Data Adventures in Africa
... let your data lead you on an adventure
SQL Server 2008 Service Pack 1 CTP
SQL Server 2008 Service Pack 1 Customer Technology Preview is now available for download for those...
Author: Gary Hope Date: 02/24/2009
.NET Micro Framework Documentation Update
Earlier this month Microsoft released the latest update to the .NET Micro Framework Platform SDK...
Author: Gary Hope Date: 02/24/2009
SQL Server NOLOCK Data Loss
I often get asked about the implications of using nolock query hints or read uncommitted and my...
Author: Gary Hope Date: 02/23/2009
SQL Server Fast Track Data Warehouse
Today Microsoft introduced the SQL Server Fast Track Data Warehouse, several reference architectures...
Author: Gary Hope Date: 02/23/2009
Windows 7 – Compatibility Issues
Ok so I expected to run into some compatibility issues but some of these were unexpected; so I am...
Author: Gary Hope Date: 02/23/2009
My Windows 7 last step
Its been a while now since the release of the Windows 7 and my first deployment actually 6 weeks to...
Author: Gary Hope Date: 02/21/2009
BizSpark … just what the startup ISV ordered
In a previous life, before joining Microsoft, I had been involved in several internet based startup...
Author: Gary Hope Date: 02/20/2009
Micro USB for all Phones
I have my house and vehicles all wired up with USB hubs that allow me to charge all my mobile...
Author: Gary Hope Date: 02/19/2009
Microsoft support pages to move
The use of the https://support.microsoft.com/kb/123456 style URLs as references to Microsoft’s...
Author: Gary Hope Date: 02/18/2009
SQL Server 2005 Cumulative Updates Released
I am really beginning to enjoy the predictable release cycle of the Incremental Servicing Model for...
Author: Gary Hope Date: 02/18/2009
Microsoft Releases V2.0 JDBC Driver CTP
At the SQL Server User Group tonight a number of questions were asked around JDBC, specifically...
Author: Gary Hope Date: 02/17/2009
Windows Embedded Standard 2009 Exam Released
Microsoft has announced the release of of the Microsoft Windows Embedded Standard 2009, Development...
Author: Gary Hope Date: 02/17/2009
Microsoft Announces Recite Technology Preview
Today Microsoft announced the technology preview for Recite. Microsoft Recite is a voice recording...
Author: Gary Hope Date: 02/15/2009
Space Crash, No Bumper Bash
Failures in the aerospace industry are usually spectacular, if not tragic and last weeks historic...
Author: Gary Hope Date: 02/14/2009
SQL Server 2008 Data Loading Performance Guide
I previously posted a note about the SQL Server Enterprise Architecture Summit (SEAS) event held in...
Author: Gary Hope Date: 02/13/2009
Windows Failover Cluster Terminology
I must admit that one of the most confusing and frustrating sets of terminology that I...
Author: Gary Hope Date: 02/13/2009
.NET Micro Framework v.Next Planning
Have you provided your input into the v.Next planning process for .Net Micro Framework? If you...
Author: Gary Hope Date: 02/12/2009
Introducing the .NET Service Bus with Juval Lowy
I know this is not the ideal way to announce something, retrospectively that is. If you weren't at...
Author: Gary Hope Date: 02/11/2009
WIM to VHD Converter
As far back as I can remember there have been virtual image formats for disks. In the days of floppy...
Author: Gary Hope Date: 02/11/2009
Windows Mobile Application Development Chat Tonight
Join Microsoft Mobile application development experts (employees, MVPs) tonight for an Online Chat...
Author: Gary Hope Date: 02/10/2009
Reminder: Windows 7 Download Ends Today
This is just a reminder that today (February 10th) is the day that the download will end; from 12am...
Author: Gary Hope Date: 02/10/2009
Windows 2008 Clustering, SQL and MSDTC
I have often receive queries around the configuration of MSDTC on a Windows 2008 cluster, especially...
Author: Gary Hope Date: 02/09/2009
SQL Server 2008 runs SAP
Today Microsoft announced the recent certification of Microsoft SQL Server 2008 and Windows...
Author: Gary Hope Date: 02/06/2009
Another free eBook – Introducing SQL Server 2008
If you thought my post last week of the free books available was amazing, well here is another free...
Author: Gary Hope Date: 02/04/2009
Remote Server Administration Tools for Windows 7
Well I guess this confirms that I am really using my Windows 7 install now: I had to go hunting to...
Author: Gary Hope Date: 02/04/2009
SQL Server Certification Statistics
The following table is an extract from the Number of Microsoft Certified Professionals Worldwide as...
Author: Gary Hope Date: 02/03/2009
Live Framework Tools January CTP Release
Today the Live Framework Tools team announced the release of an update to the Live Framework CTP....
Author: Gary Hope Date: 02/03/2009
SQL Server 2008 Documentation Update
The fourth iteration of the SQL Server 2008 documentation was released a couple of days ago, with...
Author: Gary Hope Date: 02/03/2009
Free 64bit PDF iFilter from Adobe
Somehow I missed this news late last year. Adobe has finally released a 64bit version of it’s PDF...
Author: Gary Hope Date: 01/30/2009
Sharks: Nature’s Cutting Edge Technology
These are just a couple of my new friends that I met whilst doing my annual shark dive in Sodwana...
Author: Gary Hope Date: 01/29/2009
Free Microsoft Press SSIS or Server Core eBook
More free stuff for anyone who works with or wants to know more about SQL Server SSIS ...
Author: Gary Hope Date: 01/29/2009
SQL Server 2008 System Views Map Poster
I often receive questions about the relationships between the various system views in SQL Server...
Author: Gary Hope Date: 01/29/2009
2009: The year of the un-tethered
There are a number of wireless technologies that I believe this year will make their mark on our...
Author: Gary Hope Date: 01/29/2009
Banks in the eye of the beholder
or should the title to this off topic post read “beware of the graphics trap”. Earlier in the week a...
Author: Gary Hope Date: 01/28/2009
SQL Server 2005 SP3 on Microsoft Update
In the middle of December SQL Server 2005 SP3 was release on the Microsoft Download Center but as of...
Author: Gary Hope Date: 01/28/2009
Internet Explorer 8 Release Candidate 1
Internet Explore team announced the release of Internet Explorer 8 Release Candidate 1 (RC1) in 25...
Author: Gary Hope Date: 01/27/2009
Project Real Content back online
Over the last couple of years I have really found the Project Real content to be valuable. With the...
Author: Gary Hope Date: 01/25/2009
Windows 7 Beta General Availability scheduled to end
There is some additional news on The Windows Blog around the general availability of the...
Author: Gary Hope Date: 01/24/2009
Office Live and Windows Live Converge
Today Kirk outlined some of the plans to decision to converge Windows Live and Office Live into an...
Author: Gary Hope Date: 01/24/2009
WorldWide Telescope Development Kit Release
For those of you into astronomy (I am afraid my astronomical interest is very amateur). In late...
Author: Gary Hope Date: 01/22/2009
Cumulative Update 3 for SQL 2008 Released
SQL Server 2008 CU3 has been released today! To keep your SQL up to date with all the hotfixes since...
Author: Gary Hope Date: 01/20/2009
Microsoft Hardware Windows 7 Beta Drivers
If you are looking for beta Windows 7 Drivers for Microsoft hardware look no further than this...
Author: Gary Hope Date: 01/17/2009
Code Format Plug-in for Windows Live Writer
Anyone who say the previous post would obviously see that i am still struggling with the formatting...
Author: Gary Hope Date: 01/15/2009
SQL Remove Duplicates Function (T-SQL vs CLR)
Pinal Dave did a post of an example of a function to remove duplicates from a comma delimited...
Author: Gary Hope Date: 01/15/2009
Get better soon Steve
In every industry there are iconic people and I truly consider Steve Jobs to be one of these people....
Author: Gary Hope Date: 01/15/2009
SQL Server user group January meeting
Just a quick note that the January SQL server user group meeting has been announced by Gail and will...
Author: Gary Hope Date: 01/12/2009
WEPOS Next Generation = POSReady 2009
Today at the National Retail Federation (NRF) Annual Convention Microsoft announced the...
Author: Gary Hope Date: 01/12/2009
Windows 7 Springboard Series Launch
On the Windows 7 front it is worth checking out the recently launched Springboard Series for Windows...
Author: Gary Hope Date: 01/12/2009
Next Generation SD Memory Cards
One of the other announcements coming out of CES that got my attention a couple of days ago...
Author: Gary Hope Date: 01/11/2009