Create games on multiple platforms from a single codebase using Haxe and the HaxeFlixel engine About This Book Learn the modern, cross-platform language Haxe to build games without any trouble Create engaging 2D games that are compatible with desktop, web, and mobile platforms Learn how to speed up your workflow with OpenFL and HaxeFlixel using this useful and compact guide Who This Book Is For This book is for game developers with some experience programming games on one or more platforms already. If you want to leverage your game development experience on one platform to develop for multiple platforms and to get up and running quickly, this book is for you. Having prior experience with a language similar to Haxe, such as ActionScript or JavaScript will help, but isn't required. What You Will Learn Understand the fundamentals of the Haxe programming language Set up a development environment that will work on Windows, Mac, and Linux Create fun 2D games using OpenFL and HaxeFlixel Understand how to implement a user interface Enhance the gameplay experience with cool animations Improve immersion by adding sound Make your game modular and easily expandable using configuration files Compile games that will work on desktop, web, and mobile platforms In Detail Haxe is a powerful and high-level multi-platform language that's incredibly easy to learn. Used by thousands of developers and many high-profile companies, Haxe is quickly emerging as a forerunner in the area of cross-platform programming. OpenFL builds on top of Haxe to make developing for multiple platforms quick and painless. HaxeFlixel provides you with the tools you need to build amazing 2D games easier than ever before. Cross-platform development has been supercharged using the Haxe programming language, making it increasingly easy and hassle-free to develop multi-platform games. If you've programmed games before and want to learn out how to deliver games across multiple platforms, or develop games faster, then Haxe Game Development Essentials is the book for you. It starts by showing you how to set up your development environment, then running you through some Haxe language fundamentals, and finally taking you through the process of programming a game from start to finish. You will learn how to create a side scrolling shooter game using HaxeFlixel. Next you will learn to enhance the game with new gameplay features, user interfaces, animations, sound, and configuration files to make your game expandable. Once your game is built and ready, you will learn how to deploy it to web, Android, iOS, and desktop systems. By the end of this book, you will be confident about creating multi-platform games using Haxe, OpenFL, and HaxeFlixel in a faster and easier way. Style and approach Since this book is aimed at people who have worked on games before, this book is written in a way that will get you quickly up to speed with a new set of tools, but will still be accessible for less experienced developers. Each chapter covers an essential milestone in building a game from start to finish. The chapters move in a logical fashion, starting with the basics of Haxe development and ending with preparing a game for deployment.

Build an interactive and full-featured web application from scratch using Node.js and MongoDBAbout This BookConfigure your development environment to use Node.js and MongoDBUse Node.js to connect to a MongoDB database and perform data manipulationsA practical guide with clear instructions to design and develop a complete web application from start to finish Who This Book Is For This book is designed for JavaScript developers of any skill level that want to get up and running using Node.js and MongoDB to build full-featured web applications. A basic understanding of JavaScript and HTML is the only requirement for this book.What You Will LearnConfigure your development environment to use Node.js and MongoDBWrite and configure a web server using Node.js powered by the Express.js frameworkBuild dynamic HTML pages using the Handlebars template enginePersist application data using MongoDB and Mongoose ODMTest your code using automated testing tools such as the Mocha frameworkDeploy the development environment to the cloud using services such as Heroku, Amazon Web Services, and Microsoft AzureExplore Single-Page application frameworks to take your web applications to the next level In Detail Node.js and MongoDB are quickly becoming one of the most popular tech stacks for the web. Powered by Google's V8 engine, Node.js caters to easily building fast, scalable network applications while MongoDB is the perfect fit as a scalable, high-performance, open source NoSQL database solution. Using these two technologies together, web applications can be built quickly and easily and deployed to the cloud with very little difficulty. The book will begin by introducing you to the groundwork needed to set up the development environment. Here, you will quickly run through the steps necessary to get the main application server up and running. Then you will see how to use Node.js to connect to a MongoDB database and perform data manipulations. From here on, the book will take you through integration with third-party tools for interaction with web apps. It then moves on to show you how to use controllers and view models to generate reusable code that will reduce development time. Toward the end of the book, we will cover tests to properly execute the code and some popular frameworks for developing web applications. By the end of the book, you will have a running web application developed with MongoDB and Node.js along with it's popular frameworks.Style and approach An easy guide to Node.js and MongoDB, which will quickly introduce you to the relevant concepts by taking you through the different steps involved in building a full-fledged web application.

Leverage the power of LibGDX to create a fully functional, customizable RPG game for your own commercial title About This Book Learn game architecture and design patterns with concrete examples using proper software engineering principles Save time and money with this handy reference guide for future game development with LibGDX Design and develop a fully functional RPG video game from scratch with a hands on, step-by-step approach using LibGDX Who This Book Is For If you are an intermediate-level game developer who wants to create an RPG video game but found the creation process overwhelming, either by lack of tutorials or by getting lost in a sea of game-related technologies, engines, or frameworks, then this book is for you. This book assumes familiarity with Java and some basic knowledge of LibGDX. What You Will Learn Develop characters with stat attributes, player movement, animation, physics, and collision detection Create interactive NPC characters with speech windows and build immersion via dialog trees Build inventory management system UIs with drag and drop items to sell, buy, and equip Design a quest system to expand out the content of your game Form interesting enemies with battle mechanics and spawn points Devise *ed cutscenes to add an element of story and drama Develop save and load game profiles Create special effects to give the game extra “juiciness” and polish, and help build the atmosphere In Detail LibGDX is a Java-based framework developed with a heavy emphasis on performance, and includes cross-platform support out of the box (Windows, OS X, Linux, iOS, Android, and HTML5) as well as providing all the low-level functionality so that you can focus on developing your game and not battling with the platform. LibGDX also has an engaged and responsive community, active maintenance, and is available for free without a prohibitive license. Starting from the beginning, this book will take you through the entire development process of creating an RPG video game using LibGDX. First, this book will introduce you to the features specific to RPG games, as well as an overview of game architecture. Then, you will create map locations, develop character movement, add animation, integrate collision detection, and develop a portal system. Next, you will learn and develop a HUD and other UI components, as well as an inventory management system. You will then develop NPC interactions including dialog trees, shopkeepers, and quest givers. After this, you will design and create battle features for fighting enemies, as well as event triggers for world events. Finally, you will add the final polish with sound, music, and lighting effects. By the end of this book, you will have learned and applied core components from the LibGDX framework, as well as have a finished game to use as a springboard for customization and story development for your own commercial video game. Style and approach This book walks you through the concepts and implementation of developing a complete RPG game, unfolding chapter by chapter and building upon previous concepts. Each chapter can be used as an individual reference with diagrams to explain core concepts with concrete example code explained in detail.

Learn how to deploy and configure all the available Citrix NetScaler features with the best practices and techniques you need to know About This Book Implement and configure all the available NetScaler Application Delivery features and monitor NetScaler VPX performance in your environment Packed with real-word NetScaler deployment scenarios to help you see the configuration principles in action Integrate NetScaler with other Citrix technologies, including CloudBridge, Application Delivery Controller, HDX Insight, and Command Center Who This Book Is For If you’re an administrator with prior experience using NetScaler then you have everything you need to make the most of this book. What You Will Learn Configure the more commonly used NetScaler VPX features such as basic load balancing, authentication, NetScaler Gateway, and StoreFront Configure the AppExpert features such as Responder, Rewrite, AppExpert templates, parsing HTTP, TCP, and UDP data Integrate NetScaler with other Citrix technologies such as CloudBridge, Insight Center, and Command Center Optimize traffic using caching, front-end optimization, and compression Dive deep in the security, caching, and compression enhancements Protect your environment with AAA and Application Firewall, or from HTTP DDoS attacks Troubleshoot an environment using tools such as TaaS and WireShark In Detail Citrix NetScaler is one of the best Application Delivery Controller products in the world. The Application Delivery Controllers are commonly used for load balancing purposes, to optimize traffic, and to perform extra security settings. This book will give you an insight into all the available features that the Citrix NetScaler appliance has to offer. The book will start with the commonly used NetScaler VPX features, such as load balancing and NetScaler Gateway functionality. Next, we cover features such as Responder, Rewrite, and the AppExpert templates, and how to configure these features. After that, you will learn more about the other available Citrix technologies that can interact with Citrix NetScaler. We also cover troubleshooting, optimizing traffic, caching, performing protection using Application Firewall, and denying HTTP DDoS attacks for web services. Finally, we will demonstrate the different configuration principles real-world Citrix NetScaler deployment scenarios. Style and approach This easy-to-follow guide explains as much as possible about each feature and its configuration. Each topic is explained sequentially in the process of configuring and deploying the feature.

Implement the new features of Citrix NetScaler 11 to optimize and deploy secure web services on multiple virtualization platformsAbout This BookLearn how to design, set up, and deploy NetScaler VPX along with the new Jumbo frames in a virtual environment using your GUI as well as your CLI for both public and private clouds to make all your web applications faster and more secureEnrich your networking skills utilizing the new features of AAA by following the instructions to optimize network trafficA step-by-step guide that will show you how to work with the latest NetScaler, 11, by implementing its new features using sample scenarios and real-world examples Who This Book Is For This book is for Citrix administrators who are just getting started with NetScaler, have some basic networking skills This book does not require prior experience of NetScaler.What You Will LearnConfigure different VPN solutions and learn about ICA Proxy, Unified Gateway and SSL VPNSet up load balancing for SharePoint, Exchange, Lync, SQL and other Citrix componentsGain insights into traffic management with NetScaler, Wireshark, and Citrix InsightProtect your web services with an application firewall, HTTP, DOS, and AAAOptimize traffic using front-end optimization, caching, and compressionDeploy a high availability environmentUse NetScaler in public cloud providers such as Azure or AmazonAdvance your network knowledge of TCP and SSL optimization In Detail With a large demand for responsive websites and availability of services, IT administrators are faced with an ever-rising need for services that are optimized for speed. NetScaler VPX is a software-based virtual appliance that provides users with the comprehensive NetScaler feature set. Implementing apps and cloud-based services is much easier with its increased service performance and integrated security features. This book will give you an insight into all the new features that NetScaler VPXhas to offer. Starting off with the basics, you will learn how to set NetScaler up and configure it in a virtual environment including the new features available in version 11, such as unified gateway and portal theme customization. Next, the book will cover how to deploy NetScalar on Azure and Amazon, and you will also discover how to integrate it with an existing Citrix infrastructure. Next, you will venture into other topics such as load balancing Microsoft and Citrix solutions, configuring different forms of high availability Global Server Load Balancing (GSLB), and network optimization. You will also learn how to troubleshoot and analyze data using NetScaler's extensive array of features. Finally, you will discover how to protect web services using an application firewall and will get to grips with other features such as HTTP, DOS, and AAA.Style and approach This easy-to-follow guide is full of detailed step-by step-instructions on how to implement the key components in NetScaler, using real-world examples and sample scenarios.

Design, build, and program your own remarkable robots with JavaScript and open source hardware About This Book Learn how to leverage Johnny-Five's Read, Eval, Print Loop, and Event API to write robot code with JavaScript Unlock a world of exciting possibilities by hooking your JavaScript-programmed robots up to the internet and using external data and APIs Move your project code from the Arduino Uno to a multitude of other robotics platforms Who This Book Is For If you've worked with Arduino before or are new to electronics and would like to try writing sketches in JavaScript, then this book is for you! Basic knowledge of JavaScript and Node.js will help you get the most out of this book. What You Will Learn Familiarise yourself with Johnny-Five Read, Eval, and Print Loop (REPL) to modify and debug robotics code in real time Build robots with basic output devices to create projects that light up, make noise, and more Create projects with complex output devices, and employ the Johnny-Five API to simplify the use of components that require complex interfaces, such as I2C Make use of sensors and input devices to allow your robotics projects to survey the world around them and accept input from users Use the Sensor and Motor objects to make it much easier to move your robotics projects Learn about the Animation API that will allow you to program complex movements using timing and key frames Bring in other devices to your Johnny-Five projects, such as USB devices and remotes Connect your Johnny-Five projects to external APIs and create your own Internet of Things! In Detail There has been a rapid rise in the use of JavaScript in recent times in a variety of applications, and JavaScript robotics has seen a rise in popularity too. Johnny-Five is a framework that gives NodeBots a consistent API and platform across several hardware systems. This book walks you through basic robotics projects including the physical hardware builds and the JavaScript code for them. You'll delve into the concepts of Johnny-Five and JS robotics. You'll learn about various components such as Digital GPIO pins, PWM output pins, Sensors, servos, and motors to be used with Johnny-Five along with some advanced components such as I2C, and SPI. You will learn to connect your Johnny-Five robots to internet services and other NodeBots to form networks. By the end of this book, you will have explored the benefits of the Johnny-Five framework and the many devices it unlocks. Style and approach This step-by-step guide to the Johnny-Five ecosystem is explained in a conversational style, packed with examples and tips. Each chapter also explores the Johnny-Five documentation to enable you to start exploring the API on your own.

Explore architectural approaches to building Data Lakes that ingest, index, manage, and analyze massive amounts of data using Big Data technologies About This Book Comprehend the intricacies of architecting a Data Lake and build a data strategy around your current data architecture Efficiently manage vast amounts of data and deliver it to multiple applications and systems with a high degree of performance and scalability Packed with industry best practices and use-case scenarios to get you up-and-running Who This Book Is For This book is for architects and senior managers who are responsible for building a strategy around their current data architecture, helping them identify the need for a Data Lake implementation in an enterprise context. The reader will need a good knowledge of master data management, information lifecycle management, data governance, data product design, data engineering, and systems architecture. Also required is experience of Big Data technologies such as Hadoop, Spark, Splunk, and Storm. What You Will Learn Identify the need for a Data Lake in your enterprise context and learn to architect a Data Lake Learn to build various tiers of a Data Lake, such as data intake, management, consumption, and governance, with a focus on practical implementation scenarios Find out the key considerations to be taken into account while building each tier of the Data Lake Understand Hadoop-oriented data transfer mechanism to ingest data in batch, micro-batch, and real-time modes Explore various data integration needs and learn how to perform data enrichment and data transformations using Big Data technologies Enable data discovery on the Data Lake to allow users to discover the data Discover how data is packaged and provisioned for consumption Comprehend the importance of including data governance disciplines while building a Data Lake In Detail A Data Lake is a highly scalable platform for storing huge volumes of multistructured data from disparate sources with centralized data management services. It eliminates the need for up-front modeling and rigid data structures by allowing schema-less writes. Data Lakes make it possible to ask complex far-reaching questions to find out hidden data patterns and relationships. This book explores the potential of Data Lakes and explores architectural approaches to building data lakes that ingest, index, manage, and analyze massive amounts of data using batch and real-time processing frameworks. It guides you on how to go about building a Data Lake that is managed by Hadoop and accessed as required by other Big Data applications such as Spark, Storm, Hive, and so on, to create an environment in which data from different sources can be meaningfully brought together and analyzed. Data Lakes can be viewed as having three capabilities—intake, management, and consumption. This book will take readers through each of these processes of developing a Data Lake and guide them (using best practices) in developing these capabilities. It will also explore often ignored, yet crucial considerations while building Data Lakes, with the focus on how to architect data governance, security, data quality, data lineage tracking, metadata management, and semantic data tagging. By the end of this book, you will have a good understanding of building a Data Lake for Big Data. You will be able to utilize Data Lakes for efficient and easy data processing and analytics. Style and approach Data Lake Development with Big Data provides architectural approaches to building a Data Lake. It follows a use case-based approach where practical implementation scenarios of each key component are explained. It also helps you understand how these use cases are implemented in a Data Lake. The chapters are organized in a way that mimics the sequential data flow evidenced in a Data Lake.

Take your expertise to the next level by unraveling various techniques to customize TFS 2015About This BookLearn how to efficiently modify your TFS-specific dashboards for complex server pluginsFind out the pros and cons of various extension points and customizations in TFSA fast-paced guide with highly concentrated information on TFS customizations Who This Book Is For This book is intended for anyone with experience with TFS, and in particular, those intermediate users who want to add more value to their organization by making its TFS users more productive. The book requires basic coding skills.What You Will LearnCustomize TFS 2015 dashboard and administer various componentsConfigure board cards, swim lanes, and columnsExplore the types of changes that can be made on the TFS process templatesCreate your own custom control for the Web and client work item formsBuild up new check-in policiesGet to grips with your personal server plugins and their usesCustomize both XAML builds and the new build systemSchedule jobs for more complicated business rules to run on a scheduleExtend your TFS possibilities with service hooks and VSO extensions In Detail Team Foundation Server is an efficacious collaboration tools that will allow you to share code, track records, software, all in a single package. Integrate it with your existing IDE or editor and let your team work in a flexible environment that adapts to projects of all shapes and sizes. Explore what gives you the edge over other developers by knowing the tips and quick fixes of customizing TFS. Effectively minimize the time users spend interacting with TFS so that they can be more productive. In this book you will quickly cover lots of TFS extension points, from the very basic task of customizing and configuring dashboards to customizing automated builds and check-in policies. You will learn how to create dashboards in TFS 2015, as well as add tiles, graphs, and more useful modifications. You'll perform customizations that make TFS work for you by streamlining your team’s boards. You'll cast modifications to the process template and learn the tips and tricks required to make efficient and valuable uses of your team’s board. From team-specific dashboards to complex server plugins, everything is covered in this concentrated guide to aid your knowledge. Delving deep, this book covers the pros and cons of check-in policies, as well as their proper debugging and deployment strategies. After that you will learn about advanced XAML builds and TFS jobs to further experiment with the activities of your jobs on your system. Finally, you will learn about service hooks and the amazing utility of .VSO extensions to help you create new extensions and explore new levels of customization.Style and approach This is an easy-to-follow guide with clearly explained and demonstrated examples.

Unleash the true potential of Ubuntu Server in your production environment using this administration guide About This Book Learn how to deploy and configure Ubuntu servers and work with cloud and hyper-visors Optimize network traffic to broadcast and multicast the traffic flow in OpenStack clouds Discover the essentials of the latest version of Ubuntu, which are good in both looks and performance, using this fast-paced guide Who This Book Is For This book is for system administrators who are familiar with the fundamentals of the Linux operating system and are looking for a fast-paced guide on Ubuntu, and those who are familiar with the older versions of Ubuntu and want to get up to scratch. Basic knowledge of Linux administration is assumed. What You Will Learn Install and set up Ubuntu Server in the shortest possible time, manually as well as in an automated way, for a single server or hundreds of servers Discover the fundamentals of the Ubuntu command-line interface Configure and administer Ubuntu Server using networking and CLI Deploy servers on Ubuntu in the simplest and fastest ways Enhance security within Ubuntu Server using tools such as firewalls, IDS, and IPS and procedures such as restore, rescue, and recovery Work with virtualization, clouds, and one of the best in open source cloud computing —OpenStack Optimize CLI for grep and exec commands and gain some best tips and tricks for Ubuntu Server administration In Detail Ubuntu is a Debian-based Linux operating system built on top of the Debian architecture. It is used to make operating systems for multiple platforms, including phones, desktops, TVs and mobiles. It has made some serious progress in the realms of efficiency and user friendliness. With evolving technology trends, demands on software have changed, with more and more skilled users. Over the past few years, services such as Facebook, Twitter, and push notifications on smartphones mean that users are used to being up to date with everything that happens all the time. With SignalR, the applications stay connected and will generate notifications when something happens either from the system or by other users. This provides new opportunities for the system administrators, to enter this new and exciting world of real-time application development. This is a concise and a cost-friendly guide, packed with up-to-date essentials on Ubuntu Server fundamentals. It will guide you through deploying and configuring Ubuntu servers in your office environments. You’ll start by installing Ubuntu Server, then move to the most useful aspect —the command-line interface inside it. You’ll extend your knowledge by learning how to administrate and configure Ubuntu Server. You will also see how to deploy services on Ubuntu Server and find out how to secure it. You’ll get to grips with the virtualization and cloud computing facilities provided by Ubuntu, and finally, you’ll gain some very useful tips. Style and approach This concise and easy-to-follow guide follows a step-by-step approach to help you master Ubuntu server, no matter what your level of expertise it. Each topic is explained sequentially with both essential information and whenever needed, in-depth references.

Wield the power of OpenStack Neutron networking to bring network infrastructure and capabilities to your cloud About This Book This completely up-to-date edition will show you how to deploy a cloud on OpenStack using community-driven processes. It includes rich examples that will help you understand complex networking topics with ease Understand every aspect of designing, creating, customizing, and maintaining the core network foundation of an OpenStack cloud using OpenStack Neutron all in one book Written by best-selling author James Denton, who has more than 15 years of experience in system administration and networking. James has experience of deploying, operating, and maintaining OpenStack clouds and has worked with top enterprises and organizations Who This Book Is For If you are an OpenStack-based cloud operator and administrator who is new to Neutron networking and wants to build your very own OpenStack cloud, then this book is for you. Prior networking experience and a physical server and network infrastructure is recommended to follow along with concepts demonstrated in the book. What You Will Learn Architect and install the latest release of OpenStack on Ubuntu Linux 14.04 LTS Review the components of OpenStack networking, including plugins, agents, and services, and learn how they work together to coordinate network operations Build a virtual switching infrastructure using reference architectures based on ML2 + Open vSwitch or ML2 + LinuxBridge Create networks, subnets, and routers that connect virtual machine instances to the network Deploy highly available routers using DVR or VRRP-based methods Scale your application with haproxy and Load Balancing as-a-Service Implement port and router-level security using Security Groups and Firewall as-a-Service Provide connectivity to tenant networks with Virtual Private Networking as-a-Service (VPNaaS) Find out how to manage OpenStack networking resources using CLI and GUI-driven methods In Detail OpenStack Neutron is an OpenStack component that provides networking as a service for other OpenStack services to architect networks and create virtual machines through its API. This API lets you define network connectivity in order to leverage network capabilities to cloud deployments. Through this practical book, you will build a strong foundational knowledge of Neutron, and will architect and build an OpenStack cloud using advanced networking features. We start with an introduction to OpenStack Neutron and its various components, including virtual switching, routing, FWaaS, VPNaaS, and LBaaS. You’ll also get hands-on by installing OpenStack and Neutron and its components, and use agents and plugins to orchestrate network connectivity and build a virtual switching infrastructure. Moving on, you’ll get to grips with the HA routing capabilities utilizing VRRP and distributed virtual routers in Neutron. You’ll also discover load balancing fundamentals, including the difference between nodes, pools, pool members, and virtual IPs. You’ll discover the purpose of security groups and learn how to apply the security concept to your cloud/tenant/instance. Finally, you'll configure virtual private networks that will allow you to avoid the use of SNAT and floating IPs when connecting to remote networks. Style and approach This easy-to-follow guide on networking in OpenStack follows a step-by-step process to installing OpenStack and configuring the base networking components. Each major networking component has a dedicated chapter that will build on your experience gained from prior chapters.

The legend begins... Greece in the age of heroes. Patroclus, an awkward young prince, has been exiled to the kingdom of Phthia to be raised in the shadow of King Peleus and his golden son, Achilles. The best of all the Greeks strong, beautiful, and the child of a goddess Achilles is everything the shamed Patroclus is not. Yet despite their differences, the boys become steadfast companions. Their bond deepens as they grow into young men and become skilled in the arts of war and medicine much to the displeasure and the fury of Achilles’ mother, Thetis, a cruel sea goddess with a hatred of mortals. When word comes that Helen of Sparta has been kidnapped, the men of Greece, bound by blood and oath, must lay siege to Troy in her name. Seduced by the promise of a glorious destiny, Achilles joins their cause, and torn between love and fear for his friend, Patroclus follows. Little do they know that the Fates will test them both as never before and demand a terrible sacrifice. Built on the groundwork of the Iliad , Madeline Miller page-turning, profoundly moving, and blisteringly paced retelling of the epic Trojan War marks the launch of a dazzling career.

He is not the only young man in the world worth having. Teenage sisters Marianne and Elinor Dashwood could not be more different. Marianne is passionat Se, impetuous, and recklessly romantic. Elinor is practical, thoughtful, and completely reserved. But Marianne and Elinor discover they have more in common than they thought when they both fall head over heels in love with unattainable men. Opposites in every way except for their heartbreak, the two girls are determined to make their dreams come true. But in a society ruled by status and money, Elinor and Marianne will have to fight for the happy ending they both deserve. Through a series of romantic misadventures the girls come to realize that the key to their happiness may not lie in fiery passion or strict reason but somewhere in between. Jane Austen's sweepingly romantic masterpiece continues to delight generation after generation of readers. Beautifully presented for a modern teen audience, this is the must-have edition of a timeless classic.

A Wildly Funny and Shockingly True Compendium of the Bad Boys (and Girls) of Western Literature Rock stars, rappers, and actors haven't always had a monopoly on misbehaving. There was a time when authors fought with both words and fists, a time when poets were the ones living fast and dying young. This witty, insightful, and wildly entertaining narrative profiles the literary greats who wrote generation-defining classics such as The Great Gatsby and On the Road while living and loving like hedonistic rock icons, who were as likely to go on epic benders as they were to hit the bestseller lists. Literary Rogues turns back the clock to consider these historical (and, in some cases, living) legends, including Edgar Allan Poe, Oscar Wilde, Zelda and F. Scott Fitzgerald, Ernest Hemingway, Dorothy Parker, Hunter S. Thompson, and Bret Easton Ellis. Brimming with fasci- nating research, Literary Rogues is part nostalgia, part literary analysis, and a wholly raucous celebration of brilliant writers and their occasionally troubled legacies.

I've seen him on the news. Followed the stories about what happened in Ohio. John Smith, out there, on the run. To the world, he's a mystery. But to me . . . he's one of us. Nine of us came here, but sometimes I wonder if time has changed us if we all still believe in our mission. How can I knowThere are six of us left. We're hiding, blending in, avoiding contact with one another . . . but our Legacies are developing, and soon we'll be equipped to fight. Is John Number Four, and is his appearance the sign I've been waiting forAnd what about Number Five and SixCould one of them be the raven-haired girl with the stormy eyes from my dreamsThe girl with powers that are beyond anything I could ever imagineThe girl who may be strong enough to bring the six of us togetherThey caught Number One in Malaysia. Number Two in England. And Number Three in Kenya. They tried to catch Number Four in Ohio and failed. I am Number Seven. One of six still alive. And I'm ready to fight.

My killer is out there. And my sister might be next. Two months before I died, my best friend brother disappeared. I have no idea where Thayer went or why he left, but I know it my fault. I did a lot of horrible things while I was alive, things that made people hate me, maybe even enough to kill me. Desperate to solve my murder, my long-lost twin, Emma, is pretending to be me and unraveling the many mysteries I left behind my cryptic journal, my tangled love life, the dangerous Lying Game pranks I played. She uncovered my friends darkest secrets, but she never had the chance to dig into Thayer past until now. Thayer back and Emma has to move fast to figure out if he after revenge . . . or if he already gotten it. From Sara Shepard, the #1 New York Times bestselling author of the Pretty Little Liars books, comes a riveting series about secrets, lies, and killer consequences.

Love. It right up there with air, food, and water as the most necessary of ingredients for existence. And yet it is one of the hardest things to find, and perhaps an even harder thing to hold on to. The truth is you’re not perfect, and neither is your partner. But you can be perfectly imperfect together. In Wabi Sabi Love , international bestselling author and relationship expert Arielle Ford applies the wisdom of Wabi Sabi the ancient Japanese idea of illuminating the beauty in imperfection to love relationships. Wabi Sabi Love is the practice of exploring, embracing, and cherishing the quirks, irritations, and limitations that make you and your partner unique and that form your shared history as a couple. Wabi Sabi Love provides the tools to see yourself, your partner, and your partnership in an entirely new light, develop a deep and profound appreciation for each other, and experience more balance, harmony, and joy in your relationship than ever before. Wabi Sabi Love teaches you to: turn conflict into connection and differences into mutual passions move from “annoyed” to “enjoyed” establish new beliefs and habits that better serve your relationship cultivate humor, humility, and generosity to diffuse those moments when you would normally retreat or slip into tired judgments, criticisms, or resentments Using real-life stories of couples who applied Wabi Sabi and found their relationships transformed, Wabi Sabi Love can revolutionize your relationship whether you’re navigating financial challenges, raising children, caring for aging parents, coping with a seemingly insurmountable betrayal, or just facing mundane frustrations and everyday stressors. By shifting the focus from what wrong to what right, Wabi Sabi Love reveals a pathway to true love and your happily ever after.

Over 80 hands-on recipes to unleash full potential for Xamarin in development and monetization of feature-packed, real-world Android apps About This Book Create a number of Android applications using the Xamarin Android platform Extensively integrate your Android devices with other Android devices to enhance your app creation experience A comprehensive guide packed with real-world scenarios and pro-level practices and techniques to help you build successful Android apps Who This Book Is For If you are a Xamarin developer who wants to create complete Android applications with Xamarin, then this book is ideal for you. No prior knowledge of Android development is needed, however a basic knowledge of C# and .NET would be useful. What You Will Learn Install and use Xamarin.Android with Xamarin Studio and Visual Studio Design an app’s user interface for multiple device configurations Store and protect data in databases, files, and on the cloud Utilize lists and collections to present data to the user Communicate across the network using NFC or Bluetooth Perform tasks in the background and update the user with notifications Capture and play multimedia, such as video and audio, with the camera Implement In-App Billing and Expansion Files and deploy to the store In Detail Xamarin is used by developers to write native iOS, Android, and Windows apps with native user interfaces and share code across multiple platforms not just on mobile devices, but on Windows, Mac OS X, and Linux. Developing apps with Xamarin.Android allows you to use and re-use your code and your skills on different platforms, making you more productive in any development. Although it’s not a write-once-run-anywhere framework, Xamarin provides native platform integration and optimizations. There is no middleware; Xamarin.Android talks directly to the system, taking your C# and F# code directly to the low levels. This book will provide you with the necessary knowledge and skills to be part of the mobile development era using C#. Covering a wide range of recipes such as creating a simple application and using device features effectively, it will be your companion to the complete application development cycle. Starting with installing the necessary tools, you will be guided on everything you need to develop an application ready to be deployed. You will learn the best practices for interacting with the device hardware, such as GPS, NFC, and Bluetooth. Furthermore, you will be able to manage multimedia resources such as photos and videos captured with the device camera, and so much more! By the end of this book, you will be able to create Android apps as a result of learning and implementing pro-level practices, techniques, and solutions. This book will ascertain a seamless and successful app building experience. Style and approach This book employs a step-by-step approach to Android app creation, explained in a conversational and easy-to-follow style. A wide range of examples are listed to ensure a complete understanding of how to deploy competent apps on the Android market.

Create robust and scalable applications along with responsive UI using concurrency and the multi-threading infrastructure in .NET and C#About This BookLearn to combine your asynchronous operations with Task Parallel LibraryMaster C#’s asynchronous infrastructure and use asynchronous APIs effectively to achieve optimal responsiveness of the applicationAn easy-to-follow, example-based guide that helps you to build scalable applications using concurrency in C# Who This Book Is For If you are a C# developer who wants to develop modern applications in C# and wants to overcome problems by using asynchronous APIs and standard patterns, then this book is ideal for you. Reasonable development knowledge, an understanding of core elements and applications related to the .Net platform, and also the fundamentals of concurrency is assumed.What You Will LearnApply general multithreading concepts to your application’s designLeverage lock-free concurrency and learn about its pros and cons to achieve efficient synchronization between user threadsCombine your asynchronous operations with Task Parallel LibraryMake your code easier with C#’s asynchrony supportUse common concurrent collections and programming patternsWrite scalable and robust server-side asynchronous codeCreate fast and responsible client applicationsAvoid common problems and troubleshoot your multi-threaded and asynchronous applications In Detail Starting with the traditional approach to concurrency, you will learn how to write multithreaded concurrent programs and compose ways that won't require locking. You will explore the concepts of parallelism granularity, and fine-grained and coarse-grained parallel tasks by choosing a concurrent program structure and parallelizing the workload optimally. You will also learn how to use task parallel library, cancellations, timeouts, and how to handle errors. You will know how to choose the appropriate data structure for a specific parallel algorithm to achieve scalability and performance. Further, you'll learn about server scalability, asynchronous I/O, and thread pools, and write responsive traditional Windows and Windows Store applications. By the end of the book, you will be able to diagnose and resolve typical problems that could happen in multithreaded applications.Style and approach An easy-to-follow, example-based guide that will walk you through the core principles of concurrency and multithreading using C#.

Efficiently administer and maintain your development environment with Windows PowerShellAbout This BookExplore *ing and automation techniques with Windows PowerShellGain concrete knowledge of Windows PowerShell *ing to perform professional level *ingDiscover the benefits of the Configuration Management Platform with this step-by-step guide that includes real-world *ing examples Who This Book Is For If you are an IT professional or developer who has worked on the .Net platform and you want to learn automation using Windows PowerShell, then this book is for you. This self-start guide takes you from the basics and gradually moves to an intermediate level to show you how to perform professional *ing.What You Will LearnUnderstand the concepts of building PowerShell *s and the basics of programmingManage the LYNC, Exchange, and SharePoint platformsCreate a Pull server using a SMB file share and HTTP and HTTPSUse .NET classes in Windows PowerShell and C# to manage Exchange OnlineUse PowerShell in C# to manage Exchange Online and work with .NET classes in PowerShellAutomate LYNC clients, consuming Client Server Object Models to administrate SharePoint Online In Detail Windows PowerShell 5.0 for .NET Developers is your self-start guide to performing automation using Windows PowerShell. This book will help you to understand the PowerShell syntax and grammar and will also teach you techniques to remove the rough edges of manual deployments. Packed with PowerShell *s and sample C# codes to automate tasks, it also includes real-world scenarios such as administrating office servers to help you save time and perform deployments swiftly and efficiently. The book begins with the Windows PowerShell basics, explores the significant features of Windows Management Framework 5.0, covers the basic concepts of Desired State Configuration and the importance of idempotent deployments. By the end of the book, you will have a good understanding of Windows PowerShell’s features and will be able to automate your tasks and manage configuration effectively.Style and approach This is an easy-to-follow step-by-step guide with text-enabled screenshots. Each topic is explained with codes and examples. It also includes multiple approaches for a number of tasks to let you choose the best one for you depending on your scenario.

Get started with the fundamentals of PowerShell DSC and utilize its power to automate deployment and configuration of your serversAbout This BookCreate flexible and maintainable deployments using DSC configuration *s that stand the test of timeExplore the in depth details of the core architecture, concepts, and practices used by PowerShell DSCA step-by-step guide that shows you how to start using and taking advantage of PowerShell DSC Who This Book Is For This book is intended for system administrators, developers, or engineers who are responsible for configuration management and automation and wish to learn PowerShell Desired State Configuration for efficient management, configuration and deployment of systems and applications.What You Will LearnUnderstand configuration management and why you need itCraft flexible, reusable, and maintainable configuration *s for thousands of serversCreate custom DSC resources to manage any application or server settingApply configuration data to deploy applications to different environmentsUtilize DSC push deployments to test your configuration *s and custom DSC resourcesInstall, configure and use DSC pull serversRun a Windows MSI packageDeploy a website In Detail Windows PowerShell is a task-based command-line shell and *ing language designed especially for system administration. PowerShell DSC is a new management platform that enables you to deploy and manage configuration data for software services and manage the environment in which these services run. This book begins with an overview of the basics of PowerShell DSC by covering the architecture and components of the Desired Sate Configuration. It will then familiarize you with the set of PowerShell language extensions and new PowerShell commands. It will help you understand and create DSC configurations with the help of practical examples, and to create DSC custom resources for your custom applications. Finally, you will learn to deploy a real world application using PowerShell DSC. By the end of the book, you will have better knowledge about the powerful Desired State Configuration platform, which helps you to achieve continuous delivery, and efficient management and easy deployment of data for systems.Style and approach This book is an in-depth guide to using PowerShell DSC, full of real-world experiences and best practices using PowerShell DSC. The topics are explained and build on one another other to provide a holistic learning experience. At the end, all the features learned will be used to create a real world application deployment using DSC.

Develop interactive Arduino-based Internet projects with Ethernet and WiFiAbout This BookBuild Internet-based Arduino devices to make your home feel more secureLearn how to connect various sensors and actuators to the Arduino and access data from InternetA project-based guide filled with schematics and wiring diagrams to help you build projects incrementally Who This Book Is For This book is intended for those who want to learn more about Arduino and make Internet-based interactive projects with Arduino. If you are an experienced software developer who understands the basics of electronics, then you can quickly learn how to build the Arduino projects explained in this book.What You Will LearnMake a powerful Internet controlled relay with an embedded web server to monitor and control your home electrical appliancesBuild a portable Wi-Fi signal strength sensor to give haptic feedback about signal strength to the userMeasure water flow speed and volume with liquid flow sensors and record real-time readingsSecure your home with motion-activated Arduino security cameras and upload images to the cloudImplement real-time data logging of a solar panel voltage with Arduino cloud connectorsTrack locations with GPS and upload location data to the cloudControl a garage door light with your Twitter feedControl infrared enabled devices with IR remote and Arduino In Detail Arduino is a small single-chip computer board that can be used for a wide variety of creative hardware projects. The hardware consists of a simple microcontroller, board, and chipset. It comes with a Java-based IDE to allow creators to program the board. Arduino is the ideal open hardware platform for experimenting with the world of the Internet of Things. This credit card sized Arduino board can be used via the Internet to make more useful and interactive Internet of things projects. Internet of Things with Arduino Blueprints is a project-based book that begins with projects based on IoT and cloud computing concepts. This book covers up to eight projects that will allow devices to communicate with each other, access information over the Internet, store and retrieve data, and interact with users—creating smart, pervasive, and always-connected environments. It explains how wired and wireless Internet connections can be used with projects and the use of various sensors and actuators. The main aim of this book is to teach you how Arduino can be used for Internet-related projects so that users are able to control actuators, gather data from various kinds of sensors, and send and receive data wirelessly across HTTP and TCP protocols. Finally, you can use these projects as blueprints for many other IoT projects and put them to good use. By the end of the book, you will be an expert in the use of IoT with Arduino to develop a set of projects that can relate very well to IoT applications in the real world.Style and approach Every chapter in this book clearly explains how to assemble components through easy-to-follow steps on while laying out important concepts, code snippets, and expected output results so that you can easily end up with a successful project where you can also enhance or modify the project according to your requirements.