The Black Art of Video Game Console Design Review

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(More customer reviews)Some background on me:
I have a Bachelor's degree in Computer Science. I'm also a professional software engineer in the video game industry.
In my education, I had a few classes on electronics/digital circuits and I loved it. I started doing my own circuits outside of class and buying digital ICs to add to my toolkit. Over the years, I'd lost touch with that side of myself and the joy that it gave me. Then I found this book, "The Black Art of Video Game Console Design".
This book is basically an abridged EE (Electrical Engineering) degree with a focus on video game consoles! And the kicker is that you're being instructed by one of the most "readable" authors around. By "readable", I mean that the author has a way of teaching you things as if it was your friend, sitting next to you, turning complicated subjects into an easy-to-understand, entertaining, data stream. The information is clear and the tone is upbeat and occasionally humourous.
As I read through the book, I was hitting everything that I learned in months and months in the classroom, but without all the fuss and only the relevant information. Resistors, capacitors, diodes, truth tables, timing diagrams, etc, it's all there. Then, the author jumped into complicated areas such as joysticks, sound, microprocessors, assembly language, the NTSC (standard TV) video signal (just to name a few). Finally, there we were at the pinnacle of the mountain, the culmination of all our learning, and here's where the real "Black Art" of the book kicks in, the full process of designing a video game console.
In today's hardware driven world, this book should be on every game programmer's shelf, whether they're a hobbyist or a seasoned veteran.

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&a>breaks new ground in game development by bridging the alien worlds of hardware and software together for the first time! The Black Art of Video Game Console Design is written for the programmer and/or hobbyist interested in software game development, but also wants to understand the hardware games are implemented on. This book assumes no prior knowledge of Electrical Engineering or Computer Architecture, but takes you on a breathtaking journey from atomic semiconductor theory to the design and construction of basic video game consoles that you can build and write your own games for! Included in the book is the entire design of numerous embedded game systems including the XGameStation systems and much more. The Black Art of Video Game Console Design with 800+ pages covers everything you need to know to design your own game console including:• Basic atomic physics and semiconductor theory primer.• Introduction to circuit analysis; current, voltage, and resistance.• Analog design using discrete components.• Digital electronics and Boolean algebra.• Physical hardware construction and prototyping techniques.• Combinational logic and advanced integrated circuit building blocks.• Finite state machine design.• Computer architecture and design.• Understanding and using microprocessors and microcontrollers.• Developing software for embedded systems.• Designing video (NTSC/VGA), audio, and input device systems.• Interfacing and communications.• The complete design and discussion of numerous game systems including the XGameStations!Register your book at informit.com/register and download the following additional resources (previously on bundled CD):• PCB and circuit simulation tools.• All necessary data sheets.• Demos and source code.• Complete designs to numerous embedded systems including the XGameStations.

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Project: Soul Catcher: Secrets of Cyber and Cybernetic Warfare Revealed (Volume 2) Review

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(More customer reviews)Read the book for some eye-popping information. This is really real. The public is nowhere near aware of these horrifying technologies, to hack the brain and control a person's life is devastating. More and more we will be subjected to these heinous crimes without public outrage. More TV programs investigating these technologies are needed so that the public is talking about them at their dinner tables at night and this information is completely out in the open. There is no safety from anyone's being attacked without public outrage to change this dire situation and to expose these atrocities perpetrated on the human race. I too have been victimized probably my entire life. We need more educated and well written books, articles and TV programs to shine a light on the truth about how humanity is being changed. Thank you for your wonderful work, Dr. Robert Duncan. With the death threats you have received I hope your life is safe and you keep writing, speaking and presenting such valuable information. Thank you again. (My website about these technologies is here [...])

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Volume 2 details the CIA's practices of interrogation and cybernetic mind control in their pursuit to weaponize neuropsychology. It covers the art of bio-communication war. Human beings are complex machines but their inner workings have been deciphered. Mind control and brainwashing have been perfected in the last 60 years. Hacking computers and hacking into individual minds are similar. The 21st century will be known as the age of spiritual machines and soulless men.

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Beginning Electronics Through Projects Review

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(More customer reviews)When you cut right down to it this book is just a 120 page commercial for the SINGMIN PCB. Andrew Singmin uses this book to continuously tell the reader that they'll have more success with electronics if they buy his PCB. The theory included in the book is non-existant, and the projects are simply a step by step guide of what to solder pin x of a 555 IC to. There is no discusion as to why. If you buy this book and build the projects, you will not have gained anything useful.

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If you are interested in electronics, but don't know where to start, Beginning Electronics Through Projects lets you learn the basics through building 10 step-by-step projects.Theory is limited to "need-to-know" information that will allow you to get started right away.No complex math.Common components and their functions are described briefly in everyday terms. All the components used in the book are widely available, and pre-assembled parts kits and circuit boards are available by mail from the author.Andrew Singmin is President of Singmin Enterprises, an electronics consulting company based outside of Ottawa, Ontario, in Canada.He has been involved in the electronics industry for more than 20 years, and has had numerous articles published in Electronics Handbook and Popular Electronics.His articles have specialized in teaching electronics to the beginner through projects.Mr. Singmin attained his electronics engineering degree in London, UK, and has postgraduate degrees in Semiconductor Physics (Masters) and Solid State Physics (Doctorate). Learn basic theory and components.10 easy-to-build projects.Parts kits and printed circuit board available.

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Beginning Analog Electronics through Projects, Second Edition Review

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(More customer reviews)this is a good book for people looking to well, have basic understanding of analog electronics. some good things are that almost half the book is about the electronics not just the projects, providing more background information for other projects in this hobby. one thing i am no impressed with is how you might need to look up a few terms in his dictionary, but if you have it or already know then your good to go. i'd say it's an overall good book, but its from 2000, but i mean you could do worse.

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Analog electronics is the simplest way to start a fun, informative, learning program. Beginning Analog Electronics Through Projects, Second Edition was written with the needs of beginning hobbyists and students in mind. This revision of Andrew Singmin's popular Beginning Electronics Through Projects provides practical exercises, building techniques, and ideas for useful electronics projects. Additionally, it features new material on analog and digital electronics, and new projects for troubleshooting test equipment.Published in the tradition of Beginning Electronics Through Projects and Beginning Digital Electronics Through Projects, this book limits theory to "need-to-know" information that will allow you to get started right away without complex math. Commonly used electronic components and their functions are described briefly in everyday terms. Ideal for progressive learning, each of the projects builds on the theory and component knowledge developed in earlier chapters. Step-by-step instructions facilitate one's learning of techniques for component identification, soldering, troubleshooting, and much more. Includes instructions for using a general purpose assembly boardPractical, enjoyable, useful approach to learning about electronicsFeatures twelve easy and useful projects designed to familiarize beginners and hobbyists with the most commonly used ICs.

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Philips HeartStart Home Defibrillator (AED) Review

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(More customer reviews)I have taught CPR for almost 35 years and currently head up an American Heart Association Training Center. My instructors have had access to the top 4 AED trainers for over 5 years, but every one of them prefers to use the Philips Medical Heartstart. The other trainers gather dust. The Philips line of AEDs began as HeartStream in the late 1990s and were the first on the market with FDA-approved biphasic (2 directional) shocks, first to put AEDs on airplanes (American Airlines), first with FDA-approved Pediatric Pads,the first and currently only AED officially approved by the American Dental Association, and the first to be able to be purchased without a doctor's prescription. And considering that just a few years ago, AEDs cost almost $5000, the price makes it a steal! If you have a loved one in your home with a heart condition, this is the device for you! Be aware that no device guarantees success, and this machine will not help a heart attack, but it is the best chance for someone who experiences a Sudden Cardiac Arrest (complete heart stoppage). But if you buy it, please also take the time to get trained in its use by attending a HeartSaver AED training course - use of an AED is only 1 of 4 links in the AHA "Chain of Survival". You can find a course near you by going on the American Heart Association Webpage and locating a Training Center or Training Site near you, or call Philips Customer Service.

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The Philips HeartStart Home Defibrillator. It's the latest in essential safety equipment. Fire extinguishers. Seat belts. Airbags. Home security systems. All essential safety equipment to protect yourself and your loved ones. You know they are there, silently standing by, just in case. They give you peace of mind so that you can focus on life's good things.

Be prepared for the unexpected. When sudden cardiac arrest (SCA) strikes, the electrical system of the heart short circuits, causing the heart to quiver rather than pump in a normal rhythm. It typically results in the abnormal heart rhythm know as ventricular fibrillation (VF). It usually happens without warning and the majority of people have no previously recognized symptoms of heart disease. And it most often happens at home. For the best chance of survival from SCA caused by VF, a defibrillator should be used within 5 minutes. Yet, less than 1 in 20 people survive largely because a defibrillator does not arrive in time.
Just as seat belts or airbags do not save every life in a traffic accident, a defibrillator will not save every person who suffers a sudden cardiac arrest. Yet many lives could be saved if more people could be reached more quickly.
HeartStart was designed with you in mind. That's why we created the HeartStart Home Defibrillator. This award-winning safety equipment has been designed so that virtually anyone can use it to help save the life of a person who suffers a sudden cardiac arrest.
Clear, calm voice instructions talk you through each step. HeartStart senses and adapts the instructions based on your actions. Using sophisticated technology, HeartStart quickly decides whether a shock is necessary. It is designed to only deliver a shock if needed. It will even coach you through the steps of CPR.
Like other essential safety equipment, you buy HeartStart hoping that you never have to use it. Yet in that moment you need it, HeartStart must be ready. It performs comprehensive daily self-tests. You can check its status at a glance. Virtually no maintenance is required.
Who should have a HeartStart? Anyone who wants a safer home.
Consider the other essential safety equipment you own to protect your loved ones in case of an emergency. Fire extinguishers. Seat belts. Airbags. Now consider the likelihood of needing this equipment.
HeartStart Home Defibrillator Contents:
Philips HeartStart Home Defibrillator
Red carry case with 911/EMS card
Adult SMART Pads cartridge* (lasts 2 years)
Battery (lasts 4 years)
Training video
Free discount coupons for CPR training at American Heart Association, American Red Cross or Medic First Aid
5-year warranty

*The Infant/Child pads cartridge is sold separately, and available by prescription only. Contact Philips at 1-866-333-4246 for more information or to order.

A Support Program Enrollment Card is also included.By enrolling in this free program, you will have access to a range of services, including:
Important notifications about HeartStart
Customer service*
Periodic accessory reminders
Post-use counseling*
*These services are available to all HeartStart owners. Philips will send you a free Fast Response Kit (over $40 value) for enrolling in the Support Program.
Consider these things before your purchase:
If you have questions or concerns about your health, or an existing medical condition, please talk with your doctor. A defibrillator does not take the place of seeking medical care.
You cannot use the HeartStart to treat yourself.
Users may need to perform CPR.
Responding to cardiac arrest may require you to kneel.
Voice instructions and enclosed materials are in English.
HeartStart provides audible and visible indicators when maintenance is required.

Indications for Use: HeartStart is used to treat victims of sudden cardiac arrest (SCA) who are not responsive and not breathing normally. If in doubt, apply the pads. The HeartStart treats the most common cause of SCA by delivering a shock to the heart. Use HeartStart and CPR, as needed, until emergency professionals arrive.
If you have concerns about your health or an existing medical condition, please talk to your doctor.A defibrillator is not a replacement for seeking medical care.

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