Apple is about to release iOS 12, probably in two weeks when they have their annual phone (and watch) refresh on 12 September 2018. I've been a registered Apple developer for a long time, paying my $99 every year, and waiting for the second or third beta to put on my phone. It's true, I … Continue reading Beta software and ghost updates
Category: Technology
Repair search in Outlook 2016 for Mac
Recently I reinstalled macOS, and discovered that the search feature was not working properly in Outlook 2016 for Mac. Using these instructions from Victor Sachs on this page, I was able to get it to work after Spotlight reindexed everything: sudo mdutil -i off / sudo rm -rf /.Spotlight* sudo rm -rf /.metadata_never_index restart the computer … Continue reading Repair search in Outlook 2016 for Mac
Blockchain and you
By now you will have heard about ICOs and blockchain, and these buzzwords are making you wish you'd invested early in Bitcoin. I'm here to remind you that this post was written specifically to attract traffic through the use of the word "blockchain", with a few more words thrown in, like Bitcoin and Ethereum. If … Continue reading Blockchain and you
Office 2016: You’re connected to too many services
Recently I started seeing the above annoying error message every time I opened up Outlook 2016 on my MacBook, but only after being prompted for my passwords for every single email account I had. This is tedious with two connected accounts. I have five. A quick search led me to a thread on Microsoft Answers, with … Continue reading Office 2016: You’re connected to too many services
Air gaps and secure networks
I am a person with many interests. In one conversation, I'll introduce myself as a new filmmaker. In another, I'm a seasoned theatre actor. Sometimes I give talks on Microsoft's data platform products, SQL Server and Azure SQL Database. There's another strong field of interest I have, which I don't speak much about, and that's information … Continue reading Air gaps and secure networks
On the Internet of Things
I hate the term "Internet of Things". I say "Internet of Things" and "IoT" because everyone else does, but I don't like it. Not everything needs to be online. There's a Twitter account called @InternetOfShit which posts regularly on this topic. The first and most important reason why this is a bad idea is security. … Continue reading On the Internet of Things
Microsoft BizSpark is now a one-year programme
As of 1 December 2016, Microsoft's BizSpark programme is now only for one year, down from the original three years. Given how useful the free Visual Studio tools are, and what is possible with Azure, I'm not surprised, but this is going to affect a lot of people. From the BizSpark page: A one year … Continue reading Microsoft BizSpark is now a one-year programme
Link: On Getting Old(er) in Tech
My friend Janie Clayton linked to this article by Don Denoncourt, which has some interesting thoughts and observations. Something with which I agree: I’ve seen too many people lock themselves into technologies (like Lotus Notes and Domino) and find themselves unmarketable after spending 10 years in that industry. Even if you have a high-paying salary, … Continue reading Link: On Getting Old(er) in Tech
What to do at PASS Summit 2016
(Originally posted on my SQL Server blog.) Next week, while blog posts are scheduled as expected, I will be attending my third PASS Summit. Summit 2014 In my first year, I attended every single event I could. The Monday night started with Steve Jones' regular Networking Dinner. When I arrived, there were already over a hundred people there, … Continue reading What to do at PASS Summit 2016
The real value of 70 percent
I wrote previously about an expensive experience with In-App Purchases (IAP) running rampant, to the tune of almost four hundred dollars. This follow-up contains some good news. As part of the conflict resolution protocol, Apple's customer service representative, known only as Az, was very quick to offer assistance. My mother-in-law didn't respond to his original … Continue reading The real value of 70 percent