29 Oct 2015

Convert class MDB2 in standard PHP MySQLi

PHPAs I did, you may have written some sites a few years ago with the class MDB2, equivalent to PDO, used to request a database with some additional useful functions, but mainly portability: these two classes use the same functions for a MySQL or PostgreSQL or other database...

However, if PDO was included in PHP and is always maintained, MDB2 has not really evolved over the last years. As this overlay losts some performance, it's probably wiser to do without now, especially if the hypothetical switch to PostgreSQL never happens! ;-)

Continue reading »

02 Sep 2015

Recover a Clash of Clans account without save

Android Following a re-installation of my Android tablet, Clash of Clans was the only application where I could not restore my data. And for a good reason because the games are stored remotely only on the server of the publisher Supercell.

It's possible to be identified on Google Play games to restore a game, but if you don't save it: no official mean.

Fortunately there is a solution with the condition you have your old Android ID. In this case you even not need to any saved files from your old tablet or smartphone as your game is based on your system identifier.

Continue reading »

27 Jun 2015

Install a lightweight web server on a VPS or small server

Install a web server

Many people today prefer Nginx instead of Apache for resource reasons. However Apache is easier to install, configure and .htaccess are a convenient way to change the configuration of a folder, to put a password or some URL rewriting. I prefer to keep the good old Apache which is solid as a rock and proven!

Here is a guide to install a LAMP Linux, Apache, PHP, MySQL web server on Debian 7. I chose Apache mod-event and PHP-FPM, which will give the best performance without taking up too much memory and it should work well on a relatively small machine, up to a certain number of visitors obviously!

I took actually 2 VPS servers to 4€ a month in the best current French hosting Firstheberg. One for the database, the other for the "front" web server, FTP, email. That makes a lot more economical and powerful solution than one VPS even 3 times more expansive. It has also the advantage of allowing automatic backups from one server to another and, with an "failover IP", the operation even if one of the servers fails.

However, in all hosts, VPS products are profitable for them, but little interest in value. I advise you rather 1 or 2 small dedicated servers or shared hosting, which will often be better than these mini-VPS even if it works. :-)

Continue reading »

25 Apr 2015

Hard copyright respect on Dailymotion

Justice Difficult to make stolen videos deleted from Dailymotion! The French videos viewing service is a lot more tolerant than his American competitor. On Youtube sanctions are quite logical and one that sent a video taken elsewhere is not paid:

«As of 1 January 2014, only original content will allow users to earn money. Videos containing film clips, music and video games will be systematically deleted if they are not justified. They will pay nothing to YouTubers who are not the authors.»

~

And Youtube accounts are blocked fast enough. A severity which benefits to the more lax competitor Dailymotion! Indeed, not only the one who sent a video without the consent of the author continues to be paid even after the reporting of the video, but also to remove a video from Dailymotion is an obstacle course! It's not enough to report it, you must prove that you are the author (which seems not useful if the video was already visible elsewhere, it is a copy), and it must be asked 3 or 4 times, for a success rate of 2 out of 10!

Continue reading »

14 Jan 2015

Samsung camera, no bugs correction!

SamsungWhen buying a camera, especially if you're an amateur and passionate, you can spend a lot of time reading comparatives to choose the perfect device. But there is a criteria that we can't know in advance, this is the management of the bugs in the software (firmware) by the manufacturer.

In this field, I will advise you to avoid Samsung! I know it's not a "real" camera brand, and the stop of Schneider-Kreuznach lenses for Samsung lenses has not been great. However, this is the only manufacturer to offer an auto-bracketing of ±2 EV in the compacts... Wanting to make HDR photography, I did not have much choice. :-(

Continue reading »

Azure Dev