For hobbyists, and students working on robot projects, Bishop provides the background and tools to program your robot for tasks that go beyond the simple routines provided with the robot kit. The programs range in complexity from simple contact avoidance and path following, to programs generating some degree of artificial intelligence

Key Features:
* a how-to guide for programming your robot, using NXT-G and Microsoft VPL
* ten robot-specific projects show how to extend your robot’s capabilities beyond the manufacturer’s provided software. Examples of projects include:
Maze solver,
Robot House Builder,
Search (obstacle avoidance),
Song and Dance Act
* flowcharts and data flow diagrams are used to illustrate how to develop programs
* introduces basic programming structures
* includes a DVD w/ e-text, programming code, and link to accompanying website

* Explores one of the super cool features new to Windows Vista — the Sidebar
* It is a one-stop resource for each aspect of designing and developing Sidebar gadgets, perfect for anyone who wants to create killer gadgets
* Includes complete design instructions for four never-before-seen gadgets

Windows Vista Sidebar is a panel located on the desktop of a PC where gadgets can be placed for easy access and reference. These gadgets are small, single-purpose applications, such as clocks, calendars, games, RSS notifiers, search tools, stock tickers, etc, that reside on the Windows desktop and on the Windows Sidebar. The book will be a tutorial to design and develop a gadget. It will provide ready-to-use samples using .NET, XML, CSS and AJAX. After reading the book, a web developer/designer will be confident enough to start developing gadgets for Windows Vista Sidebar. The beginner portion of the book shows an overview of the subject with the design pattern, the architecture and implementation details. The later sections will have solid examples for instant results. In short, the book will tell how to do everything with Sidebar Gadgets using solid, unique examples. Brief outline: ” Brief background on Gadgets ” Define architecture, design consideration and implementation to give a clear view to the developer ” Step by step, create a useful Gadget sample “My Blogs” ” Elaborate the architecture design constraint and implementation details for the sample ” Detail the standard practices ” Recheck the gadget created for standard practices ” Improvise and Improve with compare and contrast ” Add advanced samples with .NET, AJAX and XHTML.