Linux & Open Source Genius Guide, Volume 3

Linux & Open Source Genius Guide Volume 3Hot on the heels of Linux Tips, Tricks Apps & Hacks Volume 1 – Imagine Publishing’s latest ‘bookazine,’ gathering themed content from the company’s Linux User & Developer magazine – is Linux & Open Source Genius Guide Volume 3, which takes some of the more technical content from Linux User & Developer and repackages it for those who missed it the first time around or who prefer a meatier read.

As before, my content features prominently in the publication: a reprise of my Arduino feature from Linux User & Developer Issue 95 is included, along with all three parts of my special feature on getting started as an open-source contributor to the LibreOffice project originally published in Linux User & Developer Issue 108, Issue 109 and Issue 110.

The ‘bookazine’ also includes a whole host of my regular group tests, including Issue 112‘s look at mind mapping software, project management packages from Issue 111, CD ripping apps from Issue 110, email clients from Issue 109, password managers from Issue 107, and my annual look at the best Linux desktop distributions.

If you missed any or all of that content the first time around, Linux & Open Source Genius Guide Volume 3 is available now from the Imagine Publishing Shop.

Linux Tips, Tricks Apps & Hacks, Volume 1

Linux Tips, Tricks & Hacks Volume 1Imagine Publishing has recently been attempting to branch out from its traditional magazine fare with ‘bookazines,’ the somewhat clumsy portmanteau given to the company’s book-format publications which gather content from previous issues of its magazines. The latest of these is Linux Tips, Tricks Apps & Hacks, which takes themed material from the company’s Linux User & Developer magazine and collates them together for easy access.

As a regular contributor to Linux User & Developer, it’s little surprise to see some of my content find its way into the first volume of Linux Tips, Tricks Apps & Hacks. There’s my feature on how to fix a broken Linux installation from Linux User & Developer Issue 107 plus my bumper 10-page special on Ubuntu 12.10, comparing it to rival distributions on a range of subjects from usability to community engagement, which first appeared in Linux User & Developer Issue 119. A few other pieces of mine, including distribution reviews, also appear between the covers.

Sadly for my bank balance, republication such as this does not carry with it an additional fee – but it’s always nice to see my work reaching a new audience, and for those who missed the features the first time round Linux Tips, Tricks Apps & Hacks provides a handy way to catch up on matters.

For more information, or to snag a copy, check of the official product page on the Imagine Publishing Shop.

Arduino 20/20

Arduino 101 Title SlideFollowing my Arduino article for Custom PC, I was asked to give a 20/20 presentation – twenty slides, each one of which lasts an enforced twenty seconds – on the subject for GeekUp Leeds, a monthly gathering of local techies, hackers, and tinkerers.

The presentation took place at the Lounge Bar in Leeds on the 15th of September 2010, to a pretty packed house.

The slides from the talk can be downloaded in PDF format.  They’re released under a Creative Commons – Attribution – Sharealike – Non-Commercial licence, meaning that anyone is free to download, use, remix, or otherwise modify the presentation so long as it’s not used for commercial purposes and I’m properly attributed as the original creator.

If in doubt, my name plus a link to this site is enough.

Arduino Duemilanove - Side View

Arduino Projects: Getting Started

Arduino Duemilanove - Side ViewA break from the usual ‘sample’ style of post to showcase an article I’m really rather proud of: an introduction to Arduino circuit-building and programming, written for bit-tech and Custom PC Magazine.

Anyone who has ever hacked around in their PC will have been hit with an urge to take their tinkering to the next level and create a custom-built device, but few actually try – believing such things to be far too complicated. At least, until the Arduino appeared on the scene.

Originally developed in Italy in 2005 as a tool for students building interactive design projects, the Arduino is a microcontroller-based prototyping board – but one that pretty much removes the barriers to entry that previous electronic prototyping systems had.

The idea behind the Arduino is simple: to create a system that allows electronic circuits to be created, modified, and tested in minutes – complete with a programmable chip in the centre to take control of everything.

The full article can be read over on bit-tech.net.

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