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Windows 10 19H1 (1903) update: Top 5 new features

I’ve loved – and yes, I really mean it – Windows 10 since it became available back in 2015. I run Windows 10 on all three of my main machines – two laptops and one beefy workstation, and use this setup for rotating updates when major releases become available. You can check out my thoughts from the 2018 update exactly one year ago here. The… Read More »Windows 10 19H1 (1903) update: Top 5 new features
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[Updated] Making Remote Desktop fun again: Dynamic resizing and resolution changes while connected

[Note: Some things have changed with RDP in recent Windows versions so I updated this article accordingly in April, 2019] I remember reading about this feature when Windows 8.1 was made generally available in late 2013, but I didn’t have time then to try this out. Today while being connected to my home server to do some development work I decided to test if the… Read More »[Updated] Making Remote Desktop fun again: Dynamic resizing and resolution changes while connected
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…But I like email!

People – and consultants, a bit like myself – often tell unequivocally on social media and through flashy PowerPoints that email is dead. You must move on. Slack and Microsoft Teams and similar enterprise social tools are the future – a modern way for collaboration and that’s where real work happens now. Okay. I understand all that. I’ve done my fair share of billable work… Read More »…But I like email!
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Mastering Azure CLI

  • Azure
I grew up with Perl, tcsh, bash, sh, awk, sed, grep, pico, vi, command.com and cmd.exe. Building scripts, batch files and little automations here and there was the norm for me and many others of that era. I’m especially proud for a set of .BAT files and VBScripts that connected to one of the very first Logitech USB webcams to retrieve a near real-time image… Read More »Mastering Azure CLI
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Anonymizing and masking sensitive data in SQL databases before migrating to Azure SQL

Many companies I interact with have expressed an interest in migrating their legacy SQL Server databases to Azure. Typically this is due to End of Life for SQL Server 2008 (and 2008 R2) and other times it’s a desire to perform reporting and analytics on existing data in the cloud. (I wrote about migrating to Azure SQL previously here) Mostly this is all documented nicely… Read More »Anonymizing and masking sensitive data in SQL databases before migrating to Azure SQL
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Be better – or how to consistently succeed as a techie

I’ve had this post — or rather just the title — in my blog as a draft for over a year. Today, I decided it’s time to put my money where my mouth by writing it and making it public. First, some clarification. My intention is not to brag about my professional career. My intention is to provide useful guidance I’ve learned during the course… Read More »Be better – or how to consistently succeed as a techie
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Tracking, resolving, storing and presenting AKA.MS short links from social media using Serverless capabilities in Azure

I think I’ve written once or twice I’m a great fan of building Proof of Concepts and prototypes. This allows me to rapidly learn without fear or risk of failing in front of an important customer. And all customers who pay for your time are important, of course. I’ve long admired the fantastic AKA.MS short links service Microsoft has internally created for their employees. Or… Read More »Tracking, resolving, storing and presenting AKA.MS short links from social media using Serverless capabilities in Azure
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Building a custom connector for Power BI that supports OAuth2 to visualize my wellness data

In my previous blog post, I wrote about the Oura Ring and how it tracks my wellness and activities. As part of the service Oura provides there’s also a comprehensive API that can be leveraged for your own purposes. As the data that is being tracked is very personal (“hmm, I wonder why Jussi is being active at 3:23 am.. oh he’s feeding the baby”),… Read More »Building a custom connector for Power BI that supports OAuth2 to visualize my wellness data
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Living with Oura Ring – the smart way to track wellness and activity

  • Gadgets
Late last year I decided to place an order for a Oura Ring, the smart wellness and activity tracking ring from the Finnish startup. It took a few months to arrive, as they seem to be in high demand. While I’m writing this Oura’s site has a banner saying that orders placed today will be delivered by May. Impressive! I had two intentions for my… Read More »Living with Oura Ring – the smart way to track wellness and activity