tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11680342981182378752024-02-08T10:55:23.909-08:00Best Tech TutorialsRundowns of the best online tutorials on a variety of technology subjects.Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08085981060976444149noreply@blogger.comBlogger7125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1168034298118237875.post-13430061192546369382012-02-20T11:07:00.002-08:002014-10-02T12:05:05.847-07:00Android Widget Development TutorialsHaving recently approached Android widget development for the first time, I know how little helpful information there seems to be on the subject. In this article I'll run through a few of the better tutorials I've found in my research.<br /><br/>
These are some basic introductions of mine:<br />
<a href="http://androidthings.blogspot.com/2012/02/creating-android-battery-widget.html">Creating an Android Battery Widget</a><br />
<a href="http://thetechinterpreter.blogspot.co.uk/2012/08/developing-android-widgets.html">Developing Android Widgets</a><br />
<br />
<b><u>Here are some others</u></b>:<br />
<br />
<b>Android Developers Guide and Official Resources</b><br />
Here are the main pages of interest on the official guide, including development and design:<br />
<a href="http://developer.android.com/guide/topics/appwidgets/index.html">App Widgets</a><br />
<a href="http://android-developers.blogspot.com/2009/04/introducing-home-screen-widgets-and.html">Introducing home screen widgets and the AppWidget framework</a><br />
<a href="http://developer.android.com/guide/practices/ui_guidelines/widget_design.html">App Widget Design Guidelines</a><br />
<br />
These are of course the best place to start and the best place to pick up the basics. However, for guidance on specific widget types, you will likely need to look outside of the official sites. If you happen to be creating a widget in which you need to check the state of the battery level, see this page:<br />
<a href="http://developer.android.com/training/monitoring-device-state/battery-monitoring.html">Monitoring the Battery Level and Charging State</a><br />
<br />
<b>Vogella</b><br />
Vogella is Lars Vogel's site, which is an excellent resource for all things Android. In this tutorial he runs through creating a widget app of any kind, including the design, Java programming and XML coding required:<br />
<a href="http://www.vogella.de/articles/AndroidWidgets/article.html">Android Homescreen Widgets</a><br />
<br />
<b>BuildMobile</b><br />
This BuildMobile tutorial is a good, easy to follow basic guide on creating a widget for the Android platform:<br />
<a href="http://buildmobile.com/how-to-code-an-android-widget/">How to Code an Android Widget</a><br />
<br />
<b>Kasper Holtze</b><br />
This is another easy to follow, detailed and practical guide, a good starting point to get to grips with the basic steps involved. To create a real widget you will need to carry out further development but this is a good start:<br />
<a href="http://kasperholtze.com/android/how-to-make-a-simple-android-widget/">How to Make a Simple Android Widget</a><br />
<br />
<b>Do It Yourself Android</b><br />
Another thorough overview of all basic tasks involved in creating any widget app, this tutorial also gives some helpful guidance on design for widgets:<br />
<a href="http://blog.doityourselfandroid.com/2011/05/24/developing-android-home-screenwidgets/">Developing Android Home Screen Widgets</a><br />
<br />
That's it for the moment, if I come across any more useful resources on Android development I will add them here - please feel free to add any you have found in the comments.Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08085981060976444149noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1168034298118237875.post-82257758198996514702012-01-30T14:53:00.015-08:002012-08-30T10:01:42.162-07:00Basic Web Design and Development GuidesWhile it is true that anyone can teach themselves Web design and development skills, if you want to learn good practice, you need to be a little selective in terms of the learning materials you use. In this article we'll run down some of the best quality sites for learning Web skills as a beginner to the subject. Try not to be put off by the number of areas to learn, they are not all obligatory. Once you have a couple of the technologies under your belt, you will find the others easier to pick up. Focus on one skill at a time and progress at a pace that suits you.<br />
<br />
<b>Web Design Basics</b><br />
To get started learning development skills, you need to gain a basic understanding of how pages and sites work before creating code yourself. The W3Schools site is possibly the best single source of learning material for basic skills in all areas of Web design and development. As well as clear, simple explanations, it has interactive pages in which you can try out code yourself. There are a few other excellent resources for beginning Web development skills, including Tizag. Please also see the Tech Tutorial Links list on each page in this blog for general links to useful tech learning sites.<br />
<br />
Here are some of the W3Schools basic guides:<br />
<a href="http://www.w3schools.com/web/default.asp">Web Building Primer</a><br />
<a href="http://www.w3schools.com/browsers/default.asp">Browser Information</a><br />
<a href="http://www.w3schools.com/hosting/default.asp">Web Hosting</a><br />
<br />
<br />
<b>Client Side Development</b><br />
Client side development is developing in those technologies that operate on the client, which means on the user's computer. Client side technologies include HTML, Cascading Style Sheets (CSS) and JavaScript, all of which run in the browser of the person using a site.<br />
<br />
To begin with, learn to structure the content of your sites in basic HTML:<br />
<a href="http://www.w3schools.com/html/default.asp">W3Schools: HTML Tutorial</a><br />
<a href="http://www.tizag.com/htmlT/">Tizag: HTML Tutorial</a><br />
<a href="http://www.htmldog.com/guides/htmlbeginner/">HTML Dog: HTML Beginner</a><br />
<br />
Next get to grips with styling your pages using CSS:<br />
<a href="http://www.w3schools.com/css/default.asp">W3Schools: CSS Tutorial</a><br />
<a href="http://www.tizag.com/cssT/">Tizag: CSS Tutorial</a><br />
<a href="http://www.htmldog.com/guides/cssbeginner/">HTML Dog: CSS Beginner</a><br />
<br />
To make your sites interactive, learn at least the basics of JavaScript:<br />
<a href="http://www.w3schools.com/js/default.asp">W3Schools: JavaScript Tutorial</a><br />
<a href="http://www.tizag.com/javascriptT/">Tizag: JavaScript Tutorial</a><br />
<a href="https://developer.mozilla.org/en-US/learn/javascript">Mozilla Developer Network: Learn JavaScript</a><br />
<br />
JavaScript is an area with lots you can learn, with intermediate and advanced topics including AJAX and jQuery.<br />
<br />
<br />
<b>Server Side Development</b><br />
Once you have learned the basics of client side development, if you want to continue building on your development skills, you can get started with server side development. Server side development includes scripting in languages such as PHP and ASP. It also includes data technologies such as SQL scripting, using database management systems like MySQL and Oracle, and optionally XML.<br />
<br />
The basic principle with server side development is that you store your data in structured systems rather than within the pages for your site. The server side scripts bridge the gap between the data and your website pages, carrying out queries and updates as well as building the results into HTML code.<br />
<br />
Learn basic PHP programming:<br />
<a href="http://php.net/manual/en/tutorial.php">PHP.net: A Simple Tutorial</a><br />
<a href="http://www.w3schools.com/php/default.asp">W3Schools: PHP Tutorial</a><br />
<a href="http://www.tizag.com/phpT/">Tizag: PHP Tutorial</a><br />
<br />
Learn basic ASP programming:<br />
<a href="http://www.w3schools.com/aspnet/default.asp">W3Schools: ASP.NET Tutorial</a><br />
<a href="http://msdn.microsoft.com/en-us/library/ie/ms972337.aspx">Microsoft MSDN: Active Server Pages Tutorial</a><br />
<a href="http://www.tizag.com/aspTutorial/">Tizag: ASP Tutorial</a><br />
<br />
Learn about building, maintaining and using databases including SQL scripting and the MySQL database management system:<br />
<a href="http://www.w3schools.com/sql/default.asp">W3Schools: SQL Tutorial</a><br />
<a href="http://www.tizag.com/sqlTutorial/">Tizag: SQL Tutorial</a><br />
<a href="http://www.tizag.com/mysqlTutorial/">Tizag: MySQL Tutorial</a><br />
<a href="http://dev.mysql.com/tech-resources/articles/mysql_intro.html">MySQL Developer Zone: Getting Started with MySQL</a><br />
<br />
Learn how to use XML to model, store and use your website data:<br />
<a href="http://www.w3schools.com/xml/default.asp">W3Schools: XML Tutorial</a><br />
<a href="http://www.tizag.com/xmlTutorial/">Tizag: XML Tutorial</a><br />
<a href="http://www.xml.com/pub/a/98/10/guide0.html">O'Reilly XML.com: A Technical Introduction to XML</a><br />
<br />
<br />
<b>Accessibility and Best Practice</b><br />
Learning Web design and development involves more than just making the technologies do what you want them to. If you want to take a best practice approach and create successful sites, you need to consider accessibility. This basically involves making sure your pages are accessible to people regardless of their own circumstances, including the details of their computing software and hardware, as well as any issues they may have personally such as disabilities.<br />
<br />
There are a variety of standards you can optionally observe when creating sites that you want to sustain a high level of quality. To ensure your sites adhere to these, you can validate them using online tools:<br />
<a href="http://validator.w3.org/">W3C Markup Validation Service</a><br />
<br />
Jakob Nielsen has written many seminal guides on usability and accessibility that are well worth referring to:<br />
<a href="http://www.useit.com/">Jakob Nielsen on Usability and Web Design</a><br />
<br />
If you want to really get yourself up to date, consider learning emerging Web technologies including HTML5 and CSS3:<br />
<a href="http://www.w3schools.com/html5/default.asp">W3Schools: HTML5 Tutorial</a><br />
<a href="http://www.w3schools.com/css3/default.asp">W3Schools: CSS3 Tutorial</a><br />
<br />
Finally, here are some of mine: <br />
<a href="http://thetechinterpreter.blogspot.co.uk/2012/07/characteristics-of-successful-web-page.html">The Characteristics of a Successful Web Page</a><br />
<a href="http://thetechinterpreter.blogspot.co.uk/2012/07/web-development-concepts-static-versus.html">Web Development Concepts: Static Versus Dynamic</a><br />
<a href="http://thetechinterpreter.blogspot.co.uk/2012/07/good-web-page-characteristics.html">Good Web Page Characteristics</a><br />
<a href="http://thetechinterpreter.blogspot.co.uk/2012/07/why-web-developers-are-excited-about.html">Why Web Developers are Excited About HTML5 and CSS3</a><br />
<a href="http://thetechinterpreter.blogspot.co.uk/2012/08/the-vital-components-in-effective-web.html">The Vital Components in an Effective Web Page</a><br />
<a href="http://thetechinterpreter.blogspot.co.uk/2012/08/what-is-web-content.html">What is Web Content?</a><br />
<a href="http://thetechinterpreter.blogspot.co.uk/2012/08/an-introduction-to-html5-features.html">An Introduction to HTML5 Features</a><br />
<a href="http://thetechinterpreter.blogspot.co.uk/2012/08/what-is-dynamic-content.html">What is Dynamic Content?</a><br />
<a href="http://thetechinterpreter.blogspot.co.uk/2012/08/web-development-concepts-client-and.html">Web Development Concepts: Client and Server</a><br />
<a href="http://thetechinterpreter.blogspot.com/2012/08/how-to-get-started-with-web-development.html">How to Get Started with Web Development</a><br />
<br />
<i>Learning Web development is not something you do once, but is rather an ongoing process. To begin with you build yourself a foundation in the different areas, but you should ideally never stop building on it, expanding your skill set as time passes. The Web is constantly changing, so your development skills must evolve along with it.</i>Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08085981060976444149noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1168034298118237875.post-35023588672814882002012-01-12T13:30:00.003-08:002012-08-30T09:59:20.796-07:00Evaluation Guides for Information Technology TrainingIt goes without saying that by far the most common type of training to undergo in the workplace today is Information Technology. Whether you're a trainer looking to deliver successful IT training programs or are a business manager looking to enact some successful performance measurement for past IT training processes, it can be difficult to know where to start.<br />
<br />
In some ways IT training is different to other types of training, but in most aspects it involves the same broad principles, both in terms of the learning process and the evaluation phase.<br />
<br />
It's difficult to overstate the importance of IT training in the modern workplace, as so many jobs are now totally dependent on it. From the trainee's point of view it may be vital to performing daily tasks. From the employer's point of view it can yield vast improvements in productivity. Finally, from the trainer's point of view it is a professional activity that should be enacted according to best practice.<br />
<br />
<b>Here are a few resources on the subject of evaluating training for IT with links to detailed information from both the training and business management perspectives:</b><br />
<br />
<a href="http://www.ambysoft.com/essays/trainingAndEducation.html">Ambysoft: Strategies for Effective Training and Education in Information Technology (IT)</a><br />
This is a comprehensive guide to Information Technology training within business organisations. This page distinguishes between training and education, with clear guidance on strategies to facilitate effective learning of IT systems, practices and processes in the workplace context. One of the most useful elements here is a lifecycle model for the training and education experience.<br />
<br />
<a href="http://www.acend.com/learning-methods/kirkpatricks-four-levels-of-learning-/">Acend Corporate Learning: Kirkpatrick's Four Levels of Learning</a><br />
This page explores the Kirkpatrick model for evaluating the success of training programs. The model addresses various aspects of performance measurement, including reaction, learning, behaviour and results. This is specifically aimed at people in business contexts, with particular reference to Return on Investment (ROI). The official <a href="http://www.kirkpatrickpartners.com/">Kirkpatrick site</a> has lots of info as well.<br />
<br />
<a href="http://managementhelp.org/training/systematic/ROI-evaluating-training.htm">Free Management Library: Evaluating Training and Results</a><br />
Detailed guide to evaluation of training processes within business environments. Includes a comprehensive section on training evaluation with regard to Return on Investment (ROI). This page isn't dedicated to IT training specifically, but is a useful general overview of the evaluation task.<br />
<br />
<a href="http://www.fao.org/docrep/w8088e/w8088e03.htm">FAO Corporate Document Repository: Principles and Methods of Training</a><br />
Comprehensive overview of training principles including a section on evaluation, covering aims, tools and content of evaluation materials. This is a really useful guide to refer to for all aspects of training, not just for IT and not just for the evaluation process.<br />
<br />
<a href="http://www.nickara.com/evaluating_training.htm">Ara Research and Development: Evaluating Training Effectiveness</a><br />
This is another general, non-IT specific overview but has a range of useful points, tools and techniques for measuring the success of a training process. The focus is on feeding back into the training content to improve it over time.<br />
<br />
<a href="http://www.businessballs.com/trainingprogramevaluation.htm">BusinessBalls: Training Programme Evaluation</a><br />
Another generic overview, but with links to additional resources. This page has a section on lessons workplace trainers can learn from childhood educational principles. This page is a great reference for links to information about models and sample paperwork for feedback capturing.<br />
<br />
<a href="http://www.intulogy.com/addie/evaluation.html">Intulogy: The ADDIE Instructional Design Model - Evaluation</a><br />
The ADDIE model is used by trainers when creating training programmes. This page overviews the evaluation principles within the ADDIE model through a series of broad questions.<br />
<br />
Finally here are a couple of mine: <br />
<a href="http://thetechinterpreter.blogspot.co.uk/2012/07/checklist-for-it-training-evaluation.html">Checklist for IT Training Evaluation</a><br />
<a href="http://thetechinterpreter.blogspot.com/2012/08/evaluating-it-training.html">Evaluating IT Training</a><br />
<br />
<i><b>So there you have it. Although these are not all specific to IT training, they do all contain material that is relevant to it. Hope it proves useful.</b></i>Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08085981060976444149noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1168034298118237875.post-11330068639656470782011-05-25T07:44:00.003-07:002012-08-30T09:57:54.340-07:00Data Mapping Tutorials and Guides for XML and Relational DatabasesData mapping is sometimes an inevitable task for developers, although it can be difficult to know where to start. Application and project changes can lead to the decision to shift data models and systems, such as changing from XML to other database platforms. If you've ever been faced with the task of transferring data between XML and database systems such as MySQL, you'll know the sheer number of decisions that sometimes need to be made.<br />
<br />
Of course there are database systems in which XML data can be modelled natively, however the trickier case is where a different model is going to be used, for example relational. This kind of XML database mapping initially involves creating a relational database design that effectively models the same set of data that the original XML was structured for. This needs to include all of the same information as well as reflecting the relationships between data items, and as with so many design tasks, there is never only one right answer.<br />
<br />
There are lots of software and Web application tools that automate the process of importing XML data into a database. It's really up to developers to decide whether this is going to be appropriate or effective in any particular project. The focus of the resources listed here is more on manually creating a relational model designed to accommodate data that is already stored in XML, with the XML model perhaps represented using an XSD (XML Schema Definition).<br />
<br />
<b>Here are some useful resources I came across reading about the topic:</b><br />
<br />
<a href="http://www.xml.com/pub/a/2001/05/09/dtdtodbs.html">O'Reilly XML.com - Mapping DTDs to Databases</a><br />
I've found this an excellent site generally for anything to do with XML. This section runs through the key principles and considerations in mapping from an XML structure such as one represented in a DTD, to an object relational system.<br />
<br />
<a href="http://www.w3.org/1999/07/20-XML-DB-Mapping">W3C - XML Database Mapping</a><br />
This may be a pretty old document but it makes an interesting read, exploring some of the major concepts in translating data between XML and database structures.<br />
<br />
<a href="http://www.rpbourret.com/xml/XMLAndDatabases.htm">XML and Databases - Ronald Bourret</a><br />
This is one of the best resources I've found on this topic. It's a very thorough guide to just about every imaginable angle on XML and databases, including both table based and object relational mapping.<br />
<br />
<a href="http://www.xml.com/pub/a/2001/06/20/databases.html">O'Reilly XML.com - Storing XML in Relational Databases</a><br />
Another one from the O'Reilly XML.com site, this piece discusses various approaches taken by major applications and vendors including Oracle, Microsoft, IBM and Sybase.<br />
<br />
<a href="http://dev.mysql.com/tech-resources/articles/xml-in-mysql5.1-6.0.html">MySQL Developer Zone - Using XML in MySQL 5.1 and 6.0</a><br />
Naturally this is specific to MySQL, so if that's the platform you happen to be targeting there's some useful info in here. Topics include XPath, importing and exporting XML data.<br />
<br />
<a href="http://download.oracle.com/docs/cd/B28359_01/appdev.111/b28369/xdb05sto.htm">Oracle XML DB Developer's Guide - XML Schema Storage and Query: Basic</a><br />
This contains Oracle specific info but there is also some interesting general material on data mapping, including mapping data types from XML Schema to database and SQL types.<br />
<br />
<a href="http://www.idug.org/solutions-journal-content/converting-xml-to-relational-data.html">International DB2 User Group (IDUG) - Converting XML to Relational Data</a><br />
A thorough and balanced explanation of XML to relational data conversion, with a particular focus on shredding, including a well reasoned weighing up of when it is and isn't likely to be suitable.<br />
<br />
<a href="http://www.ibm.com/developerworks/library/x-matters8/index.html">IBM DeveloperWorks - XML Matters: Putting XML in context with hierarchical, relational, and object-oriented models</a><br />
The DeveloperWorks site is always a good resource for very specific technical subjects like this. This article takes a high-level, abstract but still accessible view, discussing the conceptual aspects of each model with relation to importing XML data.<br />
<br />
<a href="http://www.lorentzcenter.nl/awcourse/oracle/appdev.920/a96620/xdb05obj.htm">Lorentz Center - Structured Mapping of XMLType</a><br />
Again, this is specific to Oracle and other technologies, but there is a fair amount of generally useful info within it. Particularly helpful sections cover XML Schema and various topics on mapping to SQL.<br />
<br />
<a href="http://www.kitebird.com/articles/mysql-xml.html">Kitebird - Using XML with MySQL</a><br />
This is focused on MySQL but again covers some of the central issues in mapping between XML and any database system. The subjects are covered from a few different angles here, including importing XML into MySQL using different techniques.<br />
<br />
Finally here are a couple of mine: <br />
<a href="http://thetechinterpreter.blogspot.co.uk/2012/06/using-xml-schemas-xsds-to-create.html">Using XML Schemas (XSDs) to Create Database Tables</a><br />
<a href="http://thetechinterpreter.blogspot.com/2012/08/xml-database-mapping-using-xsd-xml.html">XML Database Mapping Using XSD (XML Schema)</a><br />
<br />
<i>So that's it, this is one topic I must admit I've found it difficult to discover useful material on. I don't personally have much experience in using any of the software and application tools for this type of activity, but I suspect a manual redesign will probably always be the most successful approach in switching from XML to relational database systems.</i>Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08085981060976444149noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1168034298118237875.post-10655670177442341562011-05-02T10:35:00.009-07:002012-08-29T08:15:50.530-07:00Android User and Developer GuidesFinding guides to using and developing Android applications is not particularly easy. The number of useful sites and blogs is growing, but still seems pretty small. As a casual Android developer I recently started a <a href="http://androidthings.blogspot.com/">blog about Android development topics</a> because I was surprised by the lack of resources available apart from the official Google guide. However, I've also been surprised by the relatively small amount of information for Android users (as opposed to developers).<br />
<br />
Anyway, here are some of the more useful sites I've found:<br />
<br />
<a href="http://developer.android.com/guide/index.html">Android - The Developers Guide</a><br />
As mentioned above, the official guide is by far the best source for Android development information, including tutorials, the official API for the Java Android resources and all sorts of recommendations.<br />
<br />
<a href="http://android-developers.blogspot.com/">Android Developers Blog</a><br />
This is another official source from Google, but I've found it often contains info I had been struggling to find on the official guide. It's also a bit more informal as it's article based.<br />
<br />
<a href="http://www.androidguys.com/">AndroidGuys</a><br />
AndroidGuys is a great source for information about Android devices, apps, news and user guides. There's a healthy portion of comment in it too so it's a readable resource to have a regular look at.<br />
<br />
<a href="http://www.talkandroid.com/">TalkAndroid</a><br />
TalkAndroid is an excellent source for real Android geekery. A news-based site, this is a great place to find info about upcoming releases, devices and apps.<br />
<br />
<a href="http://anddev.org/">anddev.org</a><br />
Anddev.org has proven to be one of the most useful developer resources I've come across so far. It's a community site so the information is forum-based.<br />
<br />
<a href="http://www.androidtapp.com/">Android Tapp</a><br />
Android Tapp is one of the many Android app review sites, with a lot of detailed information about the featured applications.<br />
<br />
<a href="http://androidandme.com/">Android and Me</a><br />
Android and Me is another fantastic source for news about all things Android. Again, this is more of an Android geek resource than a casual user one.<br />
<br />
<a href="http://www.androidcentral.com/">Android Central</a><br />
Android Central is one of the few sites I've found that manages to strike a good balance, catering equally well to casual and technical Android fans. This site contains a lot of different types of Android information, including apps, tips, news and tutorials.<br />
<br />
<i>You can of course find Android info on sites that are not focused exclusively on Android. This information tends to be a bit more arbitrary, so you're more likely to come across it by Googling what you're looking for. However, there is decent Android info on both <a href="http://www.smashingmagazine.com/">Smashing Magazine</a> and <a href="http://mobile.tutsplus.com/?s=android">Mobiletuts+</a> among others.</i><br />
<br />
Finally, here are some of my own:<br />
<ul><li><a href="http://coding.smashingmagazine.com/2011/11/04/getting-the-best-out-of-eclipse-for-android-development/">Smashing Magazine: Getting Best Use Out of Eclipse for Android Development</a></li>
<li><a href="http://mobile.tutsplus.com/author/sue-smith/">Mobiletuts+ Tutorials</a></li>
<li><a href="http://marketplace.tutsplus.com/user/benormal">Tuts+ Marketplace</a></li>
<li><a href="http://thetechinterpreter.blogspot.co.uk/2012/07/introduction-to-android-apk-files.html">Introduction to Android APK Files</a></li>
<li><a href="http://thetechinterpreter.blogspot.co.uk/2012/08/what-does-android-application.html">What Does Android Application Development Involve?</a></li>
<li><a href="http://thetechinterpreter.blogspot.co.uk/2012/08/what-are-android-phones.html">What Are Android Phones?</a></li>
<li><a href="http://thetechinterpreter.blogspot.co.uk/2012/08/frequently-asked-questions-about.html">Frequently Asked Questions About Android Apps</a></li>
<li><a href="http://thetechinterpreter.blogspot.co.uk/2012/08/developing-android-widgets.html">Developing Android Widgets</a></li>
<li><a href="http://thetechinterpreter.blogspot.co.uk/2012/08/how-to-uninstall-android-apps.html">How To Uninstall Android Apps</a></li>
<li><a href="http://thetechinterpreter.blogspot.co.uk/2012/08/what-are-android-apk-files.html">What Are Android APK Files?</a></li>
</ul>Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08085981060976444149noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1168034298118237875.post-20346761264575678342011-04-18T13:50:00.003-07:002012-08-29T08:18:18.270-07:00XBMC Tutorials, Tips and GuidesI was recently researching the open source media player XBMC for a tutorial. Here are some useful resources I came across:<br />
<br />
<a href="http://wiki.xbmc.org/index.php?title=XBMC_Online_Manual" linkindex="44">XBMC Online Manual</a><br />
It might seem obvious but by far the best source for XBMC info is the official wiki guide, here are some of the main areas of it for tutorials and tips:<br />
<ul><li><a href="http://wiki.xbmc.org/index.php?title=Tips_And_Tricks" linkindex="45">Tips and Tricks</a></li>
<li><a href="http://forum.xbmc.org/forumdisplay.php?f=110" linkindex="46">Forum - Tips, Tricks and How-To</a></li>
<li><a href="http://wiki.xbmc.org/index.php?title=XBMC_Skinning_Tutorials" linkindex="47">XBMC Skinning Tutorials</a></li>
</ul><a href="http://www.maximumpc.com/article/features/xbmc" linkindex="48">Maximum PC - 12 Essential Tips to Using XBMC as the Perfect Media Hub</a><br />
This article starts with a basic installation guide but covers a wide variety of additional XBMC topics too.<br />
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<a href="http://www.mediasmartserver.net/2010/09/07/guide-getting-started-with-xbmc/" linkindex="49">MediaSmartServer.net - Guide: Getting Started With XBMC</a><br />
A thorough starter guide with lots of screenshots and detail.<br />
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<a href="http://blog.burlock.org/xbmc/" linkindex="50">Kludge-o-matic - XBMC</a><br />
This is a blog, but has a good range of useful XBMC tips you might not come across elsewhere.<br />
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<a href="http://uk.lifehacker.com/search/xbmc/" linkindex="51">Lifehacker - XBMC</a><br />
Lifehacker has loads of content on XBMC, just do a search for it on-site...<br />
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<a href="http://blog.trlong.com/the-complete-xbmc-tutorial-series/" linkindex="52">Long Story Short - The Complete XBMC Tutorial Series</a><br />
Another blog, this links to some really useful video tutorials for using XBMC.<br />
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<a href="http://www.youtube.com/results?search_query=xbmc+tutorials" linkindex="53">YouTube</a><br />
There are a surprising number of XBMC tutorials and guides on YouTube, here are a few that stood out to me:<br />
<ul><li><a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fXS933EECQU" linkindex="54">XBMC Tutorial Part 1</a></li>
<li><a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=miJcFgOpWxg&playnext=1&list=PLF9C21165AAEEF476" linkindex="55">XBMC Tutorials Playlist</a></li>
<li><a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HKlRjyhJh4M" linkindex="56">XBMC Pt 1 The Noobs Guide To Creating The Ultimate HTPC</a></li>
<li><a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=E4l_nVqN0q0" linkindex="57">Tutorial: XBoxMediaCenter - Adding plugin sources to XBMC</a></li>
<li><a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IwQWMf6VJy4" linkindex="58">How to install XBMC on Apple TV 2G</a></li>
<li><a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=i76_IundtFk" linkindex="59">How To Install XBMC In Ubuntu</a></li>
</ul><br />
<b>See also:</b><br />
<a href="http://thetechinterpreter.blogspot.co.uk/2012/06/using-xml-to-control-lcd-output-in-xbmc.html">Using XML to Control LCD Output in XBMC</a><br />
<a href="http://thetechinterpreter.blogspot.co.uk/2012/08/customising-lcd-output-in-xbmc.html">Customising LCD Output in XBMC</a><br />
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That's it at the moment, if I discover any more useful material online about XBMC I'll add it to the list. In the meantime feel free to add your own in the comments.Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08085981060976444149noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1168034298118237875.post-23976861008416585682011-04-12T14:36:00.000-07:002011-04-13T03:26:17.517-07:00HelloJust a short introduction to this blog. I write technical and educational material which is published on the Web. When I'm researching computing topics I'm regularly pleasantly surprised by the quality of some of what I come across, and frustrated by the fact that finding it is often a laborious process.<br />
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With this blog, I basically plan to highlight some of what I've found in my own research, hopefully signposting some of the better content and maybe saving a little time for anyone else trying to find what I was trying to find..!<br />
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The topics I plan to cover will include tutorials on Web development, software development, programming, technical concepts and principles on subjects such as the Internet and computing in general.Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08085981060976444149noreply@blogger.com0