[Nottingham] O'Reilly UK User Group Programme - NEWSLETTER Issue
10-06
Michael Erskine (at home!)
perl at tecspy.com
Sat Dec 2 13:54:44 GMT 2006
All,
here's the latest from Josette at O'Reilly - note that the discount is
available to us in the UK - you'll need to order through me until the
online store is working in £'s.
Regards,
Michael Erskine.
P.S. We won't be able to get any more free review books until people
start actually doing reviews of their free books!
-------------- >8 ---- cut here ---- >8 ----------------
O'Reilly UK User Group Programme
NEWSLETTER
Issue 10-06
We have some good news to announce. We've just increased the user group
discount to 35% off all books and PDFs. The discount code stays the
same--DSUG. And don't forget we still offer free shipping for orders in
the US of $29.95 or more.
If you have any questions about this discount, the UG program, or need
to request books for your group, just send me an email.
Within a week, this newsletter will be available to be downloaded in pdf
format from the Delphi and C# Developers Group web site at
http://www.richplum.co.uk/oreilly/10.06.pdf. You are welcome to create
a link to it for your members' use. Previous newsletters are available at –
http://www.richplum.co.uk/oreilly/0906.pdf
http://www.richplum.co.uk/oreilly/0806.pdf
http://www.richplum.co.uk/oreilly/0706.pdf
http://www.richplum.co.uk/oreilly/0606.pdf
http://www.richplum.co.uk/oreilly/0506.pdf
http://www.richplum.co.uk/oreilly/0406.pdf
http://www.richplum.co.uk/oreilly/0306.pdf
http://www.richplum.co.uk/oreilly/0206.pdf
http://www.richplum.co.uk/oreilly/0106.pdf
Our aim is to have both formats available at the same time, but that
might take us a little longer.
================================================
HIGHLIGHTS
================================================
NEWS FROM O’REILLY AND BEYOND
-Web 2.0 Summit Media Coverage
-Call Yourself a Programmer?
-User Group Members Receive a Special 30% Discount on O'Reilly Learning
Courses
-Getting Started with WSGI
-Open Tools for MySQL Administrators
-Developing High Performance Asynchronous IO Applications
-Inside Aperture--Community for Serious Photographers
-Top Ten Aperture Features
-Making a Smooth Move from .Mac to Google
-Text Tricks and More Text Tricks
-Creating Visual Studio Project Templates
-Top 10 Tips for Using Windows PowerShell
-Advanced Java Content Repository API
-Scaling Enterprise Java on 64-bit Multi-Core X86-Based Servers
-Demystifying LDAP Data
-OpenBSD 4.0: Pufferix's Adventures
-Ken Milburn Unplugged
-Deke McClelland on Software
-MAKE Podcast: Colin Berry reads Spinout
BOOK NEWS
- Books for review
- Coming soon
CONFERENCE NEWS
YOUR BOOK REVIEWS
YOUR NEWS
================================================
NEWS FROM O’REILLY AND BEYOND
================================================
---------------------
General News
---------------------
***Web 2.0 Summit 2006 Media Coverage
Read all the announcements, articles, blogs, photos, and podcasts made
at the Web 2.0 Summit in San Francisco.
<http://www.web2con.com/pub/w/49/news.html>
***Call Yourself a Programmer?
Announcing the O'Reilly Code Quiz, a curiously addictive game that'll
stress test your coding knowledge. Brought to you by O'Reilly Labs,
where all good things begin as zeros and ones.
<http://labs.oreilly.com/code/quiz>
***User Group Members Receive a Special 30% Discount on O'Reilly
Learning Courses
As an O'Reilly User Group member, you save on all the courses in the
following University of Illinois Certificate Series:
-Linux/Unix System Administration
-Web Programming
-Open Source Programming
-.NET Programming
To redeem, use Promotion Code "ORALL1," good for a 30% discount, in Step
#3 of the enrolment process. Each course comes with a free O'Reilly book
and a 7-day money-back guarantee. Register online:
<https://oreillylearning.com/enroll/>
---------------------
Open Source
---------------------
***Getting Started with WSGI
Python 2.5 added support for the WSGI standard. This is a specification
for web programming that allows interoperability between frameworks and
components. It's also terribly easy to use. Jason Briggs introduces WSGI
and gives the background you need to use it productively.
<http://www.onlamp.com/pub/a/python/2006/11/09/getting-started-with-wsgi.html>
***Open Tools for MySQL Administrators
The MySQL distribution provides several tools for database developers
and administrators, but they don't always work everywhere. Fortunately,
the worldwide MySQL community has produced plenty of useful tools. Baron
Schwartz surveys the possibilities and offers suggestions for what you
should use.
<http://www.oreillynet.com/pub/a/mysql/2006/10/19/mysql-tools.html>
***Developing High Performance Asynchronous IO Applications
When concurrency and latency are your bottlenecks, synchronous IO is a
problem--even in a multithreaded or multiprocess model. This is
especially evident when dealing with high volumes of incoming mail,
especially if much of it is spam. Stas Bekman and his team at
MailChannels recently built a scalable, modern, event-based system for
asynchronous IO. Here's how they did it.
<http://www.onlamp.com/pub/a/onlamp/2006/10/12/asynchronous_events.html>
---------------------
Digital Media
---------------------
***Inside Aperture--Community for Serious Photographers
Our Inside Aperture site draws upon community expertise to provide you
with tips and real-life experiences from professional shooters who use
Apple's premier photo management application to organize, edit, and
output their images. This site features weblogs, articles, podcasts, and
tutorials—-all focused to help you improve your digital photography
workflow.
<http://digitalmedia.oreilly.com/aperture/>
***Top Ten Aperture Features
Apple's ground-breaking, workflow tool for professional photographers
has caused quite a stir in the imaging community. After working with
Aperture for a year, I've decided that although it's not perfect, it has
some incredible and exciting features that photographers can really use.
<http://digitalmedia.oreilly.com/2006/11/01/top-ten-aperture-features.html>
---------------------
Mac
---------------------
***Making a Smooth Move from .Mac to Google
Matthew Russell presents a practical approach for a smooth move from
.Mac to a Google-centric web experience. Getting your email, address
book, calendar, online storage, online photos, and blog squared away are
all covered in this detailed transition plan.
<http://www.macdevcenter.com/pub/a/mac/2006/11/01/making-a-smooth-move-from-mac-to
google.html>
***Text Tricks and More Text Tricks
We've covered text editors here before. We know, from various posts at
the Mac DevCenter blog, that our readers are often as fanatical about
using plain text as we are. Tips on using your editor of choice are easy
to find, but we thought it would be fun to gather a whole bunch of them
together for the first time; not only to spread the word, but to invite
our readers to add their own tips and time-savers. We've also asked a
handful of Mac users to contribute their own favorite text tricks.
<http://www.macdevcenter.com/pub/a/mac/2006/10/10/text-tricks.html>
---------------------
Windows/.NET
---------------------
***Creating Visual Studio Project Templates
Visual Studio 2005 offers a great tool for those who create largely
identical projects--custom project and item templates--that automates
project creation and eliminates the need to add the same references,
project items, or even largely identical code to new projects. Ron
Petrusha shows you how.
<http://www.windowsdevcenter.com/pub/a/windows/2006/10/17/creating-visual-studio-project-templates.html>
***Top 10 Tips for Using Windows PowerShell
PowerShell is Microsoft's newest replacement for the command line, and
it's far more powerful than any command-line prompt Microsoft has given
us before. Starting to learn it, unfortunately, can be a bit
overwhelming. Jeff Cogswell offers his top 10 tips for getting the most
out of it.
<http://www.windowsdevcenter.com/pub/a/windows/2006/11/07/top-10-tips-for-using-windows-powershell.html>
---------------------
Java
---------------------
***Advanced Java Content Repository API
First presented in "What Is Java Content Repository," JSR-170 offers a
standard means for content management systems to present their
persistent data stores to Java applications. In this article, Sunil
Patil explores some of JCR's optional features--namely, the very useful
concepts of versioning and observability.
<http://www.onjava.com/pub/a/onjava/2006/11/08/advanced-java-content-repository.html>
***Scaling Enterprise Java on 64-bit Multi-Core X86-Based Servers
Today's enterprise server--indeed, the environment--isn't what it was
when Java was born. Slow networked machines have been replaced by fast,
64-bit multi-core servers that can house all your tiers in one box or
even virtualize servers within the server. This has a significant effect
on the design and deployment of your Java enterprise application, and
Michael Yuan and Dave Jaffe show you how to get the most out of your
hardware.
<http://www.onjava.com/pub/a/onjava/2006/11/01/scaling-enterprise-java-on-64-bit-multi-core.html>
---------------------
Sys Admin/Web
---------------------
***Demystifying LDAP Data
Is LDAP a database or a protocol? Is it understandable and deployable
without reading a thousand pages of explanation and documentation? Brian
Jones explains LDAP schemas and the layout of data to help you
understand what you can store and how you can retrieve it.
<http://www.oreillynet.com/pub/a/sysadmin/2006/11/09/demystifying-ldap-data.html>
***OpenBSD 4.0: Pufferix's Adventures
On October 18th, OpenBSD celebrated its 11th birthday. Now it's time for
the release of OpenBSD 4.0. To celebrate both milestones, Federico
Biancuzzi interviewed over 20 developers to discuss the new features of
this release and the continual work to get hardware specifications from
vendors.
<http://www.oreillynet.com/pub/a/sysadmin/2006/10/26/openbsd-40.html>
---------------------
Podcasts
---------------------
***Ken Milburn Unplugged
Take a listen. The author of Digital Photography Expert Techniques,
Second Edition knew Dan Rather in college, started his career taking
publicity photos of Hollywood starlets, and shot album covers for
Capitol Records. Ken talks to O'Reilly staffer Sara Peyton about his
career, tips and tricks, and creating the wow factor. (16 minutes 25
seconds)
<http://www.oreillynet.com/pub/a/network/2006/11/01/ken-milburn-unplugged.html>
******Deke McClelland on Software
O'Reilly author Deke McClelland talks to Mac Edition Radio's Harris
Fogel about his series of bestselling One-on-One books and Photoshop
Elements.
<http://maceditionradio.com/index.php?module=Pagesetter&func=viewpub&tid=3&pid=65>
***MAKE Podcast: Colin Berry
Colin Berry reads "Spinout," the touching story he wrote for MAKE,
Volume 07, about his brother's efforts to build and race a car in the
soap box derby in Longmont, Colo. Unfortunately, he was up against more
than just his own bad luck.
<http://www.makezine.com/blog/archive/2006/10/the_maker_file_2.html>
================================================
BOOK NEWS
================================================
Copies of our books are available for your members to review -- send me
an email with the delivery address together with the book you would like
to review. When the review is published, please send me a copy or the
url. I would also appreciate if you could send a copy to www.amazon.co.uk
Latest books available for review –
o ActionScript 3.0 Cookbook
Well before Ajax and Windows Presentation Foundation, Macromedia
Flash provided the first method for building "rich" web pages. Now,
Adobe is making Flash a full-fledged development environment, and
learning ActionScript 3.0 is key. That's a challenge for even the most
experienced Flash developer. This Cookbook offers more than 300
solutions to solve a wide range of coding dilemmas, so you can learn to
work with the new version right away.
o Craft Volume 01
Craft is the first project-based magazine dedicated to the
renaissance that is occurring within the world of crafts. Volume 01, the
premier issue, features 23 projects with a twist! Make a programmable
LED shirt, turn dud shoes into great knitted boots, felt an iPod cocoon,
embroider a skateboard, and much more.
o CSS Cookbook, Second Edition
For those all-too-common dilemmas that crop up with each project,
CSS Cookbook provides hundreds of practical examples with CSS code
recipes that you can use immediately to format your web pages. Arranged
in a quick-lookup format for easy reference, the second edition has been
updated to explain the unique behavior of the latest browsers:
Microsoft's IE 7 and Mozilla's Firefox 1.5. Also, the book has been
expanded to cover the interaction of CSS and images and now includes
more recipes for beginning CSS users.
o CSS: The Definitive Guide, Third Edition
CSS: The Definitive Guide, 3rd Edition, provides you with a
comprehensive guide to CSS implementation, along with a thorough review
of all aspects of CSS 2.1. Updated to cover Internet Explorer 7,
Microsoft's vastly improved browser, this new edition includes content
on positioning, lists and generated content, table layout, user
interface, paged media, and more.
o Digital Photography Expert Techniques, Second Edition
Expert advice and pro strategies help photographers at every
level become more competent in their work routines. Through step-by-step
procedures based on hard-nosed experience, professional photographer Ken
Milburn describes a complete workflow sequence that begins with
essential photographic equipment and digital darkroom setup, and ends
once finished images are in albums, exhibits, web sites, or publications.
o Essential CVS, Second Edition
This easy-to-follow reference shows a variety of professionals
how to use the Concurrent Versions System (CVS), the open source tool
that lets you manage versions of anything stored in files. Ideal for
software developers tracking different versions of the same code, this
comprehensive book also helps system administrators and project managers
manage large quantities of documents. A full command reference details
aspects of customizing CVS for automation, logging, branching, merging
documents, and creating alerts.
o Fedora Linux
Whether you are running the stable version of Fedora Core or
bleeding-edge Rawhide releases, this book has something for every level
of user. The modular, lab-based approach not only shows you how things
work-but also explains why--and provides you with the answers you need
to get up and running with Fedora Linux.
o Fine Art Printing for Photographers (Rocky Nook).
This book provides the necessary foundation for fine art
printing: The understanding of color management, profiling, paper and
inks. It demonstrates how to set up the printing workflow as it guides
the reader step-by-step through this process from an image file to an
outstanding fine art print.
o GIMP 2 for Photographers (Rocky Nook)
GIMP2 for Photographers is a beginner's guide to the only open
source image editing tool which provides a low-cost alternative to
expensive programs such as Photoshop. Topics include the basics of image
editing and simple adjustments, as well as advanced techniques using
layers and masks, stitching of panoramic images, and preparation of
high-quality black and white images. The most important editing
functions are presented in individual, easy-to-follow workshops.
o HTML & XHTML: The Definitive Guide, Sixth Edition
Put everthing you need to know about HTML and XHTML at your
fingertips. For nearly a decade, hundreds of thousands of web developers
have turned to HTML & XHTML: The Definitive Guide to master
standards-based web development. Truly a definitive guide, the book
combines a unique balance of tutorial material with a comprehensive
reference that even the most experienced web professionals keep close at
hand. From basic syntax and semantics to guidelines aimed at helping you
develop your own distinctive style, this classic is all you need to
become fluent in the language of web design.
o iPod: The Missing Manual, Fifth Edition
With iPod and iTunes, Apple's gotten the world hooked on portable
music, pictures, and videos. One thing they haven't delivered, though,
is an easy guide for getting the most from your sleek little
entertainment center. This new edition thoroughly covers the redesigned
iPod Nanos, the video iPod, the tiny Shuffle and the overhauled iTunes
7. Each page sports easy-to-follow color graphics, crystal-clear
explanations, and guidance on the most useful things your iPod can do.
o Java Generics and Collections
Java Generics and Collections covers everything from the most
basic uses of generics to the strangest corner cases. It teaches you
everything you need to know about the collections libraries, so you'll
always know which collection is appropriate for any given task, and how
to use it.
o Learning JavaScript
Using the latest examples from modern browser development
practices, Learning JavaScript teaches you how to integrate the language
with the browser environment, and how to practice proper coding
techniques for standards-compliant web sites. By the end of the book,
you'll be able to use all of the JavaScript language and many of the
object models provided by web browsers, and you'll even be able to
create a basic Ajax application.
o Learning MySQL
Learning MySQL provides all the tools you need to set up and design an
effective database. This richly detailed tutorial will help you design
scalable and flexible databases, create powerful queries using SQL, and
configure MySQL for improved security. After covering the basics, the
book travels far into MySQL's subtleties, including complex queries and
joins, how to interact with the database over the Web using PHP or Perl,
and important house-keeping such as backups and security.
http://www.oreilly.com/catalog/learnmysql/" \l "top
o MAKE: Technology on Your Time Volume 08
Get ready to play when Make Volume 08, our "Toys and Games"
issue, hits the stands. You'll learn how to build a wind-up bird that
really flies, how to restore an old pinball machine, and learn the
secret history of the world's best-selling computer game from Myst's
co-creator. You'll also meet a well-known toy inventor and learn how to
make molds and casts with MythBusters star Adam Savage.
o MCSE Core Elective Exams in a Nutshell
For Windows XP and Windows Server 2003 administrators preparing
for Microsoft Certified Systems Engineer (MCSE) core exam 70-270, and
core exams 70-297, and 70-298, this book is invaluable. Not only does it
provide the resources you need to succeed on the exams, but to succeed
in the real world as well. MCSE Core Elective Exams in a Nutshell allows
you to see all of the topics expected for mastery in each of the exams.
Each exam is covered in three parts: Exam Overview, Study Guide and Test
Your Knowledge sections. This makes for easy reference and a great study
aid.
o Network Security Hacks, Second Edition
This second edition of Network Security Hacks offers 125 concise
and practical hacks, including more information for Windows
administrators, hacks for wireless networking (such as setting up a
captive portal and securing against rogue hotspots), and techniques to
ensure privacy and anonymity, including ways to evade network traffic
analysis, encrypt email and files, and protect against phishing attacks.
System administrators looking for reliable answers will also find
concise examples of applied encryption, intrusion detection, logging,
trending and incident response.
o Practical Color Management: Eddie Tapp on Digital Photography
The second book in this acclaimed series delves into color
management, a topic that has needlessly become a mystery to experienced
digital photographers. With his easygoing yet authoritative style, noted
expert Eddie Tapp explains how color management can be integrated into
the overall photographic workflow. Included is a chapter on technical
aspectsfrom color guru Rick Lucas.
o Photoshop Elements 5: The Missing Manual
The most popular photo-editing program on the market, Photoshop
Elements not only has Photoshop's marvelous powers, but includes
creative capabilities the mothership lacks. The latest version,
Photoshop Elements 5, offers new scrapbook features among many other
improvements. Our Missing Manual carefully explains every feature
(something no other book has done) by putting each one into a clear,
easy-to-understand context -- all with a bit of wit and good humor.
o Process Improvement Essentials
Process Improvement Essentials combines the foundation needed to
understand process improvement theory with the best practices to help
individuals implement process improvement initiatives in their
organization. The three leading programs: ISO 9001:2000, CMMI, and Six
Sigma--amidst the buzz and hype--tend to get lumped together under a
common label. This book delivers a combined guide to all three programs,
compares their applicability, and then sets the foundation for further
exploration.
o Programming Atlas
Programming Atlas is not just another "drag and drop" ASP.NET 2.0
book, but dives into the technologies that make it work. You'll begin
with a tour of the technologies most often associated with Ajax, from
JavaScript and XMLHttpRequest to JSON and the DOM. With the fundamentals
in place, author JavaScript expert Christian Wenz unpacks the Atlas
framework and shows you how to put its tools to work.
o Programming Embedded Systems, Second Edition
Whether you're writing your first embedded program, designing the
latest generation of hand-held whatchamacalits, or managing the people
who do, this book is for you. Programming Embedded Systems will help you
develop the knowledge and skills you need to achieve proficiency with
embedded software.
o Visual Basic 2005 Cookbook
This book will help you solve more than 300 of the most common
and not-so-common tasks that working Visual Basic 2005 programmers face
every day. If you're a seasoned .NET developer, beginning Visual Basic
programmer, or a developer seeking a simple and clear migration path
from VB6 to Visual Basic 2005, the Visual Basic 2005 Cookbook delivers a
practical collection of problem-solving recipes for a broad range of
Visual Basic programming tasks. It's sure to save you time, serving up
the code you need, when you need it.
****Coming Soon
o Color Management in Digital Photography (Rocky Nook)
o Essential Electronics for Software Folk (Pragmatic Bookshelf)
o Everyday Scripting with Ruby (Pragmatic Bookshelf)
o Head First Object-Oriented Analysis and Design
o Information Architecture for the World Wide Web, Third Edition
o Mastering Landscape Photography (Rocky Nook)
o More Rails Recipes (Pragmatic Bookshelft)
o MySQL Cookbook, Second Edition
o Pragmatic Unit Testing in C# with NUnit, Second Edition
(Pragmatic Bookshelf)
o SQL Hacks
================================================
Conference News
================================================
***Registration is now open for the 2007 Emerging Telephony Conference
Explore the strategies for taming disruption and exploit opportunities
being created by web telephony innovations.
<http://conferences.oreilly.com/etel/>
Use code "etel07usrg" when you register, and receive 15% off the early
registration price.
To register for the conference, go to:
<http://conferences.oreillynet.com/pub/w/50/register.html>
***Speak at RailsConf
O'Reilly Media and Ruby Central are seeking leaders for RailsConf
sessions and tutorials. Are you a hacker, Rubyist, trainer, web
developer, and/or entrepreneur with something to share? If so, submit a
proposal.
<http://conferences.oreillynet.com/cs/rails2007/create/e_sess/>
====================================================
YOUR EVENTS
====================================================
*** VMware
London December 1st
This seminar will provide an overview of Virtualisation including
specifics on SAN virtualisation and the relationship between VMware and
Hewlett-Packard. It will provide the opportunity for In-depth
discussions with specialist VMware, HP and OCSL consultants and to
witness demonstrations in the HP labs.
====================================================
O’REILLY WILL BE THERE!
====================================================
*** OpenCON 2006
2/3 December, Venice, Italy
The conference is entirely organized by OpenBEER (http://www.openbeer.it
), the italian OpenBSD users group. OpenCON lasts about two days and, as
usual, many official developers have already confirmed their presence.
The main topics will be: information security, secure programming, and
anything related to OpenBSD. The manifestation is completely free of
charge, but it will be possible to buy tshirts and gadgets to fund both
OpenCON and OpenBSD.
***Flash on the Beach
Flash on the Beach conference is the first major Flash conference in the
UK for over 6 years! Over 40 of the world's most talented Flash
designers, developers and artists presenting on 3 tracks over 3 full
days with mixer get togethers each morning and evening for essential
networking opportunities. Flash on the Beach has brought together the
most creative, technical, inspirational awe-inspiring, educational and
entertaining industry leading speakers in the rich media industry.
***London Perl Workshop
The London Perl Workshop is a free one-day conference in central London,
UK. It will be held on Saturday the 9th of December, 2006 at Westminster
University's New Cavendish Campus
================================================
YOUR BOOK REVIEWS
================================================
***Nordest Perl Mongers reviewed –
Building Scalable Web Sites –
http://www.streppone.it/cosimo/work/books/BuildingScalableWebSites.html
(Italian)
http://www.streppone.it/cosimo/work/books/BuildingScalableWebSites.html.en
(English)
***Egyptian Java User Group reviewed -
Programming Jakarta Struts -
http://www.egjug.org/programming_jakarta_struts_second_edition_book_review
and
http://egjug.org/hashimblog/2006/11/18/programming-jakarta-struts-second-edition-book-review/
***London Perlmongers reviewed –
Perl Hacks - http://london.pm.org/reviews/perl_hacks.html
and http://dave.org.uk/reviews/perlhacks.html
That's all for now
Josette
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