FreeMySQL.net 26 December, 2006
Posted by Adem in MySQL, Services, Useful Stuff, Website CMS.7 comments
I host quite a few E107 and WordPress sites and each needs to have access to a MySQL database to function, and as part of my current hosting account with 1&1 Internet Ltd I get 2 MySQL databases, each one with a 100MB capacity. I can host multiple sites on each database but it can get a little messy with the amount of tables, and so It’s be nice to have a dedicated database for each site.
One option would be to upgrade my account in order to get the extra databases but of course that would cost me more money, and this is where FreeMySQL.net can help. Sign-up is very and all that is needed is for you to create a Username, a password, and give them a valid email address to activate the account.
We are the leading provider for absolutely FREE MySQL Database Hosting. With our control panel we give you the extra edge to managing your free databases. We provide an even higher level of support and service to you and the rest of our clients. Also being the absolute first free mysql database provider to have a control panel for our clients to manage their free databases, we give you the option to have multiple databases under one account. You are never limited to how many you can create, with a max of five at one time.
You can have a maximum of 5 databases with each account, which is completely free, and you also get access to phpMyAdmin, FlashMyAdmin, and MyQuickAdmin, which means you get quite a lot of control over your databases.
Obviously as a free service there are no guarantees and it’s worth having a read through the terms & conditions:
The software and host provided hereunder is on an “as is” basis, and we have no obligations to provide maintenance, support, updates, enhancements, or modifications or continued availability of services. We are entitled to discontinue this service without notification and delete the databases irrevocably. We do not recommend you to use FREEMYSQL databases for any critical data and for any critical purpose! We refuse any warranty and liability!
I will still keep my permanent sites on my 1&1 hosting as I know that I’m covered if anything goes wrong, which is hopefully doubtful, but for my test sites and smaller sites I shall be using FreeMySQL.net and can always export and backup the tables if needed.
Flickr Backup – A Java Download Utility for Flickr 23 December, 2006
Posted by Adem in Flickr, Photos, Useful Stuff.3 comments
Flickr, the photo management and sharing application, encourages people to write their own programmes for it by releasing an API, and this openness and the fact that people love Flickr has led to quite a few useful developments
I’ve been using Flickr for a couple of years now, and currently have 4000 photos hosted there, and while it’s pretty easy to upload photos, it’s very hard and time-consuming to download your photos,with the only official route currently being to download each photo individually, and this is where Flickr Backup comes in.
Flickr Backup is a utility that allows you to download the pictures you have uploaded to Flickr back down to your computer for personal backup or restore.
Flickr Backup is an open-source project, and is also OS independent so you can install it on your Mac or PC, and as such proves to be very useful for all Flickr users.
Downloads can be found here, and once unzipped a simple *.exe is just a ‘double-click’ away from launching the programme. On it’s first run a window opens up in the web browser and a pop-up will ask for your permission to access you photos, which involves logging into your Flickr account and clicking the immediate prompt. The Flickr Backup interface is very simple with the options to backup any photos by ticking individual thumbnails or selecting preferred ‘sets’. The selected files can then be backed up as individual files and folders or as compressed *.zip files, and these in-turn can be saved to your hard-drive or directly to a CD or DVD.
All in all, Flickr Backup is a very good tool.
OpenOffice.org – office suite applications 3 December, 2006
Posted by Adem in Spreadsheets, Word Processing.2 comments
I’m amazed at the amount of free word-processing programmes available for those that choose to not go down the Microsoft Word route, and so far I’ve only reviewed online wordprocessing programmes such as Writely and Writeboard, but today I’ll point out one that is available for download, which can be operated without an internet connection.
OpenOffice.org is a free opensource collection of the usual office applications, and is available on Linux, Solaris, and Mac OS X, although I chose to download it for windows which prompted a 93MB download.
Extract from Wikipedia:
OpenOffice.org is a collection of different applications that work together closely to provide the features expected from a modern office suite. Many of the components are designed to mirror those available in Microsoft Office. The components available include:
- Writer — a word processor similar in look and feel to Microsoft Word and offering a comparable range of functions and tools. It also includes the ability to export Portable Document Format (PDF) files with no additional software, and can also function as a WYSIWYG editor for creating and editing web pages. One important difference between Writer and Microsoft Word is that in Writer, many functions and number formats from Calc (below) are available in Writer’s tables. Another difference is that in Writer, automatic save is off by default.
- Calc — a spreadsheet similar to Microsoft Excel with a roughly equivalent range of features. Calc provides a number of features not present in Excel, including a system which automatically defines series for graphing, based on the layout of the user’s data. Calc is also capable of writing spreadsheets directly as a PDF file.
- Impress — a presentation program similar to Microsoft PowerPoint. It can export presentations to Adobe Flash (SWF) files allowing them to be played on any computer with the Flash player installed. It also includes the ability to create PDF files. Impress suffers from a lack of ready-made presentation designs. However, templates are readily available on the Internet.[6]
- Base — a database program similar to Microsoft Access. Base allows the creation and manipulation of databases, and the building of forms and reports to provide easy access to data for end-users. As with Access, Base is able to work as a front-end to a number of different database systems, including Access databases (JET), ODBC data sources and MySQL/PostgreSQL. Base became part of the suite starting with version 2.0.
- Draw — a vector graphics editor comparable in features to CorelDRAW. It features versatile “connectors” between shapes, which are available in a range of line styles and facilitate building drawings such as flowcharts.
- Math — a tool for creating and editing mathematical formulae, similar to Microsoft Equation Editor. Formulae can be embedded inside other OpenOffice.org documents, such as those created by Writer. It supports multiple fonts and can export to PDF.
- Quickstarter — a small program for Windows and Linux that runs when the computer starts for the first time. It loads the core files and libraries for OpenOffice.org during computer startup and allows the suite applications to start more quickly when selected later. The amount of time it takes to open OpenOffice.org applications was a common complaint in version 1.0 of the suite, and Quickstarter was a solution of sorts. Substantial improvements were made in this area for version 2.0.
- The macro recorder — is used to record user actions and replay them later to help with automating tasks, using OpenOffice.org Basic
As you can see, they seem to have most bases covered, and OpenOffice.org provides a good substitute for Microsoft Office, and allows to user to open documents from the Microsoft set of programmes.
Many people are now mirating to open source software, and this also includes larger intitutions such as the French Police Force, who along with OpenOffice.org have also switched to Mozilla Firefox as a substitute for Microsoft Internet Explorer, and Mozilla Thunderbird instead of Microsoft Outlook.
The OpenOffice.org project aims “To create, as a community, the leading international office suite that will run on all major platforms and provide access to all functionality and data through open-component based APIs and an XML-based file format.“
HousePrices.co.uk – property search 2 December, 2006
Posted by Adem in Services, Useful Stuff.3 comments
We all know that house prices in the UK are rising, and I personally like to know how much houses are selling for in my area, so here’s a heads up for those other nosey people out there.
HousePrices.co.uk enables you to search the UK Land Registry database of
houses sold in England and Wales since 2000 and find out all the sales that have occured in a certain location, and how much the houses went for.
Simply put in a postcode (even a partial one will do), a roadname, or even a house name, and you’ll get a detailed list back with the sale date, price, house type, tenure, and n integrated map courtesy of Google Maps.
So next time you’re thinking of buying a house, have a quick look on here and see how much more you’re paying for your house than the guy who bought it 5 years ago!
