Elizabeth Castro For any course in Digital Graphics, Web Design, Web Scripting and Development, Multimedia, Page Layout, Office Tools, and Operating Systems. These task-based, visual reference guides feature step-by-step instructions and plenty of screen shots to guide students and teachers through the most important tasks. Visual QuickStart Guides are the ideal way to get students up and running quickly, and are used for intermediate and advanced students as a quick reference.

Nancy Conner Among its many amazing applications, Google now has web-based alternatives to many of the applications in Microsoft Office. This comprehensive and easy-to-follow new book enables you to explore Google's new office applications in detail. Once you do, you'll be in good company — more than 100,000 small businesses and some corporations are already looking to take advantage of these free Google offerings.

Google Apps: The Missing Manual teaches you how to use three relatively new applications from Google: "Docs and Spreadsheets", which provide many of the same core tools that you find in Word and Excel; and Google Calendar and Gmail, the applications that offer an alternative to Outlook. This book demonstrates how these applications together can ease your ability to collaborate with others, and allow you access to your documents, mail and appointments from any computer at any location.

Of course, as remarkable as these applications are, Google's office suite is definitely a work-in-progress. Navigating what you can and can't do and — more importantly — understanding how to do it isn't always easy. And good luck finding enough help online. Google Apps: The Missing Manual is the one book you need to get the most out of this increasingly useful part of the Google empire. This book: Explains how to create, save and share each of Google's web-based office applicationsOffers separate sections for Docs and Spreadsheets, Google Calendar, and GmailDemonstrates how to use these applications in conjunction with one anotherGives you crystal-clear and jargon-free explanations that will satisfy users of all technical levelsMany of you already use Gmail, but do you know its full potential? Do you know how you can increase its power by using Gmail with Doc and Spreadsheets and Google Calendar? You'll find out with Google Apps: The Missing Manual. You'll also come to understand why large corporations such as General Electric and Proctor & Gamble are taking a long, hard look at these applications.

Robert Faludi Get ready to create distributed sensor systems and intelligent interactive devices using the ZigBee wireless networking protocol and Series 2 XBee radios. By the time you're halfway through this fast-paced, hands-on guide, you'll have built a series of useful projects, including a complete ZigBee wireless network that delivers remotely sensed data.

Radio networking is creating revolutions in volcano monitoring, performance art, clean energy, and consumer electronics. As you follow the examples in each chapter, you'll learn how to tackle inspiring projects of your own. This practical guide is ideal for inventors, hackers, crafters, students, hobbyists, and scientists. Investigate an assortment of practical and intriguing project ideasPrep your ZigBee toolbox with an extensive shopping list of parts and programsCreate a simple, working ZigBee network with XBee radios in less than two hours — for under $100Use the Arduino open source electronics prototyping platform to build a series of increasingly complex projectsGet familiar with XBee's API mode for creating sensor networksBuild fully scalable sensing and actuation systems with inexpensive componentsLearn about power management, source routing, and other XBee technical nuancesMake gateways that connect with neighboring networks, including the Internet

Lance Flavell A new world of creative possibilities is opened by Blender, the most popular and powerful open source 3D and animation tool. Blender is not just free software; it is also an important professional tool used in animated shorts, television commercials, and shows, as well as in production for films like Spiderman 2. Lance Flavell's Beginning Blender will give you the skills to start shaping new worlds and virtual characters, and perhaps lead you down a new professional path.

Beginning Blender covers the latest Blender 2.5 release in depth. The book starts with the creation of simple figures using basic modeling and sculpting. It then teaches you how to bridge from modeling to animation, and from scene setup to texture creation and rendering, lighting, rigging, and ultimately, full animation. You will create and mix your own movie scenes, and you will even learn the basics of games logic and how to deal with games physics. 

Whether you are new to modeling, animation, and game design, or whether you are simply new to Blender, this book will show you everything you need to know to get your 3D projects underway. What you’ll learn How to create models using sculpt mode, extrusion modeling, and moreGo beyond playing with color to learn procedural texturing and UV mappingHow to use light and depth of focus to make are realistic-looking modelAdding rigging and realistic animationUsing the compositor for movie mixing and lip-syncing animations How to put the games engine and physics to work to create full-featured gamesWho this book is for

This book appeals to all who are starting out in 3D, animation, and games design. It also appeals to those who know about 2D design and photography and would like to expand their skill set. Table of Contents History and InstallationThe InterfaceModelingLighting and  Procedural TexturesUV MappingCurves and NURBSBasic Rigging and AnimationAdvanced RiggingMaking MoviesParticles and PhysicsThe Game EngineGoing FurtherCompanies That Use BlenderBlender and GPL Terms of UseGNU Public LicenseOpenContent License

Midge Frazel

Roland Hess Blender is a free and open source 3D creation suite that is a real alternative to commercially available 3D design software. A cross-platform software package with millions of downloads annually, Blender is now one of the world's most popular 3D design tools.

Although Blender is free, it's intended for design professionals and others motivated to become 3D artists. The Essential Blender will provide you with the knowledge you need to help integrate Blender into your work and begin to master its powerful creation tools.

If you've never tried 3D design before, an introductory chapter will familiarize you with relevant terminology and concepts. If you're already experienced with commercial 3D software, The Essential Blender will get you up to speed with Blender quickly. After a tour of Blender's 3D modeling, animation, and rendering capabilities, you'll learn how best to use Blender for these tasks:

Object manipulation and animation Mesh and sculpt modeling and shape animation Materials and texturing (including UV unwrapping) Lighting and rendering Particle animation Character rigging and animation Node-based composition

The book is modular in its approach, with each topic addressed independently and accompanied by hands-on tutorial sections.

The combined expertise of key members of the Blender community, coupled with the experience of editor Roland Hess, bring you The Essential Blender-the definitive guide to Blender. You'll find a wealth of 3D design information inside that will help you to unlock your artistic potential and get the most out of Blender.

Includes a Complete Version of Blender 2.44 on the CD-ROM. Covers Windows, Mac OS X, Linux (x86 and PowerPC), Solaris, FreeBSD, and IRIX.

Roland Hess Blender Foundations is the definitive resource for getting started with 3D art in Blender, one of the most popular 3D/Animation tools on the market . With the expert insight and experience of Roland Hess, noted Blender expert and author, animators and artists will learn the basics starting with the revised 2.6 interface, modeling tools, sculpting, lighting and materials through rendering, compositing and video editing. Some of the new features covered include the completely re-thought interface, the character animation and keying system, and the smoke simulator.

More than just a tutorial guide, "Blender Foundations" covers the philosophy behind this ingenious software that so many 3D artists are turning to today. Start working today with Blender with the accompanying web site which includes all of the projects and support files alongside videos, step-by-step screenshots of the trickier tutorials, as well as a direct links to official resources like the Blender download site and artist forums.

. Thank you for your interest in Blender Foundations. Focal Press is proud to publish titles that serve the Blender community. Blender Foundations covers the current version of Blender 2.5 and the forthcoming 2.6. Although this book is not affiliated with The Blender Foundation, we recommend that you visit www.blender.org to learn more about the latest on Blender.

. A practical, project oriented title on creating high quality 3D art for FREE. Blender is free, Open Source software, which makes it ideal for new users wanting to try 3D with little investment, animation studios looking to increase their capabilities and educational institutions with limited resources in their art departments.

. Blender Foundations offers techniques and tools for the complete Blender workflow, demonstrating a real-world project from start to finish. Hands-on insight is even further applied with the companion website which includes source files at all stages so transitioning users can pick and choose via tool/chapter what they want to explore.

Kathryn Keranen, Robert Kolvoord The fourth volume in the Our World GIS Education series features open-ended activities that stress the use of GIS in problem solving and decision making. This book encourages readers to investigate and answer questions, create their own analyses, and make decisions based on real-world concerns. Designed for high school and college students, the lessons build on the rich array of GIS tools available, enabling the students to perform sophisticated analyses. This book contains a student resources DVD with exercises and data and a software DVD with a 180-day trial of ArcView 9.2.

Tony Mullen Introducing Character Animation with Blender, 2nd Edition is written in a friendly but professional tone, with clear descriptions and numerous illustrative screenshots. Throughout the book, tutorials focus on how to accomplish actual animation goals, while illustrating the necessary technical methods along the way. These are reinforced by clear descriptions of how each specific aspect of Blender works and fits together with the rest of the package. By following all the tutorials, the reader will gain all the skills necessary to build and animate a well-modeled, fully-rigged character of their own. The character built over the course of the tutorials is included as a .blend file on the companion website, for the reader to experiment with and learn from.

Introducing Character Animation with Blender, 2nd Edition is inspiring as well as educational. A color insert includes sample characters and frames from animations by many of the Blender community's most talented artists, which help to illustrate the impressive potential of the software.

Tom Negrino, Dori Smith The Web doesn¿t stand still¿not even for a minute¿and neither do the languages that Web pages are based on. That¿s why you need this eagerly anticipated update to the popular JavaScript for the World Wide Web: Visual QuickStart Guide. Through a combination of task-based instruction and strong visuals, best-selling authors and Web gurus Tom Negrino and Dori Smith take you step by step through all of today¿s JavaScript essentials: creating navigation bars and other user interface elements, producing dynamic images and smart forms, controlling and detecting browsers, creating and manipulating windows, validating user entries in Web forms, and more. Whether you¿re a beginning scripter who wants a thorough introduction to the topic or a more advanced scripter who needs a convenient reference, you¿ll find what you need here¿in straightforward language peppered with tips and techniques drawn from the authors¿ years of experience. By the end of the volume, you¿ll be able to smoothly integrate HTML, JavaScript, and CSS to bring your Web sites to life.

Tim Ormsby, Eileen Napoleon, Robert Burke With revised material and new exercises based on ArcGIS version 9, this updated work acquaints geographers and GIS professionals with the principles of GIS as it teaches the mechanics of using ArcGIS software. Conceptual material is followed by scripted software exercises. Necessary GIS skills are presented in a variety of areas—map symbology, data overlay, map projection, and data conversion—as the making of maps and the analysis of geographic data is conceptualized. Spatial modeling exercises using the Model Builder technology of ArcGIS version 9 are also provided. Other topics covered include organizing data, planning a GIS project, creating derived data, and presenting results.

Charles Platt "This is teaching at its best!"

—Hans Camenzind, inventor of the 555 timer (the world's most successful integrated circuit), and author of Much Ado About Almost Nothing: Man's Encounter with the Electron (Booklocker.com)

"A fabulous book: well written, well paced, fun, and informative. I also love the sense of humor. It's very good at disarming the fear. And it's gorgeous. I'll be recommending this book highly."

—Tom Igoe, author of Physical Computing and Making Things Talk

Want to learn the fundamentals of electronics in a fun, hands-on way? With Make: Electronics, you'll start working on real projects as soon as you crack open the book. Explore all of the key components and essential principles through a series of fascinating experiments. You'll build the circuits first, then learn the theory behind them!

Build working devices, from simple to complex You'll start with the basics and then move on to more complicated projects. Go from switching circuits to integrated circuits, and from simple alarms to programmable microcontrollers. Step-by-step instructions and more than 500 full-color photographs and illustrations will help you use — and understand — electronics concepts and techniques. Discover by breaking things: experiment with components and learn from failureSet up a tricked-out project space: make a work area at home, equipped with the tools and parts you'll needLearn about key electronic components and their functions within a circuitCreate an intrusion alarm, holiday lights, wearable electronic jewelry, audio processors, a reflex tester, and a combination lockBuild an autonomous robot cart that can sense its environment and avoid obstaclesGet clear, easy-to-understand explanations of what you're doing and why

Maik Schmidt With this Quick-Start Guide you'll be creating your first gadgets within a few minutes, following the step-by-step instructions and photos throughout the book. You'll build your own motion-sensing game controller with a three-axis accelerometer, connect the Arduino to the Internet and program both client and server applications, and create a universal remote with an Arduino and a few cheap parts. Plus, you'll build your own burglar alarm that emails you whenever someone's moving in your living room, integrate Nintendo's Wii Nunchuk into your projects, make binary dice, learn how to solder, and more.

Sidebars throughout the book point you to exciting real-world projects using the Arduino, plenty of exercises will extend your skills, and "What If It Doesn't Work" sections help you troubleshoot common problems.

With Arduino: A Quick-Start Guide, beginners can quickly join the worldwide community of hobbyists and professionals who use the Arduino to prototype and develop fun, useful inventions.

Ryan Teeter, Karl Barksdale Curious about Google Sites and how team collaboration Web sites can help you share documents online from various locations? Curious about Google’s new Chrome browser? Google Sites & Chrome For Dummies has what you want to know!

Today, Google is so much more than another word for “search.” Google Sites & Chrome For Dummies shows you how to create great collaborative Web sites with Google Sites and surf the Web with the super-fast Google Chrome browser. Find out how they work with other Google Apps, too. You’ll learn to: Take advantage of free hosting, free tools, and a simple, straightforward interface with Google SitesSet up a Google account or Google Apps accountCreate wiki sites that let coworkers collaborate on projects or keep family members up to dateUse Google gadgets to keep track of projects, manage calendars and documents, or display photosIntegrate documents, spreadsheets, presentations, and other Google Apps into your siteWork with Contact List, Google Talk, and Google Chat, and handle e-mail with GmailDownload and install the speedy Google Chrome browserInstall browser plug-ins, enable offline access to Google Docs, and manage misbehaving tabs

You’ll even find instructions and examples to help you plan sites for personal and business use, plus a sample college course site. With advice from Google Sites & Chrome For Dummies, you can make collaboration easy and have the high-speed Web at your fingertips.

Donald B. Thomas, R. Allen Wyke Essential skills for first-time programmers! Perl: A Beginner's Guide will teach you the fundamentals of Perl programming. It covers Perl capabilities and syntax, accessing databases, working with modules, CGI programming, debugging and much more. This beginner's guide is designed for easy learning: Modules: Each programming concept is divided into logical modules (chapters), ideal for linear learning Goals: Each module opens with the specific programming skills you¿ll have by the end of the module Ask the Experts: Q&A sections throughout 1-Minute Drills: Quick self-assessment sections to check your progress Annotated Syntax: Example code annotated with commentary that points to the particular technique illustrated Projects: Coding exercises contained in each module that build on one another, from simple to complex Mastery Checks: End-of-module reviews that test proficiency using multiple-choice, fill-in-the-blank, and simple coding questions

Larry Ullman When static HTML pages no longer cut it, you need to step up to dynamic, database-driven sites that represent the future of the Web. In PHP and MySQL for Dynamic Web Sites: Visual QuickPro Guide, the author of best-selling guides to both the database program (MySQL) and the scripting language (PHP) returns to cover the winning pair in tandem—the way users work with them today to build dynamic sites using Open Source tools. Using step-by-step instructions, clearly written scripts, and expert tips to ease the way, author Larry Ullman discusses PHP and MySQL separately before going on to cover security, sessions and cookies, and using additional Web tools, with several sections devoted to creating sample applications. A companion Web site includes source code and demonstrations of techniques used in the volume. If you're already at home with HTML, you'll find this volume the perfect launching pad to creating dynamic sites with PHP and MySQL.

Larry Ullman So you know HTML, even JavaScript, but the idea of learning an actual programming language like PHP terrifies you? Well, stop quaking and get going with this easy task-based guide! Aimed at beginning PHP developers just like yourself, this volume uses step-by-step instructions and plenty of visual aids to get you started testing scripts, using basic syntax, working with variables, creating Web applications, and everything else you need to know to create dynamic Web pages with this increasingly popular and important scripting language. Along the way, you'll learn about all that's new in version 5: the new Zend Engine, updated XML support, greatly improved streams (now able to access low-level socket operations), a bundled copy of SQLite, and more. Throughout the book, you'll find sample scripts and projects as well as the timesaving tips and techniques that have become the hallmark of the popular Visual QuickStart series. A companion Web site offers all of the book's scripts for download.