Latest Posts

Lightsail: Amazon AWS, Made Simple

Submitted by admin on Sat, 06/29/2019 - 2:40pm

When shopping for server space, especially for a client, you need the name recognition and trust of a company like Amazon.  But Amazon AWS can be a daunting ecosystem to navigate, especially for those that just need the basics:  a server and a database.

That's where Amazon Lightsail comes in.  Still hosted on the framework of Amazon AWS, the UI for setting up a new server, database, adding storage, etc, is greatly simplified and much easier to manage, and while still costing a similar rate as other VPS vendors.

Long Live LibreOffice!

Submitted by admin on Wed, 01/10/2018 - 9:33pm

I've been using OpenOffice for years-- it's a free (mostly compatible) alternative to Microsoft Office.  With no license fee to pay, it's a simple solution when setting up a new computer for a friend who needs an occasional word processor, powerpoint creator, etc.

But I recently have jumped ship on OpenOffice, and switched to an even better (and still free) office suite:  LibreOffice.

Silk Icon Set Made Easy

Submitted by admin on Tue, 10/18/2016 - 8:04pm

If you are anything like me, you find yourself using the Silk icon set (from famfamfam) all the time.  The icons are very smooth and modern-- in fact, you will find a few on this site.

But, they are often difficult to pick what you want, because you have to load the index in one screen, then find the file you want in the zip file.

SSH Key Authentication in Eclipse

Submitted by admin on Mon, 08/08/2016 - 1:27pm

I love Aptana as a PHP IDE which lets me edit remote files, through an SSH/SFTP connection.  However, at the time of this writing, it does not support every kind of SSH exchange algorithm.  When it hits a snag, the exact error message it gives is "No suitable key exchange algorithm could be agreed."  I found this was the case on Acquia servers.

While this can be fixed at the server level, if you are working for a client who does not have access at that level (For example, on an Acquia server), you just can't use Aptana.

Which is where regular old Eclipse comes back into play.

Waveapps.com - Great for Small Business Finances

Submitted by admin on Sat, 05/14/2016 - 11:47am

This post isn't really about IT or programming, but I thought it could help some folks out anyway.  I am a freelance developer, and like a lot of freelancers, I need an easy system for keeping track of my finances.  I believe I found that in the free web site waveapps.com.

Let me state for the record that I am not paid by Wave, nor am I in any way connected to this company.  All I can say is that in my own experience, it has made keeping track of purchases & invoices a lot easier.

Best Screenshot Software Hands-Down

Submitted by admin on Sun, 03/20/2016 - 10:02pm

If you find yourself sending a lot of screenshots to clients or colleagues, I can't recommend enough the program "Greenshot".  It's free and open source, and allows you to very quickly and easily capture just regions of your screen, certain windows, etc.

You can then either save your screenshot directly, or edit it in a basic image editor which lets you draw arrows, rectangles, and even blur regions-- very handy if you are sending sensitive information.

The Benefits of Virtual Servers Over Physical Servers

Submitted by admin on Tue, 12/15/2015 - 4:25pm

If you are considering a new startup or have an existing business with a physical server somewhere on-site (in a closet or something similar), you should consider the benefits of using a virtual server instead.

Full disclosure: I have used the virtual server company linode.com before, though I am not being paid by them and receive no benefit from my endorsement.

Let me break it down simply, by price:

At the time of this writing, a basic capable Linode virtual server costs $20/month.  Through my own benchmarking tests, I've found its processor speed to be comparable with a modern medium-priced physical server.

Shortcut to Chrome With Completely Different Configurations

Submitted by admin on Thu, 10/15/2015 - 2:56pm

If you have multiple gmail accounts, and would like a desktop shortcut to launch Chrome with completely different configurations (including different logged-in users), there are a couple different ways you can do this.  The following technique is what I used, so I could have a shortcut on my Windows desktop specifically for 1 gmail account, that was always logged in and separate from my normal instance of Chrome, where my personal gmail account was always logged in.

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