XNA Game Studio Express: Developing Games for Windows and the Xbox 360 is the ultimate resource for hobbyists and students who want to write games for Windows and the Xbox 360 game console. Learn how you can create your own games using the amazing tools of XNA and Game Studio Express, the free game development tools and APIs from Microsoft, based on the incredibly popular Visual Studio IDE. You'll begin with an introduction to the XNA platform and the Game Studio Express development environment. From there, you'll examine many different game genres and will develop your own working games. You'll also cover writing components and libraries and will develop reusable code that can be plugged into your game projects. Wrap things up with a collection of more advanced topics. To get the most out of this unique guide you will need a working knowledge of programming, but readers with a variety of backgrounds will still benefit from the comprehensive coverage found inside. XNA will turn players into developers, doing for game creation what YouTube and myspace have done for music and video.

About the Author

Joseph Hall has worked as a software developer for more than 15 years. He has worked for IBM and Microsoft, and was a member of the original Xbox team. He has managed and created native code for web, desktop, and mobile devices, and is an avid game development hobbyist. He is a Microsoft Certified Solution Developer (MCSD.NET/MCAD.NET/MCTS/MCP) and is currently obtaining Microsoft Certified Trainer (MCT) credentials.

If you’re a video game enthusiast, then you’ve probably thought more than once about creating your own games. Now you can develop your own 3D games using 3D GameStudio! The Official Guide to 3D GameStudio will help you develop the skills you need to create a variety of games, including first-person shooter and fantasy role-playing. Learn how to make a game from start to finish using the most readily found tools in the industry. You’ll cover the fundamentals of character animation, level building, and programming various effects. You’ll even get tips on the game industry as a whole, including how video games are made, what job opportunities exist, and how you can break into the industry. Whether you want to make games for your own enjoyment or to build your career portfolio, this all-in-one guide covers everything you need to know to make amazing 3D games!

About the Author

Michael Duggan is an Oklahoma-born artist and animator with a background in 3D modeling and digital animation. He is currently a freelance game programmer and motion graphics consultant in Harrison, Arkansas. He has taught animation and game design in the visual arts department of North Arkansas College for the last few years. He previously helped start a high-paced private college¿s new Gaming and Robotics program from the ground up. His education includes an Associates of Arts, a certificate of Surgical Technology, and a Bachelors of Fine Arts in Game Art and Design at the Art Institute.

Get ready to build a complete, professional-quality 2D game engine from start to finish! "Advanced 2D Game Development" is your comprehensive guide to 2D game development using DirectX in the C++ programming language. Each chapter of the book covers one major component of the game engine, including 2D and 3D rendering, DirectInput, FMOD audio, game math, multi-threading, Lua scripting, and more, and the game engine is built upon chapter by chapter. Through the creation of the game engine, you’ll learn step by step how to write solid code for multiple compilers, adding to the code as you work through each chapter. And every chapter includes an example game that illustrates the new techniques being taught. Perfect for game programming students and professionals alike, this book is your ultimate guide to awesome 2D game development.

About the Author

Jonathan S. Harbour is an Associate Professor of Game Development at the University of Advancing Technology in Tempe, Arizona. His current game project is Starflight: The Lost Colony (www.starflightgame.com). He lives in Arizona with his wife, Jennifer, four children (Jeremiah, Kayleigh, Kaitlyn, Kourtney), a dog (Lucy), a cat (Missy), and six temperamental computers (ages 1 to 8). He can be reached at www.jharbour.com.

Mac OS X Leopard introduces a fantastic new technology that makes writing applications with animated and cinematic user interfaces much easier. We'll explore this new technology by starting with the familiar concepts you already know from the pre-Leopard development kits.

Then we'll see how they apply to the new frameworks and APIs. We'll build on your existing knowledge of Cocoa and bring you efficiently up to speed on what Core Animation is all about.

With this book in hand, you can add Core Animation to your Cocoa applications, and make stunning user interfaces that your user's will be showing off to their friends.

About the Author

Bill Dudney is a software developer and entrepreneur currently building software for the Mac. Bill started his computing career on a NeXT cube with a magneto-optical drive running NeXTStep 0.9. Over the years, Bill migrated into the Java world, where he worked for years on building cool enterprise software. But he never forgot his roots and how much fun it was to write software that did cool things for normal people. Bill is back to AppKit to stay. You can follow him on his blog at http://bill.dudney.net/roller/objc.

With more than 1,000,000 active users, Salesforce.com is the most widely used online CRM application worldwide. Targeted to busy sales professionals, Salesforce.com can be used to manage sales, accounts, contacts, correspondence, activities, and more. If you’re one of these busy sales professionals, you need an easy reference tool to maximize your use of Salesforce.com’s complex feature set. “Maximizing Your Sales with Salesforce.com” is that tool. This book explains, in concise, easy-to-understand language, how to get the most out of this revolutionary software. Topics like creating contacts and accounts, adding opportunities, managing schedules, writing letters, sending e-mails, and more are explored in-depth. This book also covers some administrative tasks geared toward IT professionals looking to set up and configure preferences for their Salesforce.com users. With this quick, to-the-point resource, you won’t just be “up and running” in Salesforce.com; you’ll be an expert!

About the Author

Edward Kachinske is the author or co-author of 22 titles, including Managing Contacts with ACT! 2005, Managing Contacts with ACT! 2006, and Managing Contacts with Outlook 2007 Business Contact Manager, all published by Course PTR. Edward has also published more than 100 articles in CRM industry journals. Through print journals and electronic publications, more than a half-million people regularly read Edward’s articles. Throughout his 10 years in the industry, Edward has been a frequent speaker on contact management subjects. In 2001, Edward started an annual conference, now called Mastering Your Small Business. The conference is geared towards CRM consulting firms. The event attracts hundreds of consulting firm owners each year. Edward is the President of Innovative Solutions CRM, a firm that helps customers choose and implement contact management and CRM solutions. Edward lives and works in Washington, DC.

Stacy is co-author of Managing Contacts with Microsoft Outlook 2007 Business Contact Manager, published by Cengage Learning. Stacy is also a frequent author of articles in various newsletters for CRM publications. Stacy has been involved in the CRM industry for almost 10 years and a well known speaker on contact management subjects. In 2001, Stacy, along with Edward, started the annual conference, now called Mastering your Small Business. Stacy is the President of Power of 3 Consulting, Inc., a firm that helps customers choose, implement, and be trained on contact management CRM solutions, as well as working with customers on their business and sales processes. Stacy lives and works in the San Francisco Bay Area.

Carol Gilliland is a frequent author of articles for publication in CRM newsletters.Carol’s background is sales and sales management and as a result, takes a very practical, “how to” approach to leveraging tools like CRM solutions. Carol is the COO of Power of 3 Consulting, Inc., a firm that helps customers choose, implement and be trained on contact management CRM solutions, as well as working with customers on their business and sales processes. Carol lives and works in the San Francisco Bay Area.

Timothy Kachinske has authored more than a dozen titles in the CRM world, including Managing Contacts with ACT! 2005, Managing Contacts with ACT! 2006, and Managing Contacts with Outlook 2007 Business Contact Manager. He has published more than 150 industry-related articles, and he works as a contact management consultant for Innovative Solutions. Timothy lives in suburban Washington, DC with his wife, Judith, and energetic West Highland Terrier, Harry.

Making music is a challenge. Setting up a recording studio—no matter how small—takes hard work and thought. Learning how to use an advanced computer application like Pro Tools is tough. Deciding what to buy is daunting. Even when you figure out where all the menus and buttons are and what they theoretically do, you’ve got to put that into practice by using Pro Tools to record, edit, mix, and produce music. Whether you’re making music as hobby, part-time gig, or profession, your goal should be to create a professional-sounding product that appeals to people.

Using Pro Tools is not the same as launching a text editor and learning how to write a letter. Music and audio production require a distinct and specialized set of skills and knowledge that most people don’t have. Learning how to put together and run your Pro Tools studio will set you apart from the crowd.

Your Pro Tools Studio is a thorough, practical guide that walks you through the steps of starting your own small home or project studio and using Pro Tools as your centerpiece digital audio workstation. You’ll learn about the different Pro Tools LE and M-Powered systems, which one is best for you, and how to install and get it running smoothly. You’ll learn how to set up your studio for recording and mixing. You’ll learn how to use Pro Tools to produce a professional audio product.

Your Pro Tools Studio approaches this daunting task by breaking it into manageable chunks that are easy to digest. Each chapter is focused and gives you perspective on what you’re learning as you learn it. Your Pro Tools Studio is for the beginning to intermediate user.

Get ready to maximize all the dynamic features of Microsoft Office on your Mac with "Picture Yourself Learning Microsoft Office 2008 for Mac!" Whether you are new to using the Microsoft Office suite on your Mac or just want to get up-to-speed quickly with this latest version, this book is packed with clear, step-by-step instructions and full-color images that will walk you through the basics of each application. You’ll learn how to install the software and explore the basic keystrokes and techniques that work across all of the applications to help you get familiar with Office 2008. Once you’re comfortable, you’ll dive right in, customizing the Toolbar, working within Word for all your document and publishing needs, utilizing Excel for spreadsheets and charting, creating attentiongrabbing presentations with PowerPoint, and organizing your email communications and schedule with Entourage. You’ll even learn how to set up Messenger for Mac for live chat communication and how to use the Microsoft Project Gallery to start and then manage all your projects. Picture Yourself Learning Microsoft Office 2008 for Mac will help you get the most out of your Office for Mac experience.

About the Author

David W. Boles has authored three other books for Course Technology PTR: Picture Yourself Learning American Sign Language,Level 1; Picture Yourself Learning Mac OS X 10.5 Leopard; and Google Apps Administrator Guide. David is the author of several blogs that deal with technology and the mind-body meme, including Urban Semiotic.com, RelationShaping.com, and WordPunk.com. David has also been teaching for over 16 years. He has taught American Sign Language at New York University; Public Health at University of Medicine & Dentistry of New Jersey; English and Literary Criticism at Fordham University, New Jersey Institute of Technology, Saint Peter’s College, and the College of New Rochelle; and Drama and Speech at Rutgers University, NJIT, and Columbia University. He can be visited online at www.BolesBooks.com.

You've just purchased and installed Mac OS X 10.5 Leopard and you're ready to unleash all of the newest features of this powerful yet fun operating system! "Picture Yourself Learning Mac OS X 10.5 Leopard" shows you how to effectively utilize all the components of the latest version of the Mac operating system using clear step-by-step instructions, helpful tips, and full-color screenshots. You'll begin by getting familiar with the basic Mac OS X Leopard concepts including cool, new desktop features like how to use Finder to manage your files, and utilizing Quick Look to view your document and image files. As you get the hang of Mac OS X Leopard you’ll get organized with iCal, better manage your email with Mail 3.0, and even create widgets with the Safari web browser. After that you'll discover how to maximize your multimedia experience with iChat, Photo Booth, and Front Row, creating a multimedia system right on your Mac desktop! The book also covers important parental controls,how to back up and archive your data, and tips for keeping your computer’s operating system running smoothly. "Picture Yourself Learning Mac OS X 10.5 Leopard" shows computing beginners how to make the most of their Leopard experience.

About the Author

David W. Boles has authored three other books for Course Technology PTR: Picture Yourself Learning American Sign Language,Level 1; Picture Yourself Learning Mac OS X 10.5 Leopard; and Google Apps Administrator Guide. David is the author of several blogs that deal with technology and the mind-body meme, including Urban Semiotic.com, RelationShaping.com, and WordPunk.com. David has also been teaching for over 16 years. He has taught American Sign Language at New York University; Public Health at University of Medicine & Dentistry of New Jersey; English and Literary Criticism at Fordham University, New Jersey Institute of Technology, Saint Peter’s College, and the College of New Rochelle; and Drama and Speech at Rutgers University, NJIT, and Columbia University. He can be visited online at www.BolesBooks.com.

The buck starts here!

eBay® is the Internet’s premier auction site and everyone’s favorite place to shop. It’s also the place to start a business and make money from the comfort of one’s home. Completely revised, this new edition will help readers create the eBay® business they dream of. There is also new and updated information on:

• The basics of eBay®, the auction process, and the essentials of getting the business down on paper—including recordkeeping, accounting, taxes, insurance, legal issues, and other essential details
• Determining what to sell, how to price it, and working with services such as PayPal®
• The ins and outs of the biggest growing areas of eBay business—sourcing, wholesaling, and fixed price sales
• Cutting through the competition, improving profit margins, changing strategies, improved advertising and promotions, and more

About the Author

Barbara Weltman, a nationally known expert on business and tax planning, is a home- based attorney who’s written several books on succeeding in your own business, including J. K. Lasser’s Small Business Taxes, Sixth Edition. She will be speaking at the 2007 eBay® Live convention.

Malcolm Katt is an eBay® PowerSeller and newsletter writer.

One of the biggest buzzwords in the IT industry for the past few years, virtualization has matured into a practical requirement for many best-practice business scenarios, becoming an invaluable tool for security professionals at companies of every size. In addition to saving time and other resources, virtualization affords unprecedented means for intrusion and malware detection, prevention, recovery, and analysis. Taking a practical approach in a growing market underserved by books, this hands-on title is the first to combine in one place the most important and sought-after uses of virtualization for enhanced security, including sandboxing, disaster recovery and high availability, forensic analysis, and honeypotting.

Already gaining buzz and traction in actual usage at an impressive rate, Gartner research indicates that virtualization will be the most significant trend in IT infrastructure and operations over the next four years. A recent report by IT research firm IDC predicts the virtualization services market will grow from $5.5 billion in 2006 to $11.7 billion in 2011. With this growth in adoption, becoming increasingly common even for small and midsize businesses, security is becoming a much more serious concern, both in terms of how to secure virtualization and how virtualization can serve critical security objectives.

Titles exist and are on the way to fill the need for securing virtualization, but security professionals do not yet have a book outlining the many security applications of virtualization that will become increasingly important in their job requirements. This book is the first to fill that need, covering tactics such as isolating a virtual environment on the desktop for application testing, creating virtualized storage solutions for immediate disaster recovery and high availability across a network, migrating physical systems to virtual systems for analysis, and creating complete virtual systems to entice hackers and expose potential threats to actual production systems.

About the Author

John Hoopes, Senior Consultant for Verisign, is a graduate of the University of Utah. John's professional background includes an operational/support role on many diverse platforms, including IBM AS/400, IBM Mainframe (OS/390 and Z-Series), AIX, Solaris, Windows, and Linux. John's security expertise focuses on application testing with an emphasis in reverse engineering and protocol analysis. Before becoming a consultant, John was an application security testing lead for IBM, with responsibilities including secure service deployment, external service delivery, and tool development. John has also been responsible for the training and mentoring of team members in network penetration testing and vulnerability assessment. As a consultant, John has lead the delivery of security engagements for clients in the retail, transportation, telecommunication, and banking sectors.

This book is about archiving database data. It is not a general purpose book about archiving. It is also not a book about archiving any or all kinds of data. It is about archiving data in traditional IT databases (e.g., relational databases, hierarchical databases, and structured data in computer files). Examples of source data for archiving are data in DB2 DBMS systems on IBM mainframe systems, data stored in VSAM KSDS databases on IBM mainframes, and data stored in Oracle DBMS systems on Unix servers. It does not include data in spreadsheets or smaller relational systems such as Microsoft Access databases on desktop computers.

This perspective might seem narrow; however, this is a critically important emerging topic in IT departments worldwide. Actually I should say that the topic has emerged. The need to archive database data is showing up everywhere, although the database tools industry has been slow to provide tools, methodologies, and services to effectively accomplish it. Most IT departments know that they need to have an effective database archiving practice and are trying to figure out how to build one.