Winner: Windows Vista Secure App Competition

Another of my Article at code project was today awarded a monthly prize for
Vista Secure App Competition

What did I Win ?

The monthly prize, valued at approximately $1100 US, is a secure laptop
package, including:

• • A nifty new laptop, including security features like a fingerprint
  scanner, hard drive security features, and more
  
• • A year’s subscription to MyLaptopGPS, safeguarding your data and laptop
  through special remote data recovery software, including a SafeTag for your new
  laptop

Excerpts from the Article

Introduction

The Cryptography API: Next Generation(CNG) is a new and agile framework in
Windows Vista™, which implements an extensible provider model that allows you to
load a provider by specifying the required cryptographic algorithm rather than
having to hardcode a specific provider.

The advantage is that an algorithm provider can be replaced or upgraded and
you will not have to change your code in any way to use the new provider. Also,
if some algorithm is determined to be unsafe in the future, a more secure
version of that algorithm can be installed with no effect to your code. To
facilitate this, you load a CNG provider by identifying the cryptographic
algorithm that you require, not the specific provider. Most of the CNG APIs
require a provider or an object created by a provider.

In this article, I try to describe the new security feature Cryptography API:
Next Generation(CNG) and compare it with an RSA and AES samples, both managed
and unmanaged, using "Crypto API" (CAPI before Vista) and how it can be
implemented using CNG in Windows Vista. Managed version of CNG is yet to come,
if you feel like you want more, wait for the next release of Visual Studio
"Orcas".

Check the article here

Windows Vista Mobile PC Contest Winner

Last of the competitions and I got the monthly prize for my article "Touch Screen Explorer with Pen Flicks"

Here is the cool prize !

This is the morning mail I got,

"Congratulations! You’re one of our winners in the Windows Vista Mobile
PC Competition. Your article Touch Screen Explorer with Pen Flicks was selected
by our judges as the winner based on overall merit and reader ranking.

You will be receiving a Samsung Q1 Ultra Mobile PC. We will advise you
when we will be shipping the product to you."

Demo Video Watch live (Avg. quality, taken by a phone)

Here is the excerpts from the article

Introduction

Pen Flicks are the latest methodology in Microsoft Windows Vista™ which are
designed specifically for a Ultra Mobile/Tablet PC. They are gestures you can
make with your tablet pen to quickly navigate and perform shortcuts.

This article describes a Touch Screen Windows Explorer which will
leverage this new technology and will compare it with the traditional windows
explorer. Here is a screen shot.

The Goal

The goal is to create an efficient Touch Screen Windows Explorer
which can be used in Tablet PC / Ultra Mobile PC environment, where mouse and
keyboards are barely available.

• Big display for ease of use pertaining to small screens in
  Ultra Mobile PC
  
• Browse feature with a pen or fingertips in Touch Screen/Ultra Mobile PC
  
• Navigation using the forward, backward Pen Flicks, instead of mouse point
  and click
  
• Scroll the Explorer using Up and Down Pen Flicks without traditional
  scrollbars

Check the complete Article here