Linux Network Administrator's Guide, 3rd Edition--This refreshed resource takes an in-depth look at everything you need to know to join a network. Topics covered include all of the essential networking software that comes with the Linux operating system, plus information on a host of cutting-edge services including wireless hubs, spam filtering, IPv6, OpenLDAP, and more. Sample Chapter 18, Wireless Networking (PDF), is available free online.

Excel: The Missing Manual -- Whether you're an Excel neophyte, a sophisticate who knows the program inside out, or an intermediate-level plodder, this Missing Manual will become your go-to resource for all things Excel. Covering all the features of Excel 2002 and 2003, this easy-to-read, thorough, and downright enjoyable book is an indispensable guide to one of the most popular and complicated computer programs. It has all you need to excel at Excel. Sample Chapter 4, Formatting Worksheets, is available free online.

Windows XP in a Nutshell, 2nd Edition documents everything there is to know about the world's most widely used operating system. Updated to include information on the security technologies featured in Service Pack 2 (SP2), this must-have desktop reference is dedicated to making your time at the computer safer, easier, and more fun. It's the ultimate resource for IT professionals and Windows XP power users everywhere. Sample Chapter 8, The Registry (PDF), is available free online.

AppleScript: The Missing Manual -- Macintosh's ultimate scripting tool, AppleScript, has one major shortcoming: it comes without a manual. This Missing Manual fills the void. While its hands-on approach, with dozens of scripting examples, certainly keeps novices from feeling intimidated, this book is also suited for professionals from system administrators to musicians, ensuring that anyone can learn how to control Mac applications in timesaving and innovative ways. Sample Chapter 5, Controlling Files, is available (PDF) free online.

Google Hacks, 2nd Edition -- Featuring dozens of refreshed hacks, plus 25 completely new ones, this updated edition of Google Hacks is a collection of real-world solutions to practical Google research problems. Thanks to these industrial-strength tips, now you can easily save hours of research time mining Google. Best of all, each of the book's 100 hacks is easy to read and digest; there's no confusing terminology or extraneous information to hamper your understanding. Sample Hacks are available free online.

Creating Photomontages with Photoshop: A Designer's Notebook -- This collection of groundbreaking digital creations by well-known French artists is a visual smorgasbord for digital imaging professionals, graphic artists, photographers, and anyone involved in the creation of digital images and animations. But it's more than a full-color feast for the eyes: reflecting the very best of French graphic design, it guides Photoshop users through all aspects of the photomontage creation process, from initial concept through step-by-step execution.

Internet Annoyances -- Recognizing the universal nature of the Net, Internet Annoyances strives to make using the internet as stress-free as possible for everyone. This insightful guide effectively addresses and presents solutions for the many glitches that still complicate the Internet experience. You'll learn how to thwart would-be hackers, ensure greater security while surfing, eliminate pop-up ads, maximize online services, conduct effective searches, and much more. Sample Chapter 8, Searching Annoyances, is available free online.

Home Networking Annoyances -- Need a cure for the headaches associated with running a home network? This book tackles all the common annoyances your network dishes up, whether it's wired or wireless, Mac or PC. With a friendly, off-the-cuff approach, this book guides you safely through common home networking glitches, including file sharing, printing, security, and more. Take a stand against annoyances now: this book is your ticket to serenity. Sample Chapter 4, File-Sharing Annoyances, is available free online.

Linux Server Security, 2nd Edition expertly conveys to administrators and developers the tricks of the trade that can help them avoid serious security breaches. The book covers both background theory and practical, step-by-step instructions for protecting a server that runs Linux. Geared toward Linux users with little security expertise, the author explains security concepts and techniques in clear language, beginning with the fundamentals. Stay one step ahead of potential adversaries. Sample Chapter 12, System Log Management and Monitoring, is available free online.

Buffer Overflow Attacks (Syngress) -- The SANS Institute maintains a list of the "Top 10 Software Vulnerabilities." Currently, over half of these vulnerabilities are exploitable by Buffer Overflow attacks, which allow an attacker to run arbitrary code on a victim's machine. This is the first book specifically aimed at detecting, exploiting, and preventing the most common and dangerous attacks. It provides specific, real code examples on exploiting buffer overflow attacks from a hacker's perspective, and on defending against these attacks for the software developer.

Top Ten AppleScript Tips--AppleScript lets you control Microsoft Word, Adobe Photoshop, FileMaker Pro, and hundreds of other Mac programs with just a few lines of code. But if you think of AppleScript as just a nerdy workflow-automation tool, you're missing out on a lot of power. Adam Goldstein has hand selected ten of the most useful tips for making AppleScript work for you. Adam is the author of AppleScript: The Missing Manual.

500 O'Reilly Books on Safari -- O'Reilly now boasts over 500 books on Safari, the premier electronic reference library for IT professionals and programmers. With Safari, you can search electronic versions of a broad range of the best technical books from leading publishers including O'Reilly. Check out our newest title, "All About Your iPod Photo," and learn how to get the most out of your favorite toy. Give Safari a try today with a free trial subscription.

Working with Roaming User Profiles -- If you have a highly mobile local user base and are constantly fielding concerns about personalized settings and desktop customizations that don't travel with your users, then this article is for you. Jonathan Hassell explains how roaming user profiles can save you time and energy. Jonathan is the author of Learning Windows Server 2003.

OSCON Call for Proposals Ends Sunday, February 13--Join us on August 1-5 in Portland, Oregon at the O'Reilly Open Source Convention, the oldest and largest open source conference in the world. You're invited to submit a proposal to lead tutorials and sessions, but hurry because the CFP ends Sunday at midnight. Get up-to-the-minute conference details by signing up for the OSCON newsletter.

Fix Hot Spot Annoyances--Using a Wi-Fi hot spot is a great way to stay connected when you're away from home or the office, but beware: you may be vulnerable to snoopers, email glitches, and a flaky connection. Preston Gralla offers insight and fixes for all of these hot spot woes. Preston is the author of Internet Annoyances.

Hacking Google--With access to more than three million documents in over 30 languages, Google is a researcher's dream. But like any invaluable tool, knowing the insider tricks of the trade is a must to save time and needless effort. Tara Calishain and Rael Dornfest offer five hacks on scattersearching, cartography, Google on the go, gmail-lite, and AdSense. Tara and Rael are the authors of Google Hacks, 2nd Edition

The Year of the Blog--The Gazette-Times speaks with Paul Bausch, recently named by PC Magazine as one of the 2004 People of the Year for his role in helping take blogs from "esoteric to mainstream." Paul is one of the founders of the internet company Blogger, and he is also the author of Amazon Hacks.

Web Programming Certificate Series -- This six-course series from the O'Reilly Learning Lab teaches you the skills needed for web programming, web administration, and website development. You'll learn HTML, JavaScript, XML, SQL, Perl, and Unix. Upon completion of the series, students receive a Certificate of Professional Development from the University of Illinois Office of Continuing Education. Sign up by February 22nd, and save 40% on all Web Programming Certificate courses.

Programming eBay Web Services with PHP 5 and Services_Ebay -- In this ONLamp article, Adam Trachtenberg shows how to use the new features of PHP 5 for writing web services clients. Adam is the author of two PHP books, including Upgrading to PHP 5.

Getting Started with Safari Web Services -- Joining the ranks of Amazon and Google, Safari Bookshelf has exposed a web service for developers to integrate Safari's vast content of technical books into their web sites. Wei-Meng Lee shows how to create an application for the Safari Web Services API using the .NET framework. Enrich your website by becoming a Safari Affiliate.

The 2005 MySQL Users Conference -- Want to keep your business--and your skills--on the cutting edge? MySQL is at the heart of revolutionary changes in the computer industry, and the 2005 MySQL Users Conference this April, co-presented by O'Reilly and MySQL AB, is the largest MySQL gathering on the planet. Become a part of the MySQL community of developers and innovators and sign up before early registration prices end on February 28..

MAKE on the March! O’Reilly’s new DIY-centric magazine/book hybrid, chock full of exciting projects, is printing as you read this announcement. In our first issue, we show you how to get involved in Kite Aerial Photography, how to make a cheap but effective video camera stabilizer, and how to build a device that reads the hidden information off the magnetic stripes on all your credit cards. To receive the premiere issue in your snail mailbox faster than you can say, "MAKE celebrates my right to tweak, hack, and bend technology any way I want," subscribe now.

QuickTime for Java Components --For years, QuickTime has been able to add new features while maintaining tremendous backwards compatibility, and critical to making this work is QuickTime's system of components. Author Chris Adamson introduces QuickTime components and how they enable runtime discovery of available features, including importers and exporters for graphics and movie formats, in this excerpt from O'Reilly's recently released QuickTime for Java: A Developer's Notebook.