Elementary, my dear Watson:
technica q&a: ken steiglitz (snipers, shills and sharks)
technica q&a: geoff andersen (the telescope)
movie and video editing sale
history of science
new arrivals
dvds
doug brown's factoid
bestsellers

The Royal Rosarians are in the store, resplendent in their cream-colored suits and white gloves. Every June, the Starlight Parade of Portland's annual Rose Festival assembles itself right outside the Tech store. Right now, they're paying Fup a visit — they don't mind a little cat hair on their sleeves. Earlier, the Shriners stopped by and tried to get her to join the fun, but Fup prefers a window seat these days.

TECHNICA Q&A: KEN STEIGLITZ
Nearly everyone has bought or sold something on eBay, and it's never a dull transaction. We've all witnessed frenzied bidding, shilling, and other odd behaviors. In his new book, Snipers, Shills and Sharks, author Ken Steiglitz explores how the phenomenon of eBay makes people behave differently than in predicted standard economic theory. Steiglitz, an avid coin collector and eBay shopper, uses his own experiences to illustrate basic principles of auction theory and the mathematics behind eBay. Academics will enjoy the math inside the book, but everyday eBay users will appreciate Steiglitz's study of complex behavioral models. Read his Q&A here and save 30% on Snipers, Shills and Sharks.

TECHNICA Q&A: GEOFF ANDERSEN
Next year, the telescope will be 400 years old and author Geoff Andersen wrote The Telescope: Its History, Technology and Future to commemorate this auspicious event. An extensive study of optical instruments, we found it fascinating, and accessible to both professionals and general readers. Andersen discusses the history of telescopes, interferometry, advanced techniques, key discoveries, surveillance, and more with humor and enthusiasm. Intrigued? Read Andersen's Q&A here and thank your lucky stars that you saved 30% on The Telescope.

Bunsen invents his burner in June 1847 — or did he? The term "Bunsen burner" brings up fond memories of freshman science class, but I digress. Chemist Robert Bunsen didn't actually invent this burner; his assistant merely improved on an existing design by Michael Faraday.

MOVIE AND VIDEO EDITING SALE
Why spend thousands on film school when you can spend your money on flip-flops, enjoy the beautiful summer, and start filming your tour de force right now? DIY is the thing these days, and our great selection of movie and video editing books, all at 30% off, will assist you in creating your masterwork. Save on our featured titles for a limited time.

HISTORY OF SCIENCE
In June 1972, Nolan Bushnell and Ted Dabney founded Atari, a business named after a Japanese term in the game Go. They test-marketed their first game, Pong, in a tavern in Grass Valley, California. Inebriated patrons loved it, and Pong became the first arcade game wonder. Bushnell later sold his part of the business and started the Chuck E. Cheese's pizza chain. Learn more fascinating science tidbits from our stacks of books in science history here.

NEW ARRIVALS
Author Brian Clegg explores Eadweard Muybridge's dark side in his book, The Man Who Stopped Time. Alejandro Bahamon, always a champion of alternative housing, gives us Treehouses: Living a Dream now out in paperback. Author Jeff Goodell's Big Coal: The Dirty Secret behind America's Energy Future was also recently released in paperback with a new afterword. Are you a robotics fan? Brian Bagnall's new book, Maximum Lego NXT: Building Robots with Java Brains would have helped you win a prize at the Portland Robotics Show, but there's always next year! And author William Byers resolves what we have always wondered in How Mathematicians Think. Check all all our newly arrived titles here.

Tiny Broadwick became the first woman to jump from an airplane on June 21, 1913. She fell 2000 feet above Griffith Park in Los Angeles, wearing a silk dress, bloomers, and a crude silk parachute. Born Georgia Broadwick in 1893, she earned her nickname because she was only 4 feet tall and weighed 85 pounds. She was quoted as saying, "The only thing I hated was getting back to earth so quickly."

DVDs
Long live the 1980s. While no one has big hair — yet — leggings are back in style, and cool pins on your lapel never really went away. Even Cyndi Lauper is popular again. For a nostalgia trip, check out these DVDs from the "greed is good" decade. Blade Runner: The Director's Cut is the best movie of the '80s, period. Fast Times at Ridgemont High: Special Edition features new commentary and a making-of documentary. Breakfast Club? Admit it — you still dance like Molly Ringwald circa 1985. And we offer up Diner, the only film that Mickey Rourke looked cute in.

DOUG BROWN'S FACTOID
Are there any venomous reptiles other than snakes?  There are two: Gila monsters and Mexican beaded lizards.  Both are in the same genus and look a lot like each other.  Beaded lizards tend to be yellow and black where Gilas are orange and black.  Beaded lizards are also larger; Gila monsters rarely exceed a foot in length, but beaded lizards have reached three feet.  They don't have fangs, so they bite down and slowly chew in the venom.  The lizards are reluctant to bite unless pressed, and human deaths from their bites are extremely rare.  Most human envenomations involve alcohol and testosterone as contributing factors.

TECH BESTSELLERS
1. JavaScript: The Definitive Guide by David Flanagan (Computer Languages)
2. Life in the Universe: A Beginner's Guide by Lewis Dartnell (Astrobiology)
3. Linux Administration Handbook by Evi Nemeth (Linux Administration)
4. Macromedia Dreamweaver 8 by Molly E. Holzschlag (Web Applications)
5. Apple Pro Training Series: Final Cut Pro 5 by Diana Weynand (Mac Applications)
6. Don't Make Me Think by Steve Krug (Web Publishing)
7. Designing with Web Standards by Jeffrey Zeldman (Web Publishing)
8. Adobe Dreamweaver CS3 by Adobe Press (Web Applications)
9. Adobe Flash CS3 by Adobe Press (Web Applications)
10. Ubuntu Linux Bible by William Von Hagen (Operating Systems)

Technica
By Carole R.

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