MSDN Flash - Volume 10, Number 1: January 9, 2006

From the Editor

The holidays have ended and folks are returning back to work. Things are starting to get back to normal around campus.

It was good to see that many of you took us up on the . If you missed out on this great deal, I have another option for you. Our partner, AppDev, is giving away a . You can pick three hours of training in areas such as Visual Basic, C#, ASP.NET, or SQL Server.

If you were wondering where to put all of the new stuff you got over the holidays, you might think about selling your old toys on eBay. If so, check out the . It is a fully-functional ASP.NET application that allows you to sell an inventory on eBay. The Starter Kit provides all the source code you need to customize the application and expand its functionality using or . Download the Starter Kit for free today!

If you have not already checked out the new MSDN Home Page beta, I encourage you to visit it and send us feedback. If you happen to be in France or the UK (based on your browser's language settings), you will be redirected to a page with content and language tailored to your region.

United States users can check out the local information for events, seminars, and webcasts that are specific to the U.S. You can also check out the new My MSDN feature that is a gateway to a personalized view of MSDN.

Stop by, check it out, and certainly give us your feedback about your experience.

Happy coding!

Brad McCabe

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Web Resources

Attend any MSDN Virtual Lab and submit an evaluation between now and June 30, 2006, and you could win a Pocket PC. See for more details, and register today. (Offer open to residents of the U.S. and Canada only.)

April 24 - 25, Millennium Broadway Hotel, New York, NY
This leading event for developers and architects in financial services will give insight into Microsoft's latest and upcoming technologies.

January - March, Nationwide
This free, half-day, demo-driven event for ISVs features Windows Vista and Microsoft Office "12" - platforms for the next generation of software.

academic .net radio

This unique, student-oriented podcast includes such guests as Ted Neward and Microsoft product managers. Host Matthew Cassell, a 15-year-old software developer, has mentored his peers in SQL and Visual Studio, as well as presenting at his local (adult) .NET user group.

If you are a student planning to attend VSLive! Orlando, you can receive the following discounts: US$995 Gold Pass or US$500 Single Session. Simply e-mail by February 9.

ISV Touchdown Web Seminar Series: Windows Server Application Platform

Security for Developers

Get the security update for the Windows Meta File (WMF) vulnerability from Microsoft Update.

Encryption turns big secrets into smaller secrets called keys. But there's still a key somewhere. If you encrypt your secret data, you'll need to separate the key from the data to keep them safe. Keith Brown shows how.

Web Service Security Guidance

Provides architectural, design, and implementation guidance for Web service security using Web Services Enhancements (WSE) 3.0. Includes scenarios, patterns, decision matrices, and QuickStarts to help you make the most appropriate security decisions.

Do you think you have the skills to find security vulnerabilities before they find you? See if you can Spot the Bug!

Resources include guides and books available on MSDN, together with modular content including Security Engineering, Scenarios and Solutions, Guidelines, Checklists, and How Tos.

Product-Related Downloads

This Visual C# and Visual Basic .NET Starter Kit is a complete Mobile PC and Tablet PC application, containing a semi-transparent form for taking notes and keeping your notes synchronized through a Web service. The starter kit works with Visual Studio 2005 and requires the .

Case Studies, KB Articles, & How-tos

Bank Boosts User Productivity 40 Percent, Cuts Implementation Costs 50 Percent

With massive data growth and longer processing times, a leading Swiss private bank needed to upgrade or replace its management accounting system.

Property Management Group Quickly Builds a Flexible, Customer-Facing Portal

Major real estate company builds custom portal to add the enhancements and features that their users wanted.

Cement Maker Uses New Database Technology for Better Quality Control

Global cement manufacturer gives its chemists and engineers better tools for accessing and understanding information that affects quality control.

Nonprofit's Database Management Twice as Productive with Enhanced Functionality

Database upgrade provides more flexibility, improves information quality and the ease with which information can be disseminated.

Training

January 23 and 24, 11:00 A.M. - 3:00 P.M. or 4:00 P.M. - 8:00 P.M. Eastern time
Microsoft and HP have teamed up to bring you an intensive, 8-hour class to update your database development skills to SQL Server 2005. This session teaches the skills necessary to design, build, query and develop enterprise SQL Server 2005 databases and servers.

Learn how to build Windows Forms applications and Smart Clients in .NET through this hosted virtual lab environment.

Visual Studio 2005 will introduce a wave of productivity enhancements designed to assist all members of the software development team.

Visual Studio Team System integrates process guidance, prescriptive architectures, and lifecycle tools for deploying solutions on the Windows platform.

Topics include Getting Started, Upgrading from Visual Basic 6.0, .NET Framework 2.0, and ASP.NET 2.0. Access your e-learning courses when you want it, where you want it and learn at your own pace. Each course includes hands-on virtual labs and offline functionality.

Get a free CD-ROM for ASP.NET 2.0 using Visual C# 2005. Three hours of training, a US$115 value, includes demonstrations, hands-on labs, full courseware and tests.

Partner News

SpreadsheetGear for .NET 1.1 adds support for copying, consolidating, inserting and deleting cells, as well as the ability to easily insert or copy from a DataTable to an Excel workbook.

March 17 - 18, Palm Springs, CA
Learn how to geographically enable your applications with location-based technologies. Attend the ESRI Developer Summit at a discount.

Use this tool to perform functional, performance, and security testing of SOAP/XML-based Web services.

Give your application a speech makeover and get a chance to .

CoDe, a bi-monthly magazine, is a great source for Microsoft technologies and developer tools, as well as in-depth content for developers and IT managers. The hot-off-the-press FOCUS issue has exclusive content about development on Tablet PCs and mobile PCs. Sign up for your issue today.

International Events

Through May, worldwide
Microsoft and Intel's joint 64-Bit Computing Advantage migration program is tailored to the ISV technical community. This free and comprehensive program includes a worldwide series of 3-day migration labs, with concentrated follow-up and ongoing technical support.

Meet the architects behind Microsoft's patterns & practices, and explore Microsoft's recommendations for .NET application architecture and development. Highlighted speakers include Alan Cooper, Anders Hejlsberg, and Chris Sells.

22 - 24 February, Barcelona, Spain
Join PASS for the third annual European Conference bringing together SQL Server professionals from around the globe.

Customize MSDN Flash

You can customize your next issue of Flash by visiting the . Check the box next to each section in order to get all headlines for that topic, and uncheck the box to get just the top story. If you're a subscriber in the U.S., make sure your profile includes your current ZIP Code so you'll get news on free MSDN and other events in your area.

MSDN Events

SmartClients combine the best elements of both Windows and Web applications. But SmartClient means so much more than just a Windows Forms application. In this free, half-day event, see three different SmartClient approaches in action.

• Building Mobile Applications with Visual Studio 2005

• Creating Office Solutions with Visual Studio 2005 Tools for Office

• Introduction to the Windows Presentation Framework