Most Popular Books by JAMES FLOYD KELLY

Do you like to build things? Are you ever frustrated at having to compromise your designs to fit whatever parts happen to be available? Would you like to fabricate your own parts? Build Your Own CNC Machine is the book to get you started. CNC expert Patrick Hood-Daniel and best-selling author James Kelly team up to show you how to construct your very own CNC machine. Then they go on to show you how to use it, how to document your designs in computer-aided design (CAD) programs, and how to output your designs as specifications and tool paths that feed into the CNC machine, controlling it as it builds whatever parts your imagination can dream up. Don''t be intimidated by abbreviations like CNC and terms like computer-aided design. Patrick and James have chosen a CNC-machine design that is simple to fabricate. You need only basic woodworking skills and a budget of perhaps $500 to $1,000 to spend on the wood, a router, and various other parts that you''ll need. With some patience and some follow-through, you''ll soon be up and running with a really fun machine that''ll unleash your creativity and turn your imagination into physical reality. The authors go on to show you how to test your machine, including configuring the software. Provides links for learning how to design and mill whatever you can dream up The perfect parent/child project that is also suitable for scouting groups, clubs, school shop classes, and other organizations that benefit from projects that foster skills development and teamwork No unusual tools needed beyond a circular saw and what you likely already have in your home toolbox Teaches you to design and mill your very own wooden and aluminum parts, toys, gadgets—whatever you can dream up

Arduino Adventures: Escape from Gemini Station provides a fun introduction to the Arduino microcontroller by putting you (the reader) into the action of a science fiction adventure story. You''ll find yourself following along as Cade and Elle explore Gemini Station—an orbiting museum dedicated to preserving and sharing technology throughout the centuries. Trouble ensues. The station is evacuated, including Cade and Elle''s class that was visiting the station on a field trip. Cade and Elle don’t make it aboard their shuttle and are trapped on the station along with a friendly artificial intelligence named Andrew who wants to help them get off the damaged station. Using some old hardware, a laptop, and some toolboxes full of electronics parts, you will follow along and build eight gizmos with Cade and Elle that will help them escape from Gemini Station. The hardware is Arduino. Each new challenge opens a new area of Arduino and basic electronics knowledge. You’ll be taken incrementally from a simple task such as turning on a light through to a complex combination of microcontroller, electronic components, and software programming. By the end of the book you’ll be well on your way towards being able to create and implement any sort of electronically controlled device you can imagine, using the stunningly popular Arduino microcontroller. Provides eight challenges, each challenge increasing in complexity Builds around a fictional storyline that keeps the learning fun Leaves you on a solid foundation of electronic skills and knowledge

Stop paying for software. A world full of high–quality software is out there that you don''t have to spend a dime for. If you''ve just spent your entire computing budget on a PC only to find that you need software to do anything interesting, this is the book that will show you how to get what you need without wreaking havoc on your finances. Install the right software to make a great work computer for no extra cost. Packed with the practical, hands–on guidance and technical know–how that you''ve come to expect from Apress, Don''t Spend A Dime: The Path to Low–Cost Computing takes you on a tour of the very best zero–cost software in each of the many categories that matter to the typical PC user. Learn to edit photos on the Internet without having to install any software at all. Find out where to get a free office suite for word processing and spreadsheet work. Whatever your need, James Kelly, best–selling technology author, guides you through the exciting and often confusing world of zero–cost computing. This book Tells you what you need to install to have a fantastic work computer without spending a dime Saves you money by showing you how to meet your computing needs Saves you time by pointing you directly to the best free software Saves you work by illustrating the most commonly performed tasks with each zero–cost software Gives you choices and the ability to make your own decisions for your own needs and requirements Before you go buy that $400.00 office suite—or worse, before you “borrow” it from work—stop! Let this book show you how to save hundreds of dollars in expensive software. Learn all about the free tools that the digerati use to make their lives better, and stop paying out the nose for software. Don''t spend a dime!

You know that Ubuntu software costs nothing. Now you want the PC system that costs as little as possible and runs Ubuntu and OS applications without complaints and calls to tech support. So you spent your hard–earned dollars on the hardware only, and have your own optimized Ubuntu PC. This is the book that will show you how to get what you need without wreaking havoc on your finances. Put together the parts to make a great work computer for little cost. Packed with the practical, hands–on guidance and technical know–how that you''ve come to expect from Apress, Ubuntu on a Dime takes you on a tour of the very best low–cost hardware, while only using zero–cost software in each of the many categories that matter to the typical PC user. You''ll learn how to find the best and cheapest hardware, and how to put it together to make a working PC. Learn to edit photos on the Internet without having to install any software at all. Find out where to get a free office suite for word processing and spreadsheet work. Whatever your need, James Kelly, best–selling technology author, guides you through the exciting and often confusing world of zero–cost computing. This book Takes you step–by–step through a PC build Tells you what you need to install to have a fantastic work computer without spending a dime Saves you money by showing you how to meet your computing needs Saves you time by pointing you directly to the best free software Saves you work by illustrating the most commonly performed tasks with each zero–cost software Gives you choices and the ability to make your own decisions for your own needs and requirements Before you go buy that $900 dollar computer and that $400 office suite—or worse, before you “borrow” it from work—stop! Let this inexpensive book show you how to save hundreds of dollars in expensivesoftware, and never depend on the big PC providers and their tech support again. Learn all about cheap, fast hardware, find out about the free tools that the digerati use to make their lives better, and stop paying out the nose. Don''t spend a dime!

Windows Live Movie Maker is a small but powerful movie editing application from Microsoft. It is a complete rewrite of the old Movie Maker software with a new audience in mind. The focus of this new edition is on giving you the power to quickly create movies and slideshows to share with your friends and family. The movies can be a combination of your favorite pictures and home movies set to your own soundtrack. You can add cool effects to transition between scenes, and captions to add a narrative to your movie. With Movie Maker, users can: Edit digital video and photos, including adding music and narration Apply animation effects to videos and photos Create DVDs for personal use, including menu systems for navigation

LEGO MINDSTORMS NXT-G Programming Guide is suitable for young programmers, age 10 and up, as well as parents and teachers who want to learn the new language for themselves or be able to assist students/children with learning to properly program their robots. Includes easy-to-follow examples for each and every programming block Provides programming techniques simple enough to be understood by young programmers, ages 10 and up Provides a test robot (with instructions) in the appendix for running the programs

Will help you pick and use the best apps and services to pull together all your content, media, and knowledge: email, Internet, books, movies, TV, personal and work documents, magazines, financial data, and more.

Netbooks are lightweight, and easy to use. And best of all is the low price. Whether you already own a netbook or are considering purchasing one, the good news doesn’t end there, however. Throw in some free open source and "cloud computing" software and you’ve got yourself a powerful little computer at a fraction of the cost of the bigger laptops and desktops. This book is all about finding the best netbook for your needs and then keeping the cost of netbook ownership down. You can choose to spend some of your savings on a few "must have" extras such as a CD/DVD burner and a nice carrying case or save even more money by installing some (or all) of the 100% free software covered in the chapters of this book. Windows Netbooks: The Path to Low-Cost Computing is your guide to pushing a netbook to its maximum potential and keeping spending to an absolute minimum. Learn how to protect your netbook with 100% free antivirus applications and then get to work with 100% free word processing, spreadsheet, email, calendar, and presentation applications. You’ll find these and many more applications, along with helpful discussions on netbook hardware and maintenance, that will super-charge your netbook, your productivity, and your Internet time.

Congratulations! You’re on Mars Base Alpha, the first human outpost on the red planet. Don’t relax, though. It’s not all roses and unicorns up here. Mars isn’t called "The Bringer of War" for nothing! You’ve just been rained on by a meteor shower and it’s up to you—you!—to put your LEGO MINDSTORMS NXT robotics skills to work to save the day, and the base! And that’s only the beginning of the challenges that lie ahead. LEGO MINDSTORMS NXT: Mars Base Command is a book of challenge. It’s about challenging yourself to design and build robots to solve problems, tough problems. Taking a similar approach to best-selling LEGO author James Kelly’s other books, this book presents a series of four challenges in the setting of mankind’s first-ever manned base on the planet Mars. Each challenge begins with a backstory to set the scene. You’re given instructions for constructing a playing field, including devices that your eventual robot must manipulate. Your job is to build a robot that will execute the challenge and garner you the most points. The book requires the LEGO MINDSTORMS NXT Education Resource Set. Scoring sheets are included that allow for the book’s use in educational and group settings. Teachers can base lesson plans around the different concepts taught in each challenge. Groups and clubs can choose to run mini-competitions in which teams or individuals compete against each other in a race to save the base. LEGO MINDSTORMS NXT: Mars Base Command is an excellent choice for an individual, a group, or a teacher wishing to learn about and have more fun with LEGO’s best-selling robotics platform. Please note: the print version of this title is black & white; the eBook is full color.

Follow the adventures of Evan and his archaeologist uncle as they explore for treasure from an ancient kingdom. Help them succeed by building a series of five robots using LEGO''s popular MINDSTORMS NXT 2.0 robotics kit. Without your robots, Evan and his uncle are doomed to failure and in grave danger. Your robots are the key to their success in unlocking the secret of The King''s Treasure! In this sequel to the immensely popular book, LEGO MINDSTORMS NXT: The Mayan Adventure, you get both an engaging story and a personal tutorial on robotics programming. You''ll learn about the motors and sensors in your NXT 2.0 kit. You''ll learn to constructively brainstorm solutions to problems. And you''ll follow clear, photo-illustrated instructions that help you build, test, and operate a series of five robots corresponding to the five challenges Evan and his uncle must overcome in their search for lost treasure. Provides an excellent series of parent/child projects Builds creative and problem-solving skills Lays a foundation for success and fun with LEGO MINDSTORMS NXT 2.0 Please note: the print version of this title is black & white; the eBook is full color.

Build five robots to overcome obstacles and lead a team of explorers deep into a Mayan tomb. You are along for the ride with Evan and his archaeologist uncle as they explore a Mayan pyramid complete with traps and treasures. Using a variety of EV3 robots, the archaeology team is able to move deeper into the tomb, all the way to the sarcophagus of King Ixtua. But beware of the traps! The pyramid''s design has successfully deterred unwanted visitors through the centuries, and your team will need to be careful and alert. LEGO MINDSTORMS EV3: The Mayan Adventure guides in the design, construction, and programming of unique explorer robots to open “the newly discovered tomb of an ancient Mayan king." You will learn and use a workmanlike design methodology that teaches you about your robot’s motors and sensors. Complete building and programming instructions are provided for each robot, giving you as much guidance as you want, to learn as you build. Can you help Evan and the team of explorers navigate through the old pyramid and gain entry to King Ixtua''s tomb? Read the stories, dig in to the environments, and create the robots that will reveal the secrets of The Mayan Adventure. Updates the beloved Mayan Adventure to the latest LEGO MINDSTORMS EV3 hardware and software. What You''ll Learn Begin your first robot right away – one that can open a long-lost Mayan king’s tomb Learn a design process, backed up by written forms and step-by-step support Gain true skill in brainstorming and problem solving, and in the testing and fixing of robots Share design documents with other “Mayan archaeologists,” teachers, and robotic engineers Begin a design tool collection for use in future projects Who This Book Is For The new user who wants step-by-step building and programming instructions, teachers interested in real engineering design methods and systems thinking, and parents wanting an engaging story along with projects to strengthen the bond with a son or daughter

Want to master 3D modeling and printing? Tinkercad is the perfect software for you: it''s friendly, web-based, and free. Even better, you don''t have to rely on Tinkercad''s technical documentation to use it. This guide is packed with photos and projects that bring 3D modeling to life!

My Motorola Xoom™ Complete Walkthroughs with callouts to Xoom photos that show you exactly what to do Tips and Advice when you run into Xoom problems or limitations Dozens of App Recommendations to help you get the most from your Xoom Full-color, step-by-step tasks walk you through getting and keeping your Xoom working just the way you want. Learn how to: • Connect your Xoom to a WiFi network • Check email accounts and browse the web • Read eBooks and listen to music • Take photos and shoot video with the built-in cameras • Play some fun and addictive games • Never get lost with built-in GPS navigation and maps • Stay in touch with webchat and Instant Messaging • Turn your Xoom into a great personal assistant • Put dozens of Google’s free services to work • Use accessories to extend your Xoom’s capabilities

Walks you through choosing and assembling a 3D printer kit, brainstorming and designing new objects with free software, and printing on your 3D printer.

Printing in Plastic: Build Your Own 3D Printer is your gateway into the exciting world of personal fabrication. The “printer” that you''ll build from this book is a personal fabricator capable of creating small parts and other objects from drops of molten plastic. Design a part using a modeling tool such as Google SketchUp. Then, watch while the fabricator head sweeps back and forth and upwards, depositing plastic in all the right places. You can build anything from a replacement tab to hold a bookshelf in place, to a small art project, to a bashguard for your bicycle. If you can conceive it and design it, you can build it, and you''ll have fun doing it! Printing in Plastic is aimed at creative people comfortable using power tools such as a table saw, circular saw, and drill press. Authors James Kelly and Patrick Hood-Daniel lead you through building a personal fabrication machine based upon a set of blueprints downloaded from their website. Example projects get you started in designing and fabricating your own parts. Bring your handyman skills, and apply patience during the build process. You too can be the proud owner of a personal fabricator—a three-dimensional printer. Leads you through building a personal fabrication machine capable of creating small parts and objects from plastic Provides example projects to get you started on the road to designing and fabricating your own parts Provides an excellent parent/child, or small group project

Covers iOS5 Sams Teach Yourself iPad™ 2 in 10 Minutes, Third Edition offers straightforward, practical answers when you need fast results. By working through 10-minute lessons, you’ll learn everything you need to use your iPad 2 to get online, get apps, use the Web, manage email, books, photos, music, video–anything! Each compact lesson zeroes in on essential techniques, with fast, step-by-step instructions that help you do it right the first time! Tips point out shortcuts and solutions Cautions help you avoid common pitfalls Notes provide additional information 10 minutes is all you need to learn how to… Use FaceTime for personal video phone calls and conferences Take photos and make video clips with the front-facing and rear-facing cameras Manage settings for the iPad 2 and customize it to suit your needs Hook up to external devices such as a camera, a presentation screen, TV, or HDTV Use Safari to access the Web, including your bookmarked and favorite sites Use the Mail app to read, send, and manage your email Manage personal information with the Calendar, Contacts, and Notes apps Subscribe to and read digital versions of magazines and newspapers Watch videos, TV shows, and movies on your iPad 2 Use iBooks and the iBooks Store to browse, buy, download, and read digital books Get and play music on the iPad 2 from iTunes and other sources Use Messages to have real-time text discussions with friends and family Learn about new features to iOS 5, including iCloud, Photo Booth, and more Category: iPad Covers: Apple Digital Media User Level: Beginning

Minecraft is a global phenomenon and obsession: millions of kids and adults are passionately involved in building and exploring their own Minecraft worlds. Now they can master valuable real-world Computer-Aided Design (CAD) career skills while they''re having fun with Minecraft. Digital Engineering with Minecraft teaches simple, hands-on CAD techniques that are directly useful in Minecraft and easily transferable to more advanced tasks and software. Through hands-on projects, James Floyd Kelly introduces Minecraft players to seven specialized tools and applications for taking their Minecraft worlds to a whole new level. Purchasers of this book also get free access to hands-on how-to videos guiding you through many key tasks. Kelly''s detailed walkthroughs guide you through every step of designing objects in CAD, 3D printing, game programming, animation, and more. You''ll discover how to take what you''ve learned and created outside Minecraft and pull it directly into your Minecraft world. Coverage includes: Finding great objects on Thingiverse and importing them to Minecraft with MCeditUsing basic tools including maze makers and the Online-Convert toolMastering key Tinkercad skills, including shape creation, rotation, resizing, and groupingCreating and exporting monsters with 123D Creature for iPadPutting yourself in the game with 123D Catch for PC, Mac, or iPadUsing 123D Sculpt to create incredible new landscapesCreating hollow wire-frame domes that transform any terrain into a battle arenaGenerating unique items with ShapeshifterDigital Engineering with Minecraft will help you transform all of your worlds - both inside and outside Minecraft!

Make the most of your new iPad or iPad mini-without becoming a technical expert! This book is the fastest way to get comfortable, get productive, get online, connect with friends and family, enjoy media, play games, post to Facebook and Twitter, and more! Even if you''ve never used an iPad before, this book will show you how to do what you want, one incredibly clear and easy step at a time. iPads have never, ever been this simple! Who knew how simple iPad and iPad mini could be? This is today''s best beginner''s guide to using your new iPad or iPad mini...simple, practical instructions for doing everything you really want to do! Here''s a small sample of what you''ll learn: Master gestures and touchscreen tips you can use in any iPad app Get productive fast with Notes, Calendar, Contacts, Reminders, and Notifications Use iCloud to automatically sync and share data with iPads, iPhones, and Macs Browse the Web more efficiently with Safari''s best shortcuts Capture high-quality photos and video with your iPad Share "Photo Stream" albums with other iPad, iPhone, or iPod touch users Make free FaceTime video calls Post to Facebook and Twitter from your iPad Get the best new free and paid apps from Apple''s App Store Make the most of iTunes and your iPad''s amazing media capabilities Read new bestsellers and free classics with iBooks Transform your iPad into a great online gaming device Use Find My iPhone to find a lost iPad in the house, or lock it if it''s stolen Adding hardware that makes your iPad more fun and useful Finding Wi-Fi connections and making the most of paid data plans

Discover the history of computers and coding. From Ada Lovelace''s initial idea of computer programming to today''s coding languages like Scratch, Python, Javascript, and more. This reading book for kids explores the world of coding, while building reading skills and teaching exciting vocabulary. Packed with photographs, diagrams, fun facts, and strong visual clues to keep your little ones engaged. What exactly is a computer? How do they work? What is a code? What are the different coding languages? This beginner''s book explores it all and more. Young children will find out what coding is, how it developed, and how modern codes are used for everyday purposes. It''s the perfect reading book for ages 5-7 who are starting to read fluently with support. Level 2 titles contain carefully selected photographic images to complement the text, providing strong visual clues to build vocabulary and confidence. Additional information spreads are full of extra fun facts, developing the topics through a range of nonfiction presentation styles such as diagrams and activities. Explore, Engage And Learn! There''s a message for readers to decode, plus tips for writing their own code with child-friendly Scratch programming. This kid''s educational book explores the world of coding and is full of facts kids will love reading. While learning to read, kids will also: - Learn about what coding is - Explore the world of early computers - Discover coding languages and coding today - Enjoy cool coding tips and test their knowledge Trusted by parents, teachers, and librarians, and loved by kids, DK''s levelled series of kids reading books is now revised and updated. With shiny new jackets and brand-new nonfiction narrative content on the topics kids love, each book is written and reviewed by literacy experts and contains a glossary and index, making them the perfect choice for helping develop strong reading habits for kids ages 3-11. Add other Level 2 titles to your collection covering a range of topics like LEGO City: Heroes to the Rescue: Find Out How They Keep the City Safe, What Is An Election?, Hello Hedgehog, Amazing Bees, Life In The Stone Age, many Star Wars titles and more.