If you're a developer looking to supplement your own data tools and services, this concise ebook covers the most useful sources of public data available today. You'll find useful information on APIs that offer broad coverage, tie their data to the outside world, and are either accessible online or feature downloadable bulk data. You'll also find code and helpful links.

This guide organizes APIs by the subjects they cover--such as websites, people, or places--so you can quickly locate the best resources for augmenting the data you handle in your own service. Categories include: Website tools such as WHOIS, bit.ly, and Compete Services that use email addresses as search terms, including Github Finding information from just a name, with APIs such as WhitePages Services, such as Klout, for locating people with Facebook and Twitter accounts Search APIs, including BOSS and Wikipedia Geographical data sources, including SimpleGeo and U.S. Census Company information APIs, such as CrunchBase and ZoomInfo APIs that list IP addresses, such as MaxMind Services that list books, films, music, and products

Create a MongoDB cluster that will to grow to meet the needs of your application. With this short and concise book, you'll get guidelines for setting up and using clusters to store a large volume of data, and learn how to access the data efficiently. In the process, you'll understand how to make your application work with a distributed database system.

"Scaling MongoDB" will help you: Set up a MongoDB cluster through sharding Work with a cluster to query and update data Operate, monitor, and backup your cluster Plan your application to deal with outages

By following the advice in this book, you'll be well on your way to building and running an efficient, predictable distributed system using MongoDB.

This book considers evolution at different scales: sequences, genes, gene families, organelles, genomes and species. The focus is on the mathematical and computational tools and concepts, which form an essential basis of evolutionary studies, indicate their limitations, and give them orientation. Recent years have witnessed rapid progress in the mathematics of evolution and phylogeny, with models and methods becoming more realistic, powerful, and complex.
Aimed at graduates and researchers in phylogenetics, mathematicians, computer scientists and biologists, and including chapters by leading scientists: A. Bergeron, D. Bertrand, D. Bryant, R. Desper, O. Elemento, N. El-Mabrouk, N. Galtier, O. Gascuel, M. Hendy, S. Holmes, K. Huber, A. Meade, J. Mixtacki, B. Moret, E. Mossel, V. Moulton, M. Pagel, M.-A. Poursat, D. Sankoff, M. Steel, J. Stoye, J. Tang, L.-S. Wang, T. Warnow, Z. Yang, this book of contributed chapters explains the basis and covers the recent results in this highly topical area.

As the first book for intermediate and advanced users of Google SketchUp, this Cookbook goes beyond the basics to explore the complex features and tools that design professionals use. You'll get numerous step-by-step tutorials for solving common (and not so common) design problems, with detailed color graphics to guide your way, and discussions that explain additional ways to complete a task. Google SketchUp Cookbook will help you:

Use SketchUp more efficiently by taking advantage of components and groups Learn new techniques for using Follow Me, Intersect, and constraints Go beyond simple textures with tools such as texture positioning and Photo Match Create animations and walkthroughs, and explore design scenarios by using layers and scenes Learn how to use styles to customize your presentations Combine SketchUp with the 3D Warehouse and Google Earth

Google SketchUp Cookbook is ideal for architects, engineers, interior designers, product designers, woodworkers, and other professionals and hobbyists who want to work more efficiently and achieve true mastery of this amazing tool.

This book offers an up-to-date coverage of the basic principles and of the tools of Bayesian inference in econometrics. Bayesian inference is a branch of statistics that integrates explicitly both data and prior (possibly subjective) information in model building , estimation and evaluation. The book then shows how to use Bayesian methods in a range of models especially suited to the analysis of macroeconomic and financial time series.

An exploration of the basis for social and economic behaviour. Using cellular automata in particular, the authors model various factors that are involved in a system of individuals who interact socially and economically with one another. Computer simulations in the social sciences provide a laboratory in which qualitative ideas about social and economic interactions can be tested. This brings a new dimension to the science, where 'explanations' abound, but are rarely subject to much experimental testing. The authors have chosen Mathematica because it has a number of features which make it uniquely qualified for use by social scientists, especially those without expertise in computer programming. Further, users can easily access and readily interact with the various 3.0 Mathematica notebooks, plus other data to be found at www.telospub.com.

Learn BIM the Revit Way

Revit is Autodesk's industry-leading Building Information Modeling (BIM) software, and this Autodesk Official Training Guide thoroughly covers core Revit topics such as modeling, massing, sustainability, and more. It also brings you up to speed on advanced techniques such as using Revit in the cloud and how to go direct to fabrication.

Organized by real-world workflows, this book covers the interface, templates, worksharing, modeling and massing, visualization techniques for different industries, sustainability, roofs and floors, stairs and railings, documentation, and much more.This Autodesk Official Training Guide teaches you how to use the leading BIM software and also serves as a study aid for Autodesk's Certified Associate and Certified Professional exams Organized according to actual workflows, the book begins with an explanation of key BIM concepts, familiarizes you with the interface, and then moves into actual application Covers modeling and massing, the Family Editor, visualization techniques for various industries, documentation, annotation and detailing, and how to work with complex walls, roofs, floors, stairs, and railings Companion website features before-and-after tutorial files, so readers can jump in at any point

"Mastering Autodesk Revit Architecture" helps you learn Revit in a context that makes real-world sense.

A practical guide to SketchUp addressing the specific needs of interior designers Already a common and popular tool for architects and landscape architects, SketchUp is increasingly finding a place in the professional workflow of interior designers. SketchUp for Interior Design is a practical introduction for interior designers and students who want to learn to use the software for their unique needs. The book covers the basics of creating 3D models before showing how to create space plans, model furniture, cabinetry, and accessories, experiment with colors and materials, incorporate manufacturers' models into project plans, and create final presentations and animated walk-throughs for clients. Each chapter includes clear explanations and helpful illustrations to make this an ideal introduction to the topic. * Includes downloadable sample models and 39 tutorial videos * Features sample questions and activities for instructors and additional online resources for students and self-learners * Provides instruction on using SketchUp in both PC and Mac formats

This book illustrates the ease with which various features of LISREL 8 and PRELIS 2 can be implemented in addressing research questions that lend themselves to SEM. Its purpose is threefold: (a) to present a nonmathmatical introduction to basic concepts associated with SEM, (b) to demonstrate basic applications of SEM using both the DOS and Windows versions of LISREL 8, as well as both the LISREL and SIMPLIS lexicons, and (c) to highlight particular features of the LISREL 8 and PRELIS 2 progams that address important caveats related to SEM analyses.

This book is intended neither as a text on the topic of SEM, nor as a comprehensive review of the many statistical funcitons available in the LISREL 8 and PRELIS 2 programs. Rather, the intent is to provide a practical guide to SEM using the LISREL approach. As such, the reader is "walked through" a diversity of SEM applications that include both factor analytic and full latent variable models, as well as a variety of data management procedures.

This unique book covers the whole field of electronic warfare modeling and simulation at a systems level, including chapters that describe basic electronic warfare (EW) concepts. Written by a well-known expert in the field with more than 24 years of experience, the book explores EW applications and techniques and the radio frequency spectrum, with primary emphasis on HF (high frequency) to microwave. A detailed resource for entry-level engineering personnel in EW, military personnel with no radio or communications engineering background, technicians and software professionals, the work helps you understand the basic concepts required for modeling and simulation, as well as fidelity and other practical aspects of simulation design and application. You get clear explanations of important mathematical concepts, such as decibel notation and spherical trigonometry. This informative reference explains how to facilitate the generation of realistic computer models of EW equipment. Moreover, it describes specific types of EW equipment, how they work and how each is mathematically modeled. The book concludes with a description of the various types of models and simulations and the ways they are applied to training and equipment testing tasks.

Simulations and the Future of Learning offers trainers and educators the information and perspective they need to understand, design, build, and deploy computer simulations for this generation. Looking back on his recent first-hand experience as lead designer for an advanced leadership development simulation, author Clark Aldrich has created a detailed case study of the creation and deployment of an e-learning simulation that had the development cycle of a modern computer game. With this book Aldrich, a leader in the e-learning field, has created an intriguing roadmap for the future of learning while taking us along on an entertaining rollercoaster ride of trial and error, success and failure. Simulations and the Future of Learning outlines the design principles and critical decisions around any simulation's components— the interface, the physics and animation systems, the artificial intelligence, and sets and figures. Using this accessible resource, readers will learn how to create and evaluate successful simulations that have the following characteristics: authentic and relevant scenarios; applied pressure situations that tap user's emotion and force them to act; a sense of unrestricted options; and replayability.

Since its founding in 1989 by Terrence Sejnowski, Neural Computation has become the leading journal in the field. Foundations of Neural Computationcollects, by topic, the most significant papers that have appeared in the journal over the past nine years.This volume of Foundations of Neural Computation, on unsupervised learning algorithms, focuses on neural network learning algorithms that do not require an explicit teacher. The goal of unsupervised learning is to extract an efficient internal representation of the statistical structure implicit in the inputs. These algorithms provide insights into the development of the cerebral cortex and implicit learning in humans. They are also of interest to engineers working in areas such as computer vision and speech recognition who seek efficient representations of raw input data.

This two-volume set (CCIS 175 and CCIS 176) constitutes the refereed proceedings of the International Conference on Computer Education, Simulation and Modeling, CSEM 2011, held in Wuhan, China, in June 2011. The 148 revised full papers presented in both volumes were carefully reviewed and selected from a large number of submissions. The papers cover issues such as multimedia and its application, robotization and automation, mechatronics, computer education, modern education research, control systems, data mining, knowledge management, image processing, communication software, database technology, artificial intelligence, computational intelligence, simulation and modeling, agent based simulation, biomedical visualization, device simulation & modeling, object-oriented simulation, Web and security visualization, vision and visualization, coupling dynamic modeling theory, discretization method, and modeling method research.

Unlike many AutoCAD competitors, this book covers only the basics and uses mixed units -inches, meters, feet, kilometers, etc., to illustrate the myriad drawing and editing tools for this popular application. Use the DVD to set up drawing exercises and projects, see all of the book s figures in color, and draw with a trial version of AutoCAD 2012. AutoCAD 2012 Beginning and Intermediate includes 50 exercises or mini-workshops, that complete small projects from concept through actual plotting. Solving all of the workshops will simulate the creation of two full projects (architectural and mechanical) from beginning to end, without overlooking any of the basic commands and functions in AutoCAD 2012.BRIEF TABLE OF CONTENTS: 1: AutoCAD 2012 Basics. 2: Precise Drafting in AutoCAD 2012. 3: Modifying Commands. 4: Construction Commands. 5: Layers and Inquiry Commands. 6: Blocks and Hatch. 7: Text and Tables. 8: Dimensioning. 9: Plotting. 10: Projects."

If you want to use CouchDB to support real-world applications, you'll need to create MapReduce views that let you query this document-oriented database for meaningful data. With this short and concise ebook, you'll learn how to create a variety of MapReduce views to help you query and aggregate data in CouchDB's large, distributed datasets.

You'll get step-by-step instructions and lots of sample code to create and explore several MapReduce views through the course of the book, using an example database you construct. To work with these different views, you'll learn how to use the Futon web administration console and the cURL command line tool that come with CouchDB. Learn how the Map and Reduce steps work independently and together to index your data Use the example database to create several temporary views based on different criteria Discover the uses of Map and Reduce JavaScript functions Convert your temporary views to permanent views within a design document Learn several options for querying the data within your views Limit the number of results returned, skip some results, or reverse the order of the output Group your results by exact keys or by parts of keys

Bradley Holt, co-founder of the creative services firm Found Line, is a web developer and entrepreneur ten years of PHP and MySQL experience. He began using CouchDB before the release of version 1.0. Bradley is an active member of the PHP community, and can be reached at bradley-holt.com.

If you want to learn to create 3-D models using Google SketchUp, this "Missing Manual" is the ideal place to start. Filled with step-by-step tutorials, this entertaining, reader-friendly guide will have you creating detailed 3-D objects, including building plans, furniture, landscaping plans - even characters for computer games - in no time. "Google SketchUp: The Missing Manual" offers a hands-on tour of the program, with crystal-clear instructions for using every feature and lots of real-world examples to help you pick up the practical skills you need. It helps you learn to use the basic tools, build and animate models, and place your objects in Google Earth.With this book, you will: learn your way around the SketchUp workspace, and explore the differences between working in 2-D and 3-D; build simple 3-D shapes, save them as reusable components, and use SketchUp's Outliner to show or hide them as you work; tackle a complicated model building with lots of detail, and discover timesaving tools for using many components; animate the model by creating an interior walkthrough of your building; and, dress up your model with realistic material shading and shadows, and place it in Google Earth. It's easy to get started. Just download the program from Google.com, and follow the instructions in this book. You'll become a SketchUp master in a jiffy.

Create stunning renders of your 3ds Max models in mental ray with this concise guide. Learn all of the essential concepts such as indirect illumination, materials, render options, shaders, and lighting. Rendering with mental ray and 3ds Max, Second Edition is now revised to cover Autodesk Revit and special effects. The companion website includes all of the necessary project files from inside the book.

This book is the first to provide a comprehensive survey of the computational models and methodologies used for studying the evolution and origin of language and communication. Comprising contributions from the most influential figures in the field, it presents and summarises the state-of-the-art in computational approaches to language evolution, and highlights new lines of development.Essential reading for researchers and students in the fields of evolutionary and adaptive systems, language evolution modelling and linguistics, it will also be of interest to researchers working on applications of neural networks to language problems. Furthermore, due to the fact that language evolution models use multi-agent methodologies, it will also be of great interest to computer scientists working on multi-agent systems, robotics and internet agents.

There's growing interest in learning how to analyze streaming data in large-scale systems such as web traffic, financial transactions, machine logs, industrial sensors, and many others. But analyzing data streams at scale has been difficult to do well--until now. This practical book delivers a deep introduction to Apache Flink, a highly innovative open source stream processor with a surprising range of capabilities. Authors Ellen Friedman and Kostas Tzoumas show technical and nontechnical readers alike how Flink is engineered to overcome significant tradeoffs that have limited the effectiveness of other approaches to stream processing. You'll also learn how Flink has the ability to handle both stream and batch data processing with one technology. * Learn the consequences of not doing streaming well--in retail and marketing, IoT, telecom, and banking and finance* Explore how to design data architecture to gain the best advantage from stream processing* Get an overview of Flink's capabilities and features, along with examples of how companies use Flink, including in production* Take a technical dive into Flink, and learn how it handles time and stateful computation* Examine how Flink processes both streaming (unbounded) and batch (bounded) data without sacrificing performance

Robert Axelrod is widely known for his groundbreaking work in game theory and complexity theory. He is a leader in applying computer modeling to social science problems. His book "The Evolution of Cooperation" has been hailed as a seminal contribution and has been translated into eight languages since its initial publication. The "Complexity of Cooperation" is a sequel to that landmark book. It collects seven essays, originally published in a broad range of journals, and adds an extensive new introduction to the collection, along with new prefaces to each essay and a useful new appendix of additional resources. Written in Axelrod's acclaimed, accessible style, this collection serves as an introductory text on complexity theory and computer modeling in the social sciences and as an overview of the current state of the art in the field.

The articles move beyond the basic paradigm of the Prisoner's Dilemma to study a rich set of issues, including how to cope with errors in perception or implementation, how norms emerge, and how new political actors and regions of shared culture can develop. They use the shared methodology of agent-based modeling, a powerful technique that specifies the rules of interaction between individuals and uses computer simulation to discover emergent properties of the social system. "The Complexity of Cooperation" is essential reading for all social scientists who are interested in issues of cooperation and complexity

The Oxford Users' Guide to Mathematics is one of the leading handbooks on mathematics available. It presents a comprehensive modern picture of mathematics and emphasises the relations between the different branches of mathematics, and the applications of mathematics in engineering and the natural sciences. The Oxford User's Guide covers a broad spectrum of mathematics starting with the basic material and progressing on to more advanced topics that have come to the fore in the last few decades. The book is organised into mathematical sub-disciplines including analysis, algebra, geometry, foundations of mathematics, calculus of variations and optimisation, theory of probability and mathematical statistics, numerical mathematics and scientific computing, and history of mathematics. The book is supplemented by numerous tables on infinite series, special functions, integrals, integral transformations, mathematical statistics, and fundamental constants in physics. It also includes a comprehensive bibliography of key contemporary literature as well as an extensive glossary and index. The wealth of material, reaching across all levels and numerous sub-disciplines, makes The Oxford User's Guide to Mathematics an invaluable reference source for students of engineering, mathematics, computer science, and the natural sciences, as well as teachers, practitioners, and researchers in industry and academia.

Unity brings you ever closer to the "author once, deploy anywhere" dream. With its multiplatform capabilities, you can target desktop, web, mobile devices, and consoles using a single development engine. Little wonder that Unity has quickly become the #1 game engine out there. Mastering Unity is absolutely essential in an increasingly competitive games market where agility is expected, yet until now practical tutorials were nearly impossible to find. Creating Games with Unity and Maya gives you with an end-to-end solution for Unity game development with Maya. Written by a twelve-year veteran of the 3D animation and games industry and professor of 3D animation, this book takes you step-by-step through the process of developing an entire game from scratch-including coding, art, production, and deployment. This accessible guide provides a "non-programmer" entry point to the world of game creation. Aspiring developers with little or no coding experience will learn character development in Maya, scripts, GUI interface, and first- and third-person interactions.

Create in 3D with Tinkercad! If you can dream it, you can create it--using Tinkercad. This free tool gives everyone the power to create 3D models, regardless of your level of experience. With the help of Tinkercad For Dummies, you'll have the knowledge you need to plan your designs, the know-how to utilize the platform's drag-and-drop tools to create your design, and the information you need to print or export your designs to use them elsewhere. Tinkercad is for everyone! It's simple enough to be used by kids and students, but robust enough that an adult could use it to create a complex product prototype. With more than 4 million designs posted in the Tinkercad community, the platform is also popular with teachers around the world. Why not join in on the fun? Create your Tinkercad account and join the community Use the drag-and-drop tools to build 3D images Export your designs to have them 3D printed Learn the principles of great 3D design Tinkercad is truly fun for all ages, and this hands-on guide makes it faster and easier to start using it right away!

This simple-to-follow textbook/reference provides an invaluable guide to object-oriented C++ programming for scientific computing. Through a series of clear and concise discussions, the key features most useful to the novice programmer are explored, enabling the reader to quickly master the basics and build the confidence to investigate less well-used features when needed. The text presents a hands-on approach that emphasizes the benefits of learning by example, stressing the importance of a clear programming style to minimise the introduction of errors into the code, and offering an extensive selection of practice exercises. This updated and enhanced new edition includes additional material on software testing, and on some new features introduced in modern C++ standards such as C++11. Topics and features: presents a practical treatment of the C++ programming language for applications in scientific computing; reviews the essentials of procedural programming in C++, covering variables, flow of control, input and output, pointers, functions and reference variables; introduces the concept of classes, showcasing the main features of object-orientation, and discusses such advanced C++ features as templates and exceptions; examines the development of a collection of classes for linear algebra calculations, and presents an introduction to parallel computing using MPI; describes how to construct an object-oriented library for solving second order differential equations; contains appendices reviewing linear algebra and useful programming constructs, together with solutions to selected exercises; provides exercises and programming tips at the end of every chapter, and supporting code at an associated website. This accessible textbook is a "must-read" for programmers of all levels of expertise. Basic familiarity with concepts such as operations between vectors and matrices, and the Newton-Raphson method for finding the roots of non-linear equations, would be an advantage, but extensive knowledge of the underlying mathematics is not assumed.

Economists are increasingly using computer simulations to understand the implications of their theoretical models and to make policy recommendations. New model solution techniques are required to deal with the increasingly important role of dynamics and uncertainty in macroeconomics. This book consists of articles by leading contributors in the field showing how to use these techniques in the context of standard macroeconomic models.