Video games open portals into fantastical worlds where imaginative play prevails. The virtual medium seemingly provides us with ample opportunities to behave and act out with relative safety and impunity. Or does it? Sound Play explores the aesthetic, ethical, and sociopolitical stakes of our engagements with gaming's audio phenomena-from sonic violence to synthesized operas, from democratic music-making to vocal sexual harassment. Author William Cheng shows how the simulated environments of games empower designers, composers, players, and scholars to test and tinker with music, noise, speech, and silence in ways that might not be prudent or possible in the real world. In negotiating utopian and alarmist stereotypes of video games, Sound Play synthesizes insights from across musicology, sociology, anthropology, communications, literary theory, and philosophy. With case studies that span Final Fantasy VI, Silent Hill, Fallout 3, The Lord of the Rings Online, and Team Fortress 2, this book insists that what we do in there-in the safe, sound spaces of games-can ultimately teach us a great deal about who we are and what we value (musically, culturally, humanly) out here.

Conducting research and technology design for domestic life is by no means easy. Methods commonly used in the field of Human-Computer Interaction in settings like the workplace may not easily translate to the richness and complexity of domestic life. This book documents new ways in which researchers are studying domestic life, as well as designing and evaluating technology in the home. Each chapter is a candid discussion about methods that were successfully used for research studies with a focus on the challenges that the researchers faced and the best practices they learned.

Indexing consists of both novel and more traditional techniques. Cutting-edge indexing techniques, such as automatic indexing, ontologies, and topic maps, were developed independently of older techniques such as thesauri, but it is now recognized that these older methods also hold expertise.
Indexing describes various traditional and novel indexing techniques, giving information professionals and students of library and information sciences a broad and comprehensible introduction to indexing. This title consists of twelve chapters: an Introduction to subject readings and theasauri; Automatic indexing versus manual indexing; Techniques applied in automatic indexing of text material; Automatic indexing of images; The black art of indexing moving images; Automatic indexing of music; Taxonomies and ontologies; Metadata formats and indexing; Tagging; Topic maps; Indexing the web; and The Semantic Web.
Makes difficult and complex techniques understandableContains may links to and illustrations from websites where new indexing techniques can be experiencedProvides references for further reading

In Max/MSP/Jitter for Music, expert author and music technologist V. J. Manzo provides a user-friendly introduction to a powerful programming language that can be used to write custom software for musical interaction. Through clear, step-by-step instructions illustrated with numerous examples of working systems, the book equips readers with everything they need to know in order to design and complete meaningful music projects. The book also discusses ways to interact with software beyond the mouse and keyboard through use of camera tracking, pitch tracking, video game controllers, sensors, mobile devices, and more. The book does not require any prerequisite programming skills, but rather walks readers through a series of small projects through which they will immediately begin to develop software applications for practical musical projects. As the book progresses, and as the individual's knowledge of the language grows, the projects become more sophisticated. This new and expanded second edition brings the book fully up-to-date including additional applications in integrating Max with Ableton Live. It also includes a variety of additional projects as part of the final three project chapters. The book is of special value both to software programmers working in Max/MSP/Jitter and to music educators looking to supplement their lessons with interactive instructional tools, develop adaptive instruments to aid in student composition and performance activities, and create measurement tools with which to conduct music education research.

Web 2.0 technology is a hot topic at the moment, and public librarians in particular are beginning to feel the pressure to apply these tools. Indeed, Web 2.0 has the potential to transform library services, but only if the policy and strategy for those services are ready to be transformed. The author not only reviews these tools and provides practical advice and case studies on how they can be applied in the public library setting, but also recommends the policies and business cases that begin to create a new strategy for public libraries.
Particularly geared to the public library settingAdvice on using in conjunction or integrated with other public library servicesExamples of best practice

This book addresses the question of how knowledge is currently documented, and may soon be documented in the context of what it calls semantic publishing . This takes two forms: a more narrowly and technically defined semantic web; as well as a broader notion of semantic publishing. This book examines the ways in which knowledge is represented in journal articles and books. By contrast, it goes on to explore the potential impacts of semantic publishing on academic research and authorship. It sets this in the context of changing knowledge ecologies: the way research is done; the way knowledge is represented and; the modes of knowledge access used by researchers, students and the general public.
Provides an introduction to the semantic web and semantic publishing for readers outside the field of computer scienceDiscusses the relevance of the semantic web and semantic publishing more broadly, and its application to academic researchExamines the changing ecologies of knowledge production"

This book is about news search and monitoring. Aimed at professionals with a strategic need of monitoring the surrounding world, users with a need to find the best news sources, monitoring services and news search strategies and techniques will benefit from reading this book. The main purpose is to present a practical handbook with an analysis of readily available tools, blending with passages of a theoretical nature. It is also useful for students at LIS programmes and related information programmes and for librarians and information professionals. The authors aim to aid the reader in reaching a greater understanding of the core in news search and monitoring.
Presents effective tools to evaluate news search engines and databasesHarness the power of RSS (Real Simple Syndication) feeds in online news search and monitoringLearn how to navigate and critically question the news found in the blogosphere

The originality of this book, which deals with such a new subject matter, lies in the application of methods and concepts never used before - such as ontologies and taxonomies, as well as thesauri - to the ordering of knowledge based on primary information. Chapters in the book also examine the study of ontologies, taxonomies and thesauri from the perspective of systematics and general systems theory. Ontologies, Taxonomies and Thesauri in Systems Science and Systematics will be extremely useful to those operating within the network of related fields, which includes documentation and information science.
Ontologies and TaxonomyKnowledge classification SystemsThesauri

This book tackles online social networks by navigating these systems from the birth to the death of their digital presence. Navigating the social within the digital can be a contentious undertaking, as social networks confuse the boundary between offline and online relationships. These systems work to bring people together in an online environment, yet participation can dislocate users from other relationships and deviant online behaviour can create offline issues. The author begins by examining the creation of a digital presence in online networks popularized by websites such as Facebook and MySpace. The book explores how the digital presence influences how social, cultural and professional relationships are discovered, forged, maintained and broken, and journeys through the popular criticisms of social networking such as employee time-wasting, bullying, stalking, the alleged links between social networks and suicide and the decline of a user s public image. Social networks are often treated as morally ambiguous spaces, which highlights a dissonance between digital and social literacies. This discord is approached through an exploration of the everyday undercurrents present in social networks. The discussion of the digital presence ends by addressing the intricacies of becoming digitally dead, which explores how a user removes their identity, with finality, from social networks and the entire web.
Identifies the undercurrents present in social networks and explores how these influence everyday lifeProvides insight into how the digital presence insidiously encroaches on offline aspects of a user s lifeExamines the idea of becoming digitally dead by discussing the often taboo subject of virtual and non-virtual suicide in the context of social networks"

Electronic music instruments weren't called synthesizers until the 1950s, but their lineage began in 1919 with Russian inventor Lev Sergeyevich Termen's development of the Etherphone, now known as the Theremin. From that point, synthesizers have undergone a remarkable evolution from prohibitively large mid-century models confined to university laboratories to the development of musical synthesis software that runs on tablet computers and portable media devices.
Throughout its history, the synthesizer has always been at the forefront of technology for the arts. In The Synthesizer: A Comprehensive Guide to Understanding, Programming, Playing, and Recording the Ultimate Electronic Music Instrument, veteran music technology journalist, educator, and performer Mark Vail tells the complete story of the synthesizer: the origins of the many forms the instrument takes; crucial advancements in sound generation, musical control, and composition made with instruments that may have become best sellers or gone entirely unnoticed; and the basics and intricacies of acoustics and synthesized sound. Vail also describes how to successfully select, program, and play a synthesizer; what alternative controllers exist for creating electronic music; and how to stay focused and productive when faced with a room full of instruments. This one-stop reference guide on all things synthesizer also offers tips on encouraging creativity, layering sounds, performance, composing and recording for film and television, and much more.

In a world where computing power, ubiquity and connectivity create powerful new ways to facilitate learning, this book examines how librarians and information professionals can utilize emerging technologies to expand service and resource delivery. With contributions from leading professionals, including lecturers, librarians and e-learning technologists, this bookl explores strategic approaches for effectively implementing, living with, and managing revolutionary technological change in libraries.
Explores the impact of the social and technological aspects of Web 2.0 on libraries and library servicesDraws on empirical researchExperienced practitioners

The quest to achieve high website rankings in search engine results is a prominent subject for both academics and website owners/coders. Website Visibility marries academic research results to the world of the information practitioner and contains a focused look at the elements which contribute to website visibility, providing support for the application of each element with relevant research. A series of real-world case studies with tested examples of research on website visibility elements and their effect on rankings are reviewed.
Written by a well-respected academic and practitioner in the field of search enginesProvides practical and real-world guidance for real-world situationsBased on actual research in the field, which is often used to confirm or refute beliefs in the industry

A straightforward overview with minimum technical descriptions of the underlying networking principles, standards, applications and uses of the Internet. Understanding the Internet explains the underlying networking concepts, the protocols and standards which comprise the Internet, Internet trends and applications, the mobile Internet, security and the hidden Web. The Internet and World Wide Web are dramatically changing the world we live in and this book provides a holistic view of the Internet so that practitioners and users can more fully understand the concepts involved.
Written by a highly knowledgeable and well-respected practitioner in the fieldDraws on the author s wide-ranging practical experience of developing web and mobile web applications and indeed teaching Internet technologies at a university for many yearsProvides insight into how the Internet is put together and the novel applications which are currently residing on it "

An exciting challenge to how the internet and ICT have been understood in academia and popular culture and shows how important cultural assumptions are in how we understand technology. The Internet, Power and Society argues that the way in which we view technology such as the internet owes much to older, historic views of the media and to issues in contemporary society. Such perspectives are deeply rooted in a Western view of technology and the book concludes by offering a radically new perspective as to how the internet can change a society that is truly global in its application.
An original approach to ICT and the Internet that challenges the orthodoxyVery topical subject matter - the book addresses many of the issues regarded of key import in high level political discussions (such as the World Summit on the Information Society); the current understanding of ICT and how to move beyond this interpretationAn approach that moves the debate forward and offers a truly global way of understanding the Internet and ICT"

Among the most interesting fields in research are the emerging possibilities to interface the human brain directly with machines, e.g. with computers and robotic interfaces. The European Space Agency's Advanced Concept team as a multidisciplinary team from engineering, artificial intelligence, and neural engineering has been working on the cutting edge of exploring brain machine interfaces for application in space as solutions to limitations astronauts face in space, and this book for the first time presents the state-of-the-art-cohesively.
* A pioneering book for a pioneering field
* Presents the application of cutting-edge brain machine interface technologies and concepts to support astronauts in space
* Of great interest to space scientists, neuroscientists, and biomedical engineers alike

Content Licensing is a wide-ranging and comprehensive guide to providing content for dissemination electronically. It outlines a step-by-step introduction to the why, how, and frequently asked questions of digital content and how to license it. In addition, it examines the context in which licensing takes place. What makes the book unique is that it examines licensing from a range of perspectives.
Practical tips for cost-effective licensingGuidance on how to ensure the most effective use is made of electronic resourcesInvaluable for publishers, libraries and distributors

How does a game get made? What can go wrong? What does a producer actually do? Part memoir, part guide, the Gaming Dream is an eye opening, true account of what it was like to work in the UK gaming industry back when the PS2 was king. Francesco Fraulo loves playing games and really wants to get a job making them. He gets his chance when a bit of luck helps him get employed at a large gaming company. Things do not go to plan however and he learns that the gaming industry isn't the land of honey he thought it would be and he begins to wonder if it was all worth it. Follow Frank as he experiences the launch of a new console launch and the creation of award winning games while trying to test his way up the game industry ladder. His stories are full of funny behind the scenes anecdotes of what life working in gaming is really like. It gives a great insight into the companies, processes and people involved in making video games and is a must read for anyone thinking of joining the games industry. This new edition has been reedited and expanded for 2014.

For the engineering and scientific professional, A Physicist's Guide to Mathematica, 2/e provides an updated reference guide based on the 2007 new 6.0 release, providing an organized and integrated desk reference with step by step instructions for the most often used features of the software as it applies to research in physics.
For Professors teaching physics and other science courses using the Mathematica software, A Physicist's Guide to Mathematica, 2/e is the only fully compatible (new software release) Mathematica text that engages students by providing complete topic coverage, new applications, exercises and examples that enable the user to solve a wide range of physics problems.
- Does not require prior knowledge of Mathematica or computer programming
- Can be used as either a primary or supplemental text for upper-division physics majors and an Instructor's Solutions Manual is available
- Provides over 450 end-of-section exercises and end-of-chapter problems
- Serves as a reference suitable for chemists, physical scientists, and engineers
- Compatible with Mathematica Version 6, a recent major release
- Compact disk contains all of the Mathematica input and output in this book

This book provides a foundation for understanding the fundamentals of biomedical informatics, which deals with the storage, retrieval, and use of biomedical data for biological problem solving and medical decision making. It covers the application of these principles to the three main biomedical domains of basic biology, clinical medicine, and public health. The author offers a coherent summary, focusing on the three core concept areas of biomedical data and knowledge representation, biomedical information access, biomedical decision making, and information and technology use in biomedical contexts.
* Develops principles and methods for representing biomedical data, using information in context and in decision making, and accessing information to assist the medical community in using data to its full potential
* Provides a series of principles for expressing biomedical data and ideas in a computable form to integrate biological, clinical, and public health applications
* Includes a discussion of user interfaces, interactive graphics, and knowledge resources and reference material on programming languages to provide medical informatics programmers with the technical tools to develop systems

Digital Information Culture is an introduction to the cultural, social and political impact of digital information and digital resources. The book is organised around themes, rather than theories and is arranged into three sections: culture, society and the individual. Each explores key elements of the social, cultural and political impact of digital information. The culture section outlines the origins of cyber culture in fifties pulp-fiction through to the modern day. It explores the issues of information overload, the threat of a digital dark age, and the criminal underbelly of digital culture. Section two, society, explores the economic and social impact of digital information, outlining key theories of the Information Age. Section three explores the impact of digital information and digital resources on the individual, exploring the changing nature of identity in a digital world.
Written by a leading author in the fieldFocuses on digital information and its social, cultural and political impact is uniqueThe wider theoretical framework, relying less of sociology, more on cultural theory