How To

Articles in the How To category in Technology Tips.

Install a database on Windows PC

Last updated on by topcat

You are inspired by the SQL tutorial and you decided you want to install a database on your Windows PC. So, you do a Google search to see how this is done. Then you realize that there is a large variety of relational databases you can install. Not only that, as you browse through the different pages, you find the installation instructions for all of them are complicated. First you need to figure out which version you should download and install, then you have to go through multiple pages to find the right instructions. Pretty soon you realized that installing a database on your PC feels like a major project in itself.

This blog shows a simpler way. Assuming your goal is simply to have a database so you can practice your SQL skills, my recommendation is to go with SQLite3 for its ease of installation, its ease of use, and its small storage requirements. One thing to note with SQLite3 is that it does not have all the SQL features (here is a short list of common SQL features not available in SQLite3). Having said that, the truly important features are included.

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Convert From HTTP to HTTPS Using CloudFlare SSL

Last updated on by topcat

I recently converted a website from HTTP to HTTPS using CloudFlare’s Universal SSL, which is free and does not require installation on the server, two factors that had prevented me from doing this previously. Here are the steps I took to convert my website to HTTPS:

1. Update all internal links to point to the HTTPS version of the asset. This includes the following:

  • Canonical URL
  • Internal links
  • CSS
  • Javascript
  • Images
  • External CSS resources such as Google fonts

Depending on how complex your website is, this effort could range from a few minutes (if you have a very small website) to a big project that takes several months (if you are a large enterprise). However, if you belong to the latter category or if you are doing ecommerce, it is a good idea to go with one of the commercial SSL certificates rather than getting SSL through CloudFlare.

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How To Convert Tape To Digital Format

Last updated on by topcat

I have a collection of over 200 music cassette tapes, and I have been going through the process of copying the contents of these tapes into digital format and storing them on my computer. This process is fairly straightforward, but it does take time. At the high level, what you need to do is to use a software program to record the music on your computer by playing the cassette tape in a tape player and connecting the tape player to your computer. Then, you can store the music on your computer in your favorite format.

Materials Needed

1. A cassette tape player.

2. A 3.5 mm male-to-male audio connector such as this one from Amazon.

3. An audio editing program called Audacity. You can download this program from the website.

Detailed Steps

1. Plug one end of the audio connector into the tape player, and the other end into your computer.

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File Transfer Between Android and PC

Last updated on by topcat

There are many occasions when we want to transfer files between our Android device and our PC. One way to do this is to connect the Android device to the PC via a USB cable. On the other hand, sometimes this does not work for a variety of reasons. Below I describe how I set up my Android and PC so I can transfer files between them.

File transfer from Android to PC

I use Bluetooth for this, and there are two components: Hardware and software. On the hardware side, you’ll want to make sure your PC is Bluetooth-ready. My PC did not have Bluetooth capabilities, so I bought a Bluetooth adapter (IOgear IOGBU421) to make sure my PC can communicate via Bluetooth. On the software side, I used Bluetooth OBEX File Transfer from Medieval Software. I downloaded and installed the PC version, and then I downloaded and installed the Android app version to my Android phone. Both versions are free. Once installations are complete, start the app in Android, and then open the file transfer program in PC. You’ll be able to connect to your Android device and download the files from your Android device.

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Download Pictures From Your Feature Phone Via Bluetooth

Last updated on by topcat

I have a feature phone that I took some pictures with, but there wasn’t an easy way for me to download those pictures to my computer. I’ve always thought that I’d figure out a way to do this, but never got to it. A few days ago I was finally able to do it via the following steps:

1. My feature phone has Bluetooth capabilities, so I figured a good path to go is to give my computer Bluetooh capability by purchasing a Bluetooth USB device. There are several you can find if you search for “USB Bluetooth.” The one I got was IOGEAR USB 2.1 Bluetooth Micro Adapter.

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Check Server Load On Shared Host Using PHP

Last updated on by topcat

If you are using a shared hosting plan to host your website, chances are that you are sharing the same server with hundreds, and maybe even thousands, of other domains. Does this lead to performance issues? Quite possibly. But how do you check for that? Many hosting companies will post server status, but all that really gives you is whether the server is up or down. Server status does not tell you what’s the load on the server.

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Change Domain Registrar

Last updated on by topcat

Recently I decided to change domain registrars for all the domains I have. Due to various reasons, my domains are registered through 3 separate registrars, and it made sense to consolidate into a single registrar. Below is the experience I went through, which should be pretty typical of everyone. Winning Registrar refers to the registrar I am transferring the domain to, and Losing Registrar refers to the registrar I am transferring the domain away from.

The steps are as follows:

1. Going into the console of the Losing Registrar, unlock the domain and write down the Auth Code.

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How To Connect to SQL Server From Unix

Last updated on by topcat

One project I’ve had to work on recently requires me to pull data from Microsoft SQL Server from a Linux machine. It took me a lot of time to search the internet to find the proper software to install, configure, and get everything running. To save time for everyone else who may need to accomplish this task in the future, I list out the steps below:

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