Looking good–a lesson in layout
by Niall Murphy
The engineers who implement user interfaces aren't always the best ones to design it. Good UI design is a specialty unto itself, with its own rules and guidelines. This month our resident UI specialist describes how to design user interfaces that are actually useable.

How to calculate CPU utilization
by Michael T. Trader
Is your chip fast enough? Is it too fast? Systems engineers might be paying for more chip than they need, or they may be dangerously close to over-taxing their current processor. Take the guesswork out of measuring processor utilization levels.

Break Points
Planning for longevity
by Jack G. Ganssle
Time is a cruel mistress. That, combined with our industry's throwaway nature, means our cultural archives and discoveries are in jeopardy.

Significant Bits
Helping underprivileged code
by Jim Turley
Privilege protection does in hardware what most operating systems and kernels do in software — it keeps errant and malicious code under control.

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Do we need hardware standards?
by Jim Turley
Hardware standards enable programmers to work with a known quantity instead of a moving target. But freezing any system stifles creativity and slows advancements in technology. Standardizing on hardware is a mixed blessing and the benefits depend on whom you ask.