This monograph presents a framework for modelling, specifying and verifying systems composed of real-time discrete event processes. A discrete event system consists of the plant (the object to be controlled) and a controller. For example, the plant might consist of machines, robots and conveyors on the factory floor. The objective of...

Facebook has taken the world by storm and just breached the 500 million-user mark as its popularity continues to increase every day the world over. Yet, despite its popularity, many people are not aware of all that Facebook has to offer. This handy, approachable guide shares...

Neural Networks started as an academic discipline over 50 years ago with the publication by McCulloch and Pitts of their famous result that any logical problem can be solved by a suitable network composed of so-called binary decision nodes. These are processors which make the simplest possible decision, that is, whether or not to respond to a...

This book is written for those who are about to use their fi rst home computer or those who have yet to explore the wider opportunities afforded by a computer beyond searching the Internet and sending the occasional email message. You have my word that there will be very few acronyms and those that do appear will be fully explained in...

Whether using a compact camera or a high-end dSLR, this companion guide provides you with detailed information for taking spectacular shots of some of the most recognizable architecture in the world. Whether you aim to capture memorable photos...

For half my life—fully 18 of my 36 years—I filled out timesheets, accounting for every minute of my workday to corporations both large and small who valued my time far below my own personal estimations of its worth. Degrees and certifications combined with long hours, hard work, and a can-do attitude produced a...

This practical book is a complete guide to installing, configuring, and managing Pentaho Kettle. If you’re a database administrator or developer, you’ll first get up to speed on Kettle basics and how to apply Kettle to create ETL...

At the instigation of the Iron and Steel Federation, the late Bernard Godfrey began work in 1952 on the first edition of the Steel Designers’ Manual. As principal author he worked on the manuscript almost continuously for a period of two years. On many Friday evenings he would meet with his co-authors, Charles Gray, Lewis Kent...

As it turns out Bennis underestimated the impact that bad leadership can have. A combination of greed, hubris, flawed judgment, and miscalculation has made the Enron debacle seem almost quaint by comparison to the global financial crisis that we now face. Although numerous pundits and scholars have advanced many reasons for the...

The continuing explosive growth in mobile communication is demanding more spectrally efficient radio access technologies than the prevalent second generation (2G) systems such as GSM to handle just the voice traffic. We are already witnessing high levels of mobile penetration exceeding 70% in some countries. It is anticipated that by...

The Extract-Transform-Load (ETL) system is the foundation of the data warehouse. A properly designed ETL system extracts data from the source systems, enforces data quality and consistency standards, conforms data so that separate sources can be used together, and finally delivers data in a presentation-ready format so that...

The unparalleled author team...