BlackBerry Planet: The Story of Research in Motion and the Little Device that Took the World by Storm (Wiley) Review

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(More customer reviews)The good news is that chapter 2 was interesting and good and shows that the author has potential writing skills. The bad news is that chapter 1 was total drivel like obama likes his blackberry a lot and a lot of people use it. The rest of the book was boring and lacked any substantial real information.
Unfortunately I would recommend that others spare themselves the agony of reading it.

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BlackBerry Planet is a new tribe of people who simply cannot get along without their favorite device, Research in Motion's innovative electronic organizer, the BlackBerry. This omnipresent device has gone beyond being the world's foremost mobile business tool and entered the consumer mainstream as the Swiss Army Knife of smart phones.
BlackBerry Planet tells the behind-the-scenes story of how this little device has become the machine that connects the planet. Starting with the early years of Mike Lazaridis' invention and his founding of RIM at age 23, it details his drive to innovate, developing what was a glorified pager into the essential corporate communicator, used by everyone from dealmakers to the Queen, from movie stars to the entire US Congress. Since 1992, Lazaridis and co-CEO Jim Balsillie together have been the driving force behind the RIM story.
With access to senior staffers and former RIM employees, BlackBerry Planet tells the inside story about the branding and marketing success of the BlackBerry, from its use during 9/11, which earned RIM a reputation for security and reliability, to the cultural adoption of the iconic device as a must-have symbol, to the backlash against the addictive properties of the "CrackBerry," and the various patent suits RIM has had to fight off – including the five-year court battle that resulted in the largest technology patent settlement in US history.
As the incredible story of the BlackBerry unfolds, and as RIM battles global giants like Nokia and Apple in the emerging super-phone marketplace, users, fans, investors and competitors can look to BlackBerry Planet for the insight and context of where they've been, to try and predict where they're going.

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Hacking Exposed: Network Security Secrets and Solutions, Sixth Edition Review

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(More customer reviews)Hardly a week goes by that CNN does not report a high-profile Web site being defiled or an e-commerce site being penetrated. While most people know why these incidents occurred, Hacking Exposed explains how they occurred and, more important, how to prevent them from occurring.
The cover of Hacking Exposed announces that "Network security is Y2K without the deadline." That alarmist statement, however, is the only hype in the book. The work is packed with real-world examples and links to tools needed to assess the security of any type of client/server and Web system. As they detail the myriad vulnerabilities in different types of systems, the authors provide countermeasures for each of them.
Well organized, the book progresses in an orderly fashion. It methodically goes through the process of exploiting a target to penetrate a system--from identification and enumeration to actual penetration. The authors provide detailed instructions and explanations for many security features and flaws in Unix, Linux, Windows, NetWare, routers, firewalls, and more. Topics covered include state-of-the-art computer and network penetration, as viewed by both the attacker and the defender; remote system identification; vulnerability identification; war dialers; firewall circumvention; and denial-of-service attacks. An appendix explores the security characteristics of Windows 2000.
Some may argue that books such as this one only serve to motivate and educate hackers. The truth is that hackers are already aware of the book's contents. This book is designed for system administrators and managers who need to know their systems' risks and vulnerabilities and how to address them. When they are done with this book, system administrators and managers will be familiar with such critical topics as back channels, port redirection, banner grabbing, and buffer overflows. Hacking Exposed is a must-read for anyone who wants to know what is really happening on their network....

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Automatic Speech Recognition on Mobile Devices and over Communication Networks (Advances in Computer Vision and Pattern Recognition) Review

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(More customer reviews)As cellphones become ever more popular, and computational costs continue to fall, the prospect of ASR over wireless networks is attractive. So too is the use of ASR over the Internet (VoIP). The book describes the current state of understanding of both these ideas.
A common configuration is for the speech to be captured and digitised on a client machine [eg. cellphone], and the signal then sent over a network to a server on which runs the ASR. Several speech recognition standards have arisen over the years, to quantify the digitising and the ASR effectiveness.
For the ASR, Hidden Markov Models appear to be commonly used. The efficacy is described.
Maybe the most advanced topic is speech to speech translation, via handheld devices. Seriously difficult. Not only are there the problems of ASR accuracy for the input speech, but then the well known problems of Machine Translation of that to text in another language.

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The Droid Pocket Guide (Peachpit Pocket Guide) Review

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(More customer reviews)Good breadth but not huge depth. Any more depth and this would not be a "pocket guide". Well written, easy to understand and worth the money even though the Droid comes with its own free user guide (which you can also get online as a downloadable PDF). If you are looking for an in-depth guide to the Droid and/or the Android operating system then this is not the appropriate book for you.

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In this handy new Pocket Guide, mobile device expert Jason O'Grady reveals the secrets to using the DROID. He covers everything from how to make phone calls, send text messages and email to synching data with your Google account. In addition he covers how to surf the web with the built-in browser, use the phone's GPS, Google Maps, how to download and use apps found on the app store, and much more. This handy, low-priced book is packed with quick results for people who want to jump in and master DROID by Motorola and HTC Droid mobile phones.
Snappy writing and eye-catching graphics walk readers through the most common features of the DROID Phone
Jason O'Grady is a leading expert on mobile technology; his O'Grady's PowerPage blog has been publishing daily news on mobile technology since 1995
Covers popular features including the camera, keyboard, search, music, and Android Market

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Energy Harvesting Technologies Review

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(More customer reviews)Excellent overview of various energy harvesting techniques and technologies. The math behind the scenes is presented in a coherent fashion. This is a must read for designers attempting to create energy harvesting based products.

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Energy Harvesting Technologies provides a cohesive overview of the fundamentals and current developments in the field of energy harvesting. In a well-organized structure, this volume discusses basic principles for the design and fabrication of bulk and MEMS based vibration energy systems, theory and design rules required for fabrication of efficient electronics, in addition to recent findings in thermoelectric energy harvesting systems.Combining leading research from both academia and industry onto a single platform, Energy Harvesting Technologies serves as an important reference for researchers and engineers involved with power sources, sensor networks and smart materials.

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Pro Android 3 Review

Average Reviews:

(More customer reviews)This is a really good book on Android development.
I have been extensively programming in java for a few years. Recently
I was reading about a CIO summit in our area and each of the CIOs talked about
how significant the new mobile devices are for banking, transportation
and healthcare.
I wanted to see how to quickly gain expertise in the mobile space to
my already well established enterprise skills.
This book has pointed out that I can be up and running with Android
very quickly even without buying a single android device. I could walk
through almost all the examples of this book through the emulator.
I also like the fact that most of the chapters (except for a couple at
the begining) are stand alone. Each chapter has working examples that
have been specifically developed for that chapter with few
pre-requisites. I am able to download the zip files for each chapter
so that I can import them directly into eclipse. Then I am able to
read through the chapter and look at the working example
simultaneously to make the most of it.
If you look at the google android developer website you see that
android offers an extensive set of APIs. I do find the android
documentation on the android site very good. However I needed a book
that is a bit more organized and take me from concept to concept in a
meaningful manner.
By comparison I can see that this book covers a number of android
basic features that include intents, resources, menus, dialogs,
controls, services, security, preferences, activities, and content
providers. Some of these concepts are very unique to Android. The
authors have gone into a lot of detail while covering these topics. I
must say this strengthened my appreciation of Android as a full
fledged programming platform.
I am also very pleased with the coverage of Android internals that
include processes, threads, handlers, asynchronous tasks, broadcast
receivers, wake locks, long running services, notification manager
etc.
I have always wanted to see what it means to program in opengl. This
book provides an excellent introduction to opengl including the opengl
es 2.0. Be warned though that this is not an extensive guide on
OpenGL. You may have to buy a 500 page book just to do justice to all
the intricacies of OpenGL. This book does have references to further
material that you can read on OpenGL. The animation chapter is really
fun to read. The other advanced topics covered include maps,
telephony, sensors, media.
The coverage on the contacts api is extensive and good.
It is really surprising how quickly this book was released with
coverage for tablets only after a month or two of the honeycomb
release.
Finally for a senior programmer this book goes into how to dive into
the android sdk source code right in the introductory chapter. I found
this really useful when I am not sure how a particular functionality
works when the SDK documentation is not clear.
As I have listed so many things this book covers it is fair to list a
few things that it does not cover. Game programmign is not covered at
all. Live Wall Paper topic is not covered. If you are thinking of
using Bluetooth API to write cool applications it is not covered
either.
But I am really happy with the book because I am able to gain a broad
picture of the Android SDK. I am able to understand its architecture.
I am able to explore its advanced APIs. I am left with a lot
references to supporting material in each chapter.
Excellent in all and all.
Oh, one more thing! The supplemental website that supports this book
androidbook.com seem to contain a lot of the working notes of authors
in addition to their future research on Android SDK.

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Pro Android 3 shows you how to build real-world and fun mobile applications using the new Android 3.0 SDK. It covers everything from the fundamentals of building apps for embedded devices, phones, and tablets to advanced concepts such as custom 3D components and multi-tasking. Using the tutorials and expert advice, you'll quickly be able to build cool mobile apps and run them on dozens of Android-based smartphones. You'll explore and use the Android APIs, including those for media and sensors. And you'll check out what's new with Android 3.0, including the improved UI across all Android platforms, integration with services, and more, giving you the knowledge to create stunning, cutting-edge apps, while keeping you agile enough to respond to changes in the future. What you'll learn
How to use Android to build Java-based mobile applications for Google phones with a touch screen or keyboard
How to design and implement irresistible user interfaces for touchscreens with Views and layouts
How to populate your application with data from data sources, using Content Providers
How to create 3D graphics with OpenGL and custom components
How to build multimedia and game apps using Android's Media APIs and OpenGL
How to use Android's location-based services, network-based services, and security
How to use new Android 3.0 features, such as Fragments and the ActionBar
Who this book is forThis book is for professional software engineers/programmers looking to move their ideas and applications into the mobile space with Android. It assumes a passable understanding of Java, including how to write classes and handle basic inheritance structures. Table of Contents
Introducing the Android Computing Platform
Setting up your Development Environment
Understanding Resources
Understanding Content Providers
Understanding Intents
Building User Interfaces and Using Controls
Adding Menus
Implementing Dialogs
Working with Preferences and Saving State
Security and Permissions
Working with Services
Exploring Packages, Processes, and Library Projects
Exploring Processes, Components, Threads, and Handlers
Exploring Broadcast Receivers and Long Running Services
Exploring the Alarm Manager
Unveiling 2D Animation
Exploring Maps and Location Services
Using the Telephony APIs
Understanding the Media Frameworks
Programming 3D Graphics with OpenGL
Exploring Live Folders
Home Screen Widgets and Live Wallpaper
Android Search
Exploring Text to Speech and the Google Translate API
Touchscreens
Using Sensors
Understanding the Contact API
Deploying your Application: Android Market and Beyond
Fragments
Action Bar
Selected Topics in Android 3.0

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How to Do Everything iPod, iPhone & iTunes, Fifth Edition Review

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(More customer reviews)I have the Sony e-book edition of this title, which has the same content as this paperback edition.
This book, now in its 5th edition (published June 2009), is probably the best book that covers the basics of using an iPod (classic, nano and shuffle), iPod touch, iPhone 3G, and the iTunes software. It's by no means an advanced user's guide, so if you're looking for expert tips and hacks, this is not it. Indeed, it doesn't even tell you much about the sound-quality options in iTunes and on iPod and iPhone; it just scratches the surface, that's it.
That said, if you're a novice to the iPod/iPhone/iTunes dynasty, this book will help you aplenty. Contrary to what Apple's marketing tells us or what its collaborators in the "unbiased" mass media would like us to believe, iPod, iPhone and iTunes are actually quite difficult to use, with many features hidden in places you don't expect to find them. That's why there're so many iPod and iPhone books on the market.
This book succeeds in being a beginner's guide because it's easy to understand and covers areas where a beginner usually stumbles, from understanding the iPod or iPhone's controls to using iTunes to organize one's music. You'll find plenty of screenshots to help you along, and both PC and Mac versions of iTunes are covered. The index is pretty good, making the book a good basic reference on various topics related to the iPod, iPhone, iTunes empire.
So, if you need a book to help you get to the many features of iPod or iPhone and iTunes, this book is your best bet. But if you want in-depth coverage of these products, you'll have to look elsewhere -- or wait, as I have not found a single book that covers the many advanced features (e.g., real interaction between sound check and volume adjustment and EQ) and many bugs and annoyances of the iPod and iTunes.

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Enjoy your iPod, iPhone, and iTunes to the fullest!

Fully revised and updated, this easy-to-use guide covers the iPod touch, iPod classic, iPod nano, iPod shuffle, iPhone, and iTunes--including the App Store. Download music, podcasts, videos, games, and applications; load your calendar and contacts; select accessories; and connect to the Web. Discover how to easily manage your iTunes library, convert file formats, use networking features, troubleshoot your device, recover data, and so much more. How to Do Everything: iPod, iPhone & iTunes, Fifth Edition covers it all!

Configure iTunes and load your iPod or iPhone with music, video, and data
Select accessories, including speakers, cases, adapters, docks, remote controls, and radio transmitters
Use your iPod or iPhone as a home or car stereo
Create high-quality AAC or MP3 files from CDs, vinyl, or other sources
Synchronize your iPod or iPhone with multiple computers
Create video files that work with the iPod or iPhone
Use your iPod or iPhone as an external drive or backup device
Troubleshoot problems with your iPod, iPhone, or iTunes
Connect to wireless networks and use VPNs
Set up e-mail accounts and surf the Web
Install applications and play games

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