O'Reilly Learning Lab: $200 Instant Rebate -- Learning programming languages and development techniques has never been easier. Using your web browser and Useractive's Learning Sandbox technology, the Learning Lab gives you hands-on, online training in a creative environment. This month, receive a $200 instant rebate (and a Certificate from the University of Illinois Office of Continuing Education upon course completion) when you enroll in any Certificate Series.

RSS Feeds and New Plugins for Safari -- Safari Bookshelf now offers standard and customizable RSS feeds for new titles and top titles in its repository of over 2,000 leading technical books for IT professionals and programmers. Additional services designed to make your use of Safari as easy, accessible, and effective as possible include: Eclipse and NetBeans plugins so users never have to leave their development environment, and access to the Safari web services API so you can integrate Safari content into your website. Learn more about Safari Tools.

Book Review: Upgrading to PHP 5 -- In this WebDevReviews.com review, Chrispian Burks writes, "If you’re looking for a guide to help you get up to speed on PHP 5 and you already know PHP 4, then this is the book you’ll want. Adam sticks to the O’Reilly formula and his knowledge of PHP is second to none." The book that "won't let you down" is Upgrading to PHP 5.

Lawrence Lessig on Blogs and the Law -- In this IT Conversations interview, Lawrence Lessig talks about the growth of law-related blogs and their impact on the practice of law, and some of the problems with current copyright law. Lessig will be speaking at O'Reilly's Emerging Technology Conference.

All the News That's Fit To Blog -- In this Guardian book review, Simon Waldman writes, "If you follow the internet closely, chances are you might have spotted many of the phenomena [Dan Gillmor] writes about. But, even so, it will have seemed like a collection of random fragments of activity scattered across cyberspace: some spectacular, some comical, some irrelevant. However, when it is all put together in one very readable book, you can see that something quite remarkable is happening." Dan's book is We the Media.

Flash: Workflow and Workspace Tips -- Improve your workflow and organize your workspace while using Flash. This book excerpt, chosen by Robert Hoekman, will teach you how to adjust preferences under each tab, customize keyboard shortcuts, and personalize your panel layout. Robert is the author of Flash Out of the Box.

PayPal Hacks: A Note on the Examples -- The code examples offered in PayPal Hacks are written entirely in ASP and ASP.NET. This approach was intended to offer consistency across examples in a popular programming environment that does both scripting and SOAP calls well. But some readers are looking for more. Learn about how you can help shape the direction of new PayPal hack examples by participating in the PayPal Hacks auction.

Download Chapters Through Safari -- There are over 2,000 books from the industry's leading technical publishers available on Safari Bookshelf. As the library grows, so does its functionality. Do you ever wish you could download content from O'Reilly books? Just the chapters you want? Now you can, with a Safari Max subscription. Save time, reduce errors, keep current, and save money. If you haven't yet gone on Safari, try a free trial subscription.

Russian Denies Authoring "SoBig" Worm -- The SoBig computer worm that ran rampant on the internet in 2003 is the subject of a new, anonymously authored report that definitively claims Ruslan Ibragimov, the owner of the Russian-based bulk email company Send-Safe, as its creator. Ibragimov flatly denies the report's claim in an online interview with Brian McWilliams, author of Spam Kings.

Getting Started with Safari Web Services -- Joining the ranks of Amazon and Google, Safari Bookshelf recently 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.

Flash Hacks: 3D and Physics -- Processor-intensive applications are problematic in Flash. However, good design is all about knowing the system, working within its limits, and hacking around the obstacles with a bit of lateral thinking or by simplifying the problem. This chapter from O'Reilly's Flash Hacks covers 3D simulation, panoramic images, using acceleration to simulate gravity and friction, detecting multiple collisions, and more. If you like this chapter, read the whole book (and up to nine others) on Safari with a free trial subscription.

Turning the Tables Using CSS -- Have you noticed web pages loading a bit faster than usual? You might thank Eric Meyer, an expert and author on the subject of cascading style sheets (CSS), a standards-based method of coding web sites. apple.com's Nancy Eaton talks to Eric about the distinct advantages of CSS and the dark days of the browser wars. Eric wrote Cascading Style Sheets: The Definitive Guide, 2nd Edition.

SitePoint's Books Around the World: Surfers, Bodybuilders, and Giant Cows -- Nearly 150 entries were received in SitePoint's around-the-world photo competition. Contestants were asked to submit a picture of themselves with their favorite SitePoint book in a famous, unique, or funny location. Here are the winners and their brilliant entries. Get SitePoint books through O'Reilly at sitepoint.oreilly.com.

Web 2.0 Conference Coverage -- Web 2.0, presented by MediaLive and O'Reilly, took place October 5-7, 2004 in San Francisco. The event was a huge success, pulling together people such as Dan Gillmor, Jeff Veen, Mark Cuban, John Doerr, and Jeff Bezos who shared lessons learned and then looked ahead to what the future of the web might be. Press coverage, weblogs, photos, and feature stories from the event are available in O'Reilly's Web 2.0 Conference Coverage.

Make Your Site a Portal to the Best Tech Info -- Safari has opened up its web services API, giving developers programmatic access to the data contained in its repository of over 2,000 titles from leading technical publishers. Through the new Safari Affiliate Program, anyone with a web site can serve up Safari content, and earn money on resulting referrals. It's an easy way to give yourself and your readers something of real value. Become a Safari affiliate.