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Understanding the Linux Kernel, Third Edition

Understanding the Linux Kernel, Third Edition

Posted on 30 March 2010 by admin

Author : Daniel P. Bovet

In order to thoroughly understand what makes Linux tick and why it works so well on a wide variety of systems, you need to delve deep into the heart of the kernel. The kernel handles all interactions between the CPU and the external world, and determines which programs will share processor time, in what order. It manages limited memory so well that hundreds of processes can share the system efficiently, and expertly organizes data transfers so that the CPU isn’t kept waiting any longer than necessary for the relatively slow disks.

The third edition of Understanding the Linux Kernel takes you on a guided tour of the most significant data structures, algorithms, and programming tricks used in the kernel. Probing beyond superficial features, the authors offer valuable insights to people who want to know how things really work inside their machine. Important Intel-specific features are discussed. Relevant segments of code are dissected line by line. But the book covers more than just the functioning of the code; it explains the theoretical underpinnings of why Linux does things the way it does.

This edition of the book covers Version 2.6, which has seen significant changes to nearly every kernel subsystem, particularly in the areas of memory management and block devices. The book focuses on the following topics:

  • Memory management, including file buffering, process swapping, and Direct memory Access (DMA)
  • The Virtual Filesystem layer and the Second and Third Extended Filesystems
  • Process creation and scheduling
  • Signals, interrupts, and the essential interfaces to device drivers
  • Timing
  • Synchronization within the kernel
  • Interprocess Communication (IPC)
  • Program execution

Understanding the Linux Kernel will acquaint you with all the inner workings of Linux, but it’s more than just an academic exercise. You’ll learn what conditions bring out Linux’s best performance, and you’ll see how it meets the challenge of providing good system response during process scheduling, file access, and memory management in a wide variety of environments. This book will help you make the most of your Linux system.

Price & avaiability
List Price : $49.95 , Buy from Amazon.com for $32.97

Amazon Link : Understanding the Linux Kernel, Third Edition

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Spam Kings: The Real Story behind the High-Rolling Hucksters Pushing Porn, Pills, and %*@)# Enlargements

Spam Kings: The Real Story behind the High-Rolling Hucksters Pushing Porn, Pills, and %*@)# Enlargements

Posted on 12 March 2010 by admin

Author : Brian S. McWilliams
“People are stupid”, Davis Wolfgang Hawke thought as he stared at the nearly empty box of Swastika pendants on his desk. So begins Spam Kings, an investigative look into the shady world of email spammers and the people trying to stop them.

More than sixty percent of today’s email traffic is spam. In 2004 alone, five trillion spam messages clogged Internet users‚ in-boxes, costing society an estimated $10 billion in filtering software and lost productivity.

This compelling exposé explores the shadowy world of the people responsible for today‚s rapidly spreading junk-email epidemic. Investigative journalist Brian S. McWilliams delivers a fascinating account of the cat-and-mouse game played by spam entrepreneurs in search of easy fortunes and those who are trying to stop them.

McWilliams chronicles the activities of several spam kings, including Davis Wolfgang Hawke, a notorious Jewish-born neo-Nazi leader who began his spamming career 1999. The book traces this twenty-year-old neophyte’s rise in the trade, where he became a major player in the lucrative penis pill market–a business that would eventually make him a millionaire and the target of lawsuits from AOL and others.

Spam Kings also tells the parallel story of Susan Gunn, a computer novice in California who was reluctantly drawn into the spam wars and eventually joined a group of anti-spam activists. Her volunteer sleuthing put her on a collision course with Hawke and other spammers, who sought revenge on their pursuers. Other intriguing anti-spam cyber-vigilantes appear throughout the book, as well as a cast of quirky characters who comprise Hawke’s business associates.

The book sheds light on the technical sleight-of-hand and sleazy business practices that spammers use–forged headers, open relays, harvesting tools, and bulletproof hosting. It also explores the work of top anti-spam attorneys, the surprising new partnership developing between spammers and computer hackers, the ominous rise of a new breed of computer viruses designed to turn the PCs of innocent bystanders into secret spam factories, and the troubling advent of cell phone spamming.

Brian McWilliams is a veteran investigative journalist who has covered business and technology for Web magazines including Wired News and Salon as well as the Washington Post, PC World, Computerworld, and Inc. magazine. The author of hundreds of articles about spam, Internet security, and online consumer protection, McWilliams gained international attention in 2002 when he wrote about the contents of Saddam Hussein’s email inbox for Wired News. He has appeared on NBC Nightly News, Fox News, BBC Radio, NPR’s “Here and Now” and PRI’s “Marketplace” programs, and has been quoted by the International Herald Tribune, the Boston Globe, and the New York Times.

Price & avaiability
List Price : $22.95 , Buy from Amazon.com for $15.61

Amazon Link : Spam Kings: The Real Story behind the High-Rolling Hucksters Pushing Porn, Pills, and %*@)# Enlargements

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Professional Android 2 Application Development

Professional Android 2 Application Development

Posted on 01 March 2010 by admin

Author : Reto Meier

Build unique mobile applications with the latest Android SDK

Written by an Android authority, this up-to-date resource shows you how to leverage the features of Android 2 to enhance existing products or create innovative new ones. Serving as a hands-on guide to building mobile apps using Android, the book walks you through a series of sample projects that introduces you to Android’s new features and techniques. Using the explanations and examples included in these pages, you’ll acquire the foundation needed to write compelling mobile applications that use Android, along with the flexibility to quickly adapt to future enhancements.

Professional Android 2 Application Development:

  • Reviews Android as a development platform and?best practices for mobile development

  • Provides an in-depth look at the Android application components

  • Details creating layouts and Views to produce compelling resolution independent user interfaces

  • Examines Intents and Content Providers for sharing data

  • Introduces techniques for creating map-based applications and using location-based services such as GPS

  • Looks at how to create and use background Services, Notifications, and Alarms

  • Demonstrates how to create interactive homescreen components

  • Explores the Bluetooth, telephony, and networking APIs

  • Examines using hardware, including the camera and sensors such as the compass and accelerometers

Wrox Professional guides are planned and written by working programmers to meet the real-world needs of programmers, developers, and IT professionals. Focused and relevant, they address the issues technology professionals face every day. They provide examples, practical solutions, and expert education in new technologies, all designed to help programmers do a better job.

wrox.com Programmer Forums

Join our Programmer to Programmer forums to ask and answer programming questions about this book, join discussions on the hottest topics in the industry, and connect with fellow programmers from around the world.

Code Downloads

Take advantage of free code samples from this book, as well as code samples from hundreds of other books, all ready to use.

Read More

Find articles, ebooks, sample chapters and tables of contents for hundreds of books, and more reference resources on programming topics that matter to you.

Price & avaiability
List Price : $44.99 , Buy from Amazon.com for $29.69

Amazon Link : Professional Android 2 Application Development

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PMP Exam Prep: All the Help You Need, From Start to Finish (Video Training for the PMP Certification Exam)

Posted on 19 February 2010 by admin

Author : Claudia M. Baca

All the Help You Need, From Start to Finish

 

5 PMP Online Practice Exams

 

Includes over 3 hours of video instruction from the experts

 

When it comes to passing the PMP certification exam, you’ll find no better resource than the PMP Exam Prep LiveLessons. Not only do you get video-based tutorials from one of the nation’s leading PMP instructors, Claudia M. Baca, but you can also take an online practice exam up to five times before you take the real exam.

 

Following the PMI’s curricula, the PMP Exam Prep LiveLessons has everything you need to know to pass the PMP certification exam. Not only will you learn how to prepare for the exam, you will also get useful tips for completing and filing your paperwork, and discover useful things you should do on test day.

 

Everything’s taught visually, using realistic project scenarios. You’ll master project initiation, planning, scoping, scheduling, budgeting, execution, monitoring and control, closing, quality, communications, procurement, PMI’s professional/social responsibility rules, and more.

 

Includes Access to MyPMPExamLab Practice Exam:

Built from a database of 400 questions, the MyPMPExamLab practice exam consists of 200 randomly selected questions to give you a unique experience each time you take the practice exam. Learn at your pace, get the answers whenever you need them, and gain the confidence you need to ace the PMP certification exam!

 

For all current and aspiring project managers who are preparing for the Project Management Institute’s PMP or CAPM online certification exam.

 

Looking for a better way to master today’s rapidly changing technologies? Want expert help, but don’t have the time or energy to read a book? Can’y  find classroom training worth the money? Discover LiveLessons: self-paced, personal video instruction from the world’s leading experts.

  • LiveLessons are video courses, on DVD with a book supplement, that are organized into bite-sized, self-contained sessions–you’ll learn key skills in as little as fifteen minutes!
  • Each session begins with well-defined learning objectives and ends with comprehensive summaries, which help you track your progress.
  • Follow along as your instructor shows exactly how to get great results in your real-world environment.

Imagine the best live project management training…then make it more convenient and far less expensive! Just click, watch, and learn as Claudia M. Baca teaches you everything you need to ace your exam…from study planning through PMBOKRGuide best practices!

 

System Requirements

-OPERATING SYSTEM: Windows 98, 2000, XP, Vista; Mac OS X (version 10.4 or greater) 

-MULTIMEDIA: DVD drive, 1024 x 768 or higher display, and sound card with speakers 

-COMPUTER: 500 MHz or higher, 128 MB RAM or more

-BROWSER (for MyPMPExamLab practice exam): Windows XP or Vista with Internet Explorer 6.0 or 7.0; Mac OS X 10.4 or 10.5 with Safari 2.0 or 3.0. (Firefox, AOL, and AT&T Yahoo browsers are not supported.)

 

Price & avaiability
List Price : $134.99 , Buy from Amazon.com for $107.50

Amazon Link : PMP Exam Prep: All the Help You Need, From Start to Finish (Video Training for the PMP Certification Exam)

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Beginning iPhone 3 Development: Exploring the iPhone SDK

Posted on 05 February 2010 by admin

Author : Dave Mark

Are you a programmer looking for a new challenge? Does the thought of building your very own iPhone app make your heart race and your pulse quicken? If so, Beginning iPhone 3 Development: Exploring the iPhone SDK is just the book for you. Updated and revised for iPhone SDK 3, many of the discussions in the original book have been clarified to make some of the more complex topics easier to understand. In addition, all of the projects have been rebuilt from scratch using the SDK 3 templates.

Assuming only a minimal working knowledge of Objective-C, and written in a friendly, easy-to-follow style, this book offers a complete soup-to-nuts course in iPhone and iPod touch programming. The book starts with the basics, walking you through the process of downloading and installing Apple’s free iPhone SDK, and then stepping you though the creation of your first simple iPhone application. From there, you’ll learn to integrate all the interface elements iPhone users have come to know and love, such as buttons, switches, pickers, toolbars, and sliders. You’ll master a variety of design patterns, from the simplest single view to complex hierarchical drill-downs. The confusing art of table building will be demystified, and you’ll see how to save your data using the iPhone file system. You’ll also learn how to save and retrieve your data using SQLite, iPhone’s built-in database management system. In addition, you’ll also learn about Core Data, an important persistence mechanism that has just been added with SDK 3.

And there’s much more! You’ll learn to draw using Quartz 2D and OpenGL ES, add multitouch gestural support (pinches and swipes) to your applications, and work with the camera, photo library, accelerometer, and built-in GPS. You’ll discover the fine points of application preferences and learn how to localize your apps for multiple languages. You can discover more about this book, download source code, and find support forums at the book’s companion site, at www.iphonedevbook.com.

  • The iPhone 3 update to the best-selling and most recommended book for iPhone developers
  • Packed full of tricks, techniques, and enthusiasm for the new SDK from a developer perspective
  • The most complete, useful, and up-to-date guide to all things having to do with Apple’s iPhone SDK

What you’ll learn

  • Everything you need to know to develop your own best-selling iPhone apps
  • Best practices for optimizing your code and delivering great user experiences

Who is this book for?

Anyone who wants to start developing for iPhone and iPod touch

What’s changed from the first edition of Beginning iPhone Development

  • All code samples have been updated to follow current Apple coding conventions
  • The autorotation code has been updated to use the new single-step fast autorotation instead of the original two-step method
  • A new section has been added introducing Core Data, covering basic principles and showing how to build a simple Core Data application
  • All the table view’related chapters have been updated to use table view cell styles. They’ve also been updated to use textLabel and detailTextLabel instead of the deprecated text property of the table view cell.
  • All known errata have been corrected
  • All projects have been rebuilt from scratch using the SDK 3.0 templates
  • Many concepts have been clarified based on feedback and supplemented with information we’ve learned from another year of using the SDK

Summary of Contents

  1. Welcome to the Jungle
  2. Appeasing the Tiki Gods
  3. Handling Basic Interaction
  4. More User Interface Fun
  5. Autorotation and Autosizing
  6. Multiview Applications
  7. Tab Bars and Pickers
  8. Introduction to Table Views
  9. Navigation Controllers and Table Views
  10. Application Settings and User Defaults
  11. Basic Data Persistence
  12. Drawing with Quartz and OpenGL
  13. Taps, Touches, and Gestures
  14. Where Am I? Finding Your Way with Core Location
  15. Whee! Accelerometer!
  16. iPhone Camera and Photo Library
  17. Application Localization
  18. Where to Next?

Reviews

“People ask me again and again about how to get started in iPhone development, but I never had a very good answer for them until now. Dave and Jeff’s book starts at the beginning in clear English, making sure you understand the fundamentals with many large illustrations. From there, they progress into key concepts such as the MVC pattern and ImageBuilder fundamentals. Additionally, I find myself flipping back to it as a reference guide—the plethora of code samples make it a must-have.”

—Steve Demeter, Creator of “Trism” and owner of Demiforce LLC

“Beginning iPhone Development delivers a clear picture of the entire development process from registering as an iPhone developer through creation of complete applications. There is a wealth of examples illustrating each feature of the iPhone. The authors did an excellent job of demonstrating “best practice” coding methodology throughout the book. You would be hard pressed to find a better guide to creating software for the iPhone.”

—Aaron Basil, iDev2.com

“Dave Mark has always been the king of Mac programming authors, and now he’s proven to be the reigning king for books on iPhone development!

“Beginning iPhone Development is the definitive guide for iPhone development, and anyone aspiring to develop for the iPhone should get this invaluable reference.”

—Brian Greenstone, President & CEO, Pangea Software, Inc.

“Jeff and Dave have done an exceptional job exploring the iPhone SDK. This book is far and away the single best resource for iPhone SDK development. Developers will latch on to this book and find it useful as they create the next great iPhone application. If you’re a developer with an interest in this amazing new platform, this is a must buy.”

—Chris Stewart, Founder, iPhoneDevSDK.com

“If you’re planning on coding for the iPhone, start here. Dave and Jeff know their stuff and also know how to explain it. I was amazed how much stuff they cover, from Hello World through analyzing user gestures. Not only do they cover the fun stuff like playing with the camera, they cover real-world development issues like localization. I learned a huge amount from them”

—Mark Dalrymple, Co-founder, CocoaHeads, and Principal Author, Advanced Mac OS X Programming

“Starting with an overview of the technology, how to approach the device, the authors lead us straight into the heart of iPhone development. As you progress, you’ll learn more about various layout engines and view managers, as well as the more meaty topics like accelerometer and GPS APIs. This book is a must-have for anyone interested in getting started quickly and efficiently with iPhone development!”

—Chris Pelsor, Manager, Tarantell:Hybrid

“All in all I was very surprised and pleased with the book. I’ve had the fortune of reading many technical books, and few do a great job of walking someone through the basics without making them feel like a dolt. It felt like every time I was stuck or unsure there was a tip, hint or paragraph which explained what was going on.”

—Cory Foy, at Slashdot.org

About the Apress Beginning Series

The Beginning series from Apress is the right choice to get the information you need to land that crucial entry–level job. These books will teach you a standard and important technology from the ground up because they are explicitly designed to take you from “novice to professional.” You’ll start your journey by seeing what you need to know—but without needless theory and filler. You’ll build your skill set by learning how to put together real–world projects step by step. So whether your goal is your next career challenge or a new learning opportunity, the Beginning series from Apress will take you there—it is your trusted guide through unfamiliar territory!

Price & avaiability
List Price : $39.99 , Buy from Amazon.com for $26.39

Amazon Link : Beginning iPhone 3 Development: Exploring the iPhone SDK

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Mass Effect 2 Collectors’ Edition: Prima Official Game Guide

Mass Effect 2 Collectors’ Edition: Prima Official Game Guide

Posted on 04 February 2010 by admin

Author : Catherine Browne
• Full walkthroughs for every mission.
• Exclusive maps created especially for this guide. Fully labeled to make sure you see it all!
• Every special assignment detailed so you won’t take a wrong step.
• Power evolution trees to make unstoppable heroes.
• Complete planetary database to help you mine elements smarter not harder.
• Mass Effect: Redemption comic book preview!

Collectors’ Edition Bonus Content:
• Art section to get a look at how the game design evolved!
• Exclusive conversations with the Mass Effect 2 team! Find out how it all comes together!
• Art poster included!

Price & avaiability
List Price : $29.99 , Buy from Amazon.com for $19.79

Amazon Link : Mass Effect 2 Collectors’ Edition: Prima Official Game Guide

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What Would Google Do?

What Would Google Do?

Posted on 03 February 2010 by admin

Author : Jeff Jarvis

A bold and vital book that asks and answers the most urgent question of today: What Would Google Do?

In a book that’s one part prophecy, one part thought experiment, one part manifesto, and one part survival manual, internet impresario and blogging pioneer Jeff Jarvis reverse-engineers Google—the fastest-growing company in history—to discover forty clear and straightforward rules to manage and live by. At the same time, he illuminates the new worldview of the internet generation: how it challenges and destroys, but also opens up vast new opportunities. His findings are counterintuitive, imaginative, practical, and above all visionary, giving readers a glimpse of how everyone and everything—from corporations to governments, nations to individuals—must evolve in the Google era.

Along the way, he looks under the hood of a car designed by its drivers, ponders a worldwide university where the students design their curriculum, envisions an airline fueled by a social network, imagines the open-source restaurant, and examines a series of industries and institutions that will soon benefit from this book’s central question.

The result is an astonishing, mind-opening book that, in the end, is not about Google. It’s about you.

Price & avaiability
List Price : $26.99 , Buy from Amazon.com for $17.81

Amazon Link : What Would Google Do?

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Learning the vi and Vim Editors

Posted on 27 June 2009 by admin


Author : Arnold Robbins
There’s nothing that hard-core Unix and Linux users are more fanatical about than their text editor. Editors are the subject of adoration and worship, or of scorn and ridicule, depending upon whether the topic of discussion is your editor or someone else’s. vi has been the standard editor for close to 30 years. Popular on Unix and Linux, it has a growing following on Windows systems, too. Most experienced system administrators cite vi as their tool of choice. And since 1986, this book has been the guide for vi. However, Unix systems are not what they were 30 years ago, and neither is this book. While retaining all the valuable features of previous editions, the 7th edition of Learning the vi and vim Editors has been expanded to include detailed information on vim, the leading vi clone. vim is the default version of vi on most Linux systems and on Mac OS X, and is available for many other operating systems too. With this guide, you learn text editing basics and advanced tools for both editors, such as multi-window editing, how to write both interactive macros and scripts to extend the editor, and power tools for programmers — all in the easy-to-follow style that has made this book a classic. Learning the vi and vim Editors includes: A complete introduction to text editing with vi: How to move around vi in a hurry Beyond the basics, such as using buffers vi’s global search and replacement Advanced editing, including customizing vi and executing Unix commands How to make full use of vim: Extended text objects and more powerful regular expressions Multi-window editing and powerful vim scripts How to make full use of the GUI version of vim, called gvim vim’s enhancements for programmers, such as syntax highlighting, folding and extended tags Coverage of three other popular vi clones — nvi, elvis, and vile — is also included. You’ll find several valuable appendixes, including an alphabetical quick reference to both vi and ex mode commands for regular vi and for vim, plus an updated appendix on vi and the Internet. Learning either vi or vim is required knowledge if you use Linux or Unix, and in either case, reading this book is essential. After reading this book, the choice of editor will be obvious for you too.

Price & avaiability
List Price : $34.99 , Available from Amazon.com for $23.09

Amazon Link : Learning the vi and Vim Editors

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Learning the vi and Vim Editors

Posted on 27 June 2009 by admin

Author : Arnold Robbins
There’s nothing that hard-core Unix and Linux users are more fanatical about than their text editor. Editors are the subject of adoration and worship, or of scorn and ridicule, depending upon whether the topic of discussion is your editor or someone else’s. vi has been the standard editor for close to 30 years. Popular on Unix and Linux, it has a growing following on Windows systems, too. Most experienced system administrators cite vi as their tool of choice. And since 1986, this book has been the guide for vi. However, Unix systems are not what they were 30 years ago, and neither is this book. While retaining all the valuable features of previous editions, the 7th edition of Learning the vi and vim Editors has been expanded to include detailed information on vim, the leading vi clone. vim is the default version of vi on most Linux systems and on Mac OS X, and is available for many other operating systems too. With this guide, you learn text editing basics and advanced tools for both editors, such as multi-window editing, how to write both interactive macros and scripts to extend the editor, and power tools for programmers — all in the easy-to-follow style that has made this book a classic. Learning the vi and vim Editors includes: A complete introduction to text editing with vi: How to move around vi in a hurry Beyond the basics, such as using buffers vi’s global search and replacement Advanced editing, including customizing vi and executing Unix commands How to make full use of vim: Extended text objects and more powerful regular expressions Multi-window editing and powerful vim scripts How to make full use of the GUI version of vim, called gvim vim’s enhancements for programmers, such as syntax highlighting, folding and extended tags Coverage of three other popular vi clones — nvi, elvis, and vile — is also included. You’ll find several valuable appendixes, including an alphabetical quick reference to both vi and ex mode commands for regular vi and for vim, plus an updated appendix on vi and the Internet. Learning either vi or vim is required knowledge if you use Linux or Unix, and in either case, reading this book is essential. After reading this book, the choice of editor will be obvious for you too.

Price & avaiability
List Price : $34.99 , Available from Amazon.com for $23.09

Amazon Link : Learning the vi and Vim Editors

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