Research Tools and Services Discovery

Sometimes shapes tell better stories than shadows. A silhouette of a person or object can be a powerfully expressive, graphical representation of a person or scene. Besides, silhouettes can be fun to shoot.

In this course, photographer Erika Thornes demonstrates shooting techniques for several kinds of silhouette scenarios, from people to trees and more. She explores the lighting conditions that work best for silhouettes, and shoots several examples. The course concludes with an exploration of post-processing techniques that accentuate shapes and bring out lighting.

There has been a shift in modern management thinking. Managers are no longer relying on gut feelings and unquantifiable milestones, but on measurable activity and progress. Data-driven management helps sales managers understand what their teams are doing and where they stand, and helps salespeople understand how they can succeed within the organization. It can improve prospecting, boost customer retention, and help managers track performance. Best of all, a data-driven approach works well for companies of all sizes and industries. In this course, Noah Fleming defines data-driven sales management, and shows how to use it to start a conversation with your team and drive results. He also reviews the perils and pitfalls of data collection, and the importance of starting now.

Salesforce Lightning Essentials is the newest Salesforce product for small to medium businesses. Chris Mattia answers the most pressing questions that sales managers and business owners have about Salesforce Lightning Essentials: what it is, who it's for, how it's accessed, and how you get started. Get the answers you need—in plain English, without jargon or marketing spin.

Using Salesforce data, there are a variety of ways to share sales and customer data both within your team and externally. In this course, discover how to develop meaningful custom reports using Salesforce, and share those reports using several methods, including automated emails. Instructor Christopher Matthew Spencer explains how to capture quality data and work with report folders. He also shows how to build tabular, summary, and matrix reports, and dives into the uses for each of these report formats. Plus, he shares helpful tips for boosting report performance, and demonstrates how to build and export custom reports.

Are you ready to discover the capabilities of the Scala programming language? Scala source code compiles to Java bytecode, so that the resulting executable code runs on a Java virtual machine (JVM). Java libraries are interoperable with Scala code. Like Java, Scala is object-oriented, and uses a curly-brace syntax reminiscent of the C programming language. Unlike Java, Scala has many features of functional programming languages, including currying, type inference, immutability, lazy evaluation, and pattern matching. It also has an advanced type system supporting algebraic data types, anonymous types, covariance, contravariance, and higher-order types. Other features of Scala not present in Java include operator overloading, optional parameters, named parameters, raw strings, and no checked exceptions. Many of these flexible features are covered in this course.

Join Peggy Fisher as she helps get you started with Scala, so you can leverage the unique capabilities it offers. First, learn the basics of type inference, variables, loops, functions, and operators. Then, find out how to read files using a console, perform pattern matching, handle exceptions, and more. Finally, learn how to use classes, fields, methods, and objects.

Learn how to capture video of your screen to make a training video using ScreenFlow—the popular screencasting and elearning content creation tool. This course takes you from installation to making and finishing your first screencast recording. Join Chris Mattia as he demonstrates how to customize settings, create a screen recording, edit the video and audio, finalize the content, make the video available to learners, whether in a learning management system or on YouTube.

SharePoint 2016 is a powerful collaborative solution that you can leverage to share and manage content and applications—but installing it can sometimes seem a bit daunting. In this course, learn what you need to know to confidently tackle the process of installing and configuring SharePoint 2016.

CA Callahan takes you through each stage of the process, covering everything from software installation prerequisites, to common topologies and MinRoles, to how to slipstream updates into an installation. Callahan introduces best practices, as well as steps involved in configuring outgoing email, web applications, site collections, managed accounts, and farm accounts. Plus, discover how to use some common tools that experienced administrators use on a day-to-day basis to make the most of their installation efforts.

Customization can increase the speed and efficiency of SharePoint users with large libraries of documents and lists. In this course, Gini von Courter shows how to optimize SharePoint when libraries and lists become too long for practical use. Learn how to use indexes and folders; filter lists with dynamic views; and load data faster with item limits and groups. Gini also shares three different strategies for using Access and Excel to work with list data outside of SharePoint. These are not only programmatic changes but also best practices for managing large libraries of content, which will help you become a better SharePoint user and admin.

Learn how to use SharePoint Designer 2010 to alter the default appearance of SharePoint web sites. Author Simon Allardice covers simple tasks from creating themes and making basic CSS changes, to fully restyling a site with master pages and page layout templates. He also shows how to aid usability and adoption by providing improved navigation and individual page layouts for site-specific content.

See how to boost your team's productivity using custom workflows in Microsoft SharePoint. Gini Courter explains how to design workflows in SharePoint Designer, and eliminate inefficiencies and leverage automation to avoid repetitive tasks. You'll learn to create a simple form for your workflow, set up email notifications, and work with list and utility actions. Gini also shows how to design workflows that are easy to maintain and reusable, and deploy your workflows into the wild in SharePoint.

Managing data is key to making SharePoint effective and accurate in reporting. In this course, Philip Gold explores the best practices for data management inside SharePoint, and across all SharePoint sites. Learn about the importance of metadata, and how well-formatted lists can perform the heavy lifting you used to do in Excel spreadsheets. Find out how to adjust permissions for sensitive libraries, and use version control to make sure no change is ever irrecoverable. Philip also shows how to create more dynamic views that allows user to sort and filter results, and integrate Excel and Project into your SharePoint data management workflow.

If you've spent any time in the project management world, you've likely heard of scrum—the popular framework for managing complex processes. If this mysterious-sounding framework has piqued your interest, this course can help provide you with a basic understanding of what scrum is and how you can start implementing it at work. Follow scrum expert Kelley O'Connell as she walks through why scrum has taken the business world by storm, and how it asks you to organize your team and work. Plus, she explains how to manage your projects and measure how they're faring, and set manageable improvement goals.

Lynda.com is a PMI Registered Education Provider. This course qualifies for professional development units (PDUs). To view the activity and PDU details for this course, click here.

The PMI Registered Education Provider logo is a registered mark of the Project Management Institute, Inc.

Securing or "hardening" Android apps is an important final step to ensure code, keys, and credentials, as well as the developer's intellectual property, are well protected. This course provides an introduction to the key features of the Android security model: from the Android operating system to the hardware it runs on. Instructor Malcolm Shore demonstrates the weaknesses in some sample commercial Android apps, and shows the default output from existing development environments, including Android Studio, PhoneGap, and RAD Studio. He then explains a range of tools and techniques to increasingly harden an Android app, secure known vulnerabilities, and test your work. Malcolm also reviews advanced techniques for securing enterprise apps and leveraging the security enhancements in Android O. Using these tutorials, you'll be able to develop more secure and more robust mobile applications.

The Internet of Things (IoT) represents the concept of a massive system where things on the Internet communicate through omnipresent sensors. Since the inception of the Internet of Things, consumers have connected smart devices to the network at an exponential rate, bringing us closer to a future where everyday things all interconnect. In this course—the first in a series that focuses on securing the Internet of Things—get started with this essential concept.

Lisa Bock kicks off the course with an overview of IoT, and the types of IoT devices designed to improve the quality of life in homes and businesses. Lisa covers different networks that range in size and purpose—LANS, WANS and PANS—and explains how businesses invest heavily in IoT in order to keep a competitive edge, going into IoT developments in automobiles, building automation, and the medical field. She then evaluates consumer devices, such as wearables and mobile devices. Plus, she discusses zero-configuration networking, service discovery, designing IoT security, and more.

Learn how to secure network infrastructure in Windows Server 2016. In this short training course, instructor Ed Liberman shows how to configure Windows Firewall and Datacenter Firewall, secure communications protocols like IPsec and DNSSEC, and shielding and guarded fabric for virtual machines. These simple, practical steps will enable you to secure your network data, traffic, and virtual resources.

Got handcrafted jewelry, amazing artwork, vintage finds, or handmade products for sale? Get started selling on Etsy, the online marketplace and eBay alternative for artisans and small businesses. Jess Stratton shows you the basics of setting up your first Etsy shop, arranging your merchandise, and attracting customers to your store with some simple marketing tips.

The Amazon Marketplace is an enticing option for small businesses that want to leverage the power of Amazon to market and sell products online; this course helps clarify the ins and outs of the platform. Author Peter Kent first explains what you can sell through Marketplace and what Amazon will charge you for the privilege. Then he shows how to set up a professional or small-merchant/individual account, and create product listings—one, or one hundred, at a time. Then learn how to use Seller Central to manage orders, create reports, manage inventory, and keep tabs on cash. Best practices for managing customers and reviews are also covered, as are the pros and cons of shipping products yourself vs. using the Fulfillment by Amazon (FBA) service.

Excel isn't just for flat files. You can use it to create a simple database and get even more insights into your data. Join author Dennis Taylor and learn how to create a simple database. The course explains the limits of Excel as a data-management tool and spells out the design considerations for creating a database with it. Dennis also shows how to simplify database creation with tables and manage data with the Form and Data Validation tools.

Get a new Windows 10 PC ready for general home use, family sharing, or a small office. This course explores the first things to do after unpacking your new PC, including connecting to Wi-Fi, registering the computer, and personalizing your account.

Expert author Joli Ballew then explores important backup and recovery options, including how to configure and use System Restore. She shows how to remove all the unnecessary and unwanted software and then add your desired software and apps.

The course wraps up with some advanced tasks, including setting program defaults, configuring virtual desktops, adding users, and configuring family safety and security settings.

Amazon Web Services (AWS) has been running Microsoft workloads-the majority of workloads for enterprise customers-since 2006. This course provides guidance for successfully running Microsoft workloads after a migration to the Amazon cloud. Instructor Brien Posey teaches you how to create Windows EC2 instances, creating a native cloud-based Active Directory environment, join an instance to a Cloud AD, and manage resources with Amazon Lightsail.

When you're developing a distribution plan for your product or service, sales channel management is a critical part of the overall strategy. In this course, sales coach Dean Karrel explains how to effectively manage your sales channels. He discusses the sales channel landscape and the variables that impact success, and shows how to map out a profitable and effective plan. Dan covers everything from surveying the marketplace to handling channel conflict. He also covers weighing costs versus revenue, forecasting sales, and conducting reviews of key accounts and channels. To wrap up, Dean walks through creating a channel marketing structure and uncovering opportunities to expand products or services.

Complex sales have multiple influencers and stakeholders, and sometimes face multiple competitors. There are a lot of factors for the buyer to juggle. This complexity can lead to lost revenue, longer sales cycles, and unpredictable outcomes. By understanding the buyer's problem and simplifying the value of your solution, you will be better positioned to close the deal. Watch this course with sales coach Jeff Bloomfield to find out how to systematically navigate the process of a complex sale, and receive the tactics and tools to increase your likelihood of sales success. Learn how to understand your buyers by examining their journey in a new way, and discover how to clearly articulate and defend the unique value of your product.

Learn how to start drawing, designing, and animating your ideas with SketchUp, the 3D modeling toolkit used for everything from architectural rendering to game design. In this course, George Maestri leads viewers through the essentials of SketchUp: navigating around the interface, manipulating objects, drawing in 2D and 3D space, working with materials, and applying textures. He'll even show how to create simple animations and export your artwork in 2D and 3D formats.

These tutorials work with both SketchUp Make, the free version of the program, and SketchUp Pro.

The SketchUp for Architecture series offers architects the information they need to get the most from SketchUp, the intuitive CAD alternative. This installment kicks off with an overview of the SketchUp interface and workflow, and dives into a typical residential building project, taking students from creating the site plan to building the walls, floor, and roof of a house. Series author Paul J. Smith also shows how to add detail elements like stairs and ceiling trim, and make models more realistic with materials. Plus, learn how to take advantage of the organizational features that make drafting in SketchUp so much easier—but that most designers never think to use.

V-Ray is a very popular and high-quality third-party renderer for SketchUp. With V-Ray, you can add naturalistic lighting, cameras, reflections, and diffuse materials to your SketchUp models and scenes. This course will use a single arch viz scene (an architectural visualization with interior and exterior elements) to demonstrate all of these options. Author Brian Bradley covers all of the V-Ray light types (from Sun and Sky to Sphere), irradiance mapping, physical cameras, materials, and V-Ray quality controls. By the end of the course, you'll know how to use V-Ray features to make your SketchUp models look their very best.