Liberty on Beta 2
Creating an Application from Scratch, Part 1  Watch over Jesse Liberty's virtual shoulder as he documents his creation of a real-world application from scratch. In real time--that is, as he develops it.   [.NET]

Beware of Network Sniffers  Network sniffing is harder than most people think, but that doesn't mean it's not a threat. Mitch Tulloch, author of Windows Server Hacks, tells you the truth about sniffing dangers, and shows you how to protect your network.   [Windows]

Hacking IIS6 with Metabase Explorer  Mucking about in version 6 of the IIS metabase is a lot easier than in earlier versions. But try it, and you may end up with metabase corruption and other woes. Mitch Tulloch, author of Windows Server Hacks, shows you how to hack the IIS6 metabase with Metabase Explorer.   [Windows]

C#: Yesterday, Today, and Tomorrow: An Interview with Anders Hejlsberg, Part 2  Anders Hejlsberg, in charge of the ongoing development of the C# programming language for Microsoft, talks about the past, present, and future of C#. Among other topics, he covers the implementation of C# generics (compared to Java), nullable types, and how language integrated query is implemented.   [.NET]

Hacking Your Car: Install Windows on a CompactFlash Card  The car PC community is constantly searching for hardware and software solutions to improve the system's boot speed and reliability, and reduce the physical size of the computer. One of these solutions is to build a system that boots off of a CompactFlash (CF) drive. In this excerpt from Car PC Hacks, learn how to install Windows on a CompactFlash card.  [O'Reilly Network]

Security Myths: The Perimeter Is Everything  Is the perimeter the be-all and end-all of network defense? Mitch Tulloch, author of Windows Server Hacks, takes a look at whether it's time to kill the myth that perimeter defense is everything.   [Windows]

Tell Us What You Think: The Second Windows DevCenter Survey  We're asking Windows DevCenter readers to participate in our second online survey. We've sweetened the pot with a chance to win books and MAKE magazine subscriptions. Here's how it works.   [Windows]

C#: Yesterday, Today, and Tomorrow: An Interview with Anders Hejlsberg, Part 1  Anders Hejlsberg, in charge of the ongoing development of the C# programming language for Microsoft, talks about the past, present, and future of C#. Among other topics, he covers the implementation of C# generics (compared to Java), nullable types, and how language integrated query is implemented.   [.NET]

What's New in Windows Mobile 5.0?  Microsoft recently released the latest version of the Windows Mobile platform, Windows Mobile 5.0. What's cool and new? Wei-Meng Lee gives you the rundown of the best new features.   [Windows]

Hands-Free Disk Defragmenting  A fragmented hard drive can quickly become a performance bottleneck for your Windows XP system. Mitch Tulloch, author of Windows Server Hacks, gives you tips on the easiest ways to defrag it.   [Windows]

What Is C#  Jesse Liberty reveals this little-understood secret: C# is really one of two "coatings" of MSIL, the Microsoft Intermediate Language (the second is Visual Basic 2005). Both C# and VB 2005 produce MSIL, and it is MSIL that runs on the .NET platform. Jesse provides an overview of the C# language and how it works within the .NET platform, and concludes with resources for coding in C#. Jesse is the author of Programming C#, 4th Edition.   [.NET]

Enhancing Skype  If you're a Skype fan, you know it can be used to make Internet phone calls. But did you know about all the cool tools you can use to enhance it? Wei-Meng Lee gives you the rundown.   [Windows]

Using Windows Explorer with Alternate Credentials  Running Windows using administrator credentials can be hazardous to the health of your machine. Mitch Tulloch, author of Windows Server Hacks, shows you how you can help solve the problem by using Windows Explorer while running alternate credentials.   [Windows]

Top Ten Word Annoyances  Ubiquitous Word--so many of us use it despite quirks that can sometimes drive us a little mad. Guy Hart-Davis, author of Word Annoyances, endeavors to improve our mental health with solutions to ten Word annoyances. From autocorrect anomalies to crash recovery tips, Hart-Davis provides comprehensive fixes to many Word problems.   [WindowsDevCenter.com]

What Is ASP.NET  Part of the .NET framework, ASP.NET allows developers to build dynamic web apps and web services using compiled languages like VB.NET and C#. Wei-Meng Lee provides a look under the ASP.NET hood, describing how it works, its improved support in areas like state management and tracing and debugging, and important new features in version 2.0. Wei-Meng is the author of ASP.NET: A Developer's Notebook.   [.NET]

Security Myths: 392 Steps to a Hardened Server  There are plenty of security guides out there to offer advice--but which ones should you trust? Mitch Tulloch, author of Windows Server Hacks, tells you about the best, and clues you in to other extras you need to know about security.   [WindowsDevCenter.com]

What Is .NET  .NET is probably one of the more muddled and mismanaged brands in the history of Microsoft. Elucidator James Avery clarifies things by describing the two chambers at the heart of .NET: the Common Language Runtime (CLR) and its essential components, and the Base Class Library (BCL) and its major features.   [ONDotnet.com]

Using Your Webcam for Surveillance  Webcams can be used for more than videoconferencing--they can be used for surveillance as well. Wei-Meng Lee shows you how to do it in a few easy steps.   [WindowsDevCenter.com]

Upgrade Your Domains from Windows 2000 Active Directory to Windows Server 2003  Upgrading your domains without proper planning can get you into deep water fast. Mitch Tulloch, author of Windows Server Hacks, offers half-a-dozen tips for migrating your domains from Windows 2000 Active Directory to Windows Server 2003.   [WindowsDevCenter.com]

Setting Up Vonage with Your PC  If you're looking to save money on phone calls and get extra VoIP features, Vonage is a good bet. Russell Shaw shows you how to set up Vonage with your PC.   [WindowsDevCenter.com]

An In-Depth Look at Vista, Part 2  Wei-Meng Lee has had time to explore some of the cooler aspects of Vista, such as Aero Glass and Broadcast Presentations. He shows you how to troubleshoot them and get Vista up and running.   [WindowsDevCenter.com]

What Is a Pivot Table  Pivot tables are a hidden gem in Excel. While many otherwise experienced spreadsheet users avoid them because they seem too complicated at first glance, the real problem is that pivot tables are rarely explained properly. This article illuminates how your life will be better when you learn to use pivot tables, then walks you through how to build a basic pivot table.   [WindowsDevCenter.com]

A First Look at IE 7  IE 7 is finally here, and Wei-Meng Lee has the goods for you, from tabbed browsing to RSS support and more.   [WindowsDevCenter.com]

Hacking Access  In these three excerpts from Access Hacks, learn how to populate a listbox with values from more than one source; how to put a watermark on your reports; and how to use Word's Compare and Merge Documents feature to identify discrepancies between similar tables.   [WindowsDevCenter.com]

Important Notice for Windows DevCenter Readers About O'Reilly RSS and Atom Feeds  O'Reilly Media, Inc. is rolling out a new syndication mechanism that provides greater control over the content we publish online. Here's information to help you update your existing RSS and Atom feeds to O'Reilly content.  [WindowsDevCenter.com]

An In-Depth Look at Vista, Part 1  The long wait for the first beta of Microsoft's new Windows OS is finally over. Wei-Meng Lee took it for a spin and gives a detailed overview of Vista.   [WindowsDevCenter.com]

Internet Security Annoyances  Spyware, Trojans, worms, viruses, phishing, and now pharming--all security issues that can lead to a disenchanting internet experience. This excerpt from Internet Annoyances can help you prevent these kinds of security breaches with tips on configuring your home router for maximum security, constructing your own personal firewall, and more.   [WindowsDevCenter.com]

Defining a Baseline Audit Policy  It's vital that you create a baseline audit policy to audit for security events on critical systems. Mitch Tulloch, author of Windows Server Hacks, helps you define the best audit policies for Windows Server 2003 server roles.   [WindowsDevCenter.com]

Refactoring in Visual Basic 2005  Refactoring is the one-size-fits-all name given to a set of coding shortcuts that help you rework code on the fly. C# developers have such a tool, but Visual Basic developers were not so lucky--till now. Matthew MacDonald, author of Visual Basic 2005: A Developer's Notebook, reviews Refactor, the free VB 2005 tool, and offers some how-to techniques for using it.   [WindowsDevCenter.com]