Reading Notes #97

Suggestion of the week

• Is the Windows user ready for apt-get? - I'm a big fan of Chocolatey since long time, and I found it extremely useful. Give it a try, and see by yourself!
  
• 12 Non-caffeinated Ways to Wake Up at Work - I know, by definition a developer is someone who transforms coffee into code... but having an alternative is good ... and healthier.
  
• Continuing the Windows 8 vision with Windows 8.1 - Wow! A huge number of really great improvement. It looks like little things but all together, it transforms the experience. Stay tune for more details...
  

Cloud

• Spelunking Azure, What does it Cost? - Quick post that gives the base about Azure prices.
  
• How To: Setup Windows Azure PowerShell - Quick post that explains how to get ready to play with Azure with PowerShell.

 Databases

• Entity Framework Power Tool Tips to View Model (A Feature I Depend On!) : Don't Be Iffy (Name) - Very promising tool. Thanks for the author of this post we will be able to enjoy avoiding these little issues.

Programming

• Making Passwords Obsolete (Minda Zetlin) - Interesting idea. Look forward to see how I could use/test it.
  
• Create location aware apps using geolocation and Bing Maps (Windows 8 Team) - Nice tutorial about using geolocation in our application.
  
• Intermediate RubyGem Development - Nice tutorial covering tests and naming convention when developing our Ruby Gem. Different libraries a referred as examples.
  
• Performance Considerations - Quick post about thinks to take into consideration about EF 5.0. The post also introduce many alternatives ORMs.

• Dojo for jQuery Developers - Incredibly clear tutorial here that compares Dojo with jQuery to explain how things are done with Dojo. The perfect post to get started. 

Miscellaneous

• Cool Tools – How to Be Invisible - The book looks interesting and this post, invent if it goes in the completely opposite direction is really interesting too.
  
• The Most Overlooked Leadership Skill - Interedting post about leadership.
  
• Delayed Gratification: Make It a Better Pill to Swallow - This post is a review/ summary of what looks like a very promising book about self-control. In this world of instant trophies and game achievements, learning how to control your needs is a great strength.
  
• 3 Games That Can Teach You Business Skills (Leigh Buchanan) - I'm happy to see that "educational" game don't only exists for kids...
  
• So You Think You Have ADD... (Marla Tabaka) - Some tips to stay productive and fight procrastination.
  
• 5 Mentor Archetypes I’ve Met – And How to Spot Them (Jennifer Dulski) - Nice post where the author share is vision of goods mentors and how to "spot them".
  
• Reviews of Super Weird Mice:The Microsoft Arc Touch and Wedge Mouse - Nice review, it feels really objective and practical.
  
• Deconstructing Google's Strategy: Will Google Eat Your Business Next? (Steve Faktor) - Interesting post about the strategy behind free Google's stuff.
  
• Facebook IPO & the Dark, Dirty Secrets of Facebook vs. Google Data (Steve Faktor) - I really like the comparison. I didn't though about it before, but it really make sense.
  
• Business Lessons from ‘Google Instant’, the Waifish Temptress of Search (Steve Faktor) - Interesting marketing "secrets" that Google uses to make always more money.

 
~Frank

Reading Notes #96

Suggestion of the week

• ASP.NET Bad Practices: What you shouldn’t do in ASP.NET (Part 1) - Something different, the bad practices... A must-read post.
  
• Powerpoint 2013: Visualizations Part 2: Creating Data Infographics with Charts and Graphs - Really good post that gives a lot of tips to improve the look and effectiveness of our charts. A post to bookmark and re-read before your next presentation or blog post.

 

Cloud

• Introducing Amazon Cloud Player for Windows Desktop (Paul Thurrott) - Interesting product from Amazon: Cloud player.
  
• Windows Azure SDK 2.0 Released!) (Brian H. Prince) - Nice quick recap detailed just enough to really what's new.
  
• Windows Azure Cache - Pessimistic Concurrency Model (Ravi Verma) - Nice tutorial to have a better understanding of a useful pattern: pessimistic concurrency model.
  
• How to setup a Load Balanced Web Farm of Virtual Machines (Linux or otherwise) on Windows Azure (command line) (Scott Hanselman)- Very good post. We don't see that often article about Linux VM. This ones very complete and gives methods through the portal or by command line.
  
• Windows Azure Blob Storage Service - Migrating Blobs Between Accounts - Nice tutorial that explains how to build in C# a very useful tools. In the same idea in PowerShell could be found on my blog here.
  
• Faster Save Experience Editing Scripts in the Windows Azure Mobile Services Portal (Nick Harris) - Ooh yes! A so little thing that is a so good news!
  
• Dealing with Windows Azure Storage transient faults (Grigori Melnik MSFT) - Excellent post that present Topaz to manage transient fault connections in an Azure Storage context. It also compares Topaz to the default retry mechanisms.

 

Programming

• Smart Watches are finally going to happen - Pebble Watch Reviewed (Scott Hanselman)- Learn more about the great new type of watch that is The Pebble.
  
• Team Foundation Service my new default GIT repository - New great tool with all the good of our old friend.
  
• “Confident Ruby” now in Beta! (Avdi Grimm) - Promissing book about Ruby, still in pre-release so cheaper... a good deal.
  
• A first look at SignalR - Rick Strahl's Web Log - Powerful, easy to use and well documented, SignalR is a library that we should definitely look at.
  
• Redirecting ASP.NET Legacy URLs to Extensionless with the IIS Rewrite Module (Scott Hanselman)- A post to bookmark. Nice tutorial, very clear.

 

Miscellaneous

• How to write a great blog post - Devices, Services, Life (Simon May) - Interedting post about the nonofficial rules to write a great post.
  
• Startups – The Importance of Momentum (Iain Hunter) - Nicepost that gives 10 rules to follow when time is missing or when you need to do more with less.
  
• Blogging Best Practices - Concepts, Ideas and Motives - Part 1 - This nice post and video can help you to define your idea to start a Blog... Because sharing is important.
  
• How to Prospect for New Customers (Geoffrey James) - Nice post that helps to structure our search for new customers.
  
• Blogging Best Practices - Writing an Interesting Blog - Part 3 - Quick tips to help us in front of the "white page."
  
• How Blogging Helped My Pitch (Francesca Louise Fenzi) - Interesting though about what can blogging brings to business.
  
• Cool Tools – How to Be Invisible - The book looks interesting and this post, invent if it goes in the completely opposite direction is really interesting too.
  
  

~Frank

Reading Notes #95

Suggestion of the week

• The Unexpected Antidote to Procrastination (Peter Bregman)- A person a know also said: If you are not making mistakes, it means that you're not working hard enough.
  
• Lessons Learned: Taking the best out of Windows Azure Virtual Machines (Nuno Godinho) - This post is a must, it describes all the best practices to get the better of Windows Azure Virtual Machine (VM).