What is TIOBE Index?

TIOBE index provides a measure for the popularity of programming languages as mined from search engines. It includes many browser results as well as covers many programming languages. The index is published every month and for the month of January you can find it here:
http://www.tiobe.com/index.php/content/paperinfo/tpci/index.html

Programming languages C and Java are the top dogs and Javascript jumped from 9 to 7 in January 2015 and C# steady from 2014 to 2015 at 5.

TIOBE Index is calculated by the query +"Language> programming" to the search engines.
Get more info on TIOBE here:
http://www.tiobe.com/index.php/content/products/tics/TICS_framework.html

 

New features in Windows 10 OS

Continuum -seamless switching to desired device type from PC to tablet, touchscreen, muse or keyboard OK; A more capable Cortana on PC; new browser engine -Project Spartan, rebuilt Office suite, XBox apps and enhancements, new Photo utility, and many more are the cool new features of Windows 10.

How can you get your hands on Windows 10 now?

Become an insider
download a preview copy

Watch this video and hear from the horses mouth:

Windows 10 upgrade for most phones but not for Nokia Icon

We are getting to the stage of entering the era of Windows 10. Microsoft has promised upgrades (free) for all Windows 7, Windows 8.1 (that means Windows 8 as well) on all devices including Nokia / Microsoft Lumia phones. The story line has changed from this initial announcment.
Read here
http://www.phonearena.com/news/Microsoft-the-majority-of-Lumia-smartphones-will-be-updated-to-Windows-10_id65122

SQL Server Deployment in Azure Cloud - Part 2

 In order to follow this post kindly review the previous post here:
http://hodentek.blogspot.com/2014/09/sql-server-deployment-in-azure-cloud.html

Let us create one using the image, SQL Server 2012 SP2 WEB.
Read the details for this image. Also click on the Pricing Information for this image.

Ref Image: SQLAzureVM08

Highlight the image and click on the arrow at the bottom.
In the Virtual Machine configuration provide a name and the Tier you want to use (Herein the least expensive and the smallest)
Provide a user name: JayVM1
Password should have 8 characters, at least three of the following (small case, one capitalize, one number and a special character)
New Password: 1SQLOliver (the application does not exist anymore)

RefImageSQLAzureVM09
Click on the arrow at the bottom.
You need to configure further

SQLAzureVM10
There is already a cloud service and for this VM we create a new cloud service.
For Region/Affinity group/Virtual Network the default is acceptable. You can use any other different geographical regions.
Also accept the default to use an automatically generated storage account.
It is prudent to create an availability set which is useful in case of certain kinds of failures.

SQLAzureVM11
Accept the default endpoints that allows communication with the virtual machine.

SQLAzureVM12
Create availability set.

SQLAzureVM13 and SQLAzureVM14

Final page of VM Configuration. You do not have to configure extensions. I suppose these can be done later if needed. Read each of them and see what these extensions are and why you may need.

This may take a little while and you should be able to look at the status in the portal.

SQLAzureVM15
Connecting to Virtual Machine

When you click on Connect at the bottom, you will get the following message (to open or save a RDP file).

SQLAzureVM17
Click save and save it to downloads.
This is the Remote Desktop Connection file

SQLAzureVM18
Double click the file at the download location

SQLAzureVM19

The remote computer is the DNS address of the VM on Azure.
The program runs and a form requesting log-in information is displayed.

SQLAzureVM20

You can use your Microsoft account or use another account
Herein the Microsoft account is attempted. Looks like the credentials did not work. You have to supply the username/password created during configuring the VM.

SQLAzureVM21 and SQLAzureVM22

This time you get a message regarding identity of the remote computer. The name of the certificate in the remote computer is the same as the VM name.

SQLAzureVM23

Click Yes and you get connected to the remote computer(azure).
(few more screen shots missing here during the connection dns configuration)
After setting up personal profiles etc, the VM gets displayed as shown.

SQLAzureVM24
Here is the Server Manager Screen.

SQLAzureVM25

At the bottom of the screen you will find the Server Manager, PowerShell and access to local folders on the machine.

SQLAzureVM26

Now you are ready to rock and roll!
Mahalo

Event Info 2015_2: Intel IoT Road show - Seattle

    Mark up your calendar to attend this important event in Seattle.
Dates: Feb 11 to Feb 12. Free DevKits at each event for some 100 early participants who check-in.

 

If you miss Seattle meeting there are others in USA and around the globe.

 

Bring your PC with you.

Windows 7, 8, 8.1

Mac OS 10.x

Linux

 

Cox & Kings Global Services fails to deliver service in time

We decided to visit India to meet family and friends and to participate some end of life functions. CKGS dragged their feet and could not visit India in time. The following note was prepared during that time. We finally visited India missing a funeral due to the delay and I am compelled to write. Here are soem notes prepared during that time.

Consular Services are very important for fostering international understanding and improving tourism; cultural exchanges etc. I am not sure CKGS can provide adequate services to its clients. The CKGs Global services have offices in several regional centers in USA and my complaint is with the San Francisco office. CKGS offices are in two places for the San Francisco Consulate, one in San Francisco and one in Mumbai India. The call center in India is the gateway as clients have no direct telephone access to the San Francisco office.

The problems with this call center:
1. The Clients do not have direct access to San Francisco Call Center

2. Slow and unresponsive Phones at the Mumbai office

3. Negiligent staff at the Mumbai Call Center

The two call center numbers (516-206-1483  and 646-589-0088) are both redirected to India and they are extremely slow. The shortest I have waited is like 45 minutes and the longest has been over 3 hrs. Also, only one of the two numbers respond most of the times.

The problem is that the Call Center has lost documents and claiming that the documents were missing from the original application. The Mumbai call center mentioned missing document was the photocopy of Resident Alien Registration (11/7/2014). This has been sent three times beginning Nov 9 (the original application was made on Oct 30, 2014) to November 19. All the three have been received, but never acknowledged.

After a final complaint at the CKGS website, they decided to locate the document and we were told that the documents were found (or received) on November 21. Telephone call to CKGS in Mumbai today (11/24/3014) again did not provide a clear answer about the status of the visa. It appears it is still in CKGS San Francisco and has not been sent to the Consulate as of the time the call was made.
Thinking that it does not take 30 days to get the visa we made travel arrangement to leave Honolulu on the 26th of November and due to the negiligence of CKGS we had to cancel,

Trip from HNL to Tokyo Narita
Hotel stay at Narita
Flight from Narita to Delhi
Hotel stay at Delhi
Delhi to Bengaluru
Plus the cancellations for the return journey.

This has resulted in considerable financial loss and consequent hardship and we mainly place the blame on the Mumbai Office for not attending to the emails.

I have attached my emails to CKGS to the email address, enquiriesusa@ckgs.com. It is extremely difficult to get any positive information from the call center in Mumbai.

Good luck to Mr.Modi relying on such a flaky organization to provide services needed for improving tourism etc.

Here is a copy of an email sent to CKGS during the course of this agonizing transaction with them:

 

What is Project Siena?

This is a Microsoft's breakthrough in app development for business.

You are a business expert or an analyst or a developer and you want to create a cutting edge business app then look no further. Get your hands on Project Siena presently in BETA.  You can create custom business targeted apps in no time at all with rich visuals and no programming effort on your side. Does it appear too good to be true? Well, try it out.

Download the Siena app from here:

http://apps.microsoft.com/windows/en-us/app/microsoft-project-siena/5ae47651-e8f3-4e41-aab7-e19ab1b80180

Siena can source out data from many sources for the apps. Here is a list from the Siena app.

I tried to source out of an EXCEL file and it immediately took me to my OneDrive where there are a number of EXCEL files. Actually I can change it to the location I choose.


As soon as the app is launched this is what you see.



Clicking the + at top right you open up the Visuals available. This is quite exhaustive and can range from a simple button to whole Office 365 applications. Of course the social media applications - all the popular ones are included as well as shown.

There is ample documentation and a number of samples that you can look up.

 

Look up more on this here and here during the next few months.

Event Info 2015_1: Fortinet Technical Refresher

New Features of FortiOS 5.2 such as Wireless and other advanced technology solutions will be discussed. A quick review of ease and simplicity of using FortiGate appliance will be presented.

Date: Wednesday 25, February 2015
Time: 1:30 to 4:00 PM
Location: Hilton Hawaiian Village,2005 Kalia Road, HI 96815

Updates to FortiOS with new features:
GUI Access
Dashboards
Widgets
Troubleshooting help
IPS Signature inspection
customization
etc..
Will be described.

Security related topics such as threat landscape and advanced threats will also be described.

Jump start your IoT development with Intel XDK IoT

You are a hobbyist; curious student or a developer-entrepreneur then you must get this kit to jump start your IoT development.

This is still in Beta but it has everything you need in terms of hardware, software, tools and forums to guide you through.

IoT dev kit is a subset of Intel IOT.

The kit consists of the following as seen here:

1) Hardware components (Intel® Galileo and Intel® Edison boards, shields, sensors, actuators)

(2) Software image and/or the software packages

(3) Support for various IDEs allowing you to program in your favorite language

      (Eclipse, Intel XDK IoT Edition, Arduino & Wyliodrin)

(4) Cloud services for a data management and analytics

(5) Additional tools and solutions for optimization and performance

      (Intel System Studio for IoT & Wind River VxWorks for Makers)



Get your Intel XDK IoT Edition here:
https://software.intel.com/en-us/html5/xdk-iothttps://software.intel.com/en-us/html5/xdk-iot

Amazon is seriously challenged in the cloud by Microsoft

AWS was in the premier position having had a head start of more than 4 years in the cloud related business. The lowering of prices by Microsoft; a new CEO; an emphasized bet on the cloud have all contributed to Microsoft Azure's adoption by the enterprises. One of the reasons for this being the better tooling; the variety of applications and services; and not-for-Windows only shift have all contributed.

Microsoft brought in a lot of enhancements that should prove this advantage Microsoft has gained further. The storage options with SSDs and the rapid, multifaceted updates to its Azure cloud computing platform are all very attractive for enterprises.

One of the reasons that Microsoft can challenge AWS is in the attractive storage options.Azure Premium Storage Disks is in public preview since December 2014.
http://azure.microsoft.com/en-us/services/storage/

With Azure Premium Storage Disks there are two types of durable storage, Premium and Standard.

Premium Storage  highlights

    Delivers high performance, low latency of IO intensive workloads on Azure Virtual Machines up to a total of 32TB/Virtual Machine and 50000 IOPs.

You can sign up for Azure Premium Storage at the Azure Preview Portal here:
http://azure.microsoft.com/en-us/services/preview/

@travel: Bolt from GM likely to hit TESLA

GM is working on a electric car, the Chevy Bolt that would travel 200 miles on a single charge using LG's battery, a direct threat to TESLA's model 3. It's earlier volt could only make 38 miles.
Read here:
http://www.delhidailynews.com/news/GM-to-release-Chevy-Bolt-electric-car-in-2017--WSJ-1420890433/

Here is a picture of Chevy Bolt ready to be charged from tweaktown.com site.

Mahendra in India has already been sellin its second generation all electric vehicle REVA using lithium-ion batteries. Does not have all the gimmics but delivers reasonable mileage on a single charge. This car is perfect for congested cities like Bengaluru and smaller towns like Honolulu, Fort Collins, etc.

Read more here:

http://hodentekplus.blogspot.in/2015/01/you-do-not-need-to-buy-tesla-in-india.html