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The 50 Best Sights in Astronomy and How to See Them: Observing Eclipses, Bright Comets, Meteor Showers, and Other Celestial Wonders
Posted: September 18th, 2007, 11:02pm CEST

Tags:  The 50 Best Sights in   [edit]


The night sky holds endless fascination for anyone who chooses simply to look up and observe, but with so much to see, it can be difficult to know where to start. This remarkable book introduces you to the fifty best sights in astronomy and tells you exactly how to see them. In no time at all, you will learn how to find and appreciate the Orion group of constellations; the Summer Triangle; Venus, Jupiter, and Mars; the best meteor showers; man-made satellites; star clusters; novae; variable stars; and more. The sights are presented according to the field of view necessary to see them. Your eyes and a clear night sky are all you need to view the sights in the first part of the book, before moving on to those that can be observed through binoculars and, finally, a telescope. Concise descriptions and explanations of these spectacular visual wonders will deepen your appreciation of them and spur further exploration. You will also find the essential basic information on astronomical observation you need to get started, including observing conditions, techniques, telescopes, and astronomical measurements. Once you start gazing, you'll see that the sky really is the limit-and discovering its amazing treasures will become your lifetime passion. Reviews "Fred Schaaf is one of the most experienced astronomical observers of our time. For more than two decades, his view of the sky-what will be visible, when it will be visible, and what it will look like-has encouraged tens Read more...

Tags:  fundamentals of Embedded Software Where   [edit]

From the Back Cover Fundamentals of Embedded Software: Where C and Assembly Meet is a refreshing alternative to the traditional sophomore text on computer organization and assembly language programming. The text approaches assembly the way it is commonly used in practice>to implement small, fast, or special-purpose routines called from a main program written in a high-level language such as C. By using an embedded software context, the text introduces multi-threaded programming, preemptive and non-preemptive systems, shared resources, and scheduling, thus providing a solid foundation for subsequent courses on operating systems, real-time systems, networking, and microprocessor-based design. The text will help you: * appreciate the often overlooked consequences and limitations of binary representation. * implement fast real-number arithmetic using fixed-point reals instead of floating-point. * reinforce your comprehension of scope, parameter passing, recursion, and memory allocation. * employ features of C (such as bit-manipulation and variant access) commonly used in embedded software. * write functions in Intel x86 protected mode assembly to be called from C. * estimate maximum data rate and latency for various styles of I/O programming. * manage multiple threads, shared resources, and critical sections. * develop programming practices that avoid priority inversions, deadlocks, and shared memory problems. Fundamentals of Embedded Software: Where C Read more...

Tags:  Sirius Brightest Diamond in The   [edit]

Of all the fixed stars in the night sky, Sirius is by far the brightest - almost twice as bright as its nearest rival, the star Canopus, which lies too far south to be viewed from most of the Northern Hemisphere. Only the Sun, Moon and the planets Venus, Jupiter and, at times, Mars, appear brighter. Sirius, with its flashing brilliance, is a striking feature of the northern winter sky and has understandably drawn the attention of observers of the night sky for thousands of years. Sirius has many names. Astronomers recognize over fifty designations for the star, but the most commonly used is Alpha Canis Majoris, the brightest star in the constellation Canis Major. This is Latin for the 'Great Dog', which has led to its popular nickname the 'Dog Star'. Over the centuries many beliefs have come to be associated with Sirius. Some of these beliefs still echo in such phrases as 'the dog days of summer', which the ancient Romans understood well. Other old beliefs long ago fell from public consciousness - only to be revived and to grow into modern popular and scientific controversies. Although these beliefs may seem quite recent, many have their origins in the ancient lore surrounding Sirius; humans seem naturally drawn to its brilliance, and a surprising number of modern cults have nucleated around beliefs in which Sirius plays a prominent role. From the reviews: "This book is wonderful, being an authoritative and connected history of Sirius as seen throughout the ages. : Read more...

Tags:  Embedded Multitasking   [edit]

In an embedded system, firmware is the software that directly interfaces with the microcontroller, controlling the systems function. The major forces driving the embedded firmware development process today are reduced development times, increased complexity, and the need to handle multiple tasks simultaneously. These forces translate into strenuous design requirements for embedded engineers and programmers. Many low-level embedded microcontroller designs have insufficient memory and/or architectural limitations that make the use of a real-time operating system impractical. The techniques presented in this book allow the design of robust multitasking firmware through the use of interleaved state machines. This book presents a complete overview of multitasking terminology and basic concepts. Practical criteria for task selection and state machine design are also discussed. Designing multitasking firmware is arduous, complex and fraught with potential for errors, and there is no one, standard way to do it. This book will present a complete and well-organized design approach with examples and sample source code that designers can follow. * Covers every aspect of design from the system level to the component level, including system timing, communicating with the hardware, integration and testing. * Accompanying CD-ROM contains the source code for the text examples and other useful design tools. About the Author Keith E. Curtis earned a BSEE from Montana State University. Read more...

Tags:  Yoga for Men Postures   [edit]

Here is a comprehensive introduction to yoga geared to men of all ages and backgrounds-whether they're athletic or sedentary, young or old, or devotees of yoga who seek new information to enhance their existing practices or neophytes just starting out on their yoga journeys. The information is presented in simple, how-to form so that you can perform a basic, yet complete, yoga session on your own. It provides an overview of all the major styles of yoga so that you can custom tailor a practice to suit your needs. In addition, Yoga for Men includes information specific to men-yoga and male health concerns, yoga for all phases of a man's life, how yoga can enhance performance for athletic activities (and your sex life!), and how yoga can be enjoyed with a partner. Yoga for Men provides today's man with a prescription for a lifestyle that unites body, mind, and spirit. This has to be one of the best books of the decade on yoga in general as well as being a first in discussing yoga for men (although women will love it, too).Without the embellishment and dubious information often found in some contemporary yoga texts, Thomas Claire writes in a way that makes the book difficult to put down. * Yoga is an ongoing process, not a set end point. * Yoga can help each of us, wherever we are on our path and whatever our current concerns might be. * You'll find a wealth of information on yoga, including its history, the philosophy behind it, and detailed presentations of the most wi Read more...

Tags:  DHTML Utopia Modern Web Design   [edit]

"Create Killer Websites Using the Power of Modern JavaScript" DHTML Utopia is an easy-to-follow, step-by-step tutorial that will show you how to make your websites more slick, dynamic, and usable. Add dynamic interactivity to your website with DHTML by combining the power of JavaScript, Cascading Style Sheets(CSS), and the Document Object Model (DOM) to achieve bulletproof, accessible, standards-compliant, and aesthetically pleasing results that work on all browsers. * Build fancy DHTML effects that can be instantly reused in any project * Learn to code accessible JavaScript that won't trouble older browsers * Make search engine friendly, multi-level, drop-down navigation menus * Create usable forms that auto-complete, just like "Google Suggest" * Build dynamic web applications using remote scripting techniques/Ajax From the Back Cover Add dynamic interactivity to your Web site with DHTML and Cascading Style Sheets! * Targeted to designers and content creators, not just programmers. * Visual, task-based format the ideal way to get up and running with DHTML. This edition is up-to-date on the current Web standards and browsers, and includes all new coverage of using DHTML to get information about the browser environment and adding multimedia to a site, as well as new basic and advanced dynamic techniques, such as making objects appear and disappear, moving objects in 3D, and adding dynamic content. This edition offers full cross-platform and cross-bro Read more...

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Using a cookbook approach, The JavaScript Anthology will show you how to apply JavaScript to solve over 101 common Web Development challenges. You'll discover how-to: * Optimize your code so that it runs faster * Create Ajax applications with the XmlHttpRequest object * Validate web forms to improve usability * Take control of your web pages with the DOM * Ensure that your JavaScript code is accessible * Create slick drop-down menu systems Included in this book is extensive coverage of DHTML and Ajax, including how-to create and customize advanced effects such as draggable elements, dynamically sorting data in a Web Browser, advanced menu systems, retrieving data from a Web Server using XMLHttpRequest and more. The JavaScript Anthology also includes extensive coverage of object oriented coding, efficient script design, accessibility, and cross-browser issues. Best of all, you'll get download access to all the code used in the book, so you can put the scripts to use instantly. Read more...

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HTML Utopia: Designing Without Tables Using CSS, 2nd Edition is for web developers looking to create websites using Cascading Style Sheets for layout, which allow for faster page downloads, easier maintenance, faster website redesigns, and better search engine optimization. HTML Utopia covers all aspects of using Cascading Style Sheets in Web Development, and is a must-read for Web Developers designing new sites or upgrading existing ones to use CSS layouts. This book includes one of the most comprehensive CSS2 references on the market. Jeffrey Zeldman, web design guru and co-founder of the Web Standards Project, says "After reading this book, you will not only understand how to use CSS to emulate old-school, table-driven web layouts, you will be creating websites that would be impossible to design using traditional methods". The second edition of this popular book includes brand new coverage of Internet Explorer 7, Firefox 1.1, new CSS Solutions, and greatly expanded coverage of popular, cross-browser, CSS layout techniques. Read more...

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This book is for Web Developers who want to learn how to use Linux and Apache for Website Hosting. The first chapters will teach you how to install Linux and Apache 2.0 on a home or office machine for testing purposes. Then you'll learn how to perform dozens of common tasks including: * Updating server software * Setting up new Websites, Email Accounts and Subdomains * Configuring various Linux and Apache files related to performance and security * Install spam filtering software * Perform automatic backups and crash recoveries And much more. This is the ideal book for anyone who wants to run Websites using a leased or co-located Linux server, without having to spends thousands of dollars annually on third party support and management. Read more...

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Continuing a bestselling tradition, An Introduction to Cryptography, Second Edition provides a solid foundation in cryptographic concepts that features all of the requisite background material on number theory and algorithmic complexity as well as a historical look at the field. With numerous additions and restructured material, this edition presents the ideas behind cryptography and the applications of the subject. The first chapter provides a thorough treatment of the mathematics necessary to understand cryptography, including number theory and complexity, while the second chapter discusses cryptographic fundamentals, such as ciphers, linear feedback shift registers, modes of operation, and attacks. The next several chapters discuss DES, AES, public-key cryptography, primality testing, and various factoring methods, from classical to elliptical curves. The final chapters are comprised of issues pertaining to the Internet, such as pretty good privacy (PGP), protocol layers, firewalls, and cookies, as well as applications, including login and network security, viruses, smart cards, and biometrics. The book concludes with appendices on mathematical data, computer arithmetic, the Rijndael S-Box, knapsack ciphers, the Silver-Pohlig-Hellman algorithm, the SHA-1 algorithm, radix-64 encoding, and quantum cryptography. New to the Second Edition: ? An introductory chapter that provides more information on mathematical facts and complexity theory ? Expanded and updated exercises sets, Read more...