O'Reilly News for User Group Members

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O'Reilly News for User Group Members
April 1, 2004
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Book News
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-SQL Pocket Guide
-Windows Server Hacks
-Excel Hacks
-Digital Photography: Expert Techniques
-Network Security Assessment
-Cascading Style Sheets: The Definitive Guide, 2nd Edition
-Linux for Non-Geeks
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Upcoming Events
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-Robbie Allen ("DNS on Windows Server 2003," "Active Directory "),
Windows & .NET Magazine Connections, Las Vegas, NV--April 4-7
-Brian Aker ("Running Weblogs with Slash") and Jeremy Zawodny ("High
Performance MySQL"), MySQL Users Conference, Orlando, FL--Apr 14-16
-Mac User Group Day at O'Reilly in Sebastopol, CA--April 24
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News
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-Resizing an Image with Photoshop
-What's New in Photoshop CS?
-400 O'Reilly Books on Safari
-Top Ten Tips to Make Attackers??? Lives Hell
-Eleven Metrics to Monitor for a Happy and Healthy Squid
-You Sexy Thing!
-Creating Online Help with Tinderbox
-Windows Server Hacks: Resetting User Passwords
-Kill Internet Ads with HOSTS and PAC Files
-Power Up Internet Explorer with Three Shells
-Java and Sound, Part 1
-Create Project Item Wizards
-O'Reilly Learning Lab's .NET Certificate Series
-Fun April Fool's Day Stuff

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News From Your Peers
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Check out the new O'Reilly User Group Wiki for the latest news

================================================
Book News
================================================
Did you know you can request a free book to review for your
group? Ask your group leader for more information.

For book review writing tips and suggestions, go to:
http://ug.oreilly.com/bookreviews.html

Don't forget, you can receive 20% off any O'Reilly, No Starch,
Paraglyph, or Syngress book you purchase directly from O'Reilly.
Just use code DSUG when ordering online or by phone 800-998-9938.
http://www.oreilly.com/


***Free ground shipping is available for online orders of at
least $29.95 that go to a single U.S. address. This offer
applies to U.S. delivery addresses in the 50 states and Puerto Rico.
For more details, go to:
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New Releases
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***SQL Pocket Guide
Publisher: O'Reilly
ISBN: 0596005121
Not just an endless collection of syntax diagrams, this guide
succinctly
covers the four commonly used SQL variants: Oracle, IBM DB2, Microsoft
SQL
Server, and MySQL. It also addresses the language's complexity head on,
offering a concise reference to frequently used SQL statements and
commonly used SQL functions. This handy book provides pocket-size help
to
programmers who use SQL in their day-to-day work.
http://www.oreilly.com/catalog/sqlpr/index.html

A sample excerpt on Hierarchical Queries is available online:
http://www.oreilly.com/catalog/sqlpr/chapter/index.html


***Windows Server Hacks
Publisher: O'Reilly
ISBN: 0-596-00647-0
The tools, or hacks, in this book reveal techniques that go well beyond
basic management tasks found in most handbooks. Hacks range from those
that deal with general administration to more esoteric hacks in the
areas
of network deployment, patch management, performance, security, and
backup
and recovery. No matter which Windows Server you use--NT, IIS, 2000, or
2003--"Windows Server Hacks" will put the knowledge and expertise of
veteran system administrators to work for you.
http://www.oreilly.com/catalog/winsvrhks/

Sample hacks are available online:
http://www.oreilly.com/catalog/winsvrhks/chapter/index.html


***Excel Hacks
Publisher: O'Reilly
ISBN: 059600625X
The tips and tools in this book include little-known "backdoor"
adjustments for everything from reducing workbook and worksheet
frustration to hacking built-in features such as pivot tables, charts,
formulas and functions, and even the macro language. This resourceful,
roll-up-your-sleeves guide shows you new ways to make Excel do
things--from data analysis to worksheet management to
import/export--that
you never thought possible. Excel Hacks increases your productivity and
gives you hours of "hacking" enjoyment along the way.
http://www.oreilly.com/catalog/excelhks/

Sample hacks are available online:
http://www.oreilly.com/catalog/excelhks/chapter/index.html


***Digital Photography: Expert Techniques
Publisher: O'Reilly
ISBN: 0596005474
Rather than a general discussion of photography principles, this
four-color book focuses on workflow: time-tested, step-by-step
procedures
based on practitioners??? experiences of the art of digital
photography.
The book provides detailed information about what to look for in
today's
high-end digicams, how to use simple techniques and equipment to shoot
breathtaking shots and great panoramas, do???s and don'ts for creating
better Photoshop masks, and professional digital darkroom techniques.
Serious photographers and professionals will find this problem-solving
book invaluable.
http://www.oreilly.com/catalog/dphotohdbk/

Chapter 3, "Bringing Out the Best Picture," is available online:
http://www.oreilly.com/catalog/dphotohdbk/chapter/index.html


***Network Security Assessment
Publisher: O'Reilly
ISBN: 059600611X
Using the same steps professional security analysts have adopted to
identify and assess risks, this book offers an efficient testing model
you
can adopt, refine, and reuse to create defensive strategies to protect
your systems from current threats, as well as those still being
developed.
This thorough guide covers offensive technologies by grouping and
analyzing them at a higher level--from both an offensive and defensive
standpoint--helping administrators design and deploy networks that are
immune to exploits, tools, and scripts.
http://www.oreilly.com/catalog/networksa/

Chapter 4, "IP Network Scanning," is available online:
http://www.oreilly.com/catalog/networksa/chapter/index.html


***Cascading Style Sheets: The Definitive Guide, 2nd Edition
Publisher: O'Reilly
ISBN: 0596005253
"Cascading Style Sheets: The Definitive Guide, 2nd Edition" is a
thorough
review of all aspects of CSS2.1 and a comprehensive guide to CSS
implementation. The book includes new content on positioning, lists and
generated content, table layout, user interface, paged media, and more.
It
explores in detail each individual CSS property and how it interacts
with
other properties, and shows how to avoid common mistakes in
interpretation. This book prepares you to take the next step with your
HTML coding and incorporate CSS into your web pages.
http://www.oreilly.com/catalog/css2/

Chapter 2, "Selectors," is available online:
http://www.oreilly.com/catalog/css2/chapter/index.html

***Linux for Non-Geeks
Publisher: No Starch Press
1593270348
"Linux for Non-Geeks" introduces you to Linux, without the technical
jargon and advanced topics that you'd find in other books. You'll learn
how to use Linux to do the normal, day-to-day computer tasks that you
know
how to do with another operating system, like connecting to and surfing
the Internet, listening to CDs, playing with audio files, customizing
your
desktop, playing games, downloading software and fonts, printing, and
more. Includes a complete installation of Fedora Linux on two CDs.
http://www.oreilly.com/catalog/1593270348/

================================================
Upcoming Events
================================================
***For more events, please see:
http://events.oreilly.com/


***Robbie Allen ("DNS on Windows Server 2003," "Active Directory "),
Windows & .NET Magazine Connections, Las Vegas, NV--April 4-7
Robbie is a speaker at this networking technology conference. Hyatt
Lake
Las Vegas, Las Vegas, NV
http://www.winconnections.com/win/


***Brian Aker ("Running Weblogs with Slash") and Jeremy Zawodny ("High
Performance MySQL"), MySQL Users Conference, Orlando, FL--Apr 14-16
Brian and Jeremy are a featured speakers and several O'Reilly editors
and
other authors will be be attending the conference--be sure to say hello
if
you run into them. Our friends at Digital Guru will be staffing the
booth
for us, so stop by to check out our newest titles. Peabody Hotel, Booth
#301, Orlando, FL
http://www.mysql.com/events/uc2004/index.html


***Mac User Group Day at O'Reilly in Sebastopol, CA--April 24
Join O'Reilly and NCMUG for a special Mac User Group Day in Sebastopol
on
Saturday, April 24 from 2-6pm.

Speakers include Derrick Story ("Digital Photography Pocket Guide,
2nd Edition," "iPhoto 2: The Missing Manual"), Chris Stone
("Mac OS X Panther in a Nutshell"), Tom Negrino & Dori Smith
("Mac OS X Unwired"), and Scott Fullam ("Hardware Hacking Projects
for Geeks").

For more information and a complete schedule of events, go to:
http://ug.oreilly.com/banners/macugday_hi_res.pdf

Please RSVP to let us know you will be attending at
mugevent@oreilly.com.

Mac User Group Day
2:00pm-6:00pm, Saturday, April 24
O'Reilly
1005 Gravenstein Hwy North
Sebastopol, CA 95472
800-998-9938 Ext. 7103
For directions, go to:
http://www.oreilly.com/oreilly/seb_directions.html

The 58th Annual Sebastopol Apple Blossom Festival will be also be
happening.
Come to Sebastopol early to watch the parade downtown. It starts at
10am
and ends by noon, followed by a festival in Ives Park.
For more info, go to:
http://www.sebastopolappleblossom.org/


================================================
News From O'Reilly & Beyond
================================================
---------------------
General News
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***Resizing an Image with Photoshop
Learn how to modify image size, when to resample, and how to handle
resolution issues from Photoshop expert Deke McClelland. We've included
a
sample video file so you can get a taste of the hands-on video
tutorials
that are an integral part of Deke's recently released "Adobe Photoshop
CS
One-on-One."
http://www.oreillynet.com/pub/a/javascript/excerpt/PhotoshopCS_chap05/index.html


***What's New in Photoshop CS?
Photoshop CS may have fewer new features than version 7, but quality
counts more than quantity, and Ken Milburn is pretty jazzed about the
quality. In this article, he covers the new features in CS he's most
excited about. Ken is the author of "Digital Photography: Expert
Techniques"
http://www.oreillynet.com/pub/a/javascript/2004/03/23/digphoto.html


***400 O'Reilly Books on Safari
O'Reilly now boasts more than 400 books on Safari, the premier
electronic
reference library for IT professionals and programmers. We're proud to
have such a strong presence on Safari, where we share company with the
industry's leading technical publishers in bringing readers time-saving
access to the information they need. If you are not yet a Safari
convert,
give the service a try with a free trial subscription:
https://secure.safaribooksonline.com/promo.asp?code=ORA14&portal=oreilly&CMP=BAC-TP2974244892

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Open Source
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***Top Ten Tips to Make Attackers??? Lives Hell
Chris McNab breaks down his top ten tips all network administrators
should
follow to protect their networks from opportunistic threats and make it
hard for the more determined attackers to get anywhere. Chris is the
author of the recently released "Network Security Assessment."
http://www.oreillynet.com/pub/a/security/2004/03/25/ntwksecurityassess.html


***Eleven Metrics to Monitor for a Happy and Healthy Squid
Duane Wessels offers 11 tips to help you stay on top of Squid's
performance. If you follow this advice, you should be able to discover
problems before your users begin calling you to complain. Duane is the
creator of Squid and the author of "Squid: The Definitive Guide."
http://www.onlamp.com/pub/a/onlamp/2004/03/25/squid.html

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Mac
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***You Sexy Thing!
Just about everyone looks great behind a cursor, but the days of
communicating online exclusively with text are numbered. So Snaggy and
Nitrozac offer their brand of advice on how to look great on iChat AV,
in
spite of iSight. With tips on proper lighting, camera angles, and using
the right foundation, Snaggy and Nitrozac offer more of the high-tech
humor you've come to know and love in their comic and in their book,
"The
Best of The Joy of Tech."
http://www.macdevcenter.com/pub/a/mac/2004/03/16/iSight.html


***Creating Online Help with Tinderbox
Apple's online help system, Apple Help, has a dubious reputation among
some Mac users, mainly because of poky performance. But Panther has
improved the situation. Matt Neuburg built an online help system for a
Mac
application using a note-taking hypertext outliner called Tinderbox. He
explains the process in this article.
http://www.macdevcenter.com/pub/a/mac/2004/03/30/online_help.html

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Windows
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***Windows Server Hacks: Resetting User Passwords
Resetting user passwords from the command line can save you time, but
there are "gotchas" along the way. Mitch Tulloch, author of "Windows
Server Hacks," shows you what to watch out for and how to reset
passwords
fast.
http://www.windowsdevcenter.com/pub/a/windows/2004/03/30/serverhacks_passwords.html


***Kill Internet Ads with HOSTS and PAC Files
You don't need special software to kill ads and objectionable Internet
content--just use the power built right into the Windows browser.
http://www.windowsdevcenter.com/pub/a/windows/2004/03/30/hosts.html


***Power Up Internet Explorer with Three Shells
Supercharge Internet Explorer with one of these three wrappers, and you
won't be able to imagine how you got along without them.
http://www.windowsdevcenter.com/pub/a/windows/2004/03/23/ie_shells.html

For all the latest Windows tips and tricks visit:
http://www.windowsdevcenter.com/

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Java
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***Java and Sound, Part 1
Where can you learn how to play simple audio clips with the
java.applet.AudioClip class, as well as how to use the
javax.sound.sampled
and javax.sound.midi packages to do such things as load and play sound
clips, and monitor and change the playback position within a clip? In
these first excerpts in a two-part series of excerpts from Chapter 17
("Sound") of "Java Examples in a Nutshell, 3rd Edition."
http://www.onjava.com/pub/a/onjava/excerpt/jenut3_ch17/index.html


***Bug Prevention with Code Generation: A J2EE Case Study
If you had to drill 12,000 holes, would you prefer a manual drill, or
its
automated equivalent? Francesco Aliverti-Piuri describes using code
generation for discovering bugs in a J2EE example.
http://www.onjava.com/pub/a/onjava/2004/03/31/codeGen.html

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.NET
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***Create Project Item Wizards
In a recent project, Niel Bornstein and his team had to produce a
platform
that included a set of base classes that other developers could use to
develop Windows forms in Visual Studio .NET 2003. As the team worked on
the base classes, it became clear that the developers would be able to
crank out their forms a lot faster if they could also generate stubs
and
skeleton code for all the methods they needed to override in their own
classes. Niel explains how to do it in this article.
http://www.ondotnet.com/pub/a/dotnet/2004/03/22/wizards.html


***O'Reilly Learning Lab's .NET Certificate Series
Learn .NET programming skills and earn a .NET Programming Certificate
from
the University of Illinois Office of Continuing Education. The .NET
Certificate Series is comprised of three courses that give you the
foundation you need to do .NET programming well. The courses are: Learn
XML; Learn Object-Oriented Programming Using Java; and Learn C#.
Limited
time offer: Enroll in all three courses and save $895.
http://oreilly.useractive.com/courses/dotnet.php3

------------------------------------
Fun April Fool's Day Stuff
------------------------------------
10 stories that could be pranks--but aren't
http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/magazine/3589239.stm

Google Copernicus Center is hiring (Google, 2004)
http://www.google.com/jobs/lunar_job.html

The technology behind Google's great results (Google, 2002)
http://www.google.com/technology/pigeonrank.html

Programming Parrot in a Nutshell (O'Reilly, 2001)
http://www.oreilly.com/parrot/

The Story Behind the Parrot Prank
http://www.oreilly.com/news/parrotstory_0401.html

Still a good joke--47 years on
http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/england/southern_counties/3591687.stm

10 funniest media jokes on April Fools day
http://english.pravda.ru/main/18/90/363/12398_jokes.html

================================================
News From Your Peers
================================================
***Check out the new O'Reilly User Group Wiki for the latest news
You can look for a meeting, user group, or post information any time
you want.
http://wiki.oreillynet.com/usergroups/view?HomePage

Until next time--

Marsee

__________________________________
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