Asterisk: The Future of Telephony -- This new cost-cutting guide offers a complete roadmap for installing, configuring, and integrating Asterisk with existing phone systems, opening the door to open source telephony. The authors walk you through a basic dial plan step by step, and give you enough working knowledge to set up a simple but complete system.

iWork '05: The Missing Manual -- While iWork '05 helps you create stunning documents and presentations, it doesn't come with any in-depth documentation of its own. Refreshingly entertaining and scrupulously detailed, our newest Missing Manual gives you all the essentials of iWork '05, including countless undocumented tips, tricks, and secrets that you won't find anywhere else. Best yet, you get an objective look at iWork's capabilities, its advantages over similar programs, and its limitations.

Two for the Gamers

Moving Past Java: An Interview with Bruce Tate -- WebServicesSummit.com recently interviewed Bruce Tate about the future of Java and web development. Bruce discusses scalable enterprise applications, database-enabled applications, AJAX, and lightweight solutions for web development, while questioning whether Java is still a technology for the masses. Bruce is the author of the newly released Beyond Java.

Linux/Unix System Administration Course Series Offer Extended -- This four-course series teaches you Unix administration skills from basic to complex. Courses include: The Unix File System, Networking and DNS, Unix Services, and Scripting for Administrators with Sed, Awk, and Perl. Upon completion of the series, students receive a Certificate of Professional Development from the University of Illinois. Extended through October 31st, enroll in all four courses and get an additional $200 instant rebate.

What Is Vonage -- The modernization of telephone service, driven by Vonage and hundreds of competitors, is transforming voice communications as we know it. But what is Vonage? James Gaskin provides the answer and looks at how Vonage is and isn't like traditional telephone companies. James is the author of Talk Is Cheap.

Encrypting Voice: An Interview with Phil Zimmermann -- VoIP Magazine recently interviewed Phil Zimmermann, creator of PGP, the most widely used email encryption software. Phil discusses the urgency of creating powerful encryption for VoIP, among other issues. Phil will be speaking at O'Reilly's upcoming Emerging Telephony Conference, January 24-26 in San Francisco. Join us!

Hacking Your Car: How to Get Clean Audio and Video Signals into Your Car -- In the living room, red, white, and yellow RCA jacks are the universal standard for input. Wouldn't it be nice if car manufacturers did the same and put these jacks in your car? Damien Stolarz thinks so, and shows you how to hack your ride to get a clean audio and video signal into your car. Damien is the author of Car PC Hacks.