Entity Framework 6: now available

Entity Framework 6: Preview Alpha 2 released recently... few key features:

• Async language support is now available for queries and updates when running on .NET 4.5.
• Custom conventions now provide the ability to override the default conventions that Code First uses for mapping types, properties, etc. to your database.
• Multi-tenant migrations allow the same database to be used by multiple contexts with full Code First Migrations support for independently evolving the model backing each context.
• Using Enumerable.Contains in a LINQ query is now handled much more efficiently by EF and the SQL Server provider resulting greatly improved performance.
• All features of EF6 (except async) are available on both .NET 4 and .NET 4.5. This includes support for enums and spatial types and the performance improvements that were previously only available when using .NET 4.5.
• Start-up time for many large models has been dramatically improved thanks to improved view generation performance. 

Entity Framework 6 is the first open source release of Entity Framework being developed in CodePlex. The preview release of EF6 is also available on NuGet, and contains some really great features for you to try.

Entity Framework 5 release is available on NuGet and has following key features:

• Enum support allows you to have enum properties in your entity classes. This new feature is available for Model, Database and Code First.
• Table-valued functions in your database can now be used with Database First.
• Spatial data types can now be exposed in your model using the DbGeography and DbGeometry types. Spatial data is supported in Model, Database and Code First.

The following new features are also available in the Entity Model Designer in Visual Studio 2012:

• Multiple-diagrams per model allows you to have several diagrams that visualize subsections of your overall model.
• Batch import of stored procedures allows multiple stored procedures to be added to the model during model creation.

- DJ

Developing HTML 5 with JavaScript and CSS 3 applications - Jump Start videos and tutorials

Developing HTML 5 with JavaScript and CSS 3 applications - Jump Start videos and tutorials
 

Microsoft Virtual Academy is offering a free course and exam voucher that maps to Exam 70-480, This is a limited time offer and is on a first come first serve basis....

This course provides an accelerated introduction to HTML5, CSS3, and JavaScript and helps students gain basic HTML5/CSS3/JavaScript programming skills. The course focuses on using HTML5/CSS3/JavaScript to implement programming logic, define and use variables, perform looping and branching, develop user interfaces, capture and validate user input, store data, and create well-structured applications. This course uses Visual Studio 2012, running on Windows 8.

 

 

 

(01) | HTML5 Semantic Structure 
Topics include Semantic tags, Forms, Audio and Video, Canvas and SVG. 

Click on the materials below. These materials are external documents and will be opened in a new window. Please come back to this track once you have reviewed it. 

(02) | CSS3 Selectors and Style Pro...  

 In this module, Jeremy Foster and Michael Palermo focus on CSS3 Selectors and Style Properties. Topics include Selectors, Combinators, Color properties, Text properties, and Box properties 

(03) | Advanced Layout and Animation...

 This module features Michael Palermo and Jeremy Foster covering the important areas of layout and animation. During the session, they cover Legacy layouts, Flexbox, Grid, Transforms, and Transitions and Animations. 

 (04) | JavaScript Core Capabilities 
 Jeremy Foster and Michael Palermo provide an overview of the core capabilities of JavaScript in this module. After an insightful overview of JavaScript, the session includes important information such as Variables, Functions, Function scope, Arrays, and Objects. 

 (05) | DOM Interactions
In this important module, Michael Palermo and Jeremy Foster focus on DOM interactions. This important module covers topics such as Querying the DOM, Manipulating the DOM, and Responding to events. 

 (06) | Advanced Topics
 After an effective discussion about Handling exceptions, they cover Promises, Web worker, Web sockets, Architecture patterns, and TypeScript. 

More on MS Virtual academy here ..http://www.microsoftvirtualacademy.com/tracks/developing-html5-apps-jump-start?WT.mc_id=MSLS_HTML5OfferMVA

- DJ
 

Real time Social media sentiment analytics...

Free tools and APIs available to check social media sentiment analytics (real time) - http://www.sentiment140.com/search?hl=en&query=microsoft surface ...You can change the query to your product, org name or yourself.

Microsoft has also provided tool - "Analytics for Twitter" (would need Power Pivot add-in)
- http://www.microsoft.com/en-us/download/details.aspx?id=26213

The excel file will create a full fledged dashboard that is powered by data that it pulls from Power Pivot - http://www.microsoft.com/en-us/download/details.aspx?id=29074
 

Phone that charges by itself when in stanby…WIP?

Interesting ways by which a phone can charge by itself...Like it, when we will see this out in market is a matter of time I guess :)

Nokia's self phone charging prototype in works?...

• New talked about prototype - self charging system from Nokia that is able to power itself on nothing more than ambient radiowaves – the weak TV, radio and mobile phone signals that permanently surround us. The power harvested is small but it is almost enough to power a mobile in standby mode indefinitely without ever needing to plug it into the mains, according to Markku Rouvala, one of the researchers who developed the device at the Nokia Research Centre in Cambridge, UK.
• Nokia's device is somewhat less ambitious and is made possible thanks to a wide-band antenna and two very simple circuits. The antenna and the receiver circuit are designed to pick up a wide range of frequencies — from 500 megahertz to 10 gigahertz — and convert the electromagnetic waves into an electrical current, while the second circuit is designed to feed this current to the battery to recharge it.
• The trick here is to ensure that these circuits use less power than is being received, said Rouvala. So far they have been able to harvest up to 5 milliwatts. Their short-term goal is to get in excess of 20 milliwatts, enough power to keep a phone in standby mode indefinitely without having to recharge it. But this would not be enough to actually use the phone to make or receive a call, he says. So ultimately the hope is to be able to get as much as 50 milliwatts which would be sufficient to slowly recharge the battery.

More... http://www.guardian.co.uk/environment/2009/jun/10/nokia-mobile-phone

Power through Solar cells under the screen -
Solar cells can fit just underneath the screen so that it take the source light and convert it into energy that can be consumed to charge the phone....
 

Charge your phone through your heat of the body -

Phones that can use an integrated thermogenerator that converts heat into energy. That means it could get a slight charge while sitting in your pocket against your leg and an even bigger charge when you have a temperature! :)

Dont believe, ALL three above can be "the" single alternate source for self charging phones, but why not all three? Could be a game changer next!

Cheers - DJ
 

Microsoft Surface - tinker attitude?

Someone great sometime mentioned that you should NEVER buy version 1.0 of any NEW product unless you are super rich! :) Here's why it applies for Microsoft Surface reviews and unanswered questions -

1. Several threads on Microsoft’s support forums detail issues relating to audio stuttering and random muting while the Surface is in use or on standby.
2. Touch Cover and Type cover are as expensive as buying a new competitor's tablet :) now, hear that these can split open at the seam exposing wiring within.
3. There still seems to be confusion with most of non IT consumers (well even IT :) on what is the difference between Windows RT v/s Windows PRO launch sometime in January 2013? Difference MSFT claims is that RT is for consumers and Pro is for business.. huh?



Windows 8 Surface

4. Not only that, which hardware to buy - Dell Surface or one from HP or Acer (if they make them happy :)) or the ones actually manufactured by Microsoft?

Technical sepcifications for Windows RT Surface and Windows Pro Surface on MSFT Site.

http://www.microsoft.com/Surface/en-US/surface-with-windows-rt/home

http://www.microsoft.com/Surface/en-US/surface-with-windows-8-pro/specifications

 

Help me Choose between Microsoft Windows RT vs Windows PRO Surface -

http://www.microsoft.com/Surface/en-US/surface-with-windows-rt/help-me-choose

In addition, you cannot port existing Windows 7 or earlier OS applications to Win 8 RT because its not on Intel chips...doesn't the product become great by its applications? Office included is just home/school version ...very limited.Makes me think. Should wait for Windows PRO ...cost? $999?

All right, enough bashing of Microsoft...I LOVE Microsoft, but what are the answers that the company thinks to beat its competitor product?

1. Why are there NO carrier plans (3G/4G) provided on Microsoft Surface? How do I get wifi enabled while on move?
2. Why is there no 16 GB surface with low-cost option? Is that a Strategy to get a high permium product out make margins and then after 6 months reveal cheaper products with varied options.
3. What is Microsoft's answer to Air? - Is it possible to print documents from Microsoft Surface?
4. What is MSFT' answer to Voice search - be it on IE Bing or Surface?
5. Cant' we make out difference between Vapor Mg (low resolution) v/s Apple's Retina?
6. Where are the apps that WOW me? :)

Time will tell how Microsoft new Windows 8 ecosystem will change consumers bheaviour but as of now it seems Microsoft has put there billion dollar Windows business at test! Wish you good luck,

Cheers - DJ
 

FY13 plans for Microsoft Forefront Identity Manager, Forefront User Access Gateway, and Forefront Threat Management Gateway...

Microsoft Forefront Identity Manager, Forefront User Access Gateway, and Forefront Threat Management Gateway remains alive and Microsoft plans to grow them in FY13 and beyond. here is the article on technet that details more:

http://blogs.technet.com/b/server-cloud/archive/2012/09/12/important-changes-to-forefront-product-roadmaps.aspx

Discontinuing further releases of the following Forefront-branded solutions:

• Forefront Protection 2010 for Exchange Server (FPE)
• Forefront Protection 2010 for SharePoint (FPSP)
• Forefront Security for Office Communications Server (FSOCS)
• Forefront Threat Management Gateway 2010 (TMG)
• Forefront Threat Management Gateway Web Protection Services (TMG WPS)

 

My Internet Explorer 9.0 User experience reivew

Here is my Internet Explorer 9.0 User experience reivew :)

LIKE IT -

Pinned Sites - Dragging the IE window over the Windows taskbar in the bottom. Once pinned, next time when you click on it, opens the same program or web site directly. Very much similar to iphone apps made as bookmark or pinned on wall.

Tab isolation - Dragging and taking open tab (window) into new completely window that can be undocked or pinned to your favorites.

Download status - you can pause, cancel and view multiple downloads at the same time,

Tracking Protection - block sites tracking or following you to taget ads or to protect kids.

Hardware accelerataion, security and others.

Support for HTML5, CSS3, Canvas, location services, and SVG has made its way into Microsoft's browser.

Here is the HTML5 Test Suite Conformance Results page -
http://w3c-test.org/html/tests/reporting/report.htm

 

Windows 8 for business?

Nice read below - not sure if you agree or disagree? :)

10 essential ingredients of a killer Windows 8 business PC -
http://www.pcworld.com/article/2013248/10-essential-ingredients-of-a-killer-windows-8-business-pc.html   Cheers-  Dipesh

Optimize the performance of Microsoft SQL Server environments

"Plan Explorer FREE and the launch of the new Plan Explorer PRO at 2012 Dev Connections in Las Vegas today, - will help for optimizing the performance of Microsoft SQL Server environments."

SQL Sentry Performance Advisor for
1. SQL Server delivers an advanced performance dashboard with relevant Windows and SQL Server metrics in a single view along with detailed insight of heavy SQL, blocking, deadlocks, and disk bottlenecks.

2. Analysis Services provides unparalleled insight into Analysis Services performance, including bottlenecks related to memory, storage systems, aggregation usage, queries and processing.
3. Event Manager is the ultimate scheduling, alerting and response system for managing SQL Server jobs, SharePoint jobs and other events that impact performance.

P.S: I do not recieve any compensation for writing or promoting these products but is merely interest...

IT: Winning the Retail War: How to Compete With Retail E-commerce Players

Winning the Retail War: How to Compete With Retail E-commerce Players

Accenture suggests 10 ways a multichannel retail approach can help in competing with retail e-commerce players.
Overview Today online retailers are the preferred choice for customers worldwide. Does this mean traditional retailing is over? No. Traditional retailers can too march ahead by offering a multichannel retail experience to customers. Online pure plays have changed the retail game with their new approach to technology, innovation and execution. To compete successfully with retail e-commerce players, Accenture recommends traditional retailers adopt a strategic thinking by applying key principles from Sun Tzu’s The Art of War.
Download the PDF report from the site here - http://www.accenture.com/us-en/Pages/insight-winning-the-retail-war.aspx

OR watch the video here -
http://www.accenture.com/us-en/Pages/insight-winning-the-retail-war-video.aspx

Encryption, key, identity, fraud management and others from Thales...

One of the finest solution that I stumbled upon for database encryption from Thales -

1. Add new levels of assurance to database encryption by helping your organization effectively protect and manage encryption keys.
2. With Thales - nShield hardware security modules (HSMs), you can take full advantage of native database encryption capabilities and still add higher levels of assurance to key management activities, ensuring optimal security, efficiency, and guaranteed accessibility to encrypted data.
3. By storing encryption keys in a protected environment, separate from the database itself, nShield HSMs enforce separation of duties between security staff and DBAs.

More here -
http://www.thales-esecurity.com/solutions/by-technology-focus/database-encryption

Great ready solution for mobile payments, trust, key and identity management. Controlling Fraud and Protecting Intellectual Property solution from Thales.

The proliferation of mobile devices such as smartphones and tablets not only gives consumers more choice, it also has the potential to dramatically expand the payments ecosystem, bringing new players such as mobile operators and handset manufacturers into the mix. Multiple payment advocates are competing for attention, with each party advancing a different vision for where the consumer’s electronic wallet—the trusted source of credentials—should reside: on a card, on a phone, or in the Cloud. These various approaches create new challenges and in some cases have the potential to establish new business models. The traditional role of banks in issuing physical cards that are mailed to users could be replaced by new classes of intermediaries such as Trusted Service Managers (TSMs) that provide over-the-air provisioning capabilities to mobile devices.

The Thales solution is based on the GlobalPlatform Card Specification Version 2.2 and EMV Card Personalization Specification (CPS V1.1), providing the ability to establish a secure session with the Secure Element (SE) based on Global Platform Secure Channel Protocol 02 (SCP02) and to prepare secure messages for the SE.

More here - http://www.thales-esecurity.com/solutions/by-technology-focus/mobile-payments

Watch Windows 8 Surface launch event and Surface dropped on stage!

Windows 8 RT Surface live event webcast
link above -  http://www.microsoft.com/en-us/news/presskits/windows/liveevent2.aspx


Watch Windows 8 Surface Launch Event Webcast

(Start from 48th  minute to see the event,
Scan to 3 hour :20 minutes to watch Surface
dropped on stage!)

 

 

SCM 101

Supply Chain is key to almost all organizations, and few key modules that one must be aware of while working on Supply Chain implementation. These are basic modules that one would need to learn to understand the SC business. Will talk in detail on each in coming days,

Modules -

1. Planning and Forecasting
2. Production Planning and scheduling
3. Materials management and Stock movement
4. Order to Cash Cycle - Order, Fulfillment and Financials
5. Inventory management
6. Distribution Centers (D/Cs)
7. Supply Chain management
8. Logistics and Transportation management (Shipping and Carrier management)
9. Supplier quality check
10. Reverse Logistics  - Returns and Repair
11. Customer Service/Care

 - D

Knockout js for MVVM and MVC web applications

Assisting Ryan, I learned how cool Knockout java script library is! :) It really seems to be easy in adopting and faster UX development esp. for MVVM and MVC web applications.

http://channel9.msdn.com/posts/ASPNET-MVC-With-Community-Tools-Part-11-KnockoutJS (MVVM, knockout session 20 minute video on ASP.NET MVC With Community Tools Part 11: KnockoutJS)


Practice here if you dont have it installed - http://www.knockoutjs.com// (tons on step by step instructions and tutorials)


Cheers - DJ