1. Combatting Wireless Security Threats

How do you let the good guys in while keeping the bad guys out? By Chris Peters A lack of physical security combined with diabolical social engineering practices presents an ongoing challenge to network security personnel. Even if your

2. Get the Most out of .Net 3.0, Microsoft's Latest Developer's Tools

Microsoft's latest .Net features are examined in an interview with Dan Waterbly, an accomplished .Net developer with the Washington State Digital Archives. By Chris Peters Dan Waterbly is a .Net applications developer for the Washin

3. Minwin: Microsoft Takes a Very Fresh Approach

With less than a year since Vista's release, Microsoft has tipped its hand for its next client operating system, currently called Windows 7. Last week, in a presentation to students and faculty at the University of Illinois, Microsoft ope

4. Maturing Technologies: Microsoft Vista—An Update

Microsoft's latest operating system, Vista, has been available for almost a year. During that period, a number of interesting developments have come to pass.   When Vista was released, I predicted that the new operating system

5. Cross-Platform Development and Integration: Working with Microsoft Vista Idiosyncrasies

For Microsoft executives, it's a tough call: security versus convenience. But from the perspective of a humble developer of application software for Windows, there is, at the least, a significant get-acquainted period for Vista.

6. Microsoft Vista: The Promise and the Reality

If you've been around the IT block (and you only need to go 'round once), you know what will happen with Vista, the new Windows operating system. But this release marks the point where PC computing takes on a new direction.

7. Collaboration: Working with Non-IT Personnel in Building Technical Solutions

Overheard from frustrated programmer: "Boy, I really messed that project up. I gave them what they asked for. Now I have to give them what they want."

8. Ten Considerations for Application Design and Development

During my years as a programmer, I've compiled one of the most complete mistake handbooks in the industry. When a new mistake comes out, I'm among the first to make it. Here are some of the conclusions I've been compelled to draw.

9. Windows Vista Operating System

Microsofts next version of Windows, called Vista, is here.

10. Analyze DB2/400 Data with Excel

With the iSeries Access Excel add-in, you can create and save file transfer requests that your users can invoke directly from Excel.

11. Maturing Technologies: Wireless and Mobile Systems

The term "mobile computing" covers a variety of technologies. Research for this article, then, can only mean one thing: road trip!

12. Application Design in a High Availability Environment

The degree to which you can depend on a computer application is determined, in part, by its availability. Design your programs to maximize it.

13. Product Lifecycle Management

Software systems are born, live for a while, and then cease to exist. What can you do to manage the process and mitigate product lifecycle risks?

14. Competitive Comparisons of Java J2EE and Microsoft C#

From a programmer's perspective, what are the important differences?

15. Microsoft Computing: Visual Studio .NET 2005 Programming

Microsoft's Visual Studio .NET 2005, released last November, provides over 400 new enhancements to make Windows development easier and more productive.

16. Microsoft Computing: Visual Studio .NET 2005

Microsoft has released a new version of Visual Studio .NET along with some important database and team development companions.

17. Microsoft Computing: .NET Web Services

You can easily construct a .NET application that can take advantage of a valuable information resource--.NET Web Services.

18. Microsoft Computing: Windows Scripting, Part II

This month, I take a look at the most common application of Windows scripting: using VBScript in a Web browser application.

19. Microsoft Computing: Windows Scripting, Part I

This is the first of a series of articles that looks at Windows scripting from the ground up, initially focusing on VBScript in batch and Web browser applications.

20. The "Terrorism" Information Awareness Initiative

Technology has recently taken some interesting turns that affect our notions of security and privacy, and we, as computer professionals, may be involved.

21. Microsoft Computing: Trusted Computing

Trusted Computing is a controversial security measure that is generating strong opinions from just about everyone involved.

22. ILE Programming: Integrating C/400 Library Functions with RPG

The "I" in ILE stands for "Integrated," and that means the humble RPG programmer has access to the vast capabilities of the iSeries functions library.

23. Microsoft Computing: Threading Under Windows

Threads of execution are a very powerful yet frequently overlooked feature of operating systems like Windows.

24. Microsoft Computing: The Windows "Longhorn" Operating System

Microsoft's next version of Windows, expected in 2006, is in the news again but unfortunately not for the right reasons.

25. Microsoft Computing: ODBC Security

Security is an often-overlooked yet important factor when considering a data access method like ODBC.

26. Microsoft Computing: Accessing iSeries Data with ODBC

ODBC is a cornerstone of iSeries-to-Windows data communications, and ODBC services are involved with a variety of Microsoft applications.

27. Microsoft Computing: Microsoft's OLE DB/ADO Technology

IBM has made it clear that the future of iSeries and Microsoft data access relationships will be based on OLE DB/ADO technology.

28. Microsoft Computing: Microsoft Query

Lurking within your Microsoft Office installation is another handy utility that will allow you to access iSeries data and will help develop your SQL skills.

29. Microsoft Computing: Active Server Pages, Continued

Active Server Pages has benefited greatly from integration with the .NET platform, and Web application developers have benefited greatly from Visual Studio .NET.

30. Microsoft Computing: Active Server Pages

It seems that whenever solutions for a programming problem are discussed, a Web-based application is among them. ASP.NET, with all its capabilities, can be a real workhorse for you.

31. Microsoft Computing: The iSeries in Your Windows Network

Did you know that iSeries applications can access file shares on your Windows network?

32. Microsoft Computing: The iSeries in Your Windows Network

The iSeries and your Windows network can work together to provide great flexibility and function.

33. Microsoft Computing: The Microsoft COM Architecture, Part 2

Sometimes, creating and using your own ActiveX DLL just makes good sense.

34. Microsoft Computing: The Microsoft COM Architecture, Part 1

A technology running on 150 million systems can?t be wrong.

35. Microsoft Computing: Contest Programming

To the true gadgeteer, computer programming (Microsoft or otherwise) is like a puzzle to be solved. If you're of this type, check out contest programming.

36. Microsoft Computing: Introduction to the Windows API

This very powerful yet often overlooked programming tool gives you access to elusive areas of the Windows operating system.

37. Microsoft Computing: Converting Your Visual Basic 6 Applications to VB.NET

VB is no longer the poor little sister of "real" programming languages, but converting to .NET merits a look before the leap.

38. Microsoft Computing: An Interview with Dr. Jeff Putnam of Eastern Washington University, Part 2

This month, we continue our interview with an industry leader about our future in general and Microsoft in specific.

39. Microsoft Computing: An Interview with Dr. Jeff Putnam of Eastern Washington University

This month, we are fortunate to speak with an industry leader about our future in general and Microsoft in particular.

40. Microsoft Computing: Visual Studio--the .NET Interactive Development Environment

Simply put, Microsoft's Visual Studio .NET is possibly the sweetest and most intelligent IDE available today.

41. Microsoft Computing: Measuring the iSeries Professional by the Microsoft Yardstick

How do iSeries professionals stack up against their Microsoft equivalents? Better than you think, I think.

42. Microsoft Computing: Excel and Word Macros

Wanna earn the Software Hero award? The keys to the castle lie within.

43. Microsoft Computing: Microsoft's .NET Framework

Microsoft has endeavored to assemble the latest and greatest application development environment to date: the .NET Framework.

44. Server with a Smile

The AS/400 Web server is your ma?tre d' graciously attending to all your client/server needs.

45. Point-to-Point Protocol puts remote users in touch with their AS/400s.

If you’re a remote AS/400 user, Point-to-Point Protocol (PPP) support on the AS/400 is the greatest thing since delivered pizza. It’s PPP that allows the AS/400 to connect to an ordinary Internet Service Provider (ISP). PPP gives users dire

46. Programming in Visual Basic Using the IBM AS/400 SDK for ActiveX and OLE DB

Use the tools in IBM's AS/400 SDK for ActiveX and OLE DB to build AS/400 client/server applications.

47. Design Considerations for Client/Server Performance

Use the programming skills you already have: Design applications to achieve maximum client/server performance.

48. The AS/400 Report Download Utility

Suppose a user in accounting uses his PC spreadsheet package to produce reports, such as financial statements. This user wants to take information from the AS/400 and move it into a PC spreadsheet to process it or spruce it up for presentation. Such