DSP for In-Vehicle and Mobile Systems is focused on digital signal processing strategies for improving information access, command and control, and communications for in-vehicle environments. It is expected that the next generation of human-to-vehicle interfaces will incorporate speech, video/image, and wireless communication modalities to provide more comfortable and safer driving ambiance. It is also expected that vehicles will become

While this outstanding book is a major contribution to our scientific literature, it represents but a small chapter in the anthology of technical contributions made by Professor Itakura. His purview has been broad. But always at the center has been digital signal theory, computational techniques, and human communication. In his early work, as a research scientist at the NTT Corporation, Itakura brought new thinking to bit-rate compression of speech signals. In partnership with Dr. S. Saito, he galvanized the attendees of the 1968 International Congress on Acoustics in Tokyo with his presentation of the Maximum Likelihood Method applied to analysis-synthesis telephony. The presentation included demonstration of speech transmission at 5400 bits/sec with quality higher than heretofore achieved. His concept of an allpole recursive digital filter whose coefficients are constantly adapted to predict and match the short-time power spectrum of the speech signal caused many colleagues to hurry back to their labs and explore this new direction. From Itakura’s stimulation flowed much new research that led to significant advances in linear prediction, the application of autocorrelation, and eventually useful links between cepstral coefficients and linear prediction. Itakura was active all along this route, contributing among other ideas, new knowledge about the Line Spectral Pair (LSP) as a robust means for encoding predictor coefficients. A valuable by-product of his notion of adaptively matching the power spectrum with an all-pole digital filter gave rise to the Itakura-Saito distance measure, later employed in speech recognition as well as a criterion for low-bit-rate coding, and also used extensively in evaluating speech enhancement algorithms.

This book provides recent advances in research on drying of particulate and porous materials. It is based on a selection of papers presented at the XI the Polish Drying Symposium 2005. The selected contributions cover theoretical, as well as experimental and modeling research on heat and mass transfer processes during drying of porous material, and fluidized beds.

The comprehensiveness and in depth treatment of the subject makes this book an excellent pioneering contribution to the science and technology of drying of particulate solids.

In this book, three main notions will be used in the editors search of improvements in various areas of computer graphics: Artificial Intelligence, Viewpoint Complexity and Human Intelligence. Several Artificial Intelligence techniques are used in presented intelligent scene modelers, mainly declarative ones. Among them, the mostly used techniques are Expert systems, Constraint Satisfaction Problem resolution and Machine-learning. The notion of viewpoint complexity, that is complexity of a scene seen from a given viewpoint, will be used in improvement proposals for a lot of computer graphics problems like scene understanding, virtual world exploration, image-based modeling and rendering, ray tracing and radiosity. Very often, viewpoint complexity is used in conjunction with Artificial Intelligence techniques like Heuristic search and Problem resolution. The notions of artificial Intelligence and Viewpoint Complexity may help to automatically resolve a big number of computer graphics problems. However, there are special situations where is required to find a particular solution for each situation. In such a case, human intelligence has to replace, or to be combined with, artificial intelligence. Such cases, and proposed solutions are also presented in this book.

"Robotic Mapping and Exploration" is an important contribution in the area of simultaneous localization and mapping  (SLAM) for autonomous robots, which has been receiving a great deal of attention by the research community in the latest few years. The contents are focused on the autonomous mapping learning problem. Solutions include uncertainty-driven exploration, active loop closing, coordination of multiple robots, learning and incorporating background knowledge, and dealing with dynamic environments. Results are accompanied by a rich set of experiments, revealing a promising outlook toward the application to a wide range of mobile robots and field settings, such as search and rescue, transportation tasks, or automated vacuum cleaning.

ASP.NET 3.5 is the latest version of Microsoft’s revolutionary ASP.NET technology. It is the principal standard for creating dynamic web pages on the Windows platform. Pro ASP.NET 3.5 in VB 2008: Includes Silverlight 2 raises the bar for high–quality, practical advice on learning and deploying Microsoft’s dynamic web solution.

Updated with everything you need to integrate Silverlight 2.0 into your ASP.NET applications, this book teaches you all about Silverlight’s exciting new features so that your ASP projects can be rich in visual flair and compelling to the user. You’ll learn how to use the new levels of abstraction in the Entity Framework to design elegant, powerful application architectures.

Seasoned .NET professionals Matthew MacDonald, Mario Szpuszta, and Vidya Vrat Agarwal explain how you can get the most from these groundbreaking new technologies. They cover ASP.NET 3.5 as a whole, illustrating both the brand–new features and the functionality carried over from previous versions of ASP. This book will give you the knowledge you need to code real ASP.NET 3.5 applications in the best possible style.

The book will teach you ASP.NET 3.5 starting with core concepts to more advanced topics. You will learn

• Core concepts of ASP.NET 3.5. Why it’s special. What its fundamental principles are. The basics of Visual Studio. How ASP.NET 3.5 controls are created, and how they fit into ASP.NET 3.5 pages, ultimately creating full applications.
• Security. Once considered the Achilles’ heel of all Windows web applications, security has vastly improved and is a cornerstone of ASP.NET 3.5. This book explains the various forms of available security and how to best apply them.
• Taking things further using advanced user interface techniques. This includes user controls, customer server controls, client–side JavaScript, and GDI+.
• Web services. In an increasingly connected world, working with web services grows in importance. This book will show you how to work with them.
• ASP.NET AJAX, with an emphasis on contemporary web development techniques.
• Development using Internet Information Services 7, Microsoft’s premier web hosting platform.

And much more.

About the Apress Pro Series

The Apress Pro series books are practical, professional tutorials to keep you on and moving up the professional ladder.

You have gotten the job, now you need to hone your skills in these tough competitive times. The Apress Pro series expands your skills and expertise in exactly the areas you need. Master the content of a Pro book, and you will always be able to get the job done in a professional development project. Written by experts in their field, Pro series books from Apress give you the hard–won solutions to problems you will face in your professional programming career.

About the Author

Matthew MacDonald is an author, educator, and MCSD developer who has a passion for emerging technologies. He is a regular writer for developer journals such as Inside Visual Basic, ASPToday, and Hardcore Visual Studio .NET, and he's the author of several books about programming with .NET, including User Interfaces in VB .NET: Windows Forms and Custom Controls, The Book of VB .NET, and .NET Distributed Applications. In a dimly remembered past life, he studied English literature and theoretical physics. Send e-mail to him with praise, condemnation, and everything in between, to p2p@prosetech.com.

Mario Szpuszta is working in the Developer and Platform Group of Microsoft Austria. Before he started working for Microsoft, Mario was involved in several projects based on COM+ and DCOM with Visual Basic and Visual C++ as well as projects based on Java and J2SE. With Beta 2 of the .NET Framework, he started developing Web applications with ASP.NET. Right now, as developer evangelist for Microsoft Austria, he is doing workshops, trainings, and proof-of-concept projects together with independent software vendors in Austria based on .NET, Web Services, and Office 2003 technologies.

Vidya Vrat Agarwal, a Microsoft .NET Purist and an MCT, MCPD, MCTS, MCSD.NET, MCAD.NET, and MCSD, works with Lionbridge Technologies (NASDAQ: LIOX), and his business card reads Subject Matter Expert (SME). He is also a lifetime member of the Computer Society of India (CSI). He started working on Microsoft .NET with its beta release. He has been involved in software development, evangelism, consultation, corporate training, and T3 programs on Microsoft .NET for various employers and corporate clients. His articles can be read at http://www.ProgrammersHeaven.com, and he also reviews .NET Preparation Kits, available at http://www.UCertify.com. He has contributed as technical reviewer to many books published by Apress; presently he is authoring another book, Beginning VB 2008 Databases: From Novice to Professional.

"The humble form: it may seem boring, but most of your website's value passes through forms. Follow Jarrett & Gaffney's guidelines, and you'll probably double your online profits." - Jakob Nielsen, Principal, Nielsen Norman Group

"This book isn't just about colons and choosing the right widgets. It's about the whole process of making good forms, which has a lot more to do with making sure you're asking the right questions in a way that your users can answer than it does with whether you use a drop-down list or radio buttons." - Steve Krug, Foreword author and author of the best selling Don't Make me Think

"If your web site includes forms, you need this book. It's that simple. In an easy-to-read format with lots of examples, Caroline and Gerry present their three-layer model -- relationship, conversation, appearance. You need all three for a successful form -- a form that looks good, flows well, asks the right questions in the right way, and, most important of all, gets people to fill it out." - Janice (Ginny) Redish, author of Letting Go of the Words -- Writing Web Content that Works

A great source of form design information for web designers, most important in the new age of web services.

Forms are everywhere on the web - for registration and communicating, for commerce and government. Good forms make for happier customers, better data, and reduced support costs. Bad forms fill your organization's databases with inaccuracies and duplicates and can cause loss of potential consumers.

Designing good forms is trickier than people think. Jarrett and Gaffney come to the rescue with Designing Forms that Work, clearly explaining exactly how to design great forms for the web. Liberally illustrated with full-color examples, it guides readers on how to define requirements, how to write questions that users will understand and want to answer, and how to deal with instructions, progress indicators and errors.

*Provides proven and practical advice that will help you avoid pitfalls, and produce forms that are aesthetically pleasing, efficient and cost-effective.

*Features invaluable design methods, tips, and tricks to help ensure accurate data and satisfied customers.

*Includes dozens of examples -- from nitty-gritty details (label alignment, mandatory fields) to visual designs (creating good grids, use of color).

*Foreword by Steve Krug, author of the best selling Don't Make Me Think!

Pro Tools for Video, Film, and Multimedia offers comprehensive coverage of the extensive multimedia features of Pro Tools, giving you the skills you need to take any multimedia soundtrack project from concept to completion. It covers a wide range of audio topics, including the equipment you need to use Pro Tools with video, tips for efficient trimming and timing of audio, and processing outside the mixing environment. You'll also get in-depth coverage of film mixing file formats as you prepare to wrap up your project and deliver the master recordings. The author's thorough coverage of the amazing features of Pro Tools breaks down complex tasks, allowing you to create professional-quality audio you can be proud of!

About the Author

Ashley Shepherd is a graduate of the Berklee College of Music. He has been in the music and recording industry for 20 years, garnering several gold and platinum records. An ADDY® award recipient for original music, he has produced audio for major labels, Network TV, national commercials, independent films, games, Internet sites, and international corporations. Currently, Ashley is the mastering engineer at QCA (www.go-QCA.com). He also writes manual content for Steinberg's Nuendo software in addition to continuing to produce original music, albums and audio for film and video. For more information, visit his Web site at www.picturemusic.com and his studio at www.audiogrotto.com.

Ready to unleash the awesome power of Ableton Live 7? As its name suggests, Ableton Live 7 was designed with the live performer in mind, but it goes well beyond that. You can integrate this live performance and studio software into your existing home or professional music studio to produce, compose, DJ, and much more. But how? "Ableton Live 7 Power!" is the key you need to revolutionize your studio by incorporating Live 7. Written for musicians by a fellow musician who uses Live on a daily basis, this useful guide explores fundamental and advanced Live features, and provides insider tips, tricks, and interviews with Live power users to provide you with a comprehensive overview of the ins and outs of this powerful software. Whether you are a beginner in the digital audio field or a seasoned pro, "Ableton Live 7 Power!" is the reference you need to take your music to the next level.

About the Author

Jon Margulies is a multi-talented musician, producer, composer, and Ableton Live expert based in New York City. He performs regularly as a guitarist, vocalist and laptop/electronic artist and is the house producer/engineer at Tribeca Recording.

Harness the power of Paint Shop Pro Photo and discover all the fun and practical techniques you can use to perfect your photographs and create dynamic graphic elements. "Picture Yourself Learning Corel Paint Shop Pro Photo X2" introduces you to the tools you need to correct and enhance photographs, beginning with the basics of working with toolbars, palettes, and rulers, and setting up your Paint Shop Pro Photo preferences. Once you are acquainted with the basic tools, you’ll learn how to use layers to make brightness, hue, and color contrast adjustments; how resolution applies to your monitor, your images, and your prints; and how to use the various file and output functions. In addition to numerous retouching and repairing techniques, you’ll discover how to use special effects to turn your photographs into works of art and create digital scrapbook pages and 3D images. In addition to the step-by-step instructions, tips, and notes, you’ll find a glossary to help you define terms that are new to you, as well as appendixes featuring Paint Shop Pro Photo keyboard shortcuts and useful additional resources. Get ready to create beautiful scrapbook pages, panoramas, framed photographs, and more with "Picture Yourself Learning Corel Paint Shop Pro Photo X2."

About the Author

Diane Koers owns and operates All Business Service, a software training and consulting business formed in 1988 that services the central Indiana area. Her area of expertise has long been in the word-processing, spreadsheet and graphics area of computing as well as providing training and support for Peachtree Accounting Software. Diane's authoring experience includes twenty other books on topics such as PC Security, Microsoft Windows, Microsoft Office, Microsoft Works, WordPerfect, Paint Shop Pro, Lotus SmartSuite, Quicken, Microsoft Money and Peachtree Accounting, many of which have been translated into other languages such as Dutch, Bulgarian and Spanish. She has also developed and written numerous training manuals for her clients. Diane resides in Indianapolis, IN.

Do you like playing video games and want to learn how to make your own games for fun so you can show off your creations to your friends? Or are you interested in the becoming a designer in the game industry and need help getting started? Wherever your interest in game creation lies, "Torque for Teens" will teach you the techniques you need to design your very own video games using the powerful 3D computer game engine, Torque. Written in simple language, each chapter begins with a basic overview of the topic being covered, followed by step-by-step instructions to help you conquer each new skill presented, and ending with a summary to reinforce what you've learned. Throughout the course of the book you will put your new skills into action with a hands-on project that ends with the creation of a first-person shooter game. Before you begin creating the game, you'll get a quick technical introduction to the Torque Game Engine, followed by a lesson on how to create a basic game outline. You'll then get started with your game, creating the terrain and buildings, and modeling and animating your player. From there you"ll learn how to add an interface and menu screen and sounds and effects, and program the mission of your game. Each chapter builds upon the previous until your very own video game is complete! You'll also explore the other cool functions of Torque such as setting up a multiplayer game, how to test and fix your game, and even how to advertise and get the word out about your game online. With "Torque for Teens" you'll conquer all the tools and techniques you need to create and modify your video game creations!

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.

Looking for an inexpensive way to learn the fundamentals of game programming? Look no further! DarkBASIC Programming for the Absolute Beginner will provide you with a fun, gentle learning curve for learning DarkBASIC-- no prior programming experience required! DarkBASIC is an inexpensive programming language that supports the development of desktop applications, but is especially useful for game creation. DarkBASIC Programming for the Absolute Beginner will touch on all aspects of DarkBASIC's capabilities, but emphasis is placed on using it in game development. A different programming concept is taught in every chapter walking you through the creation of a simple game to illustrate the concept. This "learn by doing" approach not only provides a sense of accomplishment, but it's also a fun way to learn. By the end of the book, you'll have a fundamental understanding of programming in DarkBASIC and an excellent foundation of knowledge for future forays into the exciting worlds of game development and computer programming.

About the Author

Jerry Lee Ford, Jr. is an author, educator, and an IT professional with more than 18 years of experience in information technology, including roles as an automation analyst, technical manager, technical support analyst, automation engineer, and security analyst. Jerry has a master’s degree in business administration from Virginia Commonwealth University in Richmond, Virginia. He is the author of 22 other books and co-author of 2 additional books. His published works include AppleScript Studio Programming for the Absolute Beginner, Microsoft Windows Shell Scripting for the Absolute Beginner, Perl Programming for the Absolute Beginner, Beginning REALbasic, Microsoft Windows Shell Scripting and WSH Administrator’s Guide, VBScript Professional Projects, and Microsoft Visual Basic 2005 Express Edition Programming for the Absolute Beginner. He has more than five years of experience as an adjunct instructor teaching networking courses in information technology. Jerry lives in Richmond, Virginia, with his wife, Mary, and their children, William, Alexander,and Molly.