Articles

I have just recently watched the keynote sessions of the current dockercon'16. It’s been very interesting and eye-opening. You can still watch the recordings here: https://2016.dockercon.com/ (original URL https://2016.dockercon.com/). I do use Docker for some internal infrastructure deployments. It enables me to efficiently use a broad set of different application servers that form a deployment scenario for a complete solution. One of the key themes I heard from the Docker conference are the topics around application modernization. This is quite interesting since one wouldn’t connect Docker with transformations of business applications to modern environments. I do think that the major theme of Docker makes sense and it is a viable approach to modernizing business applications. At least it helps to migrate these applications from one platform to another. ...

DevOps is one of the key topics currently in the world of IT. However, it is also relevant for businesses and enterprises. We are living in a very disruptive economy nowadays and every company needs to have a plan in place on how to deal with such disruption. This applies to companies in each and every industry. There is a lot of buzz going on and every giant software vendor proposes its own methodology around DevOps. Basically, it comes down to delivering faster, with better agility and continuous productivity gains while improving delivered quality. ...

Since I have been using Microsoft Azure Active Directory (AAD) for my newly AAD domain joined machine, I thought it would be a good idea to enable Multi-Factor Authentication (MFA) to my account. I really do care a lot about my (virtual) identity ?. So, I was able to domain join my machine and get everything up and running on my Windows 10 machine. However, two things then happened: 1. My Windows Phone 8.1 told me that my Office 365 (O365) account cannot sync my mail, etc. anymore and it needs my attention. I thought “no big deal … just let it configure again and add my 2nd factor to it and done”. As a matter of fact, this does not seem to work right now, the phone tries for a couple of minutes and then says that something went wrong and it cannot activate my account anymore. ...

I have been using Windows 10 for quite a while now … actually from the very first moment Microsoft released their first public preview late in 2014. I absolutely like the look and feel and how the user experience evolved from Windows 8.1. I think it is a much more intuitive way to use your computer for work and play. I am using it on a tablet and it works great with touch, but also mouse and keyboard. ...

Microsoft Corp. and Oracle Corp. yesterday announced a partnership that will enable customers to run Oracle software on Windows Server Hyper-V and in Windows Azure. Customers will be able to deploy Oracle software — including Java, Oracle Database and Oracle WebLogic Server — on Windows Server Hyper-V or in Windows Azure and receive full support from Oracle. Terms of the deal were not disclosed. For additional information: Microsoft Press Release at https://www.microsoft.com/en-us/news/Press/2013/Jun13/06-24WSNewsPR.aspx ...

Today I decided to upgrade my home computer to Windows 8 Pro. One thing you have to know is that this is a very critical system for us at home. It runs the entertainment system and most importantly feeds our TV system (XBox 360) in the living room. I was specifically nervous about the fact that the TV signal for the Media Center comes from a powerline connected devolo dLAN TV Sat PC device (that actually sits on the top floor of our house). Not much Windows 8 support information was given by devolo, but the Windows 8 upgrade assistant did say that there was a newer Version of the driver available (also I couldn’t find any Information on the web). ...

If you are as addicted as I am with looking at Bing’s totally awesome photographs, there is now a way to actually create your own piece of art. Microsoft Research provides a nice little interactive app that gives users the power to create “Cliplets” – a type of imagery that sits between stills and video, including imagery such as video textures and “cinemagraphs”. The app provides a simple, yet expressive way to mix static and dynamic elements from a video clip. ...

Why this release mattered The spring 2012 release was a turning point for Windows Azure. Up until this point Azure was largely a PaaS-only platform built around Cloud Services (web roles and worker roles), which made sense for greenfield .NET applications but was a tough sell for anyone wanting to lift-and-shift existing workloads or run anything that didn’t fit the role model — Linux servers, off-the-shelf software, custom networking topologies. ...

Today, I noticed that the CD-changer of our BMW 5-series E61 hangs and it did not release the CD magazine. What made it worth is that it tried to release it every couple of minutes which started to hurt the car’s battery. I bing’d and luckily found this post (in German) that describes how to fix it yourself. Basically you have to follow these steps in order to solve this problem: ...

Skype for Windows Phone is now officially available in Marketplace. Download it now here. It supports free voice and video calls to other Skype users (or cheaper calls to landlines and other cell phones with Skype Credit) along with other cool features like portrait mode video calling, support for joining audio conference calls, call-in-progress notifications and block and unblock contacts. See more information at Big Blog or at Skype Garage. ...