Tonight we posted SP1 for Windows Server 2003. You can find links to the various downloads on the Security Developer Center. This page has links to the 32-bit builds and to the Itanium builds. (If you don't know what a checked build is don't use that one. A checked build has debugging information in it an it's usually slower than a release build.)

Windows Server 2003 SP1
Windows Server 2003 Service Pack 1 (SP1) includes the latest updates, enhancements, and new functionality for Windows Server 2003. SP1 can help to improve the security, reliability, and performance of Windows Server 2003.

Also be sure to check out the TechCenter page for the SP here.

Get it while it's hot...

DirectX 9.0 SDK Update - (April 2005)
Download the complete DirectX 9.0 SDK - (April 2005), which contains the DirectX 9.0c Runtime and all DirectX software required to create DirectX 9.0 compliant applications in C/C++, and C#. This download also contains DirectSound Debug files which used to be included in the Extra download.

Sara Ford is posting a new Visual Studio Editor tip as often as she's able to. This is great stuff. You can see her first post here, and these are a few of the recent tips she's written:

Did you know… How to use Full Screen Mode? (Shift+Alt+Enter)

Use Ctrl-K Ctrl-C to comment selection and Ctrl-K Ctrl-U to uncomment selection

Did you know… How to have fun with the Visual Studio Find Combo Box

Update: Here's a link to the category list.

I haven't visited here for a while, but I noticed that the Script Center on TechNet seems to have gotten a nice rework. (If there was an e-mail on this, I missed it.) Anyway, it looks like they did a great job. Check it out here:

Script Center
Welcome to the Script Center! Consider this your one-stop shop for all your Windows system administration scripting needs. If you're not finding what you need here, let us know what else you'd like to see. Send us some email at scripter@microsoft.com.

I love this little graphic. :)

MP2K Magazine is running a three part series on accessing MapPoint from C++:

MapPoint Automation with C/C++ - Part 1
This is the first of three articles by Sergey Kostrov on automating MapPoint Automation with C/C++ starting with a simple C/C++ application.

Buffy is starting T-Ball this year. We found this pink batter's helmet that's absolutely perfect for her.  That's three. The baseball schedule is going to be crazy this year. :)

This weekend, we posted the Security Development Lifecycle document on the Security Developer Center. We'll headline this a little later today. This article was written by Steve Lipner and Michael Howard. We considered it important enough that we gave the article it's own, easy to remember url:

http://msdn.microsoft.com/security/sdl  

Here's a link and a bit more about the article:

The Trustworthy Computing Security Development Lifecycle
This paper discusses the Trustworthy Computing Security Development Lifecycle (or SDL), a process that Microsoft has adopted for the development of software that needs to withstand malicious attack. The process encompasses the addition of a series of security-focused activities and deliverables to each of the phases of Microsoft's software development process.

Mike has some more information here.

Microsoft released pricing information on Visual Studio 2005 today. Here are some links to take a look at:

Press Release: Microsoft Details Pricing and Licensing for Visual Studio 2005 and Simplifies Microsoft Developer Network Subscriptions
Microsoft Corp. today detailed pricing and licensing terms for Visual Studio 2005, its comprehensive application development tool set, as well as simplification of its Microsoft Developer Network (MSDN) subscriptions, the primary vehicle through which most developers obtain Visual Studio.

Q&A: Early Look at Pricing, Licensing for Visual Studio 2005, Simplified MSDN Subscriptions
S. "Soma" Somasegar, Developer Division VP, explains the broadened range of tool choices Microsoft is bringing developers of all stripes with the advent of Microsoft Visual Studio 2005.

Priority Access to Visual Studio 2005 Team System at No Additional Cost
Subscribe or upgrade to MSDN Universal and get one of the Team Editions for Software Developers, Architects, or Testers at no additional cost. Take advantage of the no-cost upgrade to the Visual Studio Team System!

This is too cool. A page that lets you play with shutter speed and aperture to see the effects in a photo. What a great way to get your head around some of thus stuff.

SimCam - Shutter and Aperture
All cameras have at least two ways to control light: the shutter and aperture. The aperture is like an iris in the eye, and controls light by changing size. When photographer takes a picture, the shutter opens briefly and the image is exposed.

In any shooting situation there are several combinations of shutter and aperture that could be considered correct. Which settings to choose is a matter of personal taste, and is usually influenced by how much light is available.

Via thedigitalphotographyweblog.

Click here to join.

I'm going to pull this post when it's over. Looks like a big turn out - over 170 so far.

Great chat. I'm taking it off the C++ feed now. I'll post when I get a link to the transcript.

Update:  Jana has posted the transcript here. Thanks Jana!