Microsoft Copilot Pro Overview

Microsoft has introduced Copilot Pro, a groundbreaking subscription service priced at $20 per month, aimed at revolutionizing interactions with Microsoft 365 applications.

Microsoft Copilot Pro is a software development tool that provides an intuitive and easy-to-use user interface for developing and debugging Windows applications. It includes features such as code completion, tooltips, and auto-suggestions that can help developers write code faster and more efficiently. Copilot Pro is designed to work with C++, C#, and other .NET framework languages. It supports both x86 and x64 architectures and is compatible with Windows 10. Copilot Pro can be purchased from the Microsoft Store and is included as part of the Visual Studio Professional edition.  For Pricing click here

This premium offering stands out in the market thanks to its cutting-edge AI capabilities:

Access to Advanced AI: Copilot Pro subscribers gain early access to advanced AI models like OpenAI's GPT-4 Turbo, ensuring swift performance even during peak usage times.

Seamless Integration with Microsoft Apps: The service seamlessly integrates with Microsoft 365 apps such as Word, Excel, and PowerPoint, available across various platforms including PC, Mac, and iPad.

AI-Powered Tools: Users can leverage AI assistance to generate documents, presentations, and emails, create AI images, and develop custom Copilot GPTs for personalized tasks.

Data Security: Microsoft Entra ID ensures chat data remains private, delivering a secure user experience without compromising AI training models.

Cross-Device Functionality: Copilot Pro offers a seamless AI experience across different devices, spanning web, PCs, and soon mobile phones.

Multilingual Support: While Excel's Copilot supports English exclusively, other apps offer multiple language options including Spanish, Japanese, and French.

Copilot Pro underscores Microsoft's dedication to integrating state-of-the-art AI into everyday work environments, offering an unmatched, secure, and smooth productivity experience across various platforms and languages.

Improvements and enhancements in .NET 8

.NET 8 is the latest version of .NET framework that includes numerous improvements and enhancements over its predecessors. Some of the key enhancements in .NET 8 include:

1. ASP.NET Core 2.0 - ASP.NET Core 2.0 is a significant improvement, as it includes features like built-in support for HTTPS, improved performance, and better support for built-in authentication.
2. JSON support - .NET 8 provides better support for working with JSON data, making it easier to parse and serialize JSON in your applications.
3. C# language improvements - .NET 8 includes several language improvements, such as better type inference, improved garbage collection.

Here are some of the improvements

• Native Ahead-of-Time (AOT) Compilation.
• Code Generation Enhancements.
• Garbage Collector Improvements.
• JSON Enhancements.
• Compression enhancements
• Randomness Tools.
• Cryptography Fortifications.
• Silicon-Specific Features.
• Time Abstraction.

Targeting .NET Platforms

You can build apps for many platforms and services by downloading .NET Framework targeting packs and SDKs and using them with Visual Studio.

Check this link for relevant platforms

What’s new in Visual Studio 2015 Update 3?

Microsoft released Visual Studio 2015 Update 3, Team Foundation Server (TFS) 2015 Update 3 along with .NET Core 1.0

If you want to know what has been changed, improved in the latest version of Visual Studio 2015 (i.e. in the Update 3), check out the following Microsoft pages which also includes the list of other changes like performance improvements, responsiveness, bug fixes and the known issues currently available:

• Tools for Apache Cordova
• Developer Analytics Tools
• Debugging and Diagnostics
• Visual Studio IDE
• Tools for Universal Windows apps
• Architecture Tools
• Visual C++
• Node.js Tools for Visual Studio
• Web Developer Tools
• TypeScript
• C# and Visual Basic
• Team Explorer
• Xamarin

Before installing this build of Visual Studio 2015 Update 3, I would recommend to checkout the Known Issues currently available in this build. Also checkout the complete Release Notes.

Point to note that, Visual Studio 2015 Update 3 now includes Xamarin 4.1. In addition to a number of bug fixes, this release adds support for tvOS, improves the iOS Assets Catalog support, improves the XML editing experience and adds selectors for SSL/TLS and HttpClient implementations when creating iOS apps.

PHP vs ASP.NET Comparison

Things that need to observe before finalize between PHP and ASP.NET on any project.

ASP.NET code executes a lot faster compared to PHP. In general most of time of pages rendering time dependent on accessing DB and querying database.

In connecting database ASP.NET is a lot better - in asp.net we typically use LINQ which translates our object queries into stored procedures in SQL server database. Also connection to database is persistent, one for one website, there is no need for reconnecting.
PHP, in comparison, can't hold SQL server connection between request, it connect, grab data from DB and destroys, when reconnecting the database is often takes 20-30% of page rendering time.

ASP.NET have two main frameworks designed for it (Web forms and MVC), installed with environment, where in PHP you must get a open-source framework. There is no standard framework in PHP like in ASP.NET.
Since PHP is open source, its popularity differs based on people usage. So every year a new framework will come up for PHP in top list.

Whereas ASP.NET language is so rich, standard library has solutions for very much common problems, for PHP its standard library very open to public and any one can override.

Regarding Costing, PHP, MySQL server, PostgreSQL server, Apache server, and Linux OS are all free and upgrades are also free. 
ASP.NET and IIS are free if you purchase Windows OS. There is a substantial licensing cost for a Microsoft Windows Server, Microsoft SQL Server and future upgrades. For example, Microsoft Server 2008 R2 Standard - 64-bit cost is about approximately $1029 and Microsoft SQL Server 2008 Standard Edition For Small Business cost approximately $1038.

For Hosting, Now a days both hosting of PHP and .NET websites are no different. Both a similar or more over same when compared Windows and Linux environments.
PHP requires LAMP (Linux, Apache, MySQL and PHP) which is popular among hosting companies. ASP.NET requires Windows hosting.

Until a few years ago, Windows hosting used to be significantly more expensive than Linux web hosting. This is hardly true today; you can easily find Windows hosts for almost the same price as Linux web hosts. When we have PaaS, Platform as a Service all hosting provides are offering Pay as you service. Ex: Azure, Amazon WS etc.,

PHP is platform independent and can run on any platform — Linux, Unix, Mac OS X, Windows.

ASP.net is built to run only on Windows platform.

There has been much debate about this subject and most of the debates have been biased and have been tailored to promote one of the programming languages instead of informing the audience.
Scalability and ease of maintenance have nothing to do with whether you select PHP or ASP.NET platform. Web Application scalability and ease of maintenance primarily depend on:

• Programmers' experience
• Using the best programming practices
• Using a solid programming framework
• Following programming guidelines and standards

In my experience ASP.NET can certainly compete and surpass PHP in terms of raw speed. My personal opinion is that a ASP.NET-MVC compiled web application would run more efficiently/faster than the same project that would be written in PHP.

And this debate goes on and on!!!
 
Thank you

Microsoft Office update #KB3114409

If your system is currently running Microsoft Office 32 Bit version, you may have an issue with Outlook starting in Safe Mode after the updates have been applied.

Microsoft update KB3114409 should be removed if you are experiencing this behavior.

64 Bit Office applications are not affected by this update.

Fixed: Android USB issue for Nexus 5 which won't connect to your PC?

It seems like many of you are having problems connecting your Nexus 5 to Windows 8 and Windows 8.1. The smartphone appears in the device manager of Windows 8.1, but it is impossible to perform any action with it. No files can be transferred from the Nexus 5 on the PC, and the smartphone is invisible in the file explorer. Here is a confirmed solution, which should resolve connection issues where your PC won't read your Nexus 5.

Since the last set of Microsoft updates, I cannot connect my nexus 5 or nexus 7 (android 4.4.4) to my windows 8.1 64bit desktop. Here is the solution

Its really a driver (or an incorrect drive allocated issue, due to be knocked out by updates) issue.
1. In Nexus 5 or 7, make sure USB debugging mode is enabled, and go into storage and hit menu USB connection and ensure USB mode is set to MTP. First make sure that the MTP is enabled on the Nexus 5: Settings > Storage > Menu > USB connection to the computer
2. Connect tablet to PC.
3. In windows device manager find ADB Driver (May be Acer) then drill down. Right click and select "update driver software".
4. Select "Browse my computer for driver software".
5. Select "Let me pick from a list of device drivers on my computer."
6. With "show compatible hardware" checkbox ticked, two drivers should be shown.
(a) Android ADB Interface. and (b) MTP User Device or Composite USB device.

7. Select (b) above and click Next.
8. Device should now appear in Portal devices section with your device name.

Microsoft : Junk Email Filter for Outlook

I found a plug from Microsoft outlook which reduces these emails. This is a free plug-in available for users of Microsoft Outlook 2007, 2010 and 2013 which you can download from here.

After installing it, and restarting Outlook, you will be able to report Junk by right-clicking the email and selecting Junk à Report Junk

The software will do the rest for you.

Hope this helps!!

Visual Studio 2010 Key binding Posters

If you like those little Visual Studio keyboard shortcuts, you can download posters from the below location. Here are reference posters for the default key bindings in Visual Studio 2010 for Visual Basic, Visual C#, Visual C++ and Visual F#

Download here.

Difference Between Build and Re-Build in Visual Studio .Net?

Build means compile and link only the source files that have changed since the last build, while Rebuild means compile and link all source files regardless of whether they changed or not. Build is the normal thing to do and is faster. Sometimes the versions of project target components can get out of sync and rebuild is necessary to make the build successful. In practice, you never need to Clean.

Build or Rebuild Solution builds or rebuilds all projects in the your solution, while Build or Rebuild <project name> builds or rebuilds the StartUp project. To set the StartUp project, right click on the desired project name in the Solution Explorer tab and select Set as StartUp project. The project name now appears in bold.

Build.BuildSolution F6 or CTRL+SHIFT+B Builds all the projects in the solution.
Build.BuildSelection SHIFT+F6 Builds the selected project
and its dependencies.

Hope this helps

Active Sync for Windows Vista and Window 7

ActiveSync 4.5 will not work for Windows Vista and above for that we need to install Windows Mobile Device Center.

The Windows Mobile Device Center enables you to set up new partnerships, synchronize content and manage music, pictures and video with Windows Mobile powered devices (Windows Mobile 2003 or later). The Windows Mobile Device Center combines an efficient business-data synchronization platform with a compelling user experience. The Windows Mobile Device Center helps you to quickly set up new partnerships, synchronize business-critical information such as e-mail, contacts and calendar appointments, easily manage your synchronization settings, and transfer business documents between your device and PC

Step 1: Connect your phone

Grab your phone and the USB cable that came with it. If you need some additional help setting up and using your new phone, see Windows Phone 6.5 basics for more information.

Step 2: Download the sync software for your computer

Choose the sync software for your computer's operating system, which you can download here:

• If you have Windows Vista or Windows 7, your sync settings will be managed through Windows Mobile Device Center.

• If you have Windows XP SP3, your sync settings will be managed through ActiveSync. Download ActiveSync 4.5 for here.

Step 3: Get Microsoft Office Outlook

To sync your phone's email, calendar, and contacts with your computer, you'll need to have Outlook installed on your computer. We recommend the latest version for the best experience. When you're ready to start syncing, see Sync Windows Phone 6.5 with my computer.

Hope this helps.

Microsoft Code Samples for Developers

This code sample library will help all developers to find useful code in various dot net areas. Microsoft goal is to centralized all codes in one place. This library having below things:

• Microsoft All-in-One Code Framework: Free, centralized code sample library
  • Code Samples
  • Services
• Microsoft SDKs: provide documentation, code samples, tools etc..
• MSDN Code Gallery:  download and share sample applications, code snippets and other resources.

You can download it from here

Download: ASP.NET MVC 3

ASP.NET MVC 3 is a framework for developing highly testable and maintainable Web applications by leveraging the Model-View-Controller (MVC) pattern. The framework encourages developers to maintain a clear separation of concerns among the responsibilities of the application – the UI logic using the view, user-input handling using the controller, and the domain logic using the model. ASP.NET MVC applications are easily testable using techniques such as test-driven development (TDD). The installation package includes templates and tools for Visual Studio 2010 to increase productivity when writing ASP.NET MVC applications. For example, the Add View dialog box takes advantage of customizable code generation (T4) templates to generate a view based on a model object. The default project template allows the developer to automatically hook up a unit-test project that is associated with the ASP.NET MVC application. Because the ASP.NET MVC framework is built on ASP.NET 4, developers can take advantage of existing ASP.NET features like authentication and authorization, profile settings, localization, and so on. Go through this help to get started MVC 3.

MVC stands for model-view-controller. MVC is a pattern for developing applications that are well architected and easy to maintain. MVC-based applications contain:

• Controllers: Classes that handle incoming requests to the application, retrieve model data, and then specify view templates that return a response to the client.
• Models: Classes that represent the data of the application and that use validation logic to enforce business rules for that data.
• Views: Template files that your application uses to dynamically generate HTML responses.

Download MVC 3

Internet Information Services (IIS) 7.5 Express

Microsoft has released final version of it’s so called lighter version of IIS 7.5 called as “IIS 7.5 Express” which makes developers to utilize the features of IIS 7.5 in Windows XP and above Operating system environments. IIS 7.5 Express is a simple and self-contained version of IIS 7.5 that is optimized for developers. IIS 7.5 Express enhances your ability to develop and test web applications on Windows by combining the power of IIS 7.5 with the convenience of a lightweight web server like the ASP.NET Development Server (also known as Cassini). IIS 7.5 Express is included with Microsoft Web Matrix, an integrated suite of tools designed to make developing web applications on Windows simple and seamless. IIS 7.5 Express can also be used with Visual Studio 2010 as a powerful alternative to Cassini. The benefits of using IIS 7.5 Express include:

• The same web server that runs on your production server is now available on your development computer.
• Most tasks can be done without the need for administrative privileges.
• IIS 7.5 Express runs on Windows XP and all later versions of Windows.
• Many users can work independently on the same computer.

Download: IIS 7.5 Express Final

Micrsoft launches new explorer IE9 beta

Microsoft is back to take its internet explorer turf from Google Chrome and Firefox with newly launched beta version of Internet Explorer 9 (IE9). Microsoft claims that IE9 delivers faster speed as it uses HTML5 and new web technologies like CSS3 and SVG2 and GPU for acceleration.

Check out the new developer capabilities of Internet Explorer 9 here at IE9 Test Drive.

IE9 will only be available for Windows Vista and Windows 7 -- those still using XP will have to stay with IE8.

There are many new features in IE9.

Some of them are listed below,

- A completely new design
- Pinned sites
- A download manager
- Enhanced tabs
- New tab page
- Search directly in the address bar
- Notification bar
- Add-on performance advisor
- Hardware acceleration.

Using Internet Explorer 9, you can pin sites like Hotmail, CNN and Facebook to your taskbar and then launch them like an app. To pin, just grab the tab in the browser and drag it to your taskbar.

You can Download IE9 beta from this link.

Microsoft Code Analysis Tool .NET (CAT.NET)

CAT.NET is a snap-in to the Visual Studio IDE that helps you identify security flaws within a managed code (C#, Visual Basic .NET, J#) application you are developing. It does so by scanning the binary and/or assembly of the application, and tracing the data flow among its statements, methods, and assemblies. This includes indirect data types such as property assignments and instance tainting operations. The engine works by reading the target assembly and all reference assemblies used in the application -- module-by-module -- and then analyzing all of the methods contained within each. It finally displays the issues its finds in a list that you can use to jump directly to the places in your application's source code where those issues were found. The following rules are currently support by this version of the tool. - Cross Site Scripting - SQL Injection - Process Command Injection - File Canonicalization - Exception Information - LDAP Injection - XPATH Injection - Redirection to User Controlled Site

Click here to Download

Microsoft Security Essentials (MSE), its free!!

Microsoft today officially announced Microsoft Security Essentials (MSE), its free, real-time consumer antimalware solution for fighting viruses, spyware, rootkits, and trojans. Currently being tested by Microsoft employees and a select few testers, MSE is Microsoft's latest offering intended to help users fight the threats that plague Windows PCs.

Its absolutely free and can be used in Windows XP, Vista and 7. Both 32 and 64-bit versions are available.

Features:

• Remove most-prevalent malware
• Remove known viruses
• Real-time anti-virus protection
• Remove known spyware
• Real-time anti-spyware protection

Minimum system requirements:

Operating System: Genuine Windows XP (Service Pack 2 or Service Pack 3); Windows Vista (Gold, Service Pack 1, or Service Pack 2); Windows 7

• For Windows XP, a PC with a CPU clock speed of 500 MHz or higher, and 1 GB RAM or higher.
• For Windows Vista and Windows 7, a PC with a CPU clock speed of 1.0 GHz or higher, and 1 GB RAM or higher.
• VGA display of 800 × 600 or higher.
• 140 MB of available hard disk space.
• An Internet connection is required for installation and to download the latest virus and spyware definitions for Microsoft Security Essentials.
• Internet Browser:
  • Windows Internet Explorer 6.0 or later.
  • Mozilla Firefox 2.0 or later.
• Microsoft Security Essentials also supports Windows XP Mode in Windows 7. For more information see the system requirements for Windows XP Mode in Windows 7

Download Microsoft Security Essentials (MSE)

IE 8: Developer Tools

We definitely start loving IE 8 a lot more than we expected and as we discover newer features in it.

IE 8 includes a add-in called Developer Tools, which will allow you to analyze websites much more better than earlier versions of the browser.

These developer tools can be accessed by going to Tools –> Developer Tools or simply pressing F12 key.

Here are few built in developer tools that are available,

• Debugging of HTML & CSS
• Code Search
• Source viewing
• Outline elements on screen
• Controlling caching and cookies
• Browser Modes.

More information watch this webcast

Build the Newest Silverlight 3 Applications with Expression

Silverlight 3 and Expression Studio 3 help you create and deploy Web sites and rich Internet applications more easily than ever. Download Silverlight 3 and the Expression Studio 3 60-day trial today.

View article...

Microsoft Expression Blend

Expression Blend 2 SP1 (which is an evolution of the Blend 2.5 previews) provides rich authoring support for Silverlight 2. Building on the earlier Blend 2.5 releases, this Service Pack provides designers with even more control over the visual and interaction design for rich interactive web applications.

New platform functionality exposed:

• Control Skinning offers designers the ability to edit templates for customizing controls, or to create new templates from scratch for complete expressive freedom and component reusability.
• Visual State Manager gives designers the power to precisely specify how each element of a control looks and behaves in each state of the interaction model, including transitions.
• Font Embedding and Subsetting provides designers an easy way to present text consistently to users.

Download Microsoft Expression Blend™ 2 Service Pack 1

Microsoft® Expression Blend™ 2 is the professional design tool used to create engaging Web-connected experiences for Microsoft® Windows®. The Expression Blend 2.5 June 2008 Preview allows you to create Microsoft® Silverlight™ 2-based applications

Download Microsoft Expression Blend 2.5 June 2008