Julian Ashbourn

The concept of a PKI (public key infrastructure) has been around for decades, but it is one strand of IT which has taken an extraordinarily long time to come to fruition within the mainstream. This is mostly because implementing a PKI is time consuming and difficult. Maintaining a PKI is equally time consuming and even more difficult within the real world of mergers and acquisitions against a backdrop of ever-changing technology. Many organisations simply give up and hand everything over to a third party who promises to manage everything on their behalf. This is generally not a good idea and simply delays the inevitability of failures and misunderstood complexity. This book explores all the aspects of implementing and maintaining a PKI that the other books on the subject seem to miss. It reflects decades of hard-won experience, not only in PKI, not only in IT, not only in electronics, but in business, government agencies and academia alike. The book also explores the existence of a PKI alongside other technologies, such as biometrics, and against an ever-changing world of development methodologies. This last point is particularly relevant at this time as we are in the middle of a quiet, but all encompassing revolution in this respect. Consequently, this is the one book on PKI that you have to have on your shelf, whether you be a company director, IT manager, government minister or teacher of IT. It is the book which fills in all the gaps left in the literature and treads paths which others fear to tread. You will enjoy it enormously if you are from an IT background.

The concept of a PKI (public key infrastructure) has been around for decades, but it is one strand of IT which has taken an extraordinarily long time to come to fruition within the mainstream. This is mostly because implementing a PKI is time consuming and difficult. Maintaining a PKI is equally time consuming and even more difficult within the real world of mergers and acquisitions against a backdrop of ever-changing technology. Many organisations simply give up and hand everything over to a third party who promises to manage everything on their behalf. This is generally not a good idea and simply delays the inevitability of failures and misunderstood complexity. This book explores all the aspects of implementing and maintaining a PKI that the other books on the subject seem to miss. It reflects decades of hard-won experience, not only in PKI, not only in IT, not only in electronics, but in business, government agencies and academia alike. The book also explores the existence of a PKI alongside other technologies, such as biometrics, and against an ever-changing world of development methodologies. This last point is particularly relevant at this time as we are in the middle of a quiet, but all encompassing revolution in this respect. Consequently, this is the one book on PKI that you have to have on your shelf, whether you be a company director, IT manager, government minister or teacher of IT. It is the book which fills in all the gaps left in the literature and treads paths which others fear to tread. You will enjoy it enormously if you are from an IT background.

This book provides a true A to Z of recorded sound, from its inception to the present day, outlining how technologies, techniques, and social attitudes have changed things, noting what is good and what is less good. The author starts by discussing the physics of sound generation and propagation. He then moves on to outline the history of recorded sound and early techniques and technologies, such as the rise of multi-channel tape recorders and their impact on recorded sound. He goes on to debate live sound versus recorded sound and why there is a difference, particularly with classical music. Other topics covered are the sound of real instruments and how that sound is produced and how to record it; microphone techniques and true stereo sound; digital workstations, sampling, and digital media; and music reproduction in the home and how it has changed. The author wraps up the book by discussing where we should be headed for both popular and classical music recording and reproduction, the role of the Audio Engineer in the 21st century, and a brief look at technology today and where it is headed. This book is ideal for anyone interested in recorded sound. “[Julian Ashbourn] strives for perfection and reaches it through his recordings… His deep knowledge of both technology and music is extensive and it is with great pleasure that I see he is passing this on for the benefit of others. I have no doubt that this book will be highly valued by many in the music industry, as it will be by me.” -- Claudio Di Meo, Composer, Pianist and Principal Conductor of The Kensington Philharmonic Orchestra, The Hemel Symphony Orchestra and The Lumina Choir

This book provides a true A to Z of recorded sound, from its inception to the present day, outlining how technologies, techniques, and social attitudes have changed things, noting what is good and what is less good. The author starts by discussing the physics of sound generation and propagation. He then moves on to outline the history of recorded sound and early techniques and technologies, such as the rise of multi-channel tape recorders and their impact on recorded sound. He goes on to debate live sound versus recorded sound and why there is a difference, particularly with classical music. Other topics covered are the sound of real instruments and how that sound is produced and how to record it; microphone techniques and true stereo sound; digital workstations, sampling, and digital media; and music reproduction in the home and how it has changed. The author wraps up the book by discussing where we should be headed for both popular and classical music recording and reproduction, the role of the Audio Engineer in the 21st century, and a brief look at technology today and where it is headed. This book is ideal for anyone interested in recorded sound. “[Julian Ashbourn] strives for perfection and reaches it through his recordings… His deep knowledge of both technology and music is extensive and it is with great pleasure that I see he is passing this on for the benefit of others. I have no doubt that this book will be highly valued by many in the music industry, as it will be by me.” -- Claudio Di Meo, Composer, Pianist and Principal Conductor of The Kensington Philharmonic Orchestra, The Hemel Symphony Orchestra and The Lumina Choir

The Last Little Book of Verse, To Warm The Heart is, as the title suggests, the last in this series of books of poetry. It continues the trend set by its forbears of offering insight into the human condition, as well as a love of nature and the natural world, expressed in verse. A lovely little book to take with you when you travel, or simply to have on the bedside table in order to inspire beautiful thoughts before you travel through the night.

Abduction is unlike the other Billy Two Hawks adventures as, in this case, Billy is truly shocked and heartbroken at what he discovers. Nevertheless, he carries on, even when, at times, the task seems completely impossible. The frustration that Billy feels while trying to find a missing person is the frustration felt by many, whether they be the families of those involved, or the authorities who try their best, often against a tide of indifference. Billy is further shocked by the monstrous actions of a few within society who are truly committing crimes against humanity. He also discovers those who run shelters for the homeless and abused and understands that, fortunately, there is good, as well as evil, within our modern world. However, we cannot afford to be complacent and so, Abduction, is a warning to us all of what can happen if we do not adhere strictly to our duty of care towards the young and the vulnerable. It is a fitting tale with which Billy will bow out and return to his own trail in life. Perhaps he has taught us something with his brief acquaintance. Sakihitowin.

The second of the Billy Two Hawks adventures sees Billy liaising with his friends from the RCMP to solve a complicated, international gun running operation. The case, which at first seems straightforward, turns out to be remarkably complex with many links in the chain, but Billy uses his unique blend of intuition and logic to help his friends, meeting many interesting individuals along the way. He also imparts, to the reader, his own philosophy and understanding of the natural world and why it is so important to preserve it. Unexpectedly, someone else enters Billy's life right at the end of this adventure. Perhaps they will have an influence upon him. Perhaps they will become soul mates in their understanding of what is really important in this life.

Billy Two Hawks is a detective like no other. He does not work for money and insists on remaining anonymous, refusing any accolades that are offered to him. He works only in support of the Royal Canadian Mounted Police, for whom he has a great respect, and only on unsolved cases where his special undercover way of working might prove useful. You see, Billy is a Cree Indian and lives on the Bridgewater Reserve, just a little way from Pinehouse Lake, in northern Saskatchewan. It is a land that he loves and wants to protect from all harm, including the evil of the criminal world. Therefore, he undertakes what he considers as his duty, to help out whenever the opportunity arises. But he always relishes his return to Pinehouse Lake and the land that he loves with all his heart. A detective? Not really. But Billy knows what it means to be a human being.

This book will take the reader on a tour of the natural world, in order to describe natural features and landscapes, certainly, but also to share with the reader the author's love of nature and the very personal feelings he harbours towards it. The natural landscapes of Great Britain are used to illustrate these ideas and emotions, from the mountains to the coasts and everything in between. The fascinating narrative is illustrated with over 450 beautiful photographs, rendered in monochrome, which, together, describe a wealth of natural landscapes and the feelings which they inspire within the individual. This book will prove invaluable for children and adults alike. Indeed, it is an object with which to bring families together and discuss how important an engagement with nature is for the wellbeing of the individual. It is also extremely informative and will bring a greater understanding of the natural world, including geology and coastal processes, to the reader.

Messages from the Moon are a selection of short stories, some of them purely fictional, others more factual, but all of them thought provoking. Within and between their words runs a deeper meaning which many will find interesting.

This is the story of an ordinary man. But it is not an ordinary story. It is a journey which, if the reader allows, will take him or her along an unusual but very important path. Along the way of this path are some nuggets of understanding and, at the journey's end, some revelations which some may find uncomfortable. And yet which, for some, might ignite their own answers. Such were the days of John Brown. Let them not be forgotten.

There have been many books written on the subject of audio. Some have been written from an overtly technical perspective, focusing upon the physics of audio recording and reproduction. Some have focused purely upon acoustics. Yet more have been written to cover the use of a particular piece of software or a particular recording environment. While all of these books are useful, in one way or another, they do little to help create a broader perspective upon the world of audio and how to capture a given moment in time using the technology that is now available to us. This book however is different. It immerses the reader in the world of sound, creating that broader perspective from where intelligent discussion may develop. Naturally, it covers the history of recorded sound and moves on to examine the processes of recording sound in the modern world. It is a book, first and foremost, for musicians and music lovers and all those who appreciate art. It is, for them, also a technical guide, written in a language that they might easily understand, without disappearing into jargon and academic theory. Mostly, it is an audio book to enjoy.

Heaven, Nature's Store is a new book by Julian Ashbourn which challenges traditional mythology, folklore and religion in a manner which perhaps brings us closer to the real Heaven

This practically-focused text presents a hands-on guide to making biometric technology work in real-life scenarios. Extensively revised and updated, this new edition takes a fresh look at what it takes to integrate biometrics into wider applications. An emphasis is placed on the importance of a complete understanding of the broader scenario, covering technical, human and implementation factors. This understanding may then be exercised through interactive chapters dealing with educational software utilities and the BANTAM Program Manager. Features: provides a concise introduction to biometrics; examines both technical issues and human factors; highlights the importance of a broad understanding of biometric technology implementation from both a technical and operational perspective; reviews a selection of freely available utilities including the BANTAM Program Manager; considers the logical next steps on the path from aspiration to implementation, and looks towards the future use of biometrics in context.

This book takes a fresh look at biometrics and identity management, extending the dialogue beyond technical considerations, and exploring some of the broader societal and philosophical aspects surrounding the use of biometric applications. Features: presents a brief history of the development of biometrics, and describes some of the popularly held misconceptions surrounding the technology; investigates the challenges and possibilities of biometrics across third party infrastructures and on mobile computing devices; provides guidance on biometric systems design; explores the mechanisms necessary to enable identity intelligence, including logging mechanisms, data communications and data formats; discusses such usage issues as collaboration frameworks, and messaging and data translation; examines the impact of biometric technologies on society, covering issues of privacy and user factors; reviews the current situation in identity management, and predicts where these trends may take us inthe future.

This book discusses the geological history of Britain from the early geological formation of the British Isles, through to the variety of currently visible rock formations and ensuing natural landscapes. It is presented as an accessible narrative which may be utilised in a variety of educational contexts, or simply enjoyed as an holistic overview of the subject. It additionally provides an important visual record of British geology in the 21st century via a portfolio of high quality, scientifically accurate photographs, which are themselves part of a larger collection, being developed to become the definitive image library for British geoscience. In addition, the book provides an insight into the relationship between the geology of Britain and how early settlers interacted with the landscape throughout Mesolithic and Neolithic times. It is a book which serves equally as a scientific reference, an introduction to the subject of British geology and, no doubt, as an edition which will remain a pleasure to own in its own right.