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Wednesday, September 15, 2010
Spyware and viruses: What's the difference?
Microsoft Research Labs: Pex for fun
If you have never visited Pex for fun before, we suggest you follow the tutorial.
Is it just for fun? The full version of Pex integrates into Visual Studio, and can be launched from the command line as well. (Download, Documentation) Pex can explore an entire project at once and can automatically generate a comprehensive test suite of traditional unit tests.
What is a puzzle? Each puzzle is either a small program with a statement that is tricky to reach, or it is a Coding Duel, which is an interactive programming challenge. You can use Code Contracts and even write Parameterized Unit Tests.
What puzzles are there? Can I write my own? Pex for fun already has many puzzles; you can write your own puzzle starting from a puzzle template, and even turn it into a new Coding Duel (tutorial).
How does Pex work? Pex finds interesting input values by analyzing the behavior of the code, combining dynamic and static analysis, and using a constraint solver.
Can I use Pex for fun for teaching? Yes! Please follow our teaching tutorial.
Who created Pex for fun? Pex for fun was brought to you by the Pex Team, part of the Research in Software Engineering (RiSE) group at Microsoft Research.
I have more questions. You can discuss Pex for fun on our MSDN Forums for Pex, where you can also post your Permalinks to share them with other people.
I want to provide feedback. If you have found a bug, you can send a bug report directly to the Pex developers at pexbug@microsoft.com. You can also get in touch with the Pex developers for any other reason at pexdata@microsoft.com.
Friday, September 10, 2010
Get a Free Cyber-Security Book from MicrosofT
Parents and teens now have access to a free downloadable e-book from Microsoft called “Own Your Space,” which aims to instruct teens and other new internet users how to stay safe while online. Specifically, the book addresses common security threats like phishing scams as well as modern-day social issues like cyber-bullying and cyber-stalking.
LifeHacker recently reviewed the book and found it worth recommending, saying “it's difficult to write books for teenagers that don't fall into the ‘trying too hard to be cool’ trap, but Microsoft has done an admirable job.” Glowing praise indeed!
You can grab a free copy for yourself from here.
Wednesday, September 1, 2010
Channel 9 App for Windows Phone 7
An independent Windows Phone developer, Sigurd Snørteland, has created an application for accessing news from Channel 9 on your Windows Phone 7 device. The app, “myChannel9,” will display news and videos from the site and will offers features like the ability to favorite a show, browse by tags or search by keyword. You’ll also be able to use the app to watch videos right on your device, whether in portrait or landscape mode. Screenshots and demo videos of the app are available now on Snørteland’s personal blog. He has also created an app called Wall Street, which, as the name implies, will focus on delivering stock-related information.