Author: Tiago Costa

Announcing a Free GitHub Copilot for VS Code

Tiago Costa / / GitHub

Hey there, fellow coders! I’m super excited to share some fantastic news with you all: GitHub Copilot is now available for free in Visual Studio Code! That’s right, you can now harness the power of AI to enhance your coding experience without spending a dime. You only need a GitHub account – no trials, subscriptions, or credit cards are required.

Key Features of GitHub Copilot Free

  1. Usage Limits: With GitHub Copilot Free, you get 2000 code completions per month, which translates to about 80 completions per working day. You also have 50 chat requests per month and access to GPT-4o and Claude 3.5 Sonnet models.
  2. Copilot Edits: This feature allows you to work with multiple files simultaneously. You can open Copilot Edits from the top of the chat sidebar and propose changes across files, including creating new ones when needed.
  3. Multiple Models: Whether you’re using Chat, Inline Chat, or Copilot Edits, you can choose your pair programmer. For instance, you can use GPT-4o to generate an implementation plan and then use Claude in GitHub Copilot Edits to build it.
  4. Custom Instructions: Tailor GitHub Copilot to your preferences with custom instructions. These can be specified at the editor or project level and can be shared with your team.
  5. Full Project Awareness: GitHub Copilot includes AI-powered domain experts that you can mention with the @ syntax. The @workspace participant, for example, is a domain expert in your entire codebase.
  6. Voice Chat: Start a voice chat by selecting the microphone icon. This feature is powered by the free, cross-platform VS Code Speech extension.
  7. Terminal Chat: You can do almost anything in your terminal with terminal chat. GitHub Copilot can also explain how to fix failed shell commands by analyzing the error output.
  8. Commit Suggestions: GitHub Copilot will suggest commit messages based on the changes you’ve made and your last several commit messages.
  9. Extensions Integration: Every VS Code extension can be tied directly to the GitHub Copilot APIs, offering a customized AI experience.

A Vision for the Future

GitHub also previews a new feature called Vision Copilot, which allows you to generate an interface based on a screenshot or markup. This feature is currently in preview and requires your own API key from OpenAI, Anthropic, or Gemini.

Stay Updated

To keep up with the latest updates and features, follow me on social media platforms like X, Bluesky, LinkedIn, and TikTok (https://follow.tiagocosta.com/). I also welcome your feedback, so feel free to reach out on social media.

GitHub Copilot is now a core part of the VS Code experience, and I can’t wait for you to try it out. Enable GitHub Copilot Free today and redefine your coding experience with AI.

For more details, you can read the full announcement here.

🚨New Course Alert: Master the AZ-204 Certification with My Latest Training

Tiago Costa / / Azure, Certification

I’m thrilled to announce the release of my latest online course, “Microsoft Azure Developer Associate (AZ-204) Cert Prep by Microsoft Press”!

As a Microsoft Certified Trainer and Azure enthusiast, I’ve designed this course to help you confidently prepare for the AZ-204 certification exam. Whether you’re an experienced developer or just getting started with Azure, this course equips you with the knowledge and hands-on skills required to excel in developing Azure solutions.

As this is an exam prep course, I directly related it to the AZ-204 exam topics to facilitate your study.

Here’s what you can expect to learn:

  • Develop Azure compute solutions
  • Develop for Azure storage
  • Implement Azure security
  • Monitor, troubleshoot, and optimize Azure solutions
  • Connect to and consume Azure services and third-party services.

The course is available on LinkedIn Learning and Microsoft Press, making it easy to access no matter your preferred platform:

By the end of this training, you’ll have the skills and confidence needed to ace the AZ-204 exam and excel in developing solutions for Microsoft Azure.

Check out the course, share your thoughts, and let me know how I can support your learning journey!

Join me at the European MCT Summit 2025

Tiago Costa / / Events, MCT

I will speak at the European MCT Summit 2025 in Manchester, UK, on January 9th and 10th! This annual gathering is a cornerstone for the Microsoft Certified Trainer community, providing a platform to exchange knowledge, share experiences, and advance our collective impact in the training world.

My session, “Transforming Training with AI,” will delve into how AI is reshaping the way we deliver and experience training. From automating routine tasks to personalizing learning paths, AI is not just a buzzword—it’s a game-changer for trainers and learners alike. I’ll share practical insights, real-world applications, and strategies to harness AI to elevate our training delivery.

The European MCT Summit is always a highlight of the year for its vibrant community, insightful sessions, and opportunities to connect with fellow trainers across Europe and beyond. I’m honored to contribute to this tradition and look forward to engaging with you all.

If you’re planning to attend, let’s connect! Feel free to reach out to discuss the session, share ideas, or say hello. Together, let’s explore the future of training!

đź“… Mark your calendar:
đź“Ť Where: Manchester, UK
🗓️ When: January 9–10, 2025
đź”—More Information: https://www.mctsummit.co.uk/

Stay tuned for updates and sneak peeks as we approach the event.

General Availability of Managed DevOps Pools (MDP) for Azure DevOps

Tiago Costa / / Azure

Microsoft announced that Managed DevOps Pools for Azure DevOps is now generally available! This milestone marks a significant advancement in improving developer productivity in the CI/CD loop, reducing your cloud bill for ES infrastructure, and minimizing the toil associated with creating and maintaining custom CI/CD infrastructure for your pipelines.

What is Managed DevOps Pools?

Managed DevOps Pools enable development and platform engineering teams to quickly spin up custom DevOps pools tailored to their workload’s unique needs. It combines the flexibility of Scale Set agents with the ease of maintenance of Microsoft Hosted agents, offering improved performance and advanced reliability features. Managed DevOps Pools is a fully managed service where VMs powering the agents are created and managed by Microsoft, reducing the time spent managing agents and improving reliability.

Key Features:

  • Tailored Pools: Create pools in any supported Azure region with any SKU, including ARM64 and GPU.
  • Custom Software: Customize the software installed on your agents using Microsoft-hosted quick starter images, selected marketplace images, or bring-your-own images.
  • Performance and Cost Optimization: Use Standby agent mode to configure predictions that ensure the correct number of agents are ready when needed.
  • Private Network Connectivity: The bring-your-own-network feature allows you to connect your agents to resources on your private network and control network security.

New Features:

  • Support for New Azure Regions: It is now available in Sweden Central, Brazil South, Japan East, UAE North, Korea Central, and Norway East.
  • Easy Discoverability: The Azure DevOps “Add agent pool” UI now includes the “Managed DevOps Pools” option.
  • Proxy Support: Set up Managed DevOps Pools to direct network traffic through a proxy.
  • IP Address Visibility: You can view the agent’s IP address in the Initialize job step of your pipeline log.
  • Resource Group or Subscription Move: Move your Managed DevOps Pools to another Azure resource group or subscription.
  • Ubuntu 24.04 Support: Support Ubuntu 24.04 with new images and bring-your-own options.
  • Azure Key Vault Integration: Configure your pool to download certificates from Key Vaults.

Looking Ahead

The general availability of Managed DevOps Pools is just the beginning. Microsoft will continuously improve and evolve the service. Upcoming features include:

  • Container-based agents
  • Support for SPOT VMs
  • Managed data disk support
  • Trusted root certificates
  • Faster pipeline starts
  • Log Analytics integration.

More details: Announcing the General Availability of Managed DevOps Pools (MDP) for Azure DevOps – Azure DevOps Blog

Windows 365 Link: Simplifying and Securing Cloud-Based Operating Systems

Tiago Costa / / Azure, Tech Gear

Microsoft has introduced a new category of cloud computing that allows users to access the full Windows 365 experience through streaming on a small computer. Windows 365 Link offers a cloud-based operating system experience, enabling users to stream their Windows desktop from Microsoft’s cloud to any device.

This enterprise-focused solution is designed for organizations adopting Windows 365, aiming to enhance user productivity, security, IT efficiency, and sustainability. The Windows 365 Link is Microsoft’s first Cloud PC, built to provide quick access to Windows 365 in seconds. It addresses virtualization challenges such as complex authentication steps, peripheral incompatibility, and latency issues, promising to resolve these with a solution that wakes up in seconds and quickly resumes work from the cloud.

The compact device supports two 4K monitors, has four USB ports, an Ethernet network port, and wireless connectivity with Wi-Fi 6E and Bluetooth 5.3. It offers high-performance video processing and conferencing capabilities, including Microsoft Teams, and integrates partner solutions like Cisco’s Webex.

Security is a priority, with the operating system locked down, no local data or apps, and no local admin privileges, reducing the risk of attacks. Authentication is passwordless, using Microsoft Entra ID, allowing access via multi-factor authentication methods such as the Microsoft Authenticator app, a QR code passkey, or a FIDO USB key.

The device simplifies IT management, reducing logistical challenges and costs for companies. Users only need to connect the PC, set up the internet, and authenticate their account to start working in minutes. The Windows 365 Link is available for initial testing in select countries and is expected to hit the market in April 2025 for $349.

đź“–Learn more: Windows 365 Link—the first Cloud PC device – Windows IT Pro Blog