Allan's Best Week Ever https://docs.microsoft.com/archive/blogs/allandcp/feed.xml My Job? Making others successful. Wed, 17 Apr 2019 03:39:44 GMT en-US hourly 1 Planes, Trains and Automobiles – Learning Azure via Offline Documentation https://docs.microsoft.com/archive/blogs/allandcp/planes-trains-and-automobiles-learning-azure-via-offline-documentation Mon, 05 Sep 2016 01:38:56 GMT https://blogs.msdn.microsoft.com/allandcp/?p=1625 Problem Statement As part of my client work, I find myself travelling with spotty, limited or no network connectivity. Yes, I know you can do fancy things with your phone and airplane WiFi, but I am too cheap to pay extra Smile As part of my job, I’m expected to be broad and deep on Azure (gulp!) so I’m in various sections of Azure documentation everyday. I need access to the docs, even in the face of no network. image

When Connected

When at my desk, I get my fix of Azure documentation in 2 ways: 1. The Interactive Azure Platform Big Picture map (this is so well done and is now one of my homepage tabs). The map links to documentation, pricing, and SLA (all the questions I am most likely to get from clients). I’m currently working on building my Azure Functions mojo… image 2. Learning Paths for specific technologies ranging from DocumentDB to Service Fabric to Stream Analytics (my current focus). These paths guide you from getting started to building/optimizing solutions to keeping current on changes. image

No Network? No Problem

When travelling, I rely on Visual Studio Code – the free code editor for Windows, Mac and Linux *and* the open source Azure documentation. Yes, all Azure documentation is available (as are tons of samples and code) at Microsoft Azure’s GitHub repo: image Here’s how I read the docs when on a train with spotty network access… 1. Before leaving on my trip (I do this once a month, the docs are about 1.1GB, so keep that in mind), I download the Azure documentation available at https://github.com/Azure/azure-content image 2. Unzip the content, on my PC, I use c:\ like below (NOTE: this works on Linux and Mac as Visual Studio Code is cross platform) image 3. Unplug and enjoy the docs! In Visual Studio Code, you can click on Open Preview (they brought the button back in v1.4) in the title bar (or from the keyboard: Ctrl-Shift-V):image And the markdown docs become easy reading… image Problem Solved! For all my old school friends, this is just like a chm Smile]]> A Miner’s Canary; the Microsoft Professional Degree in Data Science https://docs.microsoft.com/archive/blogs/allandcp/a-miners-canary-the-microsoft-professional-degree-in-data-science Sat, 03 Sep 2016 01:03:04 GMT https://blogs.msdn.microsoft.com/allandcp/?p=1525 Microsoft Professional Degree in Data Science (currently running in beta at Microsoft before it goes public). They needed some miners’ canaries to test out the "Accelerated Version" - quicker sprints, compressed timeframes, etc. - and I said yes! All the course materials are administered through https://courses.edx.org/ and are available today.

Motivation?

That's my wife with greasy hair and sweatpants at 5:30 am one day, coding in R (she's never been more attractive to me!). She's a data scientist and I wanted to court her again…so I needed to know AUC, ANOVA, and lots of R. mary the data scientest

The Program

I was a data zero (sure I took the required Math/Stats in school but have since forgotten everything) and was nervous that I wouldn't have the brain power to make this happen. To my surprise, the program has been curated to be very approachable - you do need to want to learn and you have to work hard. However, classic rules apply: If I can do it, so can you. Data Science Curriculum The program consists of some required courses with a few electives. I took:
  • Data Science Orientation
  • Querying with Transact-SQL (banged this out in a few hours given my dev background)
  • Analyzing and Visualizing Data with Excel (Could have chosen Power BI as a replacement)
  • Introduction to R for Data Science (Choose between R or Python)
  • Data Science Essentials
  • Principles of Machine Learning
  • Programming in R for Data Science (Choose between R or Python)
  • Developing Intelligent Apps (Elective)
  • Statistical Thinking for Data Science and Analytics (Truly deep Stats course taught by Ivy League professors - spent the longest time here)
  • The Final Project
When I started the program, I didn't realize how quickly the payoff would be for my portfolio of work. For example, one of the electives in the Develop Intelligent Solutions module offered hands on labs in Machine Learning, Creating Bots and Stream Analytics - all extremely germane to my client work.

The Final Project

Work got in the way :) during the compressed timeframe of this program, so the final project - which builds upon the skills gained through all the other courses - presented a double challenge to me. First, I had to pass the course by gaining a 70% score on the final Machine Learning experiment *and* do it in about a week (normally you have 1 month to complete this). So I took a week off and immersed myself in Azure Machine Learning. I don't remember the last time I was so obsessed with the problem at hand and was required to use ingenuity to get things done. The final project was modelled after competitions at https://kaggle.com. It truly was an enriching experience for me and am so proud to have placed 205 out of 354 competitors - let's face it, the last person to graduate medical school is still called "Doctor" :) What a fantastic journey this has been and what a lot of prep and care was taken to create this final project. Kudos to the team! final project

Why it worked for me and What's Next

The program added structure and gave me deadlines - mini-projects that forced me to focus, sacrifice other activities and get things done. The rigor of the program and the community created by the fellow students, the program development/support team, and teaching assistants, spurred me on when other activities sought equal attention for my time. I made sure that client work was always prioritized and that family came first (except for that last week!). The structure of the program gave me mile markers to keep me going and the overall program has left me with a renewed, action-oriented love of learning that I will continue to build upon. So what is next? I'm most likely going to continue taking courses via https://courses.edx.org/. Happy Learning and see you R-ound!]]> A student of the art form–the EMS Video https://docs.microsoft.com/archive/blogs/allandcp/a-student-of-the-art-formthe-ems-video Thu, 14 Jan 2016 06:10:15 GMT https://blogs.msdn.microsoft.com/allandcp/2016/01/14/a-student-of-the-art-formthe-ems-video/ TL:DR? Watch Brad Anderson’s video on the Enterprise Mobility Suite to protect your organization from cyber threats from outside and within: https://blogs.technet.com/b/in_the_cloud/archive/2016/01/05/new-video-the-best-ems-overview-available.aspx

I’m a fan and a student of simplifying and synthesizing technical concepts. I love to see folks who present well – it shows a deep respect for my time and the art form. I’m particularly fond of folks who don’t dumb things down and don’t drown me with jargon/technobabble.

While on the longish side (watch at double speed), this overview of Enterprise Mobility Suite does a great job of story telling and synthesizing/simplifying. It showcases how Microsoft can help protect corporate assets while allowing people to be creative in how they work. As more of modern work migrates to hybrid and cloud environments, the threats are more imminent and pronounced. It is healthy to be paranoid – watch this video to understand the landscape, the threats and the strategies to help identify and mitigate risks.

image

If you are like me, you realize this style of storytelling is a different muscle that needs flexing. So here are some resources that may help (in no particular order):

]]> Bring your iOS app to Windows 10 with the Windows Bridge for iOS https://docs.microsoft.com/archive/blogs/allandcp/bring-your-ios-app-to-windows-10-with-the-windows-bridge-for-ios Sun, 23 Aug 2015 19:29:44 GMT https://blogs.msdn.microsoft.com/allandcp/2015/08/23/bring-your-ios-app-to-windows-10-with-the-windows-bridge-for-ios/ Canabalt with source available here: https://github.com/ericjohnson/canabalt-ios. Fun and painless Smile image With a few clicks and the magic of the bridge, it is now running on Windows 10! image What can you do with the Windows Bridge for iOS (previously called “Project Islandwood”)? From the homepage: • Import Xcode® projects into Visual Studio • Make minimal changes to your iOS®/Objective-C code to build a Windows app • Build and debug your Objective-C code from Visual Studio • Take advantage of great Windows services • Extend your app to take advantage of Universal Windows Platform features Get the details and join the community!]]> Install a Windows 10 Phone app by email! https://docs.microsoft.com/archive/blogs/allandcp/install-a-windows-10-phone-app-by-email Sat, 22 Aug 2015 21:50:12 GMT https://blogs.msdn.microsoft.com/allandcp/2015/08/22/install-a-windows-10-phone-app-by-email/ 10512.1000 (latest public build available to Windows Insiders for Windows Phone) on a Lumia Icon. In order to get this to work, you’ll want to set your phone to Developer Mode and then send yourself the appxbundle. A tip from someone in the know…
“To get this to work…you’ve got to package the dependencies as well (e.g. VCLibs Debug or WinJS) that may not be installed on the device. Try building the appx for Release or send the appxbundle file instead (it should have the dependencies bundled).”
This so much better than Windows Phone 8.x side loading deployment! image image Details on how this works here: https://msdn.microsoft.com/library/windows/apps/xaml/dn706236.aspx On a Windows Phone: You can install any app package (.appx) and run it without needing the certificate. Basically you are putting your phone in testing mode to install and try out an app that you trust. Do not install apps that you do not trust in this mode. You can install any .appx sent to you via email or on an SD card. Click the file to install if you have chosen developer mode for your settings.]]> Improving User Acquisition and Paid Conversions with Windows Store Apps – adding a “No Code” Trial Mode https://docs.microsoft.com/archive/blogs/allandcp/improving-user-acquisition-and-paid-conversions-with-windows-store-apps-adding-a-no-code-trial-mode Mon, 04 Nov 2013 05:01:40 GMT https://blogs.msdn.microsoft.com/allandcp/2013/11/04/improving-user-acquisition-and-paid-conversions-with-windows-store-apps-adding-a-no-code-trial-mode/ TL;DR? Add Trial mode to your paid apps to improve user acquisition and encourage paid conversions and higher ratings/reviews. You can even do it with no code by turning it on in the Windows Store portal which is what this article is about. If you are building Windows Store apps, you probably already know that Microsoft is unique in offering a “Try before you Buy” mode for paid apps. This is a direct response to the human behavior we’ve all seen…folks struggling to buy that $1.49 app as they sip their overpriced $4.99 latte Smile If you haven’t done so already, the documentation on Plan for Monetization is a  good read:
Even if you're going to sell your Windows Store app, consider letting customers try it for free. They'll be able to upgrade from a trial version to the full version by purchasing it, either from within the app or from the Windows Store. One way to enable a trial is to limit the functionality available in your trial version so that only certain features are available until the customer purchases the app. Determine which features should be limited before you begin coding, then make sure that your app only allows them to work when a full license has been purchased. You can also choose to offer a free trial version (with either limited or full functionality) for a set amount of time. Unless the customer buys the app, it will stop working once the time period expires. You can select the time period for the trial when submitting your app to the Windows Store.
With some forethought you can build a great trial experience that lets a consumer try various parts of your app (as does Bejeweled): Screenshot (39) or you can let the consumer know that they are in a trial mode and attempt to upsell them during the trial period (Merriam-Webster’s Trial Mode): Screenshot (47)

No Code Trial Mode – How to turn it on

What if you forgot to plan for a trial and want to offer it without a code change? No problem, that’s as simple as a metadata fix in the Windows Dashboard. Go do this now Smile In the dashboard, when you are setting the price of your app, you are able to turn on trial and set the duration of the trial mode: image This will allow consumers who are shopping in the store to see that your app supports a Free Trial: image

User Experience of No Code Trial Mode

So if you didn’t plan the trial/expiration experience, what does the consumer see? Windows handles this fairly well. When the trial period expires, the app gets a little “x” badge to indicate something needs attention: image When the consumer launches the app, Windows lets them know that the trial period has expired and directs them to the store: Screenshot (50) And if a consumer is shopping in the Store and visits your app’s page – the Store will let them know that the trial has expired and they should buy the app: image

Benefits of Trial Mode

In working with several software partners – from name brands to hobbyists – I have several anecdotal stories of how trials have helped improve user acquisition and netted additional paid conversions. An immediate benefit, that may not be readily apparent, is that consumers are allowed to rate apps that are in trial mode. If you couple this with a great app (which I believe yours is Smile) and app marketing plan – this will bolster the ratings and reviews for the app which will allow it to climb the charts in the Store. If you have a portfolio of apps, this goodness accrues to all apps. Here are some random stills from my stroll through ratings/review pages of apps in the Store showcasing high ratings on Trial mode. Notice that high ratings from trial mode also helped other consumers who visited the app’s page. It’s your job to get that consumer to put their latte down…force their hand with Trial Mode! image image image Until next time…]]>