February 2007 - Blake Niemyjski

Today Microsoft released SQL Server 2005 Service Pack 2. I personally have been waiting quite sometime for this update to come out as it fixes compatibility for Windows Vista. Hopefully we will not have to wait that long for Visual Studio 2005 service pack 1 for Windows Vista to be released.

View ( whats new in SQL Server 2005 Service Pack 2 )
 

Download ( SQL Server 2005 Service Pack 2 ) 

I found these posters after exploring an interesting MSDN blog of a K-12 Computer Science Academic Relations Manager. The posters are nice and well worth spending the couple of seconds to download them.

Here are the download links for each language(s) shortcut reference poster

Visual Basic 2005
Visual C#
Visual C++

Source ( Visual Studio Keyboard Shortcut Posters )

I started this semester with a bunch of classes. But the one I'm most passionate about is CPS 260 Assembly Language. Ever since I was about 12 I always wanted to learn assembly language. Now I'm finally getting that chance.  If you’re interested in learning ASM, you can buy this ASM book off Amazon like I did, which was around 80$. Now I'm not the one to brag up a programming book as I have many on my shelf, but "Assembly Language for Intel-Based Computers, Fifth Edition by Kip R. Irvine" Is by far one of the best programming books I own.

Bottom line: Buy it if you have the cash lying around, you won’t be wasting your money.

Lately, I've had this plan of scaring anyone who comes near my computer while I'm in class . Though this idea would only work once on the person walking by, it would still be quite hilarious to see.

 So here is my idea... Buy the USB Laser Guided Missile Launcher which comes with a set of API's written in c#. I would then head to Wal-Mart and pick up a cheap web cam.  Finally, I would quickly combine two open source applications (Camera Vision and Motion Detection Algorithms) and the API's to create an automatic motion detecting rocket launcher :)

USB Laser Guided Missile Launcher  = $49.99

Cheap Web Cam = $20.00

Watching someone getting owned.... PRICELESS 

Lately I've been wondering what book I should buy. I have narrowed it down to two categories Cryptography, or fractal. Please let me know what you're thinking. I've always been interested in Computer Cryptography and have read a book or two in the past on the subject. However this time around I want something current and fresh. Recently I remembered looking at fractal images in 9th grade, I've always wanted to sit down and create one. And post about it. Considering that there isn't very much attention on the subject.

Let me know what you all think even if it’s not a book on these two categories.