Simple spreadsheet "video"

Here is a "video", or is it screencast, I made with byzanz desktop recorder and Ubuntu GNU/Linux. It's a short clip of me demoing some Open Office.org spreadsheet tips for a friend of mine.

Byzanz is so handy because it installs as a panel applet and records your desktop session to an animated GIF. You don't have to worry about video formats and browser add-ons/compatibility with GIF's. No sir, just add and image to your page and go on with living. :=)

Just when you think Free and Open Source Software can't be any more cool or useful, BAM!, you discover another nifty tool. What will apt-cache search turn up next?

It's hard to express how thrilled I am to have found byzanz. Now Free and Priceless can become a kind of show and tell for our FOSS exploration.

While I'm feverishly reworking potential blog post to include this wonderful technology, I'd love to get comments on your Linux/free software questions. Just post a comment on a screencast you'd like to see and I'll try to work it in.

Read All About It!!

Can you guess what these books have in common?

The Prince, by Niccolò Machiavelli.

Practical Common Lisp, by Peter Seibel.

Alice's Adventures in Wonderland, by Lewis Carroll.

Lessons In Electric Circuits, by Tony R. Kuphaldt

Give up?

They, and many more, are free and online, just waiting for you to grab your copy!

Where can you find free books? I'm glad you asked.


Project Gutenberg

The front page claims 20,000 free books in the Project Gutenberg online book catalog and over 100,000 titles total at Project Gutenberg Partners, Affliliates and Resources.

The place to start for classic works of literature. Project Gutenberg offers a lifetime of free reading material and wonderful community. The only nit to pick is that both newer works and tech books are a bit sparse.


The Online Books Page

What unbelievably appears to be the work of a single person, John Mark Ockerbloom, a site listing over 25,000 free books.

Has everything from The Visigothic code (Boston Book Company, 1910) to Software Engineering for Internet Applications (MIT Press 2006).

Can be a tad slow, but more than worth any time invested. Awesome site, concept and people. Check it out and pitch in if you can.

Internet Public Library

Nice, quick site with some unique information.

What the IPL lacks in material, it make up for with its cool delivery. The grok it feature for Java enabled browsers being one example.

The IPL even has a section on blogs that, dare I dream, could reference our Free and Priceless some glorious day.


Free tech books

They say: Free Online Computer Science and Programming Books, Textbooks, and Lecture Notes

Outstanding site! The first place I turn for anything tech related.

A lot of work goes into this site so I personally have no problem with its banner adds. Volumes of great tech information, judge for yourself.


Free computer books and Tech books for free

While both of these will have some overlap, with Free tech books also, each has enough individual treasures to make it worth a look.

I always stumble across something new when browsing both, and recommend them for a good source of free books.


Well, I hope these books will keep you occupied for the moment Next time we'll look into various free courses to couple with your new books. Soon you'll know everything and it'll have cost you nothing. :)