Dev Pro

With a Bachelor's in Near Eastern Studies, it probably goes without saying that I don’t have much of a formal background in development or information systems. Happily, however, I’ve always "rolled" a bit nerdy and have always loved computers. So it was that I found myself doing data entry at one point while working to put myself through college. And it was there that I bought my first "programming" book: Roger Jennings’ massive "Special Edition: Using Access 2000." Little did I know then, but books would end up playing a significant role in getting where I am today....More

Usernames and passwords have been with us for a very long time, and many people think that their time has come and gone. SQRL, the Secure Quick Reliable Login system, is an interesting proposal by security expert Steve Gibson to do away with them once and for all. Based on QR codes, the system uses strong encryption for authentication, which also provides some identity management protections as well. Don Kiely introduces SQRL, in the hope of never having to remember a username and password ever again!...More

CTP 5 of Visual Studio 2015 is available for download now from Microsoft's Prerelease Software download site. It provides news features along with the normal mix of bug fixes....More

This is a rant, so I'll try to keep it fairly short - despite the highly inflammatory title. The problem, however, is that I really do think that User Access Control (UAC) is actually worse than being a mere failure. Specifically, I think it fails to accomplish what it was, apparently, intended to do, and it gets in the way for legitimate end-users and Systems Administrators....More

While thinking back on what I’ve accomplished this year, I’m reminded that a few tools I used throughout the year have helped me accomplish much more than would have been the case otherwise. As such, I want to take a few minutes to share some of the more beneficial tools I’ve used, including my favorite tool of 2014....More