate governance and trim unnecessary IT
projects. Because they also knew that some IT projects were critical to
the growth and ongoing operations of the company, they couldn’t simply
eliminate a random sampling. Though we had experiences in IT
program management and executive information systems (EISs), we
had little experience in project portfolio management (PPM). After
some research, we realized that implementing a project prioritization
tool would be just the tip of the iceberg in providing a successful and
lasting solution to their problem.

This was a very project-centric company with over 250 ongoing IT
projects running at one time. The market was constantly forcing the
product line to change. Such pressures to decrease the life cycle and
increase the quality of their products directly affected how the executives
wanted IT to improve the efficiencies of their units. This ultimately
made the company a prime candidate to adopt IT project-centric
management techniques. Combining such a need with the realization
that the company had dispersed IT governance across all of
the business units highlighted the notion that this initiative would be
an organizational change exercise similar in scale to an enterprise
resource planning (ERP) or customer resources management (CRM)
implementation. As it turns out, the long-term solution to centralizing
IT project control was too much of a bite for them to take at
once—organizational change needed to come piecemeal if it was going
to succeed.

IT Project Management : On Track from Start to Finish, Second Edition : 9780072232028

2007-11-27T16:00:00.005-08:00

Define a project goal and create the project charter

Create a feasibility plan and establish a priority list

Determine strategy and obtain budget dollars

Work with management and define their role

Determine project expenses—including estimated required hours

Organize a project team—assess internal skills as well as utilize external resources

Delegate responsibilities and manage project schedules

Resolve disagreements—as well as address delays and budget increases

Track progress and implement quality testing

Maintain leadership and keep your team focused

IT Project Management Handbook : 9781567260984

2007-11-27T16:00:00.003-08:00

Now you can manage IT projects quickly, easily, on time, and on budget!

IT project management has developed into a complex process with a broader scope of responsibilities than ever before. Here is the newest and most comprehensive book to offer winning insights and strategies on how to manage every step of the process. Written by two of this country’s leading experts on IT Project Management, this extensive yet easy-to-use volume will give you the tools you need to successfully navigate your next IT project.

You’ll learn how to avoid cost overruns and schedule delays, meet customer requirements, take control of budgets and resource allocation, build a successful team, and put to use many more tried-and-true methods of project management. The handbook includes a completely up-to-date overview of the best Internet services, current software, and repositories available via the Internet along with networking, e-commerce, reuse, prototype, modeling and simulations.

It’s all contained in this user-friendly handbook that will soon become the foundation for every IT project you manage … or take part in. Based on real-world practical experience and case studies, the Handbook will give you the framework to manage, improve, and build greater accuracy into every phase of your IT project management.

Here are just some of the systems, methods, tools, case studies, and techniques covered:

* IT Project Planning and Development Life Cycle Phases * Identifying Users, Customers, and Stakeholders * Customer Requirements Management * Project Modeling and Simulation * Customer Acceptance Criteria * Project Control and Recovery Mechanisms * Project Budgeting, Staffing, and Scheduling * Function Point and Earned Value Methods * The Gantt Chart, PERT Chart, and CPM * Risk Management – Assessment, Mitigation, Monitoring, and Reporting Plan * System Management Standard * Project Measurement Schema * Project management Tools – Microsoft Project, Kidasa Software’s Fast Track Schedule * Project Management Quality Control Mechanism * IT Networks and Internet Taxonomy * Wireless Technology, E-Commerce, and M-Commerce * System Software LifeCycle Model * System Integration Techniques * System Testing and Evaluation * Customer Satisfaction

About the Author

Jag Sodhi, MS, is a professor associated with the Defense Acquisition University. He has 32 years of combined experience as a well-known author, software developer, consultant, instructor, and project manager for defense products and commercial business applications. He has been a computer specialist and project manager and a member of DOD’s advanced technology team. He specializes in the best commercial practices and COTS tools for systems development and maintenance. Mr. Sodhi evaluated the Integrated Computer Aided Software Engineering (I-CASE) pilot project and is a member of the team for the DII COE project. He was the project leader for migration of his systems to the Joint Technical Architecture standard.

Prince Sodhi is a senior management consultant for Proxicom Int'l Corp. He is an expert in project management, several programming languages, and in distributed computing applications in a multiple-tier, client-server environments. He is co-author of the books Software Reuse: Domain Analysis and Design Process (1999) and Object-Oriented Methods for Software Development (1996), McGraw-Hill. He has a bachelor’s degree in computer/mathematics from the University of Minnesota.

IT Project + CoursePrep ExamGuide : 9780619063498

2007-11-27T16:00:00.001-08:00

Provides the essential information you need to ace CompTIA?s IT Project+ Certification Exam. Each certification objective is covered in a unique two-page spread that highlights the key points of the objective.

Prepare your students for CompTIA's new IT Project + exam in this prep guide. Devotes two full pages of material to every IT Project+ exam objective. Softcover.

About the Author

Kathy Schwalbe is an associate professor at Augsburg College in Minneapolis and teaches project management, problem solving for business, systems analysis and design, information systems projects, and electronic commerce. Kathy worked for 10 years in industry before entering academia in 1991. In addition, Kathy is an active member of PMI (Project Management Institute). Kathy earned her Ph.D. at the University of Minnesota, her MBA at Northeastern University, and her B.S. in mathematics at the University of Notre Dame.

IT Problem Management : 9780130307705

2007-11-27T15:58:00.005-08:00

The complete "best practices" guide to IT problem resolution!

No matter how professional your IT organization, if you can't resolve problems quickly and effectively, you'll lose your stakeholders' confidence—and fail. Nowadays, help desk s aren't enough: companies want true service centers capable of delivering complex, strategic solutions. IT Problem Management is the first single source for building world-class problem management processes. Drawing upon his extensive consulting e xperience, Gary Walker presents specific improvements you can make to achieve breakthrough results in any help desk or service center—in-house or out-sourced. Coverage includes:

Problem identification, customer validation, problem lo gging, service delivery, knowledge capture and sharing, and management oversight

The Immediate Response Model: accounting for problem variability, complexity, and volume

Detailed metrics for measuring your responsiveness

Bett er ways to create and use service level agreements

State-of-the-art tools for customer interaction, service delivery, and proactive monitoring

New Internet and knowledge base systems: empowering users to solve their own problems

The human side: staffing, retention, and motivation

IT Problem Management isn't just theory: it delivers real-world case studies, detailed benchmarks, and practical solutions for turning your help desk into a high-performance I T service center, starting today.

About the Author

GARY WALKER is a leading IT consultant, helping Fortune 500 and emerging growth companies focus on the people, processes, and technology required to operate a highly reliable and cost effective infrastructure.

IT Portfolio Management: Unlocking the Business Value of Technology : 9780471649847

2007-11-27T15:58:00.003-08:00

This book provides a pragmatic, step-by-step road map, describing IT portfolio
management and its major elements. Chapter 1 provides an overview of IT
portfolio management. Chapter 2 describes the planning aspects of IT portfolio
management. It explains the IT portfolio management maturity model and the
key people, process, and technology aspects at each of five levels within the model.
Chapter 3 describes the IT governance aspects of the IT portfolio. It discusses the
relationship between IT and corporate governance, and the impact of legislation
and compliance rules, such as the Sarbanes-Oxley Act, on the IT portfolio. Chapter
4 covers the IT life cycle and IT subportfolios. Chapter 5 provides step-by-step
aspects of building the IT portfolio. Chapter 6 describes the request for information
and the request for proposal parameters that companies should consider when
evaluating and assessing IT portfolio management software providers. Chapter 7
covers the way forward, discussing the impact that adaptability and new technologies
have on IT portfolio management. The book concludes with detailed case
studies of Cisco Systems, In-Q-Tel, and Xcel Energy, which are exemplar companies
that actively practice IT portfolio management.

About the Author
Bryan Maizlish is Chief Technology Officer-Program Team at Lockheed Martin Integrated Systems & Solutions' GeoSpatial-Intelligence Solutions line of business. He is also the Chairman for the annual Strategic & Operational Portfolio Management conference cosponsored by the PDMA and IIR. He has served in management roles for companies that developed the Internet strategy, design and architecture, and systems integration and implementation for many global 2000 companies. He received his MBA from The Wharton School of Business, and was a member of the 1983 Rose Bowl Champion UCLA football team. He lives in Potomac, Maryland with his wife and three children.

Robert Handler is Vice President at META Group, Inc., one of the leading IT research firms. Robert led the IT portfolio management research for META Group and is a sought-after speaker and author of numerous research papers on the topic. He has over fifteen years of experience in all aspects of information technology, and has worked at such esteemed organizations as IBM and Ernst & Young LLP. He holds a Bachelor of Science in Business Administration from Pepperdine University and an MBA in Information and Decision Systems from San Diego State University. He lives in San Diego with his wife, two children, and two golden retrievers.

IT Innovation for Adaptability and Competitiveness : 9781402079993

2007-11-27T15:58:00.001-08:00

IT Innovation for Adaptability and Competitiveness addresses the topic of IT innovations that can further an organization's ability to adapt and be competitive. Thus we address the problem at an earlier starting point, that is, the emergence of something innovative in an organization, applied to that organization, and its process of being diffused and accepted internally.
Topics covered in the book include:

The role of IT in organizational innovation,

Innovating systems development & process,

Assessing innovation drivers,

Innovation adoption,

New environments, new innovation practices.

This volume contains the edited proceedings of the Seventh Working Conference on IT Innovation for Adaptability and Competitiveness, which was sponsored by the International Federation for Information Processing (IFIP) Working Group 8.6 and held at Intel Corporation, Leixlip, Ireland in May-June 2004.

IFIP WG 8.6 has as its focus diffusion of technological innovation. In this conference we have solicited papers on the topic of IT innovations that can further an organization’s ability to adapt and be competitive. Thus we address the problem at an earlier starting point, that is, the emergence of something innovative in an organization, applied to that organization, and its process of being diffused and accepted internally.

A further extension of this would be the propagation of a successful innovation outside the originating organization as a product, service or example of technology use that builds the firm’s markets. In this discussion we are supposing that said innovations are indeed a contribution. In reality, an idea is only labeled an innovation once it is accepted. Before that time, it can be just an idea, a crackpot idea, a disturbance, obsession, distraction or dissatisfaction with the status quo. Many innovations are of course deliberately cultivated in research labs, but again their success is the determinant of their eventual designation as “innovative”.

Conversely, some ideas really are crackpot concoctions or technologies in search of a use that linger in the environment as potential innovations long after their use is discredited. Case in point: voice recognition software, which does have some applications but has been over hyped and over applied for about 20 years. Today some call centers won’t let users punch a single button on their telephone sets; they MUST tell the voice recognition program what they want. Some of these systems will revert to an operator if the voice recognition system doesn’t understand, while others will just hang up. We were relieved to note the following title in the March 5 Financial Times: “To speak to an operator, start swearing now.” Someone has developed an innovation to recognize user frustration and bypass the prior innovation of persistent automated voice “response”!

IT-Enabled Strategic Management: Increasing Returns for the Organization : 9781591409083

2007-11-27T15:57:00.001-08:00

We live in an age in which the value of information and knowledge has far surpassed that
of physical goods. Information resources have become a key differentiator of successful
businesses. Information technology (IT) and information systems (IS) are now integrated
in almost every aspect of business, from planning to analysis and design,
operations management and strategic decision making. Even for those businesses not
in information industries, information plays a vital role in supporting their business
functions, from routine operations to strategizing. John Naisbitt (1982) theorized that
information would be the driving force for organizations. Companies that manage
information well are more likely to maintain a competitive advantage against their peers.
Because information has become a major force in driving business activities, Evans and
Wurster (2000) proclaimed that every business is in the information business.

IT and IS have experienced dramatic changes in the last few decades. Their major role in
business has shifted from tools to support “back-office” operations to an integrated part
of business strategies and the maintenance of core competencies. Strategic management,
as the process of business strategy formulation and strategy implementation, is concerned
with establishing goals and directions, and developing and carrying out plans to
achieve those goals. As organizations evolve, so do their strategies and strategic
management practices. In recent years, IT has become increasingly important in strategic
management. IT and IT-enabled systems are now indispensable in supporting business
strategies. In this chapter, we examine the evolution of information technology and
strategic management, and their interplay in the last 50 years. We start with a review of
major theories and development in both strategic management and IT, and then explore
how IT has become an enabler for strategic management. We also discuss research issues
in IT-enabled strategic management, and suggest future directions in this crossdisciplinary
research field.

IT Auditing: Using Controls to Protect Information Assets : 9780072263435

2007-11-27T15:55:00.003-08:00

Plan for and manage an effective IT audit program using the in-depth information contained in this comprehensive resource. Written by experienced IT audit and security professionals, IT Auditing: Using Controls to Protect Information Assets covers the latest auditing tools alongside real-world examples, ready-to-use checklists, and valuable templates. Inside, you'll learn how to analyze Windows, UNIX, and Linux systems; secure databases; examine wireless networks and devices; and audit applications. Plus, you'll get up-to-date information on legal standards and practices, privacy and ethical issues, and the CobiT standard.

Build and maintain an IT audit function with maximum effectiveness and value

Implement best practice IT audit processes and controls

Analyze UNIX-, Linux-, and Windows-based operating systems

Audit network routers, switches, firewalls, WLANs, and mobile devices

Evaluate entity-level controls, data centers, and disaster recovery plans

Examine Web servers, platforms, and applications for vulnerabilities

Review databases for critical controls

Use the COSO, CobiT, ITIL, ISO, and NSA INFOSEC methodologies

Implement sound risk analysis and risk management practices

Drill down into applications to find potential control weaknesses

About the Authors

Chris Davis, CISA, CISSP, leverages his experience auditing IT systems for Texas Instruments. Mr. Davis has trained and presented in information security, advanced computer forensic analysis, and hardware security design. He actively teaches auditing and certification curriculum for Southern Methodist University and is the author and contributor to several books and publications. His contributions include projects and presentations for SANS, Gartner, Harvard, BlackHat, and 3GSM. He has enjoyed positions at Texas Instruments, Austin Microsoft Technology Center, and Cisco Systems. He holds a bachelor's degree in nuclear engineering technologies from Thomas Edison, and a master's in business from the University of Texas at Austin. Chris was a U.S. Navy submariner, and served on the deep dive Submarine NR-1 and the ballistic missile OHIO class USS Nebraska, SSBN 739, Blue Crew.

Mike Schiller, CISA, has 14 years of experience in the IT audit field, most recently as the worldwide IT audit manager at Texas Instruments(TI). Prior to that, Mike served as the IT audit manager at The Sabre Group, where he served as the company's first-ever IT audit manager, creating the IT audit function, team, and processes from the ground up. Mike also has several years of experience as a senior IT auditor, programmer/analyst, and manager of IT support teams. He is involved in multiple industry IT audit organizations and has been a presenter at IT conferences such as ASUG. In addition to his years of experience in corporate management, Mike is also heavily involved in leadership at his church, Richardson East Church of Christ. He has a bachelor's degree in business analysis from Texas A&M University.

Kevin Wheeler, CISA, CISSP, NSA IAM/IEM, is the founder and CEO of InfoDefense, an information security consultancy. Mr. Wheeler's project and employment portfolio includes organizations such as Bank of America, EDS, McAfee, Southern Methodist University and the State of Texas. He has performed information security audits and assessments as well as information security design, computer incident response, business continuity planning, and IT security training for both government and commercial entities in the financial services, healthcare, and IT services industries. He holds a bachelor of business administration degree from Baylor University and is an active member of ISSA, ISACA, Infragard, the North Texas Electronic Crimes Task Force, and Greater Dallas Chamber of Commerce.

IT Administrator's Top Ten Introductory Scripts for Windows (Administrator's Advantage Series) : 9781584502128

2007-11-27T15:55:00.001-08:00

A key problem with Microsoft Windows is that its friendly user interface can get in the way of efficient system administration. There's no easy way, for example, to use the graphical administration tools to determine which of your users have passwords that will soon expire. The answers to such problems of administration come in the form of scripts written for the Windows Script Host (WSH), which are what IT Administrator's Top 10 Introductory Scripts for Windows aims to teach its readers about. It succeeds; Jeff Fellinge takes on 10 significant administration challenges (getting a list of a machine's local user accounts remotely, comparing successive weeks' computer rosters, getting a concise report of users and groups on Active Directory, and so on) and shows how to solve them. It's a handy resource for an administrator who's not fond of trooping across the office (or, all too frequently, the country) to do menial tasks.

This book should also prove useful to programmers interested in integrating their products with Active Directory. Fellinge takes care to document his scripts in detail--he does not commit the popular sin of presenting the user with giant, unexplained code listings--and it's usually easy to figure out why he's designed his code as he as. Combined with a reference that details JScript for WSH, this book will prove especially valuable. --David Wall

Topics covered: How to use JScript and the Windows Script Host (WSH) to write time-saving administrative scripts for Microsoft Windows 2000, Windows Server 2003, and (to a far lesser extent) Windows NT.

The IT Administrator's Top 10 Introductory Scripts for Windows helps administrators learn, and quickly implement, new scripting tools to increase productivity and reduce redundancy. It teaches readers scripting basics by explaining and breaking down real-world examples, and focuses on harnessing scripting power for IT systems administrators and systems engineers. The book is built around 10 fully-functional scripts that will help IT administrators manage their environment right "out of the box." Administrators also learn the strategies and tactics surrounding the development and implementation of these real-world scripts. Additionally, the chapters cover hypothetical, real-world business needs and explain how to map a script-based solution, including a discussion of the preferred language, tools, and technologies.

Issues of Human Computer Interaction : 9781591401919

2007-11-27T15:54:00.003-08:00

Issues of Human Computer Interaction: Opportunities and Challenges : 9781591402350

2007-11-27T15:54:00.001-08:00

The interaction between humans and computers is evolving rapidly, impacting every aspect of human and organizational life. This book presents the latest developments in this field of Human Computer Interaction (HCI). It discusses issues related End User Computing, as well as issues related to the human side of IT. This book will set a framework for the social and organizational issues related to IT, giving emphasis to its role as facilitator of social relationships, enabling the development of the organizational and individual intelligence and helping to improve human conditions. In Issues of Human Computer Interaction, models and theories are presented together with practical cases that will help students, lecturers, researchers and managers to have a clear idea of what is going on in HCI, today.

Human Computer Interaction (HCI) has its roots in the main areas of industrial engineering, human factors and cognitive psychology with the focus on the development of user-friendly IT. Traditionally, the research in this area has emphasised the technological aspect of this relationship (the Computer). More recently, other aspects concerning the organizational, social and human context also began to be considered (the Human). Today, one can say that any attempt to facilitate the relationship between the machine and the user must consider not only the technological perspective (e.g., promote the usability) but also, for instance, the way the user is going to use the technology and his or her purpose as well as the social and cultural context of this use (the Human and the Computer).

Another issue that should be considered in this interaction is the impact that information systems/technology may have on humans and organizations. There is general consensus that the adoption of any IT/IS brings change. Furthermore, IT/IS and organizations have a mutual influence on each other, meaning that this technology affects organizations and that organizations necessarily affect, for instance, the design, the choice and the management of those systems. The adoption of an IT/IS is, thus, mediated by factors that will influence the interaction between the sectors involved. It is also generally agreed that the adoption of a certain IS by different organizations does not give rise to the same changes; that is, the same technology might engender different impacts and these differences are due not to the characteristics of the technology itself, but to the characteristics of the context and the relationships that are established among all the factors involved.

About the Author
Anabela Sarmento is a professor at the Institute of Administration and Accountancy (ISCAP)/Polytechnic School of Porto (Portugal). She is also an invited researcher at the Algoritmi R & D Center, Information Systems Group, at the University of Minho (Portugal). She lectures courses related to business communication, information society, and interactive marketing. Her primary area of research is the impact of information systems on organizations, namely in the domain of communication, knowledge and organizational learning, as well as in the role of the context in the use of information systems. She is also interested in knowledge management and its relation with information systems. She received her doctorate in information systems from the University of Minho (Portugal) in 2002.

Issues and Trends in Technology and Human Interaction (Advances in Technology and Human Interaction) : 9781599042688

2007-11-27T15:50:00.003-08:00

purposes of humans. It often has unintended and unexpected effects on humans and can be used for purposes other than originally planned. While technology cannot exist without humans, one can equally well argue that humans cannot exist without technology. This relationship touches on many fundamental questions of anthropology, ontology, and epistemology. Due to the complexity of the field of technology and human interaction, we cannot hope to do it justice in a single volume. The chapters in this current book are therefore focused on a sub-sector, namely the area of information and communication technology. They discuss different topics and angles on the way in which humans interact with ICT. The book reflects a variety of approaches and problems that researchers have investigated in this area. It is meant to be multi-disciplinary and demonstrate the richness of these studies. The reference disciplines that the authors draw upon reflect this multi- and trans-disciplinary nature. They include information systems, computer science, sociology, philosophy, gender studies, and even theology.

This book will provide the reader with a wide range of interesting and novel approaches to the relationship between technology and humans. It can be used for teaching as well as for research purposes, and it will contain insights that are of relevance for social and organisational use of ICT.

Isometric Game Programming with DirectX 7.0 w/CD : 9780761530893

2007-11-27T15:50:00.001-08:00

Isometric Game Programming with DirectX takes you from zero to DirectX, literally! Beginning with game programming basics you will explore such topics as WIN32 programming basics, GDI fundamentals, fonts, regions and bitmaps, DirectDraw, and Game Logic. You'll then move on to Isometric fundamentals and methodology as well as advanced topics such as Random World Generation and Direct3D.This book is a comprehensive Isometric game programming guide ideal for any serious game developer!

This book, as you are no doubt aware, is a book about programming games—how to do so, specifically—
and it emphasizes use of the isometric view. This means that the program examples are mainly concerned
with the graphical aspect of game programming.
Contained herein is also quite a bit of information on the algorithms behind tile-based games. Isometric
games tend to be tile-based. If you wanted to make overhead view tile-based games, the same algorithms
apply.

Why did I write this book, you ask? Because isometric game programming, and isometric algorithms, have
been largely ignored by other game programming books. Sure, you can find plenty of books on how to
program 3D games, and there are plenty of books on 2D games, but none of the in-between stuff, like
isometric games.

You will find the program examples (and there are a ton of them) that go along with the text on the CD
in the back of the book; you will find instructions on how to load and run those examples in Appendix A.
It is a good idea to turn to that appendix first, even before you start reading. That way, when the first mention
of an example is made, you’ll be ready to go.

About the Author

Ernest S. Pazera started programming on a TRS-80 Color Computer 2 in 1986; he switched to PC permanently
in 1990. He doesn’t have a computer science degree, just a high school diploma. Ernest served in
the United States Navy from 1993 until 1996 but never forgot his first love, which was game programming.

ISO 9001: 2000 Quality Management System Design : 9781580535267

2007-11-27T15:49:00.003-08:00

An effective ISO 9001:2000 quality management system, driven by a fully compliant quality manual, is key in meeting ISO 9000 quality standards and a must for obtaining ISO certification. Written by an RAB certified quality management systems lead auditor, with forty years of industrial experience – who has a 10-year track record in either the consultation or auditing support of over one-hundred ISO certified organizations – this book provides you with the design principles and techniques for implementing an effective quality management system.

The book describes the design rules required to document, implement, and demonstrate quality management system effectiveness in compliance with the latest version of the ISO 9000 International Standard. This systematic and engineering approach simplifies the many complexities in maintaining compliance with ISO standards. This hands-on guide is packed with tips and insights the author has garnered from personally designing quality management systems that integrate organizational strategy with quality management. Moreover, the book helps you create meaningful documentation and a user-friendly, informative quality manual that together form the core of an effective and responsive quality management system.

Text describes the design rules required to document, implement, and demonstrate quality management system effectiveness in compliance with the latest version of the ISO 9000 International Standard.

The pursuit of product quality requires that an organization create a quality framework. The ISO 9001:2000 quality management system (QMS) is an internationally established quality framework. This book is designed to assist an organization to structure an ISO 9001:2000 QMS on some well-established documentation and implementation concepts that have been proven to be effective based on ten years of intensive consulting and auditing experiences with 106 ISO 9000–certified organizations. The intent of this exercise is to provide the reader with a reasonable probability of maximized organizational productivity when the ISO 9001:2000 system is implemented.

About the Author
Jay J. Schlickman is an RAB certified quality management systems lead auditor; an RAB qualified ISO 9001:2000 auditor; a certified Canadian medical devices conformity assessment system auditor; and quality management systems consultant based in Lexington MA. He received his B.S. and M.S. in physics from Northeastern University. He is a Life Member of the Institute of Electrical & Electronics Engineers (IEEE), a member of the American Physical Society (APS), and a member of the American Society for Quality (ASQ).

IS-IS Network Design Solutions : 9781578702206

2007-11-27T15:49:00.001-08:00

The definitive IS-IS reference and design guide.

Extensive coverage of both underlying concepts and practical applications of the IS-IS protocol

Detailed explanation of how the IS-IS database works and relevant insights into the operation of the shortest path first (SPF) algorithm

Comprehensive tutorial on configuring and troubleshooting IS-IS on Cisco routers

Advanced information on IP network design and performance optimization strategies using IS-IS

Network design case studies provide a practical perspective of various design strategies

Comprehensive overview of routing and packet-switching mechanisms on modern routers

A collection of IS-IS packet formats and analyzer decodes useful for mastering the nuts and bolts of the IS-IS protocol and troubleshooting complex problems

Interior gateway protocols such as Intermediate System-to-Intermediate System (IS-IS) are used in conjunction with the Border Gateway Protocol (BGP) to provide robust, resilient performance and intelligent routing capabilities required in large-scale and complex internetworking environments. Despite the popularity of the IS-IS protocol, however, networking professionals have depended on router configuration manuals, protocol specifications, IETF RFCs, and drafts. Mastering IS-IS, regardless of its simplicity, has been a daunting task for many.

IS-IS Network Design Solutions provides the first comprehensive coverage available on the IS-IS protocol. Networking professionals of all levels now have a single source for all the information needed to become true experts on the IS-IS protocol, particularly for IP routing applications. You'll learn about the origins of the IS-IS protocol and the fundamental underlying concepts and then move to complex protocol mechanisms involving building, maintaining, and dissemination of the information found in the IS-IS database on a router. Subsequent discussions on IP network design issues include configuration and troubleshooting techniques, as well as case studies with practical design scenarios.

IS-IS: Deployment in IP Networks : 9780201657722

2007-11-26T15:26:00.009-08:00

IS-IS, the Intermediate System to Intermediate System protocol, has been used effectively as a routing protocol for many large-scale networks, including service provider backbone, telephone system management, and power equipment networks. Used in conjunction with the Border Gateway Protocol (BGP), IS-IS offers Internet Service Providers and the administrators of other large networks advanced flexibility and scalability. As a result, the number of complex networks employing the IS-IS protocol has grown tremendously.

IS-IS: Deployment in IP Networks is a hands-on guide for network engineers deploying, maintaining, and building IS-IS networks. Based on both the best practices of current implementations and the specifications of the protocol, IS-IS provides highly valuable configuration examples using Cisco IOS Software combined with real-life, expert descriptions, analysis, and advice. Readers will also find case studies and operational theory about this powerful and popular routing protocol.

Coverage includes:

A historical perspective on OSI protocols and addressing

Neighbor discovery, relationships, and pseudonodes

Flooding mechanisms, timers, and tuner timing

The division of the routing domain

Hierarchical network design and IS-IS deployment

The interaction between IS-IS and MPLS

Protocol enhancements, including dynamic host names, back door links, interaction with RPR, non-stop forwarding, and multitopology routing

Examining the IS-IS protocol from its origins to the most recent innovations, this book covers all of the protocol's pieces, packets, deployment strategies, and issues. It is a valuable resource for networking students preparing for the CCIE(R) (Cisco Certified Internetwork Expert) exam.

Is Human Nature Obsolete?: Genetics, Bioengineering, and the Future of the Human Condition : 9780262524285

2007-11-26T15:26:00.007-08:00

"Modifying ourselves through molecular biology is a humanitarian utopia to some, an imminent nightmare to others. But to all, the prospect should be a challenge because it touches on so many basic and unresolved questions. This excellent, probing collection of papers -- spanning philosophy, history, social science, and theology -- will be welcomed by professionals and lay readers alike."
-- Edward Tenner, author of Why Things Bite Back: Technology and the Revenge of Unintended Consequences and Our Own Devices: How Technology Remakes Humanity

"The conversation about what we want -- literally -- to make of ourselves is probably the most important conversation human beings will ever have. This carefully considered book is a fine entry into that dialogue, and it comes not a moment too soon."
-- Bill McKibben, author of Enough: Staying Human in an Engineered Age

"The greatest strength of this book is the philosophical ambition of many of the essays, which make use of a rich variety of thought and literature to explore the implications of the new genetics and new biology. The book draws interesting and unpredictable connections between large human themes and contemporary debates. Particular essays in the volume will have lasting value in the field and are deeply relevant to the current bioethical deliberations at the national level."
-- Eric Cohen, Ethics and Public Policy Center, Washington,

As our scientific and technical abilities expand at breathtaking speeds, concern that modern genetics and bioengineering are leading us to a posthuman future is growing. Is Human Nature Obsolete? poses the overarching question of what it is to be human against the background of these current advances in biotechnology. Its perspective is philosophical and interdisciplinary rather than technical; the focus is on questions of fundamental ontological importance rather than the specifics of medical or scientific practice.

The authors -- all distinguished scholars in their fields -- take on questions about technology's goals and values that are often ignored or sidelined in the face of rapid scientific advances and the highly specialized nature of technical knowledge. The essays included represent a rich variety of thought, ranging from finely nuanced philosophical and theological arguments to historical studies and cultural commentaries. Several explore the historical background of today's biotechnology: Timothy Casey traces such developments as the emergence of cybernetic humanity from Cartesian dualism, and Diane Paul presents the history of "positive" versus coerced eugenics. Jean Bethke Elshtain discusses cloning as a "messianic project" to perfect the body and exclude natural diversity -- giving as an example the elimination of Down Syndrome as an acceptable human type -- while Harold Baillie calls for an examination of the metaphysical roots of personhood. Robert Proctor finds no evidence in paleontology for any "essence of humanity," and Tom Shannon argues against materialist reductionism. Addressing social concerns, Lisa Sowle Cahill finds the possibility of a political solution to the problems raised by genetic engineering in Catholic teachings on social justice, and Langdon Winner looks critically at the "scientific enthusiasts of a posthuman future." Taken as a whole, the book provides a humanistic overview of a subject too often considered only in its technological aspect.

About the Author
Harold W. Baillie is Professor of Philosophy at the University of Scranton. Timothy K. Casey is Professor of Philosophy at the University of Scranton.

Irresistible! Markets, Models, and Meta-Value in Consumer Electronics : 9780131987586

2007-11-26T15:26:00.005-08:00

The consumer electronics industry is entering an era of extraordinary growth. The industry’s best companies will ride that wave to unprecedented success. But, today, many CE companies are struggling with business models that are simply untenable. They must change to survive: they must change even more dramatically to win.

In this book, two world-renowned consultants preview the industry’s future–from online gaming to telehealthcare, and beyond. Next, they present a powerful new blueprint, offering indispensable guidance on everything from technology platforms to user interface design, branding to channel strategies. You’ll discover how to uncover new sources of value, design better models for doing business, and fuel growth by reaching new geographical markets. Whatever your role in the industry, this book will help you:

· Make better decisions, find your differentiators, and focus on your key success drivers

· Tap into the emergent “meta-value” that arises when technologies, devices, services, and content come together

· Reach tomorrow’s smart, service-sensitive shopper: not just the “technology-hungry” customers

· Widen margins by adding value consumers will pay for

· Transform cost structures to support rapid growth and nonstop change

· Sell into China, India, and other fast-growing emerging markets

· Preview “telehealthcare”: the surprising application for the living room

· Gain new insights into online gaming, smart home technology, and more

· Discover the immense power of IBM’s Cell Broadband Engine processor–and the business opportunities it enables

· Leverage embedded Linux to build more affordable, profitable, consumer-centric products

· Develop higher-value software for connected consumer electronics

· Differentiate products through state-of-the-art design and user interfaces

· Discover what the industry’s “winners” will look like in five years–and how to be one of them

The consumer electronics industry continues to grow at breakneck speed: from MP3 players to home healthcare devices, consumers are adopting new technologies faster than ever before. But most consumer electronics companies are struggling with razor-thin margins, or even losses. Their traditional business models simply aren’t working anymore. In Irresistible! Markets, Models, and Meta-Value in Consumer Electronics, IBM’s leading consumer electronic industry consultants reveal powerful new opportunities to profit–and offer realistic advice for leveraging them.

Drawing on their experience working with innovators from Helsinki to Osaka, the authors and contributors introduce revolutionary On Demand Business models for improving profitability, and identify tomorrow’s most profitable CE opportunities. They cover every element of success: technology, design, service, branding, channel strategies, and much more. Whether you’re an executive or engineer, strategist or entrepreneur, this book will help you find your differentiators, focus on your key success drivers–and become one of this industry’s big long-term winners!

IRC Hacks : 9780596006877

2007-11-26T15:26:00.003-08:00

While IRC is easy to get into and many people are happy to use it without being aware of what's happening under the hood, there are those who hunger for more knowledge, and this book is for them. IRC Hacks is a collection of tips and tools that cover just about everything needed to become a true IRC master, featuring contributions from some of the most renowned IRC hackers, many of whom collaborated on IRC, grouping together to form the channel #irchacks on the freenode IRC network (irc.freenode.net).

Internet Relay Chat (IRC) has continued to grow in popularity since its inception way back in 1988. Millions of people all over the world now use IRC to chat with friends, discuss projects, and collaborate on research. With a simple, clearly defined protocol, IRC has become one of the most accessible chat environments, with clients written for a multitude of operating systems.

Users of alternative chat systems will find IRC pretty easy to pick up and may even be surprised to find that it is more powerful, allowing not just chat between pairs of users, but among groups of hundreds, even thousands. It is the scalable nature of IRC that has helped it to succeed and to make it the most mature chat system on this planet.

This book presents an opportunity to learn how IRC works and how to make best use of some of its features. IRC Hacks delves deep into the possibilities, featuring contributions from some of the most renowned IRC hackers. Many of the contributors collaborated on IRC, grouping together to form the channel #irchacks on the freenode IRC network (irc.freenode.net). We look forward to seeing you there and hearing how you've used this book.

IPv6 Network Programming : 9781555583187

2007-11-26T15:26:00.001-08:00

Ipv6 Network Programming contains everything you need to make your application program support IPv6. This book covers Ipv6 with a focus on two of the most timely and relevant topics: security and portability. IPv6 socket APIs (RFC2553) are fully described with real-world examples. They are implemented with security in mind, leading you to write secure programs by recommending against the use of some of the inherently insecure IPv6 standard APIs. The examples in the book are also portable and applicable to any of UNIX based operating systems, MacOS X, and Windows XP.

Features:
* Covers the new protocol just adopted by the Dept of Defense for future systems
* Deals with security concerns, including spam and email, by presenting the best programming standards
* Fully describes IPv6 socket APIs (RFC2553) using real-world examples
* Allows for portability to UNIX-based operating systems, MacOS X, and Windows XP

Jun-ichiro itojun Hagino is a Senior Researcher at IIJ research laboratory,
a Core Researcher at KAME project and an IETF Internet Architecture Board
member.
He has been contributing to IPv6 protocol design, implementation and deployment
through activities at KAME project, where the IPv6 stack is developed and
maintained for 4.4BSD-variants.

About the Author

He has been contributing to IPv6 protocol design, implementation and deployment through activities at KAME project, where IPv6 stack is developed and maintained for 4.4BSD-variants.

IPv6 Network Administration : 9780596009342

2007-11-26T15:25:00.003-08:00

This essential guide explains what works, what doesn't, and most of all, what's practical about IPv6--the next-generation Internet standard. A must-have for network administrators everywhere looking to fix their network's scalability and management problems. Also covers other IPv6 benefits, such as routing, integrated auto-configuration, quality-of-services (QoS), enhanced mobility, and end-to-end security.

IPv6 has evolved during the last dozen years or so, and the road has not been easy. The process has been driven primarily by the shortage of address space under IPv4, but also by the desire for new applications that don't fit within the older protocol's limitations. The address space crisis has been delayed by several new approaches to IP addressing, the most important of them being CIDR, NAT, and RFC1918 private address space. At the same time, it was clear that these solutions only postponed the inevitable, so efforts began to redesign the IP protocol. These efforts led to IPv6.