Blogs|Dec 21, 2016

Introducing the Spectron Command Line Tool

After some Spectron experience there tends to be some things that can get repetitive when creating Spectron tests. I figured creating a tool to do just that would be handy to have. So I created the spectron-cli npm package. Granted, this command line tool doesn’t do all that much. Currently, it only has two commands to…
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News|Dec 14, 2016

Teach Cortana New Tricks (and Reach Her Users) With the Cortana Skills Kit

Microsoft announced Tuesday that it’s introducing a Cortana Skills Kit, allowing developers to add new capabilities to the virtual assistant. Developers using the kit will be able to turn their web services, bots created with the Microsoft bot framework, and existing Alexa skills into new skills for Cortana. Currently in private preview, the kit will…
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Webinar|Dec 12, 2016

Master Containers on Windows Server 2016

One of the most anticipated features of Windows Server 2016 is container services. Microsoft has worked closely with Docker to create this exciting new feature for on-premise CaaS. Wintellect senior consultant Blaize Stewart has created a webinar in which you can learn  all about the new technology, the types of containers you can deploy on Windows…
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news|Dec 8, 2016

Microsoft Outlines Plans for Budget VR, Will Share Dev Kit in February

If you’re not ready to shell out $3,000 for a Microsoft HoloLens mixed reality device, you’re not alone, and Microsoft knows this. That’s why it’s partnering with companies including Acer, ASUS, Dell, HP and Lenovo to create a line of lower-cost augmented and virtual reality headsets for the Average Joe or Jane Gamer. The head-mounted…
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News|Dec 6, 2016

Non-Admin Users Can Now Create Symlinks in Windows 10

With the Windows 10 Creators Update, Microsoft is making it easier for developers to create symlinks, virtual files that link to actual physical files located somewhere else. The change should speed development in Windows 10, making use of symlinks on the platform as seamless as it already is on Linux and OSX. As Microsoft notes in…
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News|Dec 2, 2016

AdDuplex Wants to Help You Monetize Your App

AdDuplex has launched a new ad monetization program for Windows developers, citing a lack of monetization options for apps and games on the UWP platform. The invite-only program has been operating on select apps for a few months now, Windows Central reports, and AdDuplex is now offering developers the opportunity to join through an application process.…
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News|Nov 22, 2016

Microsoft Bets Big on Quantum Computing

Microsoft has hired several of the world’s foremost quantum computing experts, doubling down on the effort to build a machine that could solve complex problems much more quickly than a digital computer. Microsoft hardware guru Todd Holdmdahl will lead a research team focused on using a unit of quantum information called a topological qubit to…
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Blogs|Nov 21, 2016

Spectron Tip: Getting Selectors From Chrome Dev Tools

If you’re using Spectron (or even Protractor) for automating your applications probably the most time consuming thing is to figure out exactly what selectors you need in order to interact with your application. Whether to click on a button or to test if the text of a dialog is what you expect, you need a…
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News|Nov 17, 2016

Yes, Microsoft Just Joined the Linux Foundation

Microsoft’s commitment to open-source reached a new high Wednesday when the company announced it’s joining the Linux Foundation. The company that once sought to build a wall around its proprietary software kingdom will now join corporations like Intel, Huawei and Samsung as high-paying Platinum Level members of the foundation, according to TechCrunch. The Linux Foundation…
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visual-studio-alm-tfs-and-scrum|Nov 14, 2016

Microsoft to Release Mac Version of Visual Studio

In a month of many surprises, Microsoft has one more for developers everywhere: It’s finally bringing Visual Studio to Mac. A preview version of Visual Studio for Mac will debut at this week’s Connect conference, according to a blog post the company published and later deleted. (Thanks to our friends over at Engadget for saving…
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azure-and-cloud-computing|Nov 8, 2016

Microsoft Open-Sources Azure Container Services Engine

Microsoft on Monday announced a number of updates to Azure Container Services that it says will make the container service more open and flexible. First up: The Kubernetes cloud orchestrator is now available in preview for Azure Container Services. This gives ACS customers a choice of orchestration technologies, with support for DC/OS, Swarm and Kubernetes.…
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